1 COMFORT ye, comfort ye my people, saith 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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
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!
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.
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.
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?
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counseller hath 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?
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.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
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.
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?
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:
23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
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.
25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith 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.
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?
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.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
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.

1Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, sayth your God.

2Speake ye comfortably to Ierusalem, and cry vnto her, that her warrefare is accomplished, that her iniquitie is pardoned: for shee hath receiued of the Lords hand double for all her sinnes.

3 The voyce of him that cryeth in the wildernesse, Prepare yee the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a high way for our God.

4Euery valley shalbe exalted, and euery mountaine and hill shalbe made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plaine.

5And the glory of the Lord shall be reuealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

6The voyce sayd; Cry. And hee sayd; What shall I cry? All flesh is grasse, and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flowre of the field.

7The grasse withereth, the flowre fadeth; because the spirit of the Lord bloweth vpon it: surely the people is grasse.

8The grasse withereth, the flowre fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for euer.

9 O Zion, that bringest good tydings, get thee vp into the high mountaine: O Ierusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift vp thy voyce with strength, lift it vp, be not afraid: say vnto the cities of Iudah; Behold your God.

10Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arme shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his worke before him.

11He shall feede his flocke like a shepheard: he shall gather the lambes with his arme; and carie them in his bosome, and shall gently lead those that are with yoong.

12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand? and meted out heauen with the spanne, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountaines in scales, and the hilles in a balance?

13Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or, being his counseller, hath taught him?

14With whom tooke he counsell, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of iudgement? and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of vnderstanding?

15Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, hee taketh vp the yles as a very litle thing.

16And Lebanon is not sufficient to burne, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offring.

17All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him lesse then nothing, and vanitie.

18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likenesse will ye compare vnto him?

19The workeman melteth a grauen image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it ouer with golde, and casteth siluer chaines.

20He that is so impouerished that he hath no oblation, chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh vnto him a cunning workeman, to prepare a grauen image that shall not be mooued.

21Haue yee not knowen? haue yee not heard? hath it not beene tolde you from the beginning? haue yee not vnderstood from the foundations of the earth?

22It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers; that stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwel in:

23That bringeth the princes to nothing; hee maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie.

24Yea they shal not be planted, yea they shall not be sowen, yea their stocke shall not take roote in the earth: and he shall also blow vpon them, & they shall wither, and the whirlewinde shall take them away as stubble.

25To whom then will ye liken me, or shal I be equall, saith the Holy One?

26Lift vp 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 greatnesse of his might, for that hee is strong in power, not one faileth.

27Why sayest thou, O Iacob, and speakest O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my iudgement is passed ouer from my God?

28 Hast thou not knowen? hast thou not heard, that the euerlasting God, the Lord, the Creatour of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is wearie? there is no searching of his vnderstanding.

29He giueth power to the faint, and to them that haue no might, he increaseth strength.

30Euen the youths shall faint, and be weary, and the yong men shall vtterly fall.

31But they that waite vpon the Lord, shall renew their strength: they shall mount vp with wings as Eagles, they shal runne and not be weary, and they shall walke, and not faint.

II == Job 42:10 ; Isa 61:7

 

 

III == Ps 68:4 ; Isa 49:11 ; Mal 3:1 ; Matt 3:3 ; Mark 1:3 ; Luke 3:4 ; John 1:23

 

IV == Isa 45:2

 

 

 

 

 

VI == Job 14:2 ; Ps 90:5 ; 102:11 ; 103:15 ; James 1:10 ; 1st Peter 1:24

VII == Ps 103:16

 

VIII == John 12:34 ; 1st Peter 1:25

IX == Isa 41:27 ; 52:7

 

 

X == Isa 49:4 ; 59:16 ; 62:11 ; Rev 22:12

 

XI == Isa 49:10 ; Ezek 34:23 ; 37:24 ; John 10:11 ; Heb 13:20 ; 1st Peter 2:25 ; 5:4 ; Rev 7:17

XII == Prov 30:4

 

 

 

XIII == Job 21:22 ; 36:22-23 ; Rom 11:34 ; 1st Cor 2:16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVII == Ps 62:9 ; Dan 4:35

 

XVIII == Isa 40:25 ; 46:5 ; Acts 17:29

XIX == Isa 41:6-7 ; 44:12 ; Jer 10:3

XX == Isa 41:7 ; Jer 10:4

 

 

XXI == Ps 19:1 ; Acts 14:17 ; Rom 1:19-20

 

XXII == Job 9:8 ; Ps 104:2 ; Isa 42:5 ; 44:24 ; 51:13 ; Jer 10:12

 

XXIII == Job 12:21 ; Ps 107;40

 

 

 

 

XXV == Deut 4:15 ; Isa 40:18

XXVI == Ps 147:4

 

 

 

 

 

XXVIII == Ps 147:5 ; Rom 11:33

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXXI == Ps 103:5

 

 

1 Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.

2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.

3 A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!

4 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley.

5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all mankind shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

6 A voice says, "Cry out!" I answer, "What shall I cry out?" "All mankind is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field.

7 The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it. (So then, the people is the grass.)

8 Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever."

9 Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!

10 Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him.

11 Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

12 Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea, and marked off the heavens with a span? Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth, weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

13 Who has directed the spirit of the LORD, or has instructed him as his counselor?

14 Whom did he consult to gain knowledge? Who taught him the path of judgment, or showed him the way of understanding?

15 Behold, the nations count as a drop in the bucket, as dust on the scales; the coastlands weigh no more than powder.

16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor its animals be enough for holocausts.

17 Before him all the nations are as nought, as nothing and void he accounts them.

18 To whom can you liken God? With what equal can you confront him?

19 An idol, cast by a craftsman, which the smith plates with gold and fits with silver chains?

20 Mulberry wood, the choice portion which a skilled craftsman picks out for himself, Choosing timber that will not rot, to set up an idol that will not be unsteady?

6 One man helps another, one says to the other, "Keep on!"

7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, the one who beats with the hammer, him who strikes on the anvil; He says the soldering is good, and he fastens it with nails to steady it.

21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Was it not foretold you from the beginning? Have you not understood? Since the earth was founded

22 He sits enthroned above the vault of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; He stretches out the heavens like a veil, spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

23 He brings princes to nought and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

24 Scarcely are they planted or sown, scarcely is their stem rooted in the earth, When he breathes upon them and they wither, and the stormwind carries them away like straw.

25 To whom can you liken me as an equal? says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these: He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing!

27 Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?

28 Do you not know or have you not heard? The LORD is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.

29 He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound.

30 Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall,

31 They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.

Chapters 40-48 deal with the greatness of God and deliverance of His people.

v 1,2. Isaiah is to tenderly comfort Israel that when her heavy punishment for sin has been completed, she will be delivered. (Receipts were folded double when paid.)

v 3-5. Isaiah was crying out to the people, but all the gospels point out that this refers to John the Baptist smoothing the road, or preparing the way for Christ, Matt. 3:1-4; Mk. 1:1-4; Lk. 1:76-78; Jn. 1:23. Isaiah was not aware of the time lapse between Christ’s suffering and His Kingdom glory. One rode ahead to prepare the way for VIPs.

v 6-8. The voice of the Lord told Isaiah to declare the difference between the short time of men and the permanence of God and His promise of restoration.

 

 

 

v 9-10. The message to be declared from Jerusalem to the other cities was that God is sovereign and powerful, but who also brings a reward. Isaiah may have thought  the Millennium was near. Some take this to be “recompense which He gives for work", others, ”the recompense which He Himself receives in his redeemed people”.  Compare Isa 53:11, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied."

v 11. God leads, and is also as gentle as a shepherd with  a lamb. 

v 12-17. God is spoken of as a great and powerful creator needing no instruction from anyone. The nations are as nothing compared to Him, and all the wood and beasts in the forests of Lebanon to make a sacrifice to Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 18--22. Idols are made for the rich and the poor, but they are ridiculous when compared to God the creator. Though Isaiah was using imagery, he recognized the world was round, and for only a few hundred years did men think the world was flat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 23-27. God sets up and removes rulers, Dan. 2:21, which included Assyria and Babylon, but also Israel was under His justice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 28-31. Unlike the idols, God can give strength to the weary. V 28 is a promise to those that wait on Him, that he will uplift them physically and spiritually.