1 C omfort, comfort My people, says your God.

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

2 S peak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry to her that her time of service and her warfare are ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her time of suffering is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.

3 A voice of one who cries: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord; make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God!

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our God!

4 E very valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain.

Every valley shall be raised up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places a plain.

5 A nd the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

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

6 A voice says, Cry! And I said, What shall I cry? All flesh is as frail as grass, and all that makes it attractive is transitory, like the flower of the field.

A voice saith, Cry. And he saith, What shall I cry?—All flesh is grass, and all the comeliness thereof as the flower of the field.

7 T he grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are like grass.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, for the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

8 T he grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God abideth for ever.

9 O you who bring good tidings to Zion, get up to the high mountain. O you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

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

10 B ehold, the Lord God will come with might, and His arm will rule for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.

Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come with might, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompence before him.

11 H e will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd: he will gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom; he will gently lead those that give suck.

12 W ho has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, 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 hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with span, and grasped the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in scales?

13 W ho has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?

Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, and, his counsellor, hath taught him?

14 W ith whom did He take counsel, that instruction might be given Him? Who taught Him the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?

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

15 B ehold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are counted as small dust on the scales; behold, He takes up the isles like a very little thing.

Behold, the nations are esteemed as a drop of the bucket, and as the fine dust on the scales; behold, he taketh up the isles as an atom.

16 A nd all Lebanon’s cannot supply sufficient fuel, nor all its wild beasts furnish victims enough to burn sacrifices.

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

17 A ll the nations are as nothing before Him; they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and emptiness (waste, futility, and worthlessness).

All the nations are as nothing before him; they are esteemed by him less than a cipher, and vanity.

18 T o whom then will you liken God? Or with what likeness will you compare Him?

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

19 T he graven image! A workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it.

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

20 H e who is so impoverished that he has no offering or oblation or rich gift to give chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to carve and set up an image that will not totter or deteriorate.

He that is impoverished, so that he hath no offering, chooseth a tree that doth not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilled workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved.

21 D o you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

—Do ye not know? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood the foundation of the earth?

22 I t is God Who sits above the circle (the horizon) of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; it is He Who stretches out the heavens like curtains and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in,

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

23 W ho brings dignitaries to nothing, Who makes the judges and rulers of the earth as chaos (emptiness, falsity, and futility).

that bringeth the princes to nothing, that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

24 Y es, these men are scarcely planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely does their stock take root in the earth, when blows upon them and they wither, and the whirlwind or tempest takes them away like stubble.

Scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely hath their stock taken root in the earth, but he also bloweth upon them and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.

25 T o whom then will you liken Me, that I should be equal to him? says the Holy One.

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

26 L ift up your eyes on high and see! Who has created these? He Who brings out their host by number and calls them all by name; through the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything.

Lift up your eyes on high, and see! Who hath created these things, bringing out their host by number? He calleth them all by name; through the greatness of his might and strength of power, not one faileth.

27 W hy, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, My way and my lot are hidden from the Lord, and my right is passed over without regard from my God?

Why sayest thou, Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and my right is passed away from my God?

28 H ave you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.

Dost thou not know, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not nor tireth? There is no searching of his understanding.

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

He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.

30 E ven youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted;

Even the youths shall faint and shall tire, and the young men shall stumble and fall;

31 B ut those who wait for the Lord shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

but they that wait upon Jehovah shall renew strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not tire; they shall walk, and not faint.