Isaiah 40

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.	1 'Console my people, console them,' says your God.
2 Speak 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 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.'
3 A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.	3 A voice cries, 'Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh. Make a straight highway for our God across thewastelands.
4 Every 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 val ey be fil ed in, every mountain and hil be level ed, every cliff become a plateau, everyescarpment a plain;
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."	5 then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed and al humanity wil see it together, for the mouth of Yahwehhas spoken.'
6 A 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.	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.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people is grass.	7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of Yahweh blows on them. (The grass is surely thepeople.)
8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.	8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.'
9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"	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.'
10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.	10 Here is Lord Yahweh coming with power, his arm maintains his authority, his reward is with him andhis prize precedes him.
11 He will feed 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.	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.
12 Who 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?	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?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as his counselor has instructed him?	13 Who directed the spirit of Yahweh, what counsellor could have instructed him?
14 Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?	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?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the isles like fine dust.	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.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.	16 The Lebanon is not enough for the burning fires nor its animals enough for the burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.	17 Al the nations are as nothing before him, for him they count as nothingness and emptiness.
18 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?	18 To whom can you compare God? What image can you contrive of him?
19 The idol! a workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains.	19 The craftsman casts an idol, a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it.
20 He who is impoverished chooses for an offering wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skilful craftsman to set up an image that will not move.	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.
21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?	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?
22 It 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;	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.
23 who brings princes to nought, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.	23 He reduces princes to nothing, the rulers of the world to mere emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.	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.
25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.	25 'To whom can you compare me, or who is my equal?' says the Holy One.
26 Lift 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.	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.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hid from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?	27 How can you say, Jacob, how can you repeat, Israel, 'My way is hidden from Yahweh, my rights areignored by my God'?
28 Have 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.	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.
29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.	29 He gives strength to the weary, he strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;	30 Youths grow tired and weary, the young stumble and fal ,
31 but 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.	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.