1 ¶ Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 S peak ye according to the heart of Jerusalem and cry unto her that her time is now fulfilled that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received of 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 ¶ The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD; make straight 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 exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places made 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 of the LORD shall be manifested, 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 T he voice that said, Cry. And I said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the mercy thereof is as the open 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 because the spirit of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people is 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 open flower fades; but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God abideth for ever.
9 ¶ O Zion, that brings good tidings, go up into the high mountain; lift up thy voice with strength O bearer of good tidings of Jerusalem; lift it up, do not be afraid; say unto 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 a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work 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 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.
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 ¶ Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and prepared the heavens with his palm and with three fingers measured the dust of the earth and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills with weights?
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 being his counsellor has taught him?
Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, and, his counsellor, hath taught him?
14 W ith whom took he counsel, and who instructed him? Who taught him in the path of judgment and taught him knowledge and showed unto him the way of intelligence?
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 as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he causes the isles to disappear as dust.
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 is not sufficient for the fire, nor all the beasts thereof sufficient for the sacrifice.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.
17 A ll the Gentiles are as nothing before him, and they are counted to him as vanity and as less than nothing.
All the nations are as nothing before him; they are esteemed by him less than a cipher, and vanity.
18 ¶ To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
To whom then will ye liken God? and what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19 T he workman prepares the graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold and casts silver chains.
The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
20 H e that is so impoverished that he has no oblation chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks unto himself a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved.
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 H ave ye not known? Have ye not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not been taught since the land was founded?
—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 H e is seated upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; he stretches out the heavens as a curtain and spreads them out as 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 H e brings the powerful to nothing; he makes the judges of the earth as if they had never been,
that bringeth the princes to nothing, that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 A s if they had never been planted, as if they had never been sown, as if their stock had never taken root in the earth; even blowing upon them, they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as 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 ye liken me, or what shall ye compare me to? saith 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 behold who has created these things; he brings out his host by number; he calls them all by their names; none shall be lacking by the greatness of his might and by the strength of his power.
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 ¶ Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest thou, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over 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 ast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the God of the age is the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth? He does not faint, nor is he weary; and there is no one that can attain to his intelligence.
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 to those that have no might he increases strength.
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.
30 T he young men faint and are weary; the children stumble and fall;
Even the youths shall faint and shall tire, and the young men shall stumble and fall;
31 b ut those that wait for the LORD shall have new strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
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.