Isaiah:39-40

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* At that time sent Merodach –baladan , the son of Baladan , the king of Babylon , letters and a present to Hezekiah ; for he had heard that he had been sick , and was become strong again . * And Hezekiah was rejoiced on their account , and showed them his treasure –house , the silver , and the gold , and the spices , and the precious oil , and the whole of his armor –house , and all that was found in his treasures : there was nothing that Hezekiah showed them not , in his house , and in all his dominion . * Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah , and said unto him , What did these men say ? and whence did they come unto thee ? And Hezekiah said , From a far –off country are they come unto me , from Babylon . * And he said , What did they see in thy house ? And Hezekiah said , all that is in my house have they seen ; there is nothing that I did not show them in my treasures . * And Isaiah said to Hezekiah , Hear the word of the Lord of hosts , * Behold , days are coming when all that is in thy house , and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day , shall be carried to Babylon : nothing shall be left , saith the Lord . * And of thy sons that will issue from thee , whom thou wilt beget , shall they take ; and they shall be court –servants in the palace of the king of Babylon . * Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah , Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken . He said moreover , For there shall be peace and stability in my days . * Comfort ye , comfort ye my people , saith your God . * Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem , and call out unto her , that her time of sorrow is accomplished , that her iniquity is atoned for ; for she hath received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins . * A voice calleth out , In the wilderness make ye clear the way of the Lord , make straight in the desert a highway for God . * Every valley shall be raised , and every mountain and hill shall be made low ; and the crooked shall be made a straight path , and the rough places a plain : * And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed ; and all flesh shall see it together ; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it . * A voice saith , Proclaim ; and he saith , What shall I proclaim ? all flesh is grass , and all its goodliness is as the flower of the field : * The grass withereth , the flower fadeth ; because the breath of the Lord hath blown upon it ; surely the people is grass . * The grass withereth , the flower fadeth ; but the word of our God will stand firm for ever . * Upon a high mountain get thee up , thou that bringest good tidings to Zion ; lift up with strength thy voice , thou who bringest good tidings to Jerusalem ; lift it up , be not afraid ; say unto the cities of Judah , Behold , your God ! * Behold , the Lord Eternal will come with might , and his arm ruleth for him : behold , his reward is with him , and his recompense before him . * Like a shepherd will he feed his flock : with his arm will he gather the lambs , and in his bosom will he carry them , will he lead gently those that suckle their young . * Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters , and meted out the heavens with the span , and comprised in a measure the dust of the earth , and weighed in the scale –beam the mountains , and the hills in balances ? * Who hath meted out the Spirit of the Lord ? and his counsellor that he could have given him information ? * With whom took he counsel , that he gave him understanding , and taught him the path of justice , and taught him knowledge , and caused him to know the way of understanding ? * Behold , nations are as a drop out of a bucket , and as the small dust of the balance are they accounted : behold , isles are like the flying dust . * And Lebanon is not sufficient for burning , and its beasts do not suffice for burnt –offering . * All the nations are as naught before him ; less than nothing , and vanity are they accounted to him . * To whom then will ye liken God ? or what likeness will ye compare unto him ? * The graven image the artificer hath cast and the goldsmith hath overspread it with gold , and fabricated silver chains . * He that is skilled in the choice chooseth a wood that will not rot ; he seeketh unto himself a skilful workman to prepare a graven image , that shall not be moved . * Know ye not ? hath it not been told you from the beginning ? have ye not paid attention to the foundations of the earth ? * that dwelleth above the circle of the earth , while its inhabitants are as grasshoppers ; that stretched out the heavens as a curtain , and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in ; * That bringeth princes to naught ; rendering the judges of the earth as vanity . * Yes , they were not yet planted ; yea , they were not yet sown ; yea , their stem had not yet taken root in the earth : when he but breathed upon them , and they withered , and the storm –wind carrieth them away as stubble . * To whom then will ye liken me , that I should be equal to ? saith the Holy One . * Lift up your eyes on high , and see who hath created these ? he that bringeth out their host by number ; that calleth them all by name ; from the Mighty One not one escapeth . * Why wilt thou say , O Jacob , and speak , O Israel , My way is hidden from the Lord , and my cause hath passed from the cognizance of my God ? * Dost thou not know ? hast thou not heard ? The God of everlasting is the Lord , is the Creator of the ends of the earth ; he will not be faint and weary ; unsearchable is his understanding . * He giveth to the faint strength ; and to the powerless he imparteth much might . * Though youths should grow faint and be weary , and young men should utterly stumble : * Yet they that wait upon the Lord shall acquire new strength , they shall mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall run and not be weary , they shall walk , and not become faint . * Keep silence before me , O islands ; and let nations acquire new strength : let them approach , then let them speak , together let us come near to judgment .

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