Isaiah 40

The LORD declares, 'Comfort My people,' and commands a voice to cry in the wilderness to prepare the way of the LORD. All flesh is grass, but the word of God stands forever. He who sits above the circle of the earth gives power to the faint, and those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength, mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.	"Comfort, comfort My people," says Your God.
2	Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.	Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service is ended — that her iniquity is pardoned — for she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
3	The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.	A voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
4	Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:	Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.
5	And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.	The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
6	The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:	A voice says, "Cry!" And He said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7	The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.	The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it. The people are grass.
8	The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.	The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
9	O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!	Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news. Lift up Your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news. Lift it up; do not be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is Your God!"
10	Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.	The Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm rules for Him. His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.
11	He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.	He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads those that are with young.
12	Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?	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	Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?	Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has taught Him?
14	With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?	Whom did He consult, and who gave Him understanding and taught Him the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?
15	Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.	The nations are like a drop from a bucket and are counted as the dust on the scales. He takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
16	And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.	Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17	All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.	All the nations are as nothing before him; they are counted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness.
18	To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?	To whom then will You compare God? Or what likeness will You compare to Him?
19	The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.	A craftsman casts an idol, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it.
20	He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.	He who is too poor for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks out a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not totter.
21	Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?	Have You not known? Have You not heard? Has it not been told You from the beginning? Have You not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22	It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:	It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23	That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.	He brings princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24	Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.	Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when He blows on them and they wither, and the wind carries them off like stubble.
25	To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.	"To whom then will You compare Me — that I should be equal?" says the Holy One.
26	Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.	Lift up Your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name. Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one is missing.
27	Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?	Why do You say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my just cause is disregarded by my God"?
28	Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.	Have You not known? Have You not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.
29	He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.	He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of those who have none.
30	Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:	Even youths shall faint and grow weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
31	But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.	but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.