1 C omfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God.

“ Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.

2 S peak 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.

“ Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.”

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

A voice is calling, “ Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

4 E very 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.

“Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

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

Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6 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:

A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

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

The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.

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

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

9 O n 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.'

Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “ Here is your God!”

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

Behold, the Lord God will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.

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

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

12 W ho 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?

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?

13 W ho hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, His counsellor, doth teach Him!

Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has informed Him?

14 W ith 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?

With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?

15 L o, 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.

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

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

Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

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

All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.

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

To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

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

As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

20 H e 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.

He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter.

21 D o 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?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 H e 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.

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

He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

24 Y ea, 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.

Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble.

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

“ To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.

26 L ift 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.

Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.

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

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?

28 H ast 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.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

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

He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.

30 E ven youths are wearied and fatigued, And young men utterly stumble,

Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,

31 B ut 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!

Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.