Isaiah 40

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 'Console my people, console them,' says your God.	1 Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.
2 'Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and cry to her that her period of service is ended, that her guilt hasbeen atoned for, that, from the hand of Yahweh, she has received double punishment for all her sins.'	2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries, 'Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh. Make a straight highway for our God across thewastelands.	3 A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
4 Let every val ey be fil ed in, every mountain and hil be level ed, every cliff become a plateau, everyescarpment a plain;	4 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley.
5 then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed and al humanity wil see it together, for the mouth of Yahwehhas spoken.'	5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all mankind shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
6 A voice said, 'Cry aloud!' and I said, 'What shal I cry?' -'All humanity is grass and all its beauty like thewild flower's.	6 One man helps another, one says to the other, "Keep on!"
7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of Yahweh blows on them. (The grass is surely thepeople.)	7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, the one who beats with the hammer, him who strikes on the anvil; He says the soldering is good, and he fastens it with nails to steady it.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.'	8 Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever."
9 Go up on a high mountain, messenger of Zion. Shout as loud as you can, messenger of Jerusalem!Shout fearlessly, say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God.'	9 Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!
10 Here is Lord Yahweh coming with power, his arm maintains his authority, his reward is with him andhis prize precedes him.	10 Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him.
11 He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breastand leading to their rest the mother ewes.	11 Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.
12 Who was it measured the water of the sea in the hol ow of his hand and calculated the heavens to thenearest inch, gauged the dust of the earth to the nearest bushel, weighed the mountains in scales, the hil s in abalance?	12 Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea, and marked off the heavens with a span? Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth, weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?
13 Who directed the spirit of Yahweh, what counsellor could have instructed him?	13 Who has directed the spirit of the LORD, or has instructed him as his counselor?
14 Whom has he consulted to enlighten him, to instruct him in the path of judgement, to teach himknowledge and show him how to understand?	14 Whom did he consult to gain knowledge? Who taught him the path of judgment, or showed him the way of understanding?
15 See, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, they count as a grain of dust on the scales. See, coastsand islands weigh no more than fine powder.	15 Behold, the nations count as a drop in the bucket, as dust on the scales; the coastlands weigh no more than powder.
16 The Lebanon is not enough for the burning fires nor its animals enough for the burnt offering.	16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor its animals be enough for holocausts.
17 Al the nations are as nothing before him, for him they count as nothingness and emptiness.	17 Before him all the nations are as nought, as nothing and void he accounts them.
18 To whom can you compare God? What image can you contrive of him?	18 To whom can you liken God? With what equal can you confront him?
19 The craftsman casts an idol, a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it.	19 An idol, cast by a craftsman, which the smith plates with gold and fits with silver chains?
20 Someone too poor to afford a sacrifice chooses a piece of wood that will not rot; he then seeks out askil ed craftsman to set up an idol that wil not totter.	20 Mulberry wood, the choice portion which a skilled craftsman picks out for himself, Choosing timber that will not rot, to set up an idol that will not be unsteady?
21 Did you not know, had you not heard? Was it not told you from the beginning? Have you notunderstood how the earth was set on its foundations?	21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Was it not foretold you from the beginning? Have you not understood? Since the earth was founded
22 He who sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, the inhabitants of which are like grasshoppers,stretches out the heavens like a cloth, spreads them out like a tent to live in.	22 He sits enthroned above the vault of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; He stretches out the heavens like a veil, spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23 He reduces princes to nothing, the rulers of the world to mere emptiness.	23 He brings princes to nought and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the soil, than he blowson them and they wither and the storm carries them away like chaff.	24 Scarcely are they planted or sown, scarcely is their stem rooted in the earth, When he breathes upon them and they wither, and the stormwind carries them away like straw.
25 'To whom can you compare me, or who is my equal?' says the Holy One.	25 To whom can you liken me as an equal? says the Holy One.
26 Lift your eyes and look: he who created these things leads out their army in order, summoning each ofthem by name. So mighty is his power, so great his strength, that not one fails to answer.	26 Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these: He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing!
27 How can you say, Jacob, how can you repeat, Israel, 'My way is hidden from Yahweh, my rights areignored by my God'?	27 Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?
28 Did you not know? Had you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, he created the remotest partsof the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond fathoming.	28 Do you not know or have you not heard? The LORD is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
29 He gives strength to the weary, he strengthens the powerless.	29 He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound.
30 Youths grow tired and weary, the young stumble and fal ,	30 Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall,
31 but those who hope in Yahweh wil regain their strength, they wil sprout wings like eagles, thoughthey run they will not grow weary, though they walk they wil never tire.	31 They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.