Berean Standard Bible

Isaiah 40

Prepare the Way for the LORD

1“ComfortH5162, comfortH5162 My peopleH5971,”saysH559 your GodH430.2“SpeakH1696 tenderly toH5921 H3820 JerusalemH3389,and proclaimH7121 to herH413thatH3588 her forced laborH6635 has been completedH4390;her iniquityH5771 H3588 has been pardonedH7521.ForH3588 she has receivedH3947 from the handH3027 of the LORDH3068doubleH3718 for allH3605 her sinsH2403.”

3A voiceH6963 of one callingH7121:

“PrepareH6437 the wayH1870 for the LORDH3068 in the wildernessH4057;1make a straightH3474 highwayH4546 for our GodH430 in the desertH6160.24EveryH3605 valleyH1516 shall be lifted upH5375,and everyH3605 mountainH2022 and hillH1389 made lowH8213;the unevenH6121 ground will becomeH1961 smoothH4334,and the rugged landH7406 a plainH1237.3

5And the gloryH3519 of the LORDH3068 will be revealedH1540, and allH3605 humanityH1320 togetherH3162 will see itH7200.”4 ForH3588 the mouthH6310 of the LORDH3068 has spokenH1696.

6A voiceH6963 saysH559, “Cry outH7121!”And I askedH559, “WhatH4100 should I cry outH7121?”“AllH3605 fleshH1320 is like grassH2682,and allH3605 its gloryH2617 like the flowersH6731 of the fieldH7704.7The grassH2682 withersH3001 and the flowersH6731 fallH5034whenH3588 the breathH7307 of the LORDH3068 blowsH5380 on them;indeedH403, the peopleH5971 are grassH2682.

8The grassH2682 withersH3001 and the flowersH6731 fallH5034, but the wordH1697 of our GodH430 standsH6965 foreverH5769.”5

9Go upH5927 onH5921 a highH1364 mountainH2022,O ZionH6726, herald of good newsH1319.RaiseH7311 your voice loudlyH6963 H3581,O JerusalemH3389, herald of good newsH1319.Lift it upH7311,6do notH408 be afraidH3372!SayH559 to the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063,“HereH2009 is your GodH430!”10BeholdH2009, the LordH136 GODH3069 comesH935 with mightH2389,and His armH2220 establishes His ruleH4910 .His rewardH7939 is with HimH854,and His recompenseH6468 accompanies HimH6440.11He tendsH7462 His flockH5739 like a shepherdH7462;He gathersH6908 the lambsH2922 in His armsH2220and carries themH5375 close to His heartH2436.He gently leadsH5095 the nursingH5763 ewes.

12WhoH4310 has measuredH4058 the watersH4325 in the hollow of his handH8168,or marked offH8505 the heavensH8064 with the span of his handH2239?Who has heldH3557 the dustH6083 of the earthH776 in a basketH7991,or weighedH8254 the mountainsH2022 on a scaleH6425and the hillsH1389 with a balanceH3976?13WhoH4310 has directedH8505 the SpiritH7307 of the LORDH3068 H376,7or informed HimH3045 as His counselorH6098?814WhomH4310 did He consultH3289 H854 to enlighten HimH995,and who taught HimH3925 the pathsH734 of justiceH4941?Who impartedH3925 knowledge to HimH1847and showed HimH3045 the wayH1870 of understandingH8394?

15SurelyH2005 the nationsH1471 are like a dropH4752 in a bucketH1805;they are consideredH2803 H2005 a speck of dustH7834 on the scalesH3976;He lifts upH5190 the islandsH339 9 like fine dustH1851.16LebanonH3844 is notH369 sufficientH1767 for fuelH1197,nor its animalsH2416 H369 enoughH1767 for a burnt offeringH5930.17AllH3605 the nationsH1471 are as nothingH369 before HimH5048;He regards themH2803 as nothingnessH657 and emptinessH8414.

18To whomH4310 will you likenH1819 GodH410 ?To whatH4100 imageH1823 will you compareH6186 Him?19To an idolH6459 that a craftsmanH2796 castsH5258and a metalworkerH6884 overlaysH7554 with goldH2091and fits withH6884 silverH3701 chainsH7577?20One lackingH5533 such an offeringH8641choosesH977 woodH6086 that will notH3808 rotH7537.He seeksH1245 a skilledH2450 craftsmanH2796to set upH3559 an idolH6459 that will notH3808 toppleH4131.

21Do you notH3808 knowH3045?Have you notH3808 heardH8085?Has it notH3808 been declared to youH5046 from the beginningH7218?Have you notH3808 understoodH995 since the foundationH4146 of the earthH776?22He sits enthronedH3427 aboveH5921 the circleH2329 of the earthH776;its dwellersH3427 are like grasshoppersH2284.He stretches outH5186 the heavensH8064 like a curtainH1852,and spreads them outH4969 like a tentH168 to dwell inH3427.23He bringsH5414 the princesH7336 to nothingH369and makesH6213 the rulersH8199 10 of the earthH776 meaninglessH8414.24No soonerH637 H1077 are they plantedH5193, no soonerH637 H1077 are they sownH2232,no soonerH637 H1077 have their stemsH1503 taken rootH8327 in the groundH776,thanH1571 He blowsH5398 on them and they witherH3001,and a whirlwindH5591 sweeps them awayH5375 like stubbleH7179.

25“ToH413 whomH4310 will you liken MeH1819,or who is My equalH7737?” asksH559 the Holy OneH6918.26Lift upH5375 your eyesH5869 on highH4791 :WhoH4310 createdH1254 all theseH428?He leads forthH3318 the starry hostH6635 by numberH4557;He callsH7121 each oneH3605 by nameH8034.Because of His greatH7230 powerH202 and mightyH533 strengthH3581,notH3808 one of themH376 is missingH5737.

27WhyH4100 do you sayH559, O JacobH3290,and why do you assertH1696, O IsraelH3478,“My wayH1870 is hiddenH5641 from the LORDH3068,and my claimH4941 is ignoredH5674 by my GodH430”?28Do you notH3808 knowH3045 H518?Have you notH3808 heardH8085?The LORDH3068 is the everlastingH5769 GodH430,the CreatorH1254 of the endsH7098 of the earthH776.He will notH3808 grow tiredH3286 H3808 or wearyH3021;His understandingH8394 is beyondH369 searching outH2714.29He givesH5414 powerH3581 to the faintH3287and increasesH7235 the strengthH6109 of the weakH369 H202.30Even youthsH5288 grow tiredH3286 and wearyH3021,and young menH970 stumbleH3782 and fallH3782.31But those who waitH6960 upon the LORDH3068 will renewH2498 their strengthH3581;they will mount upH5927 with wingsH83 like eaglesH5404;they will runH7323 and notH3808 grow wearyH3021,they will walkH1980 and notH3808 faintH3286.

1. Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for the LORD ↩
2. Isaiah 40:3 LXX make straight the paths of our God; cited in Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, and John 1:23 ↩
3. Isaiah 40:4 LXX Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low. All the crooked ways shall become straight, and the rough places plains. Cited in Luke 3:5 ↩
4. Isaiah 40:5 Literally and all flesh together will see it. Cited in Luke 3:6 ↩
5. Isaiah 40:8 Cited in 1 Peter 1:24–25 ↩
6. Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. O herald of good news to Jerusalem, lift it up, ↩
7. Isaiah 40:13 Or mind of the LORD; see also LXX. ↩
8. Isaiah 40:13 Cited in Romans 11:34 and 1 Corinthians 2:16 ↩
9. Isaiah 40:15 Or coastlands ↩
10. Isaiah 40:23 Or judges ↩