A voice says, “Call out.”
Then [a]he answered, “What shall I call out?”
(A)All flesh is grass, and all its [b]loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The (B)grass withers, the flower fades,
[c]When the (C)breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But (D)the word of our God stands forever.

Get yourself up on a (E)high mountain,
O Zion, bearer of (F)good news,
Lift up your voice mightily,
O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;
Lift it up, do not fear.
Say to the (G)cities of Judah,
(H)Here is your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord [d]God will come (I)with might,
With His (J)arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His (K)reward is with Him
And His recompense before Him.
11 Like a shepherd He will (L)tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

12 Who has (M)measured the [e]waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the [f]span,
And [g]calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?
13 (N)Who has [h]directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His (O)counselor has informed Him?
14 (P)With whom did He consult and who (Q)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 (R)nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of (S)dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the [i]islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,
Nor its (T)beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 (U)All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and [j]meaningless.

18 (V)To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the [k](W)idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith (X)plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a (Y)tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To [l]prepare [m]an idol that (Z)will not totter.

21 (AA)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood (AB)from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who [n]sits above the [o](AC)circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like (AD)grasshoppers,
Who (AE)stretches out the heavens like a (AF)curtain
And spreads them out like a (AG)tent to dwell in.
23 He it is who reduces (AH)rulers to nothing,
Who (AI)makes the judges of the earth [p]meaningless.
24 [q]Scarcely have they been planted,
[r]Scarcely have they been sown,
[s]Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the (AJ)storm carries them away like stubble.
25 (AK)To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 (AL)Lift up your eyes on high
And see (AM)who has created these stars,
The (AN)One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the (AO)greatness of His might and the [t]strength of His power,
(AP)Not one of them is missing.

27 (AQ)Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
“My way is (AR)hidden from the Lord,
And the (AS)justice due me [u]escapes the notice of (AT)my God”?
28 (AU)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The (AV)Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is (AW)inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the (AX)weary,
And to him who lacks might He (AY)increases power.
30 Though (AZ)youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous (BA)young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [v]wait for the Lord
Will (BB)gain new strength;
They will [w](BC)mount up with [x]wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:6 Another reading is I said
  2. Isaiah 40:6 Or constancy
  3. Isaiah 40:7 Or Because
  4. Isaiah 40:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  5. Isaiah 40:12 DSS reads waters of the sea
  6. Isaiah 40:12 Or half cubit; i.e. 9 in.
  7. Isaiah 40:12 Lit contained or comprehended
  8. Isaiah 40:13 Or measured, marked off
  9. Isaiah 40:15 Or coastlands
  10. Isaiah 40:17 Or void
  11. Isaiah 40:19 Or graven image
  12. Isaiah 40:20 Or set up
  13. Isaiah 40:20 Or a graven image
  14. Isaiah 40:22 Or is enthroned
  15. Isaiah 40:22 Or vault
  16. Isaiah 40:23 Or void
  17. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  18. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  19. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  20. Isaiah 40:26 So DSS and ancient versions; M.T. strong
  21. Isaiah 40:27 Lit passes by my God
  22. Isaiah 40:31 Or hope in
  23. Isaiah 40:31 Or sprout wings
  24. Isaiah 40:31 Or pinions

10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because (A)like [a]flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with [b](B)a scorching wind and (C)withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

12 (D)Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has [c]been approved, he will receive (E)the crown of life which the Lord (F)has promised to those who (G)love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “(H)I am being tempted [d]by God”; for God cannot be tempted [e]by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then (I)when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when (J)sin [f]is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 (K)Do not be [g]deceived, (L)my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is (M)from above, coming down from (N)the Father of lights, (O)with whom there is no variation or [h]shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of (P)His will He (Q)brought us forth by (R)the word of truth, so that we would be [i]a kind of (S)first fruits [j]among His creatures.

19 [k]This (T)you know, (U)my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, (V)slow to speak and (W)slow to anger; 20 for (X)the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, (Y)putting aside all filthiness and all [l]that remains of wickedness, in [m]humility receive (Z)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 (AA)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [n]natural face (AB)in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [o]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, (AC)the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [p]an effectual doer, this man will be (AD)blessed in [q]what he does.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not [r](AE)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion (AF)in the sight of our God and Father is this: to (AG)visit (AH)orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [s]by (AI)the world.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. James 1:10 Lit the flower of the grass
  2. James 1:11 Lit the
  3. James 1:12 Or passed the test
  4. James 1:13 Lit from
  5. James 1:13 Lit of evil things
  6. James 1:15 Lit is brought to completion
  7. James 1:16 Or misled
  8. James 1:17 Lit shadow of turning
  9. James 1:18 Or a certain first fruits
  10. James 1:18 Lit of
  11. James 1:19 Or Know this
  12. James 1:21 Lit abundance of malice
  13. James 1:21 Or gentleness
  14. James 1:23 Lit the face of his birth; or nature
  15. James 1:24 Lit and he
  16. James 1:25 Lit a doer of a work
  17. James 1:25 Lit his doing
  18. James 1:26 Or control
  19. James 1:27 Lit from