English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

1"Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God.

2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.

2"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."

3A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

3A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.

4"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;

5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

5Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

6A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

6A 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.

7The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.

7The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.

8The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

9Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

9Get 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!"

10Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.

11He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

11Like 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.

12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

12Who 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?

13Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?

13Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him?

14Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

14With 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?

15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

15Behold, 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.

16Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

16Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

17All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

17All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.

18To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?

18To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

19An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains.

19As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

20He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move.

20He 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.

21Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

21Do 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?

22It 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 like a tent to dwell in;

22It 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.

23who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

23He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

24Scarcely 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.

25To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.

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

26Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.

26Lift 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.

27Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?

27Why 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 "?

28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

28Do 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.

29He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

29He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.

30Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;

30Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,

31but they who wait for 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.

31Yet 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.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

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