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

“Comfort, 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 kind words to Jerusalem. Call out to her that her time of war has ended, that her sin has been taken away, and that she has received from the Lord’s hand twice as much 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, “Make the way ready for the Lord in the desert. Make the road in the desert straight 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.

Every valley will be lifted up and every mountain and hill will be brought down. The turns in the road will be made straight and the bad places will be made smooth.

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 shining-greatness of the Lord will be seen. All flesh together will see it, 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, “Cry.” And he said, “What should I cry?” All flesh is grass. All its beauty 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 dries up and the flower loses its color when the breath of the Lord blows upon it. For sure the people are grass.

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

The grass dries up. The flower loses its color. 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.'

O Zion, you who bring good news, go up on the high mountain! Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, you who bring good news. Lift it up, do not be afraid. 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.

See, the Lord God will come with power, and His arm will rule for Him. See, He is bringing the reward He will give to everyone for what he has done.

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.

He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in His arms and carry them close to His heart. He will be gentle in leading those that are with young.

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 knows how much water is in His hand? Who has used his hand to know how far the heavens reach? Who knows what the dust of the earth would fill? Who has weighed the mountains and the hills?

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

Who has led the Spirit of the Lord? Who has taught Him words of wisdom?

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?

From whom did He ask for wisdom, and who gave Him understanding? Who taught Him the right way, and taught Him much learning? Who showed Him 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.

See, the nations are like a drop in a pail. Their weight is like a little piece of dust. See, 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. Its animals are not enough for a burnt gift in worship.

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. He thinks of them as less than nothing and of no worth.

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

To Whom then is God like? What will you compare Him with?

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.

An able workman makes a false god. A man who works with gold covers it with gold. And a man who works with silver makes silver chains for it.

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 poor to give such a gift, picks out a tree that will not waste away. He finds an able workman to set up a false god that will not be moved.

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 told to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the beginning 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 God Who sits on the throne above the earth. The people living on the earth are like grasshoppers. He spreads out the heavens like a curtain. He spreads them out like a tent to live in.

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

It is He Who brings rulers down to nothing. He makes the judges of the earth as nothing.

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.

They have just been planted, and have begun to take root in the earth. But He only blows on them and they dry up, and the storm carries them away like dry grass.

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

“To whom will you compare Me, that I should be like him?” 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 and see. Who has made these stars? It is the One Who leads them out by number. He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of His strength, and because He is strong in 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.'

O Jacob and Israel, why do you say, “My way is hidden from the Lord. My God does not think about my cause”?

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.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God Who lives forever is the Lord, the One Who made the ends of the earth. He will not become weak or tired. His understanding is too great for us to begin to know.

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

He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength.

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

Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall.

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!

But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.