נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי יֹאמַר אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃   40:1

Isai. 40:1   “Be comforted, be comforted, My people,”

                             your God would say.

דַּבְּרוּ עַל־לֵב יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְקִרְאוּ אֵלֶיהָ כִּי מָלְאָה צְבָאָהּ כִּי נִרְצָה עֲוֹנָהּ כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד יְהוָה כִּפְלַיִם   40:2 בְּכָל־חַטֹּאתֶיהָ׃

Isai. 40:2   Be considerate of Jerusalem

                             and proclaim to it that its service is fulfilled,

                     that its iniquity is paid off,

                              that it has received double from the “hand” of the Lord

                     because of all its sins.

קֹול קֹורֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה יַשְּׁרוּ בָּעֲרָבָה מְסִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ׃   40:3

Isai. 40:3   A voice is calling in the wilderness.

                              Make clear the way of the Lord!

                    Make straight our God's highway in the desert!

כָּל־גֶּיא יִנָּשֵׂא וְכָל־הַר וְגִבְעָה יִשְׁפָּלוּ וְהָיָה הֶעָקֹב לְמִישֹׁור וְהָרְכָסִים לְבִקְעָה׃   40:4

Isai. 40:4   Every valley shall be loftier

                             and every mountain and hill shall be lower,

                    and the ruggedness shall be level,

                             and the rough places for a plain.

וְנִגְלָה כְּבֹוד יְהוָה וְרָאוּ כָל־בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו כִּי פִּי יְהוָה דִּבֵּר׃   40:5

Isai. 40:5   And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed

                            and all mankind shall discern collectively

                     that the mouth of the Lord speaks.

קֹול אֹמֵר קְרָא וְאָמַר מָה אֶקְרָא כָּל־הַבָּשָׂר חָצִיר וְכָל־חַסְדֹּו כְּצִיץ הַשָּׂדֶה׃   40:6

Isai. 40:6   The voice says, “Proclaim!”

                             And one responds, “What shall I proclaim?”

                    “All humankind is grass,

                             and all its goodliness is like a flower of the field.”

יָבֵשׁ חָצִיר נָבֵל צִיץ כִּי רוּחַ יְהוָה נָשְׁבָה בֹּו אָכֵן חָצִיר הָעָם׃   40:7

Isai. 40:7   The grass withers,

                              the flower falls off,

                    when the breath of the Lord blows on it.

                              Indeed, people are grass.

יָבֵשׁ חָצִיר נָבֵל צִיץ וּדְבַר־אֱלֹהֵינוּ יָקוּם לְעֹולָם׃   40:8

Isai. 40:8   The grass withers,

                              the flower falls off,

                    but the word of our God shall endure for ever.

עַל הַר־גָּבֹהַ עֲלִי־לָךְ מְבַשֶּׂרֶת צִיֹּון הָרִימִי בַכֹּחַ קֹולֵךְ מְבַשֶּׂרֶת יְרוּשָׁלִָם הָרִימִי אַל־תִּירָאִי אִמְרִי   40:9 לְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃

Isai. 40:9   Get yourself up upon the highest mountain,

                             O teller of good news of Zion!

                    Raise up your voice with strength,

                             O teller of good news of Jerusalem!

                    Arise, do not be afraid!

                             Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

הִנֵּה אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה בְּחָזָק יָבֹוא וּזְרֹעֹו מֹשְׁלָה לֹו הִנֵּה שְׂכָרֹו אִתֹּו וּפְעֻלָּתֹו לְפָנָיו׃   40:10

Isai. 40:10   Behold, the Master, the Lord, is coming in might,

                              and His “arm” rules for him.

                      Behold, His reward is with Him

                              and His wages before Him.

כְּרֹעֶה עֶדְרֹו יִרְעֶה בִּזְרֹעֹו יְקַבֵּץ טְלָאִים וּבְחֵיקֹו יִשָּׂא עָלֹות יְנַהֵל׃   40:11

Isai. 40:11   As a shepherd might tend his flock,

                              would gather up lambs into his arm

                      and carry in his bosom,

                              He would lead sucklings gently.

מִי־מָדַד בְּשָׁעֳלֹו מַיִם וְשָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת תִּכֵּן וְכָל בַּשָּׁלִשׁ עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁקַל בַּפֶּלֶס הָרִים וּגְבָעֹות   40:12 בְּמֹאזְנָיִם׃

Isai. 40:12   Who has measured the waters in his palm,

                               and the heavens with an estimated span,

                       and comprehended in a measure the dust of the earth,

                               and weighed the mountains on a balance,

                       and the hills on scales?

מִי־תִכֵּן אֶת־רוּחַ יְהוָה וְאִישׁ עֲצָתֹו יֹודִיעֶנּוּ׃   40:13

Isai. 40:13   Who has measured out the spirit of the Lord,

                               or one, His counselor, has instructed Him?

אֶת־מִי נֹועָץ וַיְבִינֵהוּ וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ בְּאֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט וַיְלַמְּדֵהוּ דַעַת וְדֶרֶךְ תְּבוּנֹות יֹודִיעֶנּוּ׃   40:14

Isai. 40:14   With whom did he seek counsel

                               and he advised him and taught him

                       on the path of justice

                               and taught him knowledge

                       and taught him the way of wisdom?

הֵן גֹּויִם כְּמַר מִדְּלִי וּכְשַׁחַק מֹאזְנַיִם נֶחְשָׁבוּ הֵן אִיִּים כַּדַּק יִטֹּול׃   40:15

Isai. 40:15   Lo, the nations are like a drop from a bucket

                               and are deemed as the small dust of balances.

                      Lo, the isles are like a small thing He could crush.

וּלְבָנֹון אֵין דֵּי בָּעֵר וְחַיָּתֹו אֵין דֵּי עֹולָה׃   40:16

Isai. 40:16   And Lebanon is not enough fuel

                               and its beasts are not enough of a burnt offering.

כָּל־הַגֹּויִם כְּאַיִן נֶגְדֹּו מֵאֶפֶס וָתֹהוּ נֶחְשְׁבוּ־לֹו׃   40:17

Isai. 40:17   All the nations are as nothing before Him.

                               From nothing and of vanity

                      are they accounted to Him.

וְאֶל־מִי תְּדַמְּיוּן אֵל וּמַה־דְּמוּת תַּעַרְכוּ לֹו׃   40:18

Isai. 40:18   Then to whom can you compare God?

                               And what likeness can you attribute to Him?

הַפֶּסֶל נָסַךְ חָרָשׁ וְצֹרֵף בַּזָּהָב יְרַקְּעֶנּוּ וּרְתֻקֹות כֶּסֶף צֹורֵף׃   40:19

Isai. 40:19   A graven image the craftsman casts,

                               that the goldsmith might spread over it with gold,

                      and the silversmith, silver chains,

הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה עֵץ לֹא־יִרְקַב יִבְחָר חָרָשׁ חָכָם יְבַקֶּשׁ־לֹו לְהָכִין פֶּסֶל לֹא יִמֹּוט׃   40:20

Isai. 40:20   making a useless heave offering?

                               Wood that will not rot

                       that a cunning craftsman might select,

                                would seek to erect an idol for himself

                       that cannot be moved?

הֲלֹוא תֵדְעוּ הֲלֹוא תִשְׁמָעוּ הֲלֹוא הֻגַּד מֵרֹאשׁ לָכֶם הֲלֹוא הֲבִינֹתֶם מֹוסְדֹות הָאָרֶץ׃   40:21

Isai. 40:21   Do you not know?

                               Do you not hear?

                      Has it not been told to you

                                from the beginning?

                      Have you not understood the foundations of the earth?

הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל־חוּג הָאָרֶץ וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ כַּחֲגָבִים הַנֹּוטֶה כַדֹּק שָׁמַיִם וַיִּמְתָּחֵם כָּאֹהֶל לָשָׁבֶת׃   40:22

Isai. 40:22   He Who dwells

                               above the boundary of the earth

                       that its inhabitants are like grasshoppers!

                               He Who stretches out the heavens like curtains

                       and spreads them like a tent to dwell!

הַנֹּותֵן רֹוזְנִים לְאָיִן שֹׁפְטֵי אֶרֶץ כַּתֹּהוּ עָשָׂה׃   40:23

Isai. 40:23   He Who considers princes to be nothing,

                                makes judges of the earth like nothing.

אַף בַּל־נִטָּעוּ אַף בַּל־זֹרָעוּ אַף בַּל־שֹׁרֵשׁ בָּאָרֶץ גִּזְעָם וְגַם־נָשַׁף בָּהֶם וַיִּבָשׁוּ וּסְעָרָה כַּקַּשׁ תִּשָּׂאֵם׃   40:24

Isai. 40:24   Barely have they been planted,

                                barely have they been sown,

                      barely has their stock taken root in the earth,

                                but then He blows on them, and they wither,

                      and the tempest lifts them up like stubble.

וְאֶל־מִי תְדַמְּיוּנִי וְאֶשְׁוֶה יֹאמַר קָדֹושׁ׃   40:25

Isai. 40:25   “So to whom shall you compare Me

                                and I would be equal?”

                       the Holy One would say.

שְׂאוּ־מָרֹום עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי־בָרָא אֵלֶּה הַמֹּוצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא מֵרֹב אֹונִים   40:26 וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ אִישׁ לֹא נֶעְדָּר׃

Isai. 40:26   Lift up your eyes on high

                               and see Who has created these!

                      He Who brings out their host in abundance;

                               He can call to each of them by name;

                      each is not lacking

                                from an abundance of forces

                      and a strength of power.

לָמָּה תֹאמַר יַעֲקֹב וּתְדַבֵּר יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְתְּרָה דַרְכִּי מֵיְהוָה וּמֵאֱלֹהַי מִשְׁפָּטִי יַעֲבֹור׃  40:27

Isai. 40:27   How can you say, O Jacob,

                               and speak, O Israel:

                      “My custom is hidden from the Lord,

                               and my judgment from my God will be passed over?”

הֲלֹוא יָדַעְתָּ אִם־לֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ אֱלֹהֵי עֹולָם יְהוָה בֹּורֵא קְצֹות הָאָרֶץ לֹא יִיעַף וְלֹא יִיגָע אֵין חֵקֶר   40:28 לִתְבוּנָתֹו׃

Isai. 40:28   Do you not know?

                               Surely you have heard of God everlasting,

                       the Lord, Creator of the ends of the earth!

                               He will not weary or become exhausted.

                       There is no bound to His discernment.

נֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּחַ וּלְאֵין אֹונִים עָצְמָה יַרְבֶּה׃   40:29

Isai. 40:29   He gives strength to the weary,

                               and He will increase abundance

                       for whoever has no goods.

וְיִעֲפוּ נְעָרִים וְיִגָעוּ וּבַחוּרִים כָּשֹׁול יִכָּשֵׁלוּ׃   40:30

Isai. 40:30   But youths can weary and be exhausted,

                               and young men can be utterly feeble,

וְקֹויֵ יְהוָה יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ יֵלְכוּ וְלֹא יִיעָפוּ׃   40:31

Isai. 40:31   yet those who wait on the Lord

                              shall be renewed of strength;

                       they shall lift up wings like eagles;

                               they shall run but not be exhausted;

                       they shall walk and not be weary.

[Return to Isaiah Chapters]   [Prev.:  Isai. 39]   [Next:  Isai. 41]