Prepare the Way for Yahweh
(Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–20; John 1:19–28)

1“Comfort, comfort My people,”

says your⁺ God.

2“Speak upon the heart of Jerusalem,

and call out to her,

that her service has been fulfilled,

that her iniquity has been pardoned,

for she has received from the hand of YHWH

double for all her sins.”

3The voice of one calling

in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of YHWH,

make straight in the desert plain a highway for our God.†

4Every valley will be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill brought low;

and the crooked will become straight,

and the rugged a plain;†

5and the glory of YHWH will be revealed,

and all flesh together will see it.†

For the mouth of YHWH has spoken.”

The Enduring Word
(1 Peter 1:22–25)

6The voice of one saying: “Call out!”

And he said, “What shall I call out?”

“All flesh is grass,

and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

7The grass withers, the flower fades,

because the breath of YHWH blows on it.

Surely the people are grass.

8The grass withers, the flower fades,

and the word of our God stands forever.†”

Here Is Your God!
(Romans 11:33–36)

9Upon a high mountain go up yourself,

O Zion, bringing news!

Lift up with strength your voice to Jerusalem,

bringing news!

Lift it up,†

do not be afraid!

Say to the cities of Judah,

“Behold your⁺ God!”

10Behold, the Lord YHWH will come with might,

and His arm will rule for Him.

Behold, His reward is with Him

and His work is before His face.

11Like a shepherd He will pasture His flock;

He gathers the lambs with His arm,

and in His bosom He carries them,

the nursing ones He leads.

12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand

and marked off the heavens with a handspan,

and has held the dust of the earth in a measure,

and has weighed the mountains on a scale,

and the hills in a balance?

13Who has directed the Spirit of YHWH,†

or informed Him as the man of His counsel?†

14With whom did he counsel,

and who gave Him understanding and instructed Him in the path of justice?

And who taught Him knowledge,

and informed Him the way of understanding?

15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

and they have been reckoned as dust on the scales!

Behold, the islands† He lifts up like fine dust,

16and Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,

and its beasts are not sufficient for a burnt offering.

17All the nations are as nothing before Him,

they are counted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18And to whom would you⁺ liken God?

And what likeness will you⁺ arrange for Him?

19To an idol a craftsman casts,

and a metalworker overlays it with gold

and fits with chains of silver?

20One bereft of a contribution

chooses a tree not rotten,

and a skillful craftsman seeks out for himself

to prepare a carved image that will not topple?

21Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been declared from the beginning to you⁺?

Have you⁺ not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22He is sitting above the circle of the earth,

and its dwellers are like grasshoppers;

He stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

and He spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

23The One giving the rulers to nothingness,

He makes the rulers† of the earth as emptiness.

24Yes, they are hardly planted; yes, they are hardly sown;

Yes their stem has hardly taken root in the earth.

And also He will blow on them, and they will wither,

and the tempest will carry them off like the stubble.

25“And to whom will you⁺ liken Me?

Or who is My equal?”

Says the Holy One.

26Lift up your⁺ eyes on high

and see who has created these things—

the One having brought forth by number their host.

He calls to them all by name;

by the greatness of might and the strength of power,

not one is missing.

27Why do you say, O Jacob,

and speak, O Israel,

“My way Is hidden from YHWH,

and my claim is passed over by my God”?

28Have you not known?

Or have you not heard?

God everlasting is YHWH,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint and He does not grow weary;

there is no searching out of His understanding.

29He gives power to the weary,

and to those with no might, He increases strength.

30Even youths will faint and grow weary,

and young men will stumble and fall;

31and those waiting on YHWH will renew their strength;

they will mount up with wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not faint.