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

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says 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 comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Yahweh’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 who calls out, “Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert 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 exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven shall be made level, 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.

Yahweh’s glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”

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:

The voice of one saying, “Cry!” One said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like 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 withers, the flower fades, because Yahweh’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass.

8 T he grass withers, the open flower fades; but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever.”

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!

You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength. Lift it up. Don’t be afraid. Say to 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 Yahweh will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense 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 in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.

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 has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measuring basket, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

13 W ho has directed the Spirit of the LORD or being his counsellor has taught him?

Who has directed Yahweh’s Spirit, or has taught him as his counselor?

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?

Who did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed 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 like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance. Behold, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing.

16 A nd all Lebanon is not sufficient for the fire, nor all the beasts thereof sufficient for the sacrifice.

Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its animals 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 like nothing before him. They are regarded by him as less than nothing, and vanity.

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

To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?

19 T he workman prepares the graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold and casts silver chains.

A workman has cast an image, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it.

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 who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks a skillful workman to set up an engraved image for him that will 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?

Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard, yet? Haven’t you been told from the beginning? Haven’t you understood from the foundations 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:

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 out like 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,

who brings princes to nothing; who makes the judges of the earth like meaningless.

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.

They are planted scarcely. They are sown scarcely. Their stock has scarcely taken root in the ground. He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes 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 you liken me? Who is my equal?” says 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 has created these, who brings out their army by number. He calls them all by name. by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, Not one is lacking.

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 do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel, “My way is hidden from Yahweh, and the justice due me is disregarded by 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.

Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

29 H e gives power to the faint; and to those that have no might he increases strength.

He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.

30 T he young men faint and are weary; the children stumble and fall;

Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly 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 those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.