THOSE WHO HOPE IN THE LORD
Key verse: 31
NIV
12 Who has measured the waters(A) in the hollow of his hand,(B)
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?(C)
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?(D)
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[a](E) of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?(F)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(G)
or showed him the path of understanding?(H)
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;(I)
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(J)
16 Lebanon(K) is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals(L) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(M) are as nothing;(N)
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.(O)
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(P)
To what image(Q) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(R) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(S) overlays it with gold(T)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(U) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(V) that will not topple.(W)
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(X)
Has it not been told(Y) you from the beginning?(Z)
Have you not understood(AA) since the earth was founded?(AB)
22 He sits enthroned(AC) above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.(AD)
He stretches out the heavens(AE) like a canopy,(AF)
and spreads them out like a tent(AG) to live in.(AH)
23 He brings princes(AI) to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(AJ)
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root(AK) in the ground,
than he blows(AL) on them and they wither,(AM)
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(AN)
25 “To whom will you compare me?(AO)
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.(AP)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:(AQ)
Who created(AR) all these?
He who brings out the starry host(AS) one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,(AT)
not one of them is missing.(AU)
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?(AV)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(AW)
The Lord is the everlasting(AX) God,
the Creator(AY) of the ends of the earth.(AZ)
He will not grow tired or weary,(BA)
and his understanding no one can fathom.(BB)
29 He gives strength(BC) to the weary(BD)
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men(BE) stumble and fall;(BF)
31 but those who hope(BG) in the Lord
will renew their strength.(BH)
They will soar on wings like eagles;(BI)
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.(BJ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:13 Or mind
Cross references
- Isaiah 40:12 : S Job 12:15; S 38:10
- Isaiah 40:12 : Pr 30:4
- Isaiah 40:12 : S Job 38:5; Heb 1:10-12
- Isaiah 40:12 : S Job 38:18; Pr 16:11
- Isaiah 40:13 : Isa 11:2; 42:1
- Isaiah 40:13 : S Job 15:8; Ro 11:34*; 1Co 2:16*
- Isaiah 40:14 : Job 21:22; Col 2:3
- Isaiah 40:14 : S Job 12:13; S 34:13; Isa 55:9
- Isaiah 40:15 : S Ps 62:9
- Isaiah 40:15 : S Dt 9:21; Isa 2:22
- Isaiah 40:16 : Isa 33:9; 37:24
- Isaiah 40:16 : Ps 50:9-11; Mic 6:7; Heb 10:5-9
- Isaiah 40:17 : Isa 30:28
- Isaiah 40:17 : S Job 12:19; Isa 29:7
- Isaiah 40:17 : S Isa 37:19; Da 4:35
- Isaiah 40:18 : S Ex 8:10; S 1Sa 2:2
- Isaiah 40:18 : S Dt 4:15; Ac 17:29
- Isaiah 40:19 : S Ex 20:4; Ps 115:4; S Isa 37:19; 42:17; Jer 2:8, 28; 10:8; 16:19; Hab 2:18; Zec 10:2
- Isaiah 40:19 : Isa 41:7; 46:6; Jer 10:3
- Isaiah 40:19 : Isa 2:20; 31:7
- Isaiah 40:20 : Isa 44:19
- Isaiah 40:20 : S 1Sa 12:21
- Isaiah 40:20 : S 1Sa 5:3
- Isaiah 40:21 : ver 28; 2Ki 19:25; Isa 41:22; 42:9; 44:8; 48:3, 5
- Isaiah 40:21 : Ps 19:1; 50:6; Ac 14:17
- Isaiah 40:21 : S Ge 1:1
- Isaiah 40:21 : Ro 1:19
- Isaiah 40:21 : Isa 48:13; 51:13
- Isaiah 40:22 : S 2Ch 6:18; S Ps 2:4
- Isaiah 40:22 : S Nu 13:33
- Isaiah 40:22 : S Ge 1:1; S Isa 48:13
- Isaiah 40:22 : S Ge 1:8; S Job 22:14
- Isaiah 40:22 : S Job 36:29
- Isaiah 40:22 : S Job 26:7
- Isaiah 40:23 : S Job 12:18; S Isa 34:12
- Isaiah 40:23 : S Job 12:19; Am 2:3
- Isaiah 40:24 : S Job 5:3
- Isaiah 40:24 : S 2Sa 22:16; S Isa 11:4; 41:16
- Isaiah 40:24 : S Job 8:12; S 18:16
- Isaiah 40:24 : S Job 24:24; S Isa 41:2
- Isaiah 40:25 : S 1Sa 2:2; S 1Ch 16:25
- Isaiah 40:25 : Isa 1:4; 37:23
- Isaiah 40:26 : Isa 51:6
- Isaiah 40:26 : ver 28; Ps 89:11-13; Isa 42:5; 66:2
- Isaiah 40:26 : S 2Ki 17:16; S Ne 9:6; S Job 38:32
- Isaiah 40:26 : S Job 9:4; S Isa 45:24; Eph 1:19
- Isaiah 40:26 : S Isa 34:16
- Isaiah 40:27 : S Job 6:29; S 27:2; Lk 18:7-8
- Isaiah 40:28 : S ver 21
- Isaiah 40:28 : S Dt 33:27; S Ps 90:2
- Isaiah 40:28 : S ver 26
- Isaiah 40:28 : S Isa 37:16
- Isaiah 40:28 : Isa 44:12
- Isaiah 40:28 : S Ps 147:5; Ro 11:33
- Isaiah 40:29 : S Ge 18:14; S Ps 68:35; S 119:28
- Isaiah 40:29 : Isa 50:4; 57:19; Jer 31:25
- Isaiah 40:30 : Isa 9:17; Jer 6:11; 9:21
- Isaiah 40:30 : S Ps 20:8; Isa 5:27
- Isaiah 40:31 : S Ps 37:9; 40:1; S Isa 30:18; Lk 18:1
- Isaiah 40:31 : S 1Sa 2:4; S 2Ki 6:33; S 2Co 4:16
- Isaiah 40:31 : S Ex 19:4
- Isaiah 40:31 : 2Co 4:1; Heb 12:1-3
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
12 (A)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 (B)Who has measured[a] the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows him his counsel?
14 Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
(C)Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted (D)as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up (E)the coastlands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are (F)its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 (G)All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
18 (H)To whom then will you liken God,
(I)or what likeness compare with him?
19 (J)An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 (K)He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood[b] that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 (L)Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are (M)like grasshoppers;
(N)who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 (O)who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
(P)and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 (Q)To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
(R)He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power,
not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
(S)“My way is hidden from the Lord,
(T)and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is (U)the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
(V)his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but (W)they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings (X)like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:13 Or has directed
- Isaiah 40:20 Or He chooses valuable wood
Cross references
- Isaiah 40:12 : [Prov. 30:4]
- Isaiah 40:13 : Cited Rom. 11:34; [1 Cor. 2:16]
- Isaiah 40:14 : Job 21:22
- Isaiah 40:15 : ch. 29:5
- Isaiah 40:15 : ch. 41:1
- Isaiah 40:16 : [Ps. 50:10]
- Isaiah 40:17 : Ps. 62:9; Dan. 4:35; [ch. 41:12]
- Isaiah 40:18 : ver. 25; ch. 46:5; Acts 17:29
- Isaiah 40:18 : [Hos. 13:2]
- Isaiah 40:19 : [See ver. 18 above]; [Hos. 13:2]
- Isaiah 40:20 : ch. 46:6; Jer. 10:3-5; See ch. 44:9-15
- Isaiah 40:21 : ver. 28; [Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:19, 20]
- Isaiah 40:22 : [Num. 13:33]
- Isaiah 40:22 : Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2
- Isaiah 40:23 : Job 12:21; Ps. 107:40
- Isaiah 40:24 : ch. 41:2; [Ps. 83:13]
- Isaiah 40:25 : ver. 18
- Isaiah 40:26 : Ps. 147:4
- Isaiah 40:27 : [ch. 49:14]
- Isaiah 40:27 : [ch. 49:4]
- Isaiah 40:28 : [Ps. 121:4]
- Isaiah 40:28 : Ps. 147:5
- Isaiah 40:31 : Ps. 103:5
- Isaiah 40:31 : [Ex. 19:4]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. The Creator of the ends of the earth (12-28)
The Lord is the Creator of all things. He is all- powerful and all-wise. Before him all nations are like a drop in a bucket. Those who make idols or put their hope in men are fools. God sits enthroned above the circle of the earth and looks down on its grasshopper-like people. He rules over all things. No one taught him, for he is the source of all knowledge. No king or prince or president can hold power unless he is established by the Creator God. He keeps the sun and moon and stars on course by his almighty power. He knows everything--including all about me--and he is the Sovereign God.
2. He gives strength to the weary (29-31)
God never gets tired. When we put our hope in him, he gives strength for every task he gives us to do. Human strength, no matter how powerful it may seem, always runs out; but those who put their hope in the Lord will soar on wings like eagles.
Prayer: Lord, my hope is in you. I do not ask for easy tasks, but strength sufficient for the day.
One Word: Hope in the Lord