NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1"Comfort, comfort my people," says your God.

1"Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God.

2"Speak kindly to Jerusalem, and tell her that her time of warfare is over, that her punishment is completed. For the LORD has made her pay 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 cries out, "In the wilderness clear a way for the LORD; construct in the desert a road for our God.

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 must be elevated, and every mountain and hill leveled. The rough terrain will become a level plain, the rugged landscape a wide valley.

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;

5The splendor of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it at the same time. For the LORD has decreed it."

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 says, "Cry out!" Another asks, "What should I cry out?" The first voice responds: "All people are like grass, and all their promises are like the flowers in 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 dries up, the flowers wither, when the wind sent by the LORD blows on them. Surely humanity is like grass.

7The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.

8The grass dries up, the flowers wither, but the decree of our God is forever reliable."

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

9Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion! Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! Shout, don't be afraid! Say to the towns 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!"

10Look, the sovereign LORD comes as a victorious warrior; his military power establishes his rule. Look, his reward is with him; his prize goes before 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.

11Like a shepherd he tends his flock; he gathers up the lambs with his arm; he carries them close to his heart; he leads the ewes along.

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 out the waters in the hollow of his hand, or carefully measured the sky, or carefully weighed the soil of the earth, or weighed the mountains in a balance, or the hills on 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 comprehends the mind of the LORD, or gives him instruction as his counselor?

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

14From whom does he receive directions? Who teaches him the correct way to do things, or imparts knowledge to him, or instructs him in skillful design?

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 regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts the coastlands as if they were 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.

16Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings.

16Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

17All the nations are insignificant before him; they are regarded as absolutely nothing.

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

18To whom can you compare God? To what image can you liken him?

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

19A craftsman casts an idol; a metalsmith overlays it with gold and forges silver chains for it.

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

20To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; he then seeks a skilled craftsman to make 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? Do you not hear? Has it not been told to you since the very beginning? Have you not understood from the time the earth's foundations were made?

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?

22He is the one who sits on the earth's horizon; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, and spreads it out like a pitched tent.

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 is the one who reduces rulers to nothing; he makes the earth's leaders insignificant.

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

24Indeed, they are barely planted; yes, they are barely sown; yes, they barely take root in the earth, and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up, and the wind carries them away like straw.

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.

25"To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?" says the Holy One.

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

26Look up at the sky! Who created all these heavenly lights? He is the one who leads out their ranks; he calls them all by name. Because of his absolute power and awesome 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.

27Why do you say, Jacob, Why do you say, Israel, "The LORD is not aware of what is happening to me, My God is not concerned with my vindication"?

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? The LORD is an eternal God, the creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to his wisdom.

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 those who are tired; to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.

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

30Even youths get tired and weary; even strong young men clumsily stumble.

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

31But those who wait for the LORD's help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles' wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.

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.

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