Consuelo para el pueblo de Dios
1¡Consolad, consolad a mi pueblo!
—dice vuestro Dios—.
2Hablad con cariño a Jerusalén,
y anunciadle
que ya ha cumplido su tiempo de servicio,
que ya ha pagado por su iniquidad,
que ya ha recibido de la mano del Señor
el doble por todos sus pecados.
3Una voz proclama:
«Preparad en el desierto
un camino para el Señor;
enderezad en la estepa
un sendero para nuestro Dios.
4Que se levanten todos los valles,
y se allanen todos los montes y colinas;
que el terreno escabroso se nivele
y se alisen las quebradas.
5Entonces se revelará la gloria del Señor,
y la verá toda la humanidad.
El Señor mismo lo ha dicho».
6Una voz dice: «Proclama».
«¿Y qué voy a proclamar?», respondo yo.40:6 respondo yo (LXX, Qumrán y Vulgata); responde él (TM).
«Que todo mortal es como la hierba,
y toda su gloria como la flor del campo.
7La hierba se seca y la flor se marchita,
porque el aliento del Señor sopla sobre ellas.
Sin duda, el pueblo es hierba.
8La hierba se seca y la flor se marchita,
pero la palabra de nuestro Dios
permanece para siempre».
9Sión, portadora de buenas noticias,
¡súbete a una alta montaña!
Jerusalén, portadora de buenas noticias,
¡alza con fuerza tu voz!
Álzala, no temas;
di a las ciudades de Judá:
«¡Aquí está vuestro Dios!»
10Mirad, el Señor omnipotente llega con poder,
y con su brazo gobierna.
Su galardón lo acompaña;
su recompensa lo precede.
11Como un pastor que cuida su rebaño,
recoge los corderos en sus brazos;
los lleva junto a su pecho,
y guía con cuidado a las recién paridas.
12¿Quién ha medido las aguas con la palma de su mano,
y abarcado entre sus dedos la extensión de los cielos?
¿Quién metió en una medida el polvo de la tierra?
¿Quién pesó en una balanza las montañas y los cerros?
13¿Quién puede medir el alcance del espíritu del Señor,
o quién puede servirle de consejero?
14¿A quién consultó el Señor para ilustrarse,
y quién le enseñó el camino de la justicia?
¿Quién le impartió conocimiento
o le hizo conocer la senda de la inteligencia?
15A los ojos de Dios, las naciones son
como una gota de agua en un balde,
como una mota de polvo en una balanza.
El Señor pesa las islas
como si fueran polvo fino.
16El Líbano no alcanza para el fuego de su altar,
ni todos sus animales para los holocaustos.
17Todas las naciones no son nada en su presencia;
no tienen para él valor alguno.
18¿Con quién compararéis a Dios?
¿Con qué imagen lo representaréis?
19Al ídolo, un escultor lo funde;
un joyero lo enchapa en oro
y le labra cadenas de plata.
20El que es muy pobre para ofrendar
escoge madera que no se pudra,
y busca un hábil artesano
para erigir un ídolo que no se caiga.
21¿Acaso vosotros no lo sabíais?
¿No os habíais enterado?
¿No se os dijo desde el principio?
¿No lo entendisteis desde la fundación del mundo?
22Él reina sobre la bóveda de la tierra,
cuyos habitantes son como langostas.
Él extiende los cielos como un toldo,
y los despliega como una tienda para ser habitada.
23Él anula a los poderosos,
y a nada reduce a los gobernantes de este mundo.
24Escasamente han sido plantados,
apenas han sido sembrados,
apenas echan raíces en la tierra,
cuando él sopla sobre ellos y se marchitan;
¡y el huracán los arrasa como paja!
25«¿Con quién, entonces, me compararéis?
¿Quién es como yo?», dice el Santo.
26Alzad los ojos y mirad a los cielos:
¿Quién ha creado todo esto?
El que ordena la multitud de estrellas una por una,
y llama a cada una por su nombre.
¡Es tan grande su poder, y tan poderosa su fuerza,
que no falta ninguna de ellas!
27¿Por qué murmuras, Jacob?
¿Por qué refunfuñas, Israel:
«Mi camino está escondido del Señor;
mi Dios ignora mi derecho»?
28¿Acaso no lo sabes?
¿Acaso no te has enterado?
El Señor es el Dios eterno,
creador de los confines de la tierra.
No se cansa ni se fatiga,
y su inteligencia es insondable.
29Él fortalece al cansado
y acrecienta las fuerzas del débil.
30Aun los jóvenes se cansan, se fatigan,
y los muchachos tropiezan y caen;
31pero los que confían en el Señor
renovarán sus fuerzas;
volarán como las águilas:
correrán y no se fatigarán,
caminarán y no se cansarán.
God Comforts His People
1“Comfort my people,” says your God.
“Comfort them.
2Speak tenderly to the people of Jerusalem.
Announce to them
that their hard labor has been completed.
Tell them that their sin has been paid for.
Tell them the Lord has punished them enough
for all their sins.”
3A messenger is calling out,
“In the desert prepare
the way for the Lord.
Make a straight road through it
for our God.
4Every valley will be filled in.
Every mountain and hill will be made level.
The rough ground will be smoothed out.
The rocky places will be made flat.
5Then the glory of the Lord will appear.
And everyone will see it together.
The Lord has spoken.”
6Another messenger says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What should I cry?”
“Cry out, ‘All people are like grass.
They don’t stay faithful to me any longer than wildflowers last.
7The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground.
That happens when the Lord makes his wind blow on them.
So people are just like grass.
8The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground.
But what our God says will stand forever.’ ”
9Zion, you are bringing good news to your people.
Go up on a high mountain and announce it.
Jerusalem, you are bringing good news to them.
Shout the message loudly.
Shout it out loud. Don’t be afraid.
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Your God is coming!”
10The Lord and King is coming with power.
He rules with a powerful arm.
He has set his people free.
He is bringing them back as his reward.
He has won the battle over their enemies.
11He takes care of his flock like a shepherd.
He gathers the lambs in his arms.
He carries them close to his heart.
He gently leads those that have little ones.
12Who has measured the oceans by using the palm of his hand?
Who has used the width of his hand to mark off the sky?
Who has measured out the dust of the earth in a basket?
Who has weighed the mountains on scales?
Who has weighed the hills in a balance?
13Who can ever understand the Spirit of the Lord?
Who can ever give him advice?
14Did the Lord have to ask anyone to help him understand?
Did he have to ask someone to teach him the right way?
Who taught him what he knows?
Who showed him how to understand?
15The nations are only a drop in a bucket to him.
He considers them as nothing but dust on the scales.
He weighs the islands as if they were only fine dust.
16Lebanon doesn’t have enough trees to keep his altar fires burning.
It doesn’t have enough animals to sacrifice as burnt offerings to him.
17To him, all the nations don’t amount to anything.
He considers them to be worthless.
In fact, they are less than nothing in his sight.
18So who will you compare God with?
Is there any other god like him?
19Will you compare him with a statue of a god?
Anyone who works with metal can make a statue.
Then another worker covers it with gold
and makes silver chains for it.
20But someone who is too poor to bring that kind of offering
will choose some wood that won’t rot.
Then they look for a skilled worker.
They pay the worker to make a statue of a god that won’t fall over.
21Don’t you know who made everything?
Haven’t you heard about him?
Hasn’t it been told to you from the beginning?
Haven’t you understood it ever since the earth was made?
22God sits on his throne high above the earth.
Its people look like grasshoppers to him.
He spreads out the heavens like a cover.
He sets it up like a tent to live in.
23He takes the power of princes away from them.
He reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24They are planted.
They are scattered like seeds.
They put down roots in the ground.
But as soon as that happens, God blows on them and they dry up.
Then a windstorm sweeps them away like straw.
25“So who will you compare me with?
Who is equal to me?” says the Holy One.
26Look up toward the sky.
Who created everything you see?
The Lord causes the stars to come out at night one by one.
He calls out each one of them by name.
His power and strength are great.
So none of the stars is missing.
27Family of Jacob, why do you complain,
“The Lord doesn’t notice our condition”?
People of Israel, why do you say,
“Our God doesn’t pay any attention to our rightful claims”?
28Don’t you know who made everything?
Haven’t you heard about him?
The Lord is the God who lives forever.
He created everything on earth.
He won’t become worn out or get tired.
No one will ever know how great his understanding is.
29He gives strength to those who are tired.
He gives power to those who are weak.
30Even young people become worn out and get tired.
Even the best of them trip and fall.
31But those who trust in the Lord
will receive new strength.
They will fly as high as eagles.
They will run and not get tired.
They will walk and not grow weak.
