Holman Christian Standard Bible

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 announce to her that her time of forced labor is over, her iniquity has been pardoned, and 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 of one crying out: Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

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 will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth 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 will appear, and all humanity together will see it, 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 was saying, "Cry out!" Another said, "What should I cry out?"" All humanity is grass, and all its goodness 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 flowers fade when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, 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 flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever."

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

9Zion, herald of good news, go up on a high mountain. Jerusalem, herald of good news, raise your voice loudly. Raise it, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah," Here is 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!"

10See, the Lord GOD comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany 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 protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.

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 or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure or weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in the scales?

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 directed the Spirit of the LORD, or who gave Him His counsel?

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

14Who did He consult with? Who gave Him understanding and taught Him the paths of justice? Who 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?

15Look, 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.

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 is not enough for fuel, or its animals 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 considered by Him as nothingness and emptiness.

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

18Who will you compare God with? What likeness will you compare Him to?

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

19To an idol?--something that a smelter casts, and a metalworker plates with gold and makes silver welds for it?

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

20To one who shapes a pedestal, choosing wood that does not rot? He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not fall over.

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? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not considered 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?

22God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live 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.

23He reduces princes to nothing and makes judges of the earth irrational.

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

24They 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."

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.

25Who will you compare Me to, or who is My equal?" asks the Holy One.

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

26Look up and see: who created these? He brings out the starry host by number; He calls all of them by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them 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.

27Jacob, why do you say, and Israel, why do you assert:" My way is hidden from the LORD, and my claim is ignored 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 "?

28Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.

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 strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless.

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

30Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall,

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

31but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will 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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org