Isaiah 40

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

KJV Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God,

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry out to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned — for she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.

KJV Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'

KJV The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.

KJV Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

KJV And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

A voice says, 'Cry out!' And I said, 'What shall I cry?' All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

KJV The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:

The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass.

KJV The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

KJV The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news. Lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!'

KJV O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.

KJV Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms and carry them close to His heart; He will gently lead those that are nursing.

KJV He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and marked off the heavens with a span, and enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

KJV Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has instructed Him?

KJV Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

With whom did He take counsel and who gave Him understanding? Who taught Him the path of justice, or taught Him knowledge, or showed Him the way of understanding?

KJV With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are counted as dust on the scales; behold, He takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

KJV Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor its beasts for a burnt offering.

KJV And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are counted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness.

KJV All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare to Him?

KJV To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains.

KJV The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

He who is too poor for such an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not totter.

KJV He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

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?

KJV Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

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.

KJV It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

He brings princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

KJV That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

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 storm carries them away like stubble.

KJV Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

'To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be his equal?' says the Holy One.

KJV To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

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.

KJV Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

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'?

KJV Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

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.

KJV Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.

KJV He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted.

KJV Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But those who wait upon 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.

KJV But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.