God’s People Comforted
3 A voice of one crying out:
4
4
Every valley will be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill will be leveled;
the uneven ground will become smooth
and the rough places, a plain.(G)
5 and every mountain and hill will be leveled;
the uneven ground will become smooth
and the rough places, a plain.(G)
And the glory of the Lord will appear,(H)
and all humanity(b) together will see it,(I)
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(J)
and all humanity(b) together will see it,(I)
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(J)
9
10
11
He protects His flock like a shepherd;(T)
He gathers the lambs in His arms
and carries them in the fold of His garment.
He gently leads those that are nursing.
He gathers the lambs in His arms
and carries them in the fold of His garment.
He gently leads those that are nursing.
12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?(U)
Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure
or weighed the mountains in a balance
and the hills in the scales?
13
14 or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?(U)
Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure
or weighed the mountains in a balance
and the hills in the scales?
Who did He consult with?
Who gave Him understanding(W)
and taught Him the paths of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge
and showed Him the way of understanding?
15 Who gave Him understanding(W)
and taught Him the paths of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge
and showed Him the way of understanding?
Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are considered as a speck of dust in the scales;
He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
16
17 they are considered as a speck of dust in the scales;
He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
All the nations are as nothing before Him;
they are considered by Him
as nothingness and emptiness.(Y)
they are considered by Him
as nothingness and emptiness.(Y)
18
19
To an idol?—something that a smelter casts,
and a metalworker plates with gold
and makes silver welds for it?(AA)
20 and a metalworker plates with gold
and makes silver welds for it?(AA)
To one who shapes a pedestal,
choosing wood that does not rot?(g)
He looks for a skilled craftsman
to set up an idol that will not fall over.(AB)
choosing wood that does not rot?(g)
He looks for a skilled craftsman
to set up an idol that will not fall over.(AB)
21
22
23
24
They are barely planted, barely sown,
their stem hardly takes root in the ground
when He blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble.(AI)
their stem hardly takes root in the ground
when He blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble.(AI)
25
26
Look up(h) and see:
who created(AK) these?
He brings out the starry host by number;
He calls all of them by name.(AL)
Because of His great power and strength,
not one of them is missing.
who created(AK) these?
He brings out the starry host by number;
He calls all of them by name.(AL)
Because of His great power and strength,
not one of them is missing.
Footnotes:
a.
Isaiah 40:2: Lit Speak to the heart of
b.
Isaiah 40:5: Lit flesh
c.
Isaiah 40:6: DSS, LXX, Vg read I
d.
Isaiah 40:7: Or wind, or Spirit
e.
Isaiah 40:7: Lit it
f.
Isaiah 40:13: Or measured, or comprehended
g.
Isaiah 40:20: Or who is too poor for such an offering, or who chooses mulberry wood as a votive gift; Hb obscure
h.
Isaiah 40:26: Lit Lift up your eyes on high
Cross references:
A.
Isaiah 40:1:
Isaiah 12:1; Isaiah 49:13; Isaiah 51:3; Isaiah 51:12; Isaiah 52:9; Isaiah 61:2; Isaiah 66:13; Jeremiah 31:10-14; 2 Corinthians 1:4
T.
Isaiah 40:11:
Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:12-14; Ezekiel 34:23; Ezekiel 34:31; John 10:11; John 10:14-16
AI.
Isaiah 40:24:
Psalm 1:4; Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 41:16; Isaiah 64:6; Ezekiel 17:10; Ezekiel 17:24; Nahum 1:4