13 (A)Who has [a]directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His (B)counselor has informed Him?
14 (C)With whom did He consult and who (D)gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge,
And informed Him of the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the (E)nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of (F)dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the [b]islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to [c]burn,
Nor its (G)animals enough for a burnt offering.
17 (H)All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and [d]meaningless.

18 (I)To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the [e](J)idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith (K)plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a (L)tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To [f]prepare [g]an idol that (M)will not totter.

21 (N)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood (O)from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who [h]sits above the [i](P)circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like (Q)grasshoppers,
Who (R)stretches out the heavens like a (S)curtain
And spreads them out like a (T)tent to live in.
23 It is He who reduces (U)rulers to nothing,
Who (V)makes the judges of the earth [j]meaningless.
24 [k]Scarcely have they been planted,
[l]Scarcely have they been sown,
[m]Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the (W)storm carries them away like stubble.
25 (X)To whom then will you compare Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 (Y)Raise your eyes on high
And see (Z)who has created these stars,
The (AA)One who brings out their [n]multitude by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the (AB)greatness of His might and the [o]strength of His power,
(AC)Not one of them is missing.

27 (AD)Why do you say, Jacob, and you assert, Israel,
“My way is (AE)hidden from the Lord,
And the (AF)justice due me [p]escapes the notice of (AG)my God”?
28 (AH)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The (AI)Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is (AJ)unsearchable.
29 He gives strength to the (AK)weary,
And to the one who lacks might He (AL)increases power.
30 Though (AM)youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous (AN)young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [q]wait for the Lord
Will (AO)gain new strength;
They will [r](AP)mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:13 Or measured, marked off
  2. Isaiah 40:15 Or coastlands
  3. Isaiah 40:16 I.e., for fire on an altar
  4. Isaiah 40:17 Or void
  5. Isaiah 40:19 Or carved image
  6. Isaiah 40:20 Or set up
  7. Isaiah 40:20 Or a carved image
  8. Isaiah 40:22 Or is enthroned
  9. Isaiah 40:22 Or vault
  10. Isaiah 40:23 Or void
  11. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  12. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  13. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  14. Isaiah 40:26 Lit host
  15. Isaiah 40:26 As in DSS and ancient versions; MT strong
  16. Isaiah 40:27 Lit passes by my God
  17. Isaiah 40:31 Or hope in
  18. Isaiah 40:31 Or sprout wings

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