1 “ Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God.

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

2 “ Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord ’s hand Double for all her sins.”

Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, That her warfare hath been completed, That accepted hath been her punishment, That she hath received from the hand of Jehovah Double for all her sins.

3 T he voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

A voice is crying -- in a wilderness -- Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God.

4 E very valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth;

Every valley is raised up, And every mountain and hill become low, And the crooked place hath become a plain, And the entangled places a valley.

5 T he glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

And revealed hath been the honour of Jehovah, And seen have all flesh together, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.

6 T he voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

A voice is saying, `Call,' And he said, `What do I call?' All flesh grass, and all its goodliness As a flower of the field:

7 T he grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.

Withered hath grass, faded the flower, For the Spirit of Jehovah blew upon it, Surely the people grass;

8 T he grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

Withered hath grass, faded the flower, But a word of our God riseth for ever.

9 O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

On a high mountain get thee up, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, Lift up with power thy voice, O Jerusalem, proclaiming tidings, Lift up, fear not, say to cities of Judah, `Lo, your God.'

10 B ehold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.

Lo, the Lord Jehovah with strength cometh, And His arm is ruling for Him, Lo, His hire with Him, and His wage before Him.

11 H e will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.

As a shepherd His flock He feedeth, With His arm He gathereth lambs, And in His bosom He carrieth: Suckling ones He leadeth.

12 W ho has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?

Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters? And the heavens by a span hath meted out, And comprehended in a measure the dust of the earth, And hath weighed in scales the mountains, And the hills in a balance?

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

Who hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, His counsellor, doth teach Him!

14 W ith whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?

With whom consulted He, That he causeth Him to understand? And teacheth Him in the path of judgment, And teacheth Him knowledge? And the way of understanding causeth Him to know?

15 B ehold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.

Lo, nations as a drop from a bucket, And as small dust of the balance, have been reckoned, Lo, isles as a small thing He taketh up.

16 A nd Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering.

17 A ll nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.

All the nations as nothing before Him, Less than nothing and emptiness, They have been reckoned to Him.

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

And unto whom do ye liken God, And what likeness do ye compare to Him?

19 T he workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.

The graven image poured out hath a artizan, And a refiner with gold spreadeth it over, And chains of silver he is refining.

20 W hoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter.

He who is poor heave-offerings, A tree not rotten doth choose, A skilful artizan he seeketh for it, To establish a graven image -- not moved.

21 H ave you not known? 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 -- do ye not hear? Hath it not been declared from the first to you? Have ye not understood the foundations of the earth?

22 I t 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.

He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out as a thin thing the heavens, And spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in.

23 H e brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.

He who is making princes become nothing, Judges of earth as emptiness hath made;

24 S carcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

Yea, they have not been planted, Yea, they have not been sown, Yea, not taking root in the earth is their stock, And also He hath blown upon them, and they wither, And a whirlwind as stubble taketh them away.

25 “ To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.

And unto whom do ye liken Me, And I equal? saith the Holy One.

26 L ift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

Lift up on high your eyes, And see -- who hath prepared these? He who is bringing out by number their host, To all of them by name He calleth, By abundance of strength (And strong in power) not one is lacking.

27 W hy do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”?

Why sayest thou, O Jacob? and speakest thou, O Israel? `My way hath been hid from Jehovah, And from my God my judgment passeth over.'

28 H ave you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The God of the age -- Jehovah, Preparer of the ends of the earth, Is not wearied nor fatigued, There is no searching of His understanding.

29 H e gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

He is giving power to the weary, And to those not strong He increaseth might.

30 E ven the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,

Even youths are wearied and fatigued, And young men utterly stumble,

31 B ut those who wait on 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 expecting Jehovah pass power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!