The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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- Kapitel 40 -

(Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–20; John 1:19–28)

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.

“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem; and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received double from Yahweh’s hand for all her sins.”

A voice cries out, “In the wilderness prepare the way of Yahweh; make straight in the Arabah a highway for our God.”

Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; and the rugged land will be made level, and the rough places a plain;

and the glory of Yahweh will be revealed, and all people will see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.

The Enduring Word

(1 Peter 1:22–25)

A voice says, “Cry.” Another answers, “What should I cry?” “All flesh is grass, and all their covenant faithfulness is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers and the flower wilts when the breath of Yahweh blows on it; surely humanity is grass.

The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

Here Is Your God!

(Romans 11:33–36)

Go up on a high mountain, Zion, bearer of good news. Shout out loud, Jerusalem. You who bring good news, raise your voice, do not be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”

Look, Lord Yahweh comes as a victorious warrior, and his strong arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and those he has rescued go before him.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather in his arm the lambs, and carry them close to his heart, and will gently lead the ewes nursing their young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, measured the sky with the span of his hand, held the dust of the earth in a basket, weighed the mountains in scales, or the hills in a balance?

Who has comprehended the mind of Yahweh, or instructed him as his counselor?

From whom did he ever receive instruction? Who taught him the correct way to do things, and taught him knowledge, or showed to him the way of understanding?

Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded like the dust on the scales; see, he weighs the isles as a speck.

Lebanon is not sufficient fuel, nor its wild animals sufficient for a burnt offering.

All the nations are insufficient before him; they are regarded by him as nothing.

To whom then will you compare God? To what idol will you liken him?

An idol! A craftsman casts it: The goldsmith overlays it with gold and forges silver chains for it.

To make an offering one chooses a wood that will not rot; he seeks a skillful artisan to make an idol that will not fall over.

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?

He is the one who sits above the horizon of the earth; and the inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out as a tent to live in.

He reduces rulers to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth insignificant.

See, they are barely planted; see, they are barely sown; see, they have barely taken root in the earth, before he blows upon them, and they wither, and the wind blows them away like straw.

“To whom then will you compare me, whom do I resemble?” says the Holy One.

Look up at the sky! Who has created all these stars? He leads out their formations and calls them all by name. By the greatness of his might and by the strength of his power, not one is missing.

Why do you say, Jacob, and declare, Israel, “My way is hidden from Yahweh, and my God is not concerned about my vindication”?

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.

He gives strength to the tired; and to the weak he gives renewed energy.

Even young people become tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall:

But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength; they will soar with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint.

(Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–20; John 1:19–28)

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.

“Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.”

The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain.

The LORD’s glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.”

The Enduring Word

(1 Peter 1:22–25)

The voice of one saying, “Cry out!” One said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades, because the LORD’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever.”

Here Is Your God!

(Romans 11:33–36)

You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength! Lift it up! Don’t be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold, your God!”

Behold, the Lord GOD will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measuring basket, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Who has directed the LORD’s Spirit, or has taught him as his counselor?

Who did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance. Behold, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing.

Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its animals sufficient for a burnt offering.

All the nations are like nothing before him. They are regarded by him as less than nothing, and vanity.

To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?

A workman has cast an image, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it.

He who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks a skillful workman to set up a carved image for him that will not be moved.

Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you been told from the beginning? Haven’t you understood from the foundations of the earth?

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in,

who brings princes to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

They are planted scarcely. They are sown scarcely. Their stock has scarcely taken root in the ground. He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble.

“To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these, who brings out their army by number. He calls them all by name. By the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, not one is lacking.

Why do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me is disregarded by my God”?

Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.

Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall;

but those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.