" aComfort, O comfort
My people
," says
your God
.
" aSpeak 1kindly
to Jerusalem
; And call
out to her, that her 2 bwarfare
has ended
, That her 3 ciniquity
has been removed
, That she has received
of the LORD'S
hand
dDouble
for all
her sins
."
aA voice 1is calling
, " bClear
the way
for the LORD
in the wilderness
; Make
smooth
in the desert
a highway
for our God
.
"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
;
1Then the aglory of the LORD
will be revealed
, And ball
flesh
will see
it together
; For the cmouth
of the LORD
has spoken
."
A voice says
, "Call
out." Then 1he answered
, "What
shall I call
out?" aAll
flesh
is grass
, and all
its 2loveliness
is like the flower
of the field
.
The agrass withers
, the flower
fades
, 1When
the bbreath
of the LORD
blows
upon it; Surely
the people
are grass
.
The grass withers
, the flower
fades
, But athe word
of our God
stands
forever
.
Get yourself up on a ahigh
mountain
, O Zion
, bearer
of bgood news
, Lift
up your voice
mightily
, O Jerusalem
, bearer
of good news
; Lift
it up, do not fear
. Say
to the ccities
of Judah
, " dHere
is your God
!"
Behold, the Lord
1GOD
will come
awith might
, With His barm
ruling
for Him. Behold
, His creward
is with Him And His recompense
before
Him.
Like a shepherd He will atend
His flock
, In His arm
He will gather
the lambs
And carry
them in His bosom
; He will gently lead
the nursing
ewes.
Who has ameasured
the 1waters
in the hollow
of His hand
, And marked
off
the heavens
by the 2span
, And 3calculated
the dust
of the earth
by the measure
, And weighed
the mountains
in a balance
And the hills
in a pair of scales
?
aWho has 1directed
the Spirit
of the LORD
, Or as His bcounselor
has informed
Him?
aWith whom did He consult
and who bgave
Him understanding
? And who taught
Him in the path
of justice
and taught
Him knowledge
And informed
Him of the way
of understanding
?
Behold, the anations
are like a drop
from a bucket
, And are regarded
as a speck
of bdust
on the scales
; Behold
, He lifts
up the 1islands
like fine
dust
.
Even Lebanon is not enough
to burn
, Nor
its abeasts
enough
for a burnt
offering
.
aAll the nations
are as nothing
before
Him, They are regarded
by Him as less
than
nothing
and 1meaningless
.
aTo whom then will you liken
God
? Or what
likeness
will you compare
with Him?
As for the 1 aidol, a craftsman
casts
it, A goldsmith
bplates
it with gold
, And a silversmith
fashions chains
of silver
.
He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects
a atree
that does not rot
; He seeks
out for himself a skillful
craftsman
To 1prepare
2an idol
that bwill not totter
.
aDo you not know? Have you not heard
? Has it not been declared
to you from the beginning
? Have you not understood
bfrom the foundations
of the earth
?
It is He who 1sits above
the 2 acircle
of the earth
, And its inhabitants
are like bgrasshoppers
, Who cstretches
out the heavens
like a dcurtain
And spreads
them out like a etent
to dwell
in.
He it is who reduces arulers
to nothing
, Who bmakes
the judges
of the earth
1meaningless
.
1Scarcely have they been planted
, 1Scarcely
have they been sown
, 1Scarcely
has their stock
taken
root
in the earth
, But He merely
blows
on them, and they wither
, And the astorm
carries
them away like stubble
.
" aTo whom then will you liken
Me That I would be his equal
?" says
the Holy
One
.
aLift up your eyes
on high
And see
bwho
has created
these
stars, The cOne who leads
forth
their host
by number
, He calls
them all
by name
; Because
of the dgreatness
of His might
and the 1strength
of His power
, eNot one
of them is missing
.
aWhy do you say
, O Jacob
, and assert
, O Israel
, "My way
is bhidden
from the LORD
, And the cjustice
due me 1escapes
the notice
of dmy God
"?
aDo you not know? Have you not heard
? The bEverlasting
God
, the LORD
, the Creator
of the ends
of the earth
Does not become
weary
or tired
. His understanding
is cinscrutable
.
He gives strength
to the aweary
, And to him who lacks
might
He bincreases
power
.
Though ayouths grow
weary
and tired
, And vigorous
byoung
men
stumble
badly
,
Yet those who 1wait for the LORD
Will again
new
strength
; They will 2 bmount
up with 3wings
like eagles
, They will run
and not get
tired
, They will walk
and not become
weary
.