Isaiah · Bible in Basic English
Isaiah 40 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Give comfort, give comfort, to my people, says your God.
1 CONSOLAOS, consolaos, pueblo mío, dice vuestro Dios.
2 Say kind words to the heart of Jerusalem, crying out to her that her time of trouble is ended, that her punishment is complete; that she has been rewarded by the Lord's hand twice over for all her sins.
2 Hablad al corazón de Jerusalem: decidle á voces que su tiempo es ya cumplido, que su pecado es perdonado; que doble ha recibido de la mano de Jehová por todos sus pecados.
3 A voice of one crying, Make ready in the waste land the way of the Lord, make level in the lowland a highway for our God.
3 Voz que clama en el desierto: Barred camino á Jehová: enderezad calzada en la soledad á nuestro Dios.
4 Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, and let the rough places become level, and the hilltops become a valley,
4 Todo valle sea alzado, y bájese todo monte y collado; y lo torcido se enderece, y lo áspero se allane.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be made clear, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has said it.
5 Y manifestaráse la gloria de Jehová, y toda carne juntamente la verá; que la boca de Jehová habló.
6 A voice of one saying, Give a cry! And I said, What is my cry to be? All flesh is grass, and all its strength like the flower of the field.
6 Voz que decía: Da voces. Y [yo] respondí: ¿Qué tengo de decir á voces? Toda carne es hierba, y toda su gloria como flor del campo:
7 The grass becomes dry, the flower is dead; because the breath of the Lord goes over it: truly the people is grass.
7 La hierba se seca, y la flor se cae; porque el viento de Jehová sopló en ella: ciertamente hierba es el pueblo.
8 The grass is dry, the flower is dead; but the word of our God is eternal.
8 Sécase la hierba, cáese la flor: mas la palabra del Dios nuestro permanece para siempre.
9 You who give good news to Zion, get up into the high mountain; you who give good news to Jerusalem, let your voice be strong; let it be sounding without fear; say to the towns of Judah, See, your God!
9 Súbete sobre un monte alto, anunciadora de Sión; levanta fuertemente tu voz, anunciadora de Jerusalem; levántala, no temas; di á las ciudades de Judá: ¡Veis aquí el Dios vuestro!
10 See, the Lord God will come as a strong one, ruling in power: see, those made free by him are with him, and those whom he has made safe go before him.
10 He aquí que el Señor Jehová vendrá con fortaleza, y su brazo se enseñoreará: he aquí que su salario viene con él, y su obra delante de su rostro.
11 He will give food to his flock like a keeper of sheep; with his arm he will get it together, and will take up the lambs on his breast, gently guiding those which are with young.
11 Como pastor apacentará su rebaño; en su brazo cogerá los corderos, y en su seno los llevará; pastoreará suavemente las paridas.
12 In the hollow of whose hand have the waters been measured? and who is able to take the heavens in his stretched-out fingers? who has got together the dust of the earth in a measure? who has taken the weight of the mountains, or put the hills into the scales?
12 ¿Quién midió las aguas con su puño, y aderezó los cielos con su palmo, y con tres dedos allegó el polvo de la tierra, y pesó los montes con balanza, y con peso los collados?
13 By whom has the spirit of the Lord been guided, or who has been his teacher?
13 ¿Quién enseñó al espíritu de Jehová, ó le aconsejo enseñándole?
14 Who gave him suggestions, and made clear to him the right way? who gave him knowledge, guiding him in the way of wisdom?
14 ¿A quién demandó consejo para ser avisado? ¿Quién le enseñó el camino del juicio, ó le enseñó ciencia, ó le mostró la senda de la prudencia?
15 See, the nations are to him like a drop hanging from a bucket, and like the small dust in the scales: he takes up the islands like small dust.
15 He aquí que las naciones son reputadas como la gota de un acetre, y como el orín del peso: he aquí que hace desaparecer las islas como polvo.
16 And Lebanon is not enough to make a fire with, or all its cattle enough for a burned offering.
16 Ni el Líbano bastará para el fuego, ni todos sus animales para el sacrificio.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him; even less than nothing, a thing of no value.
17 Como nada son todas las gentes delante de él; y en su comparación serán estimadas en menos que nada, y que lo que no es.
18 Whom then is God like, in your opinion? or what will you put forward as a comparison with him?
18 ¿A qué pues haréis semejante á Dios, ó qué imagen le compondréis?
19 The workman makes an image, and the gold-worker puts gold plates over it, and makes silver bands for it.
19 El artífice apareja la imagen de talla, el platero le extiende el oro, y le funde cadenas de plata.
20 The wise workman makes selection of the mulberry-tree of the offering, a wood which will not become soft; so that the image may be fixed to it and not be moved.
20 El pobre escoge, para ofrecerle, madera que no se corrompa; búscase un maestro sabio, que le haga una imagen de talla que no se mueva.
21 Have you no knowledge of it? has it not come to your ears? has not news of it been given to you from the first? has it not been clear to you from the time when the earth was placed on its base?
21 ¿No sabéis? ¿no habéis oído? ¿nunca os lo han dicho desde el principio? ¿no habéis sido enseñados desde que la tierra se fundó?
22 It is he who is seated over the arch of the earth, and the people in it are as small as locusts; by him the heavens are stretched out like an arch, and made ready like a tent for a living-place.
22 El está asentado sobre el globo de la tierra, cuyos moradores son como langostas: él extiende los cielos como una cortina, tiéndelos como una tienda para morar:
23 He makes rulers come to nothing; the judges of the earth are of no value.
23 El torna en nada los poderosos, y á los que gobiernan la tierra hace como cosa vana.
24 They have only now been planted, and their seed put into the earth, and they have only now taken root, when he sends out his breath over them and they become dry, and the storm-wind takes them away like dry grass.
24 Como si nunca fueran plantados, como si nunca fueran sembrados, como si nunca su tronco hubiera tenido raíz en la tierra; así que sopla en ellos se secan, y el torbellino los lleva como hojarascas.
25 Who then seems to you to be my equal? says the Holy One.
25 ¿A qué pues me haréis semejante, ó seré asimilado? dice el Santo.
26 Let your eyes be lifted up on high, and see: who has made these? He who sends out their numbered army: who has knowledge of all their names: by whose great strength, because he is strong in power, all of them are in their places.
26 Levantad en alto vuestros ojos, y mirad quién crió estas cosas: él saca por cuenta su ejército: á todas llama por sus nombres; ninguna faltará: [tal] es la grandeza de su fuerza, y [su] poder y virtud.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, such words as these, O Israel, The Lord's eyes are not on my way, and my God gives no attention to my cause?
27 ¿Por qué dices, oh Jacob, y hablas tú, Israel: Mi camino es escondido de Jehová, y de mi Dios pasó mi juicio?
28 Have you no knowledge of it? has it not come to your ears? The eternal God, the Lord, the Maker of the ends of the earth, is never feeble or tired; there is no searching out of his wisdom.
28 ¿No has sabido, no has oído que el Dios del siglo es Jehová, el cual crió los términos de la tierra? No se trabaja, ni se fatiga con cansancio, y su entendimiento no hay quien lo alcance.
29 He gives power to the feeble, increasing the strength of him who has no force.
29 El da esfuerzo al cansado, y multiplica las fuerzas al que no tiene ningunas.
30 Even the young men will become feeble and tired, and the best of them will come to the end of his strength;
30 Los mancebos se fatigan y se cansan, los mozos flaquean y caen:
31 But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.
31 Mas los que esperan á Jehová tendrán nuevas fuerzas; levantarán las alas como águilas; correrán, y no se cansarán; caminarán, y no se fatigarán.
Cross references (31)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Corinthians 1:4; Isaiah 51:12; Isaiah 51:3; Zephaniah 3:14–17; Zechariah 1:13
- 2 Zechariah 9:12; Isaiah 61:7; Hosea 2:14; Jeremiah 33:8–9; Revelation 18:6
- 3 Malachi 3:1; Mark 1:2–5; John 1:23; Matthew 3:1–3; Luke 1:16–17
- 4 Luke 3:5; Ezekiel 21:26; Luke 18:14; Isaiah 42:15–16; Isaiah 45:2
- 5 Habakkuk 2:14; Isaiah 52:10; Joel 2:28; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Luke 3:6
- 6 Psalm 103:15–16; 1 Peter 1:24–25; Psalm 102:11; James 1:10–11; Job 14:2
- 7 Job 41:21
- 8 Mark 13:31; Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:25; Psalm 119:89–91; Matthew 5:18
- 9 Isaiah 52:7–8; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 25:9; Isaiah 61:1
- 10 Revelation 22:12; Isaiah 62:11; Revelation 17:14; Matthew 28:18; Isaiah 49:4
- 11 Revelation 7:17; Psalm 23:1–6; Micah 5:4; Ezekiel 34:23; John 10:11–16
- 12 Proverbs 30:4; Hebrews 1:10–12; Psalm 102:25–26; Job 38:4–11; Isaiah 48:13
- 13 1 Corinthians 2:16; Romans 11:34; Job 36:22–23; Job 21:22; Luke 10:22
- 14 Job 21:22; Colossians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 12:4–6; James 1:17
- 15 Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 40:22; Job 34:14–15; Isaiah 29:5; Isaiah 11:11
- 16 Micah 6:6–7; Psalm 50:9–12; Psalm 40:6; Hebrews 10:5–10
- 17 Psalm 62:9; Daniel 4:34–35; Isaiah 29:7
- 18 Isaiah 46:5; 1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 40:25; Exodus 15:11; Acts 17:29
- 19 Jeremiah 10:9; Isaiah 46:6–7; Exodus 32:2–4; Habakkuk 2:18–19; Psalm 115:4–8
- 20 Jeremiah 10:3–4; Isaiah 41:7; Isaiah 46:7; Isaiah 2:8–9; Daniel 5:23
- 21 Isaiah 46:8; Isaiah 48:13; Acts 14:17; Romans 1:19–21; Psalm 50:6
- 22 Proverbs 8:27; Isaiah 42:5; Psalm 104:2; Isaiah 66:1; Jeremiah 10:12
- 23 Psalm 107:40; Job 12:21; Jeremiah 25:18–27; Isaiah 34:12; Isaiah 24:21–22
- 24 Isaiah 41:16; Isaiah 17:13; Jeremiah 23:19; Haggai 1:9; Proverbs 1:27
- 25 Isaiah 40:18; Deuteronomy 4:15–18; Deuteronomy 4:33; Deuteronomy 5:8
- 26 Colossians 1:16–17; Jeremiah 32:17–19; Isaiah 48:13; Isaiah 51:6; Psalm 147:4–5
- 27 Isaiah 49:4; Luke 18:7–8; Isaiah 49:14; Job 27:2
- 28 Romans 11:33–34; Psalm 147:5; 1 Timothy 1:17; Isaiah 55:8–9; Philippians 1:6
- 29 Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10; Colossians 1:11; Zechariah 10:12
- 30 Amos 2:14; Psalm 34:10; Psalm 33:16; Ecclesiastes 9:11; Isaiah 9:17
- 31 Lamentations 3:25–26; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Psalm 27:13–14; Psalm 103:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And thus He forewarns us: "Behold, the Lord [cometh], and His reward is before His face, to render to every man according to his work." He exhorts us, therefore, with our whole heart to attend to this, that we be not lazy or slothful in any good work.
Ye have heard "that the heavens are meted out in the palm of [His] hand:" tell me the measure, and recount the endless multitude of cubits, explain to me the fulness, the breadth, the length, the height, the beginning and end of the measurement,--things which the heart of man understands not, neither does it comprehend them.
Because the scroll shall be rolled together, and the grass over which it was spread shall with its goodliness pass away; but Thy Word remaineth for ever, which now appeareth unto us in the dark image of the clouds, and through the glass of the heavens, not as it is; because we also, although we be the well-beloved of Thy …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Thus the prophet saith that he shall come saying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." And he himself when he was come said, "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance," which corresponds with, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." Seest thou that both by the words of the prophet, and by his own preaching, this …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For the voice is heard of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)