Isaiah 40
40
Comfort, Proclaim Good News
1“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
2Speak kindly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed. For she has received from Adonai’s hand double for all her sins.
3A voice cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of Adonai, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4Every valley will be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low, the rough ground will be a plain and the rugged terrain smooth.
5The glory of Adonai will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together.” For the mouth of Adonai has spoken.
6A voice is saying, “Cry out!” So I said, “What shall I cry out?” “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7The grass withers, the flower fades. For the breath of Adonai blows on it. Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers, the flower fades. But the word of our God stands forever.”
9Get yourself up on a high mountain, you who bring good news to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good news to Jerusalem! Lift it up! Do not fear! Say to the cities of Judah: “Behold your God!”
10Look, Adonai Elohim comes 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 the lambs in His arms carries them in his bosom, and gently guides nursing ewes.
Who Is Like Him?
12Who has measured the waters in the palm of His hand, or measured out heaven with a span, or calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, or weighed the mountains in scales, or the hills in a balance?
13Who can fathom the Ruach Adonai? Or instruct Him as His counselor?
14With whom did He consult, and who instructed Him? Who taught Him in the path of justice or taught Him knowledge? Who informed Him about the way of understanding?
15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and count as a speck of dust on the scales. Behold, the islands weigh as fine dust.
16Lebanon is not enough to burn, or its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17All the nations are as nothing before Him. By Him they are accounted null and void.
18To whom then will you liken God? To what likeness will you compare Him?
19To an idol? A craftsman casts it, a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.
20One too poor for such an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to prepare him an idol that will not totter.
21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22He sits above the circle of the earth— its inhabitants are like grasshoppers— He stretches out the skies like a curtain, spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23He reduces princes to nothing. He makes the judges of the earth a confusion.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely their stem takes root in the earth, when He blows on them and they wither, and a storm carries them off as stubble.
25“To whom then will you liken Me? Or who is My equal?” says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high, and see! Who created these? The One who brings out their host by number, the One who calls them all by name. Because of His great strength and vast power, not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from Adonai, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard? Adonai is the eternal God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives strength to the weary, and to one without vigor He adds might.
30Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall,
31but they who wait for Adonai will renew their strength. They will soar up with wings as eagles. They will run, and not grow weary. They will walk, and not be faint.
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Isaiah 40: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Isaiah 40
40
Comfort for God’s People
1 # ch. 51:12; [Luke 2:25] Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 #
Hos. 2:14 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that #[2 Chr. 36:22; Jer. 25:12]her warfare#40:2 Or hardship is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 # Cited Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23 A voice cries:#40:3 Or A voice of one crying
#
Mal. 3:1; [ch. 57:14] “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
#
Ps. 68:4
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 # Cited Luke 3:5; [ch. 49:11] 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.
5 # [Luke 3:6] And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
# ch. 1:20 for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Word of God Stands Forever
6A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said,#40:6 Revocalization based on Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Vulgate; Masoretic Text And someone says “What shall I cry?”
# Cited 1 Pet. 1:24, 25; [Job 14:2; Ps. 102:11; 103:15; James 1:10] All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty#40:6 Or all its constancy is like the flower of the field.
7The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 # Cited James 1:11 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
The Greatness of God
9Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, #ch. 52:7herald of good news;#40:9 Or O herald of good news to Zion
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;#40:9 Or O herald of good news to Jerusalem
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 # ch. 59:16, 17; [Luke 11:22] Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
# ch. 62:11; [Rev. 22:12] behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 #
Ezek. 34:23; Zech. 11:7; [John 10:11; 21:15; Acts 20:28] He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
# [Matt. 18:12; Luke 15:5] he will gather the lambs in his arms;
# [Num. 11:12] he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
12 # [Prov. 30:4] 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?
13 # Cited Rom. 11:34; [1 Cor. 2:16] Who has measured#40:13 Or has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows him his counsel?
14Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
#
Job 21:22
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted #ch. 29:5 as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up #ch. 41:1the coastlands like fine dust.
16Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are #[Ps. 50:10]its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 #
Ps. 62:9; Dan. 4:35; [ch. 41:12] All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
18 # ver. 25; ch. 46:5; Acts 17:29 To whom then will you liken God,
# [Hos. 13:2] or what likeness compare with him?
19 # [See ver. 18 above] An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 # ch. 46:6; Jer. 10:3-5; See ch. 44:9-15 He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood#40:20 Or He chooses valuable wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 # ver. 28; [Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:19, 20] Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are #[Num. 13:33] like grasshoppers;
#
Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2 who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 #
Job 12:21; Ps. 107:40 who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
# ch. 41:2; [Ps. 83:13] and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 # ver. 18 To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
#
Ps. 147:4
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.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
# [ch. 49:14] “My way is hidden from the Lord,
# [ch. 49:4] and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is #[Ps. 121:4] the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
#
Ps. 147:5
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but #Ps. 103:5 they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings #[Ex. 19:4]like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
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