Isaiah 40

The Greatness of God

1“1Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.2“2Speak 3kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her 45warfare has ended, That her 67iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the Lord’s hand 8Double for all her sins.”

39A voice 10is calling, “11Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.4Let 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;512Then the 13glory of the Lord will be revealed, And 14all flesh will see it together; For the 15mouth of the Lord has spoken.”6A voice says, “Call out.” Then 16he answered, “What shall I call out?” 17All flesh is grass, and all its 18loveliness is like the flower of the field.7The 19grass withers, the flower fades, 20When the 21breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.8The grass withers, the flower fades, But 22the word of our God stands forever.

9Get yourself up on a 23high mountain, O Zion, bearer of 24good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the 25cities of Judah, “26Here is your God!”10Behold, the Lord 27God will come 28with might, With His 29arm ruling for Him. Behold, His 30reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.11Like a shepherd He will 31tend 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 32measured the 33waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the 34span, And 35calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?1336Who has 37directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His 38counselor has informed Him?1439With whom did He consult and who 40gave 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 41nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of 42dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the 43islands like fine dust.16Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its 44beasts enough for a burnt offering.1745All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and 46meaningless.

1847To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?19As for the 4849idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith 50plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.20He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a 51tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To 52prepare 53an idol that 54will not totter.

2155Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood 56from the foundations of the earth?22It is He who 57sits above the 5859circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like 60grasshoppers, Who 61stretches out the heavens like a 62curtain And spreads them out like a 63tent to dwell in.23He it is who reduces 64rulers to nothing, Who 65makes the judges of the earth 66meaningless.2467Scarcely have they been planted, 68Scarcely have they been sown, 69Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the 70storm carries them away like stubble.25“71To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.2672Lift up your eyes on high And see 73who has created these stars, The 74One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the 75greatness of His might and the 76strength of His power, 77Not one of them is missing.

2778Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is 79hidden from the Lord, And the 80justice due me 81escapes the notice of 82my God”?2883Do you not know? Have you not heard? The 84Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is 85inscrutable.29He gives strength to the 86weary, And to him who lacks might He 87increases power.30Though 88youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous 89young men stumble badly,31Yet those who 90wait for the Lord Will 91gain new strength; They will 9293mount up with 94wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.