Isaiah 40 Parallel Bible Translations

Isaiah 40 ▼
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1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith God. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak, ye priests, to the heart of Jerusalem; comfort her, for her humiliation is accomplished, her sin is put away: for she has received of the Lord's hand double the amount of her sins. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and all the crooked ways shall become straight, and the rough places plains. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall appear, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God: for the Lord has spoken it . And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
6 The voice of one saying, Cry; and I said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass: A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, and the flower fades: but the word of our God abides for ever. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 O thou that bringest glad tidings to Zion, go up on the high mountain; lift up thy voice with strength, thou that bringest glad tidings to Jerusalem; lift it up, fear not; say unto the cities of Juda, Behold your God! Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”
10 Behold the Lord! The Lord is coming with strength, and his arm is with power: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He shall tend his flock as a shepherd, and he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and shall soothe them that are with young. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
12 Who has measured the water in his hand, and the heaven with a span, and all the earth in a handful? Who has weighed the mountains in scales, and the forests in a balance? Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has known the mind of the Lord? and who has been his counsellor, to instruct him? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor?
14 Or with whom has he taken counsel, and he has instructed him? or who has taught him judgement, or who has taught him the way of understanding; Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?
15 since all the nations are counted as a drop from a bucket, and as the turning of a balance, and shall be counted as spittle? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16 And Libanus is not enough to burn, nor all beasts enough for a whole-burnt offering: Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17 and all the nations are as nothing, and counted as nothing. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.
18 To whom have ye compared the Lord? and with what likeness have ye compared him? To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him?
19 Has not the artificer made an image, or the goldsmith having melted gold, gilt it over, and made it a similitude? An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.
20 For the artificer chooses out a wood that will not rot, and will wisely enquire how he shall set up his image, and that so that it should not be moved. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple.
21 Will ye not know? will ye not hear? has it not been told you of old? Have ye not known the foundations of the earth? Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22 It is he that comprehends the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants in it are as grasshoppers; he that set up the heaven as a chamber, and stretched it out as a tent to dwell in: It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 he that appoints princes to rule as nothing, and has made the earth as nothing. who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24 For they shall not plant, neither shall they sow, neither shall their root be fixed in the ground: he has blown upon them, and they are withered, and a storm shall carry them away like sticks. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25 Now then to whom have ye compared me, that I may be exalted? saith the Holy One. To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and see, who has displayed all these things? even he that brings forth his host by number: he shall call them all by name by means of his great glory, and by the power of his might: nothing has escaped thee. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
27 For say not thou, O Jacob, and why hast thou spoken, Israel, saying , My way is hid from God, and my God has taken away my judgement, and has departed? Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God|?
28 And now, hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? the eternal God, the God that formed the ends of the earth, shall not hunger, nor be weary, and there is no searching of his understanding. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the hungry, and sorrow to them that are not suffering. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 For the young men shall hunger, and the youths shall be weary, and the choice men shall be powerless: Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but they that wait on God shall renew their strength; they shall put forth new feathers like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not hunger. but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
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