Comfort for God’s People
1Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
4Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
13Who can fathom the Spirit40:13 Or mind of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
14Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?
15Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
18With whom, then, will you compare God?
To what image will you liken him?
19As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
20A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol that will not topple.
21Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25“To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
27Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Onyankopɔn Nkurɔfo Awerɛkyekye
1Monkyekye, monkyekye me nkurɔfo werɛ.
Saa na mo Nyankopɔn se.
2Monka asomdwoesɛm nkyerɛ Yerusalem,
na mompae mu nka nkyerɛ no se
ne som dennen no aba awiei,
wɔatua ne bɔne no so ka,
na wɔanya ne bɔne nyinaa so akatua mmɔho
afi Awurade nsam.
3Nne bi reteɛ mu se,
“Munsiesie ɔkwan mma Awurade
wɔ nweatam no so.
Monteɛ ɔtempɔn wɔ sare no so
mma yɛn Nyankopɔn.
4Obon biara bɛyɛ ma,
bepɔw ne nkoko nyinaa bɛkɔ fam,
asase a ɛyɛ abonkyiabonkyi no bɛyɛ tamaa,
na mmeae a ɛyɛ akɔntɔnkye no ayɛ tataw.
5Na Awurade anuonyam bɛda adi,
na nnipa nyinaa behu.
Efisɛ Awurade na waka!”
6Nne bi kae se, “Teɛ mu.”
Na mekae se, “Menteɛ mu nka dɛn?”
“Nnipa nyinaa te sɛ sare,
na wɔn anuonyam nyinaa te sɛ afuw so nhwiren.
7Sare hyew, na nhwiren twintwam
efisɛ Awurade ahomegu fa wɔn so.
Nokware, nnipa no yɛ sare.
8Sare hyew, na nhwiren twintwam,
nanso yɛn Nyankopɔn asɛm no tim hɔ daa.”
9Wo a wode asɛm pa reba Sion,
foro kɔ bepɔw tenten bi so.
Wo a wode asɛm pa reba Yerusalem,
ma wo nne so na teɛ mu,
ma so, nsuro;
ka kyerɛ Yuda nkurow se,
“Mo Nyankopɔn ni!”
10Hwɛ, Asafo Awurade de tumi reba,
na nʼabasa bedi hene ama no.
Hwɛ, nʼakatua ka ne ho,
na ɔde nʼabasobɔde nam.
11Ɔhwɛ ne nguankuw sɛ oguanhwɛfo.
Ɔboa nguantenmma no wɔ nʼabasa so
oturu wɔn ne koko so;
na nguan a wɔwɔ mma no, ɔka wɔn brɛoo.
12Hena na wasusuw obon mu nsu wɔ ne nsam
anaa ɔde ne nsateaa asusuw ɔsoro?
Hena na ɔde asase so mfutuma agu kɛntɛn mu,
anaa wakari mmepɔw wɔ nsania so
ne nkoko wɔ nsania apampaa so?
13Hena na wate Awurade ase,
anaa wakyerɛkyerɛ no sɛ ne fotufo?
14Hena na Awurade abisa no sɛ ɔnkyerɛ no biribi ase,
na hena na ɔkyerɛɛ no ɔkwan pa no?
Hena na ɔmaa no nimdeɛ
anaa ɔkyerɛɛ no nhumu kwan?
15Ampa ara aman no te sɛ nsu sope wɔ bokiti mu;
wɔde wɔn toto mfutuma a egu nsania so ho;
ɔkari nsupɔw te sɛnea ɛyɛ mfutuma muhumuhu.
16Lebanon nnɔɔso mma afɔremuka so gya,
na ne mmoa renso mma ɔhyew afɔrebɔde.
17Aman nyinaa nsɛ hwee wɔ nʼanim;
obu wɔn adehunu bi
a wɔnka hwee.
18Afei hena ho na wode Onyankopɔn bɛtoto?
Nsɛsode bɛn ho na wode no bɛto?
19Ohoni de, odwumfo na ɔyɛ,
na sikadwumfo de sikakɔkɔɔ agu ho
na wasiesie dwetɛ nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama no.
20Ohiani a ɔrentumi mfa saa ayɛyɛde yi mma no
kɔhwehwɛ dua a ɛremporɔw.
Ɔhwehwɛ odwumfo nyansafo
na wayɛ ohoni a ɛremmunum nhwe fam asi hɔ.
21Wunnim ana?
Wontee ana?
Wɔnnka nkyerɛɛ wo mfii mfiase no ana?
Efi bere a wɔbɔɔ asase no, wontee ase ana?
22Ɔte ahengua so wɔ asase dantaban no atifi
ɛso nnipa te sɛ tɛwtɛw
ɔtwe ɔsoro mu te sɛ bamkyinii,
na ɔtrɛw mu sɛ ntamadan tena mu.
23Ɔma ahemmea yɛ nnipahunu
na wiase yi sodifo nso, ɔbrɛ wɔn ase.
24Wɔtɛw wɔn ara pɛ,
woduaa wɔn ara pɛ,
wogyee ntin wɔ asase mu pɛ,
na wahome agu wɔn so ama wɔakisa,
na mframa abɔ wɔn kɔ te sɛ ntɛtɛ.
25“Hena ho na wode me bɛto?
Anaasɛ hena na ɔne me sɛ?” Ɔkronkronni no na ose.
26Momma mo ani so nhwɛ ɔsoro:
Hena na ɔbɔɔ eyinom nyinaa?
Nea oyiyi ɔsoro nsoromma mmaako mmaako,
na ɔbɔ obiara din frɛ no.
Nʼahoɔden ne ne tumi nti
wɔn mu baako mpo nyera.
27Adɛn na wunwiinwii, Yakob,
na woka se, Israel,
“Mʼakwan ahintaw Awurade;
na me Nyankopɔn abɔ mʼasɛm agu”?
28Wunnim ana?
Wontee ana?
Awurade yɛ daapem Nyankopɔn,
na ɔyɛ asase nyinaa yɛfo.
Ɔremmrɛ na ɔrentɔ beraw,
na ne nhumu nni nhwehwɛmu.
29Ɔma nea watɔ beraw ahoɔden
nea wayɛ mmerɛw nso, ɔto nʼahoɔden so.
30Mpo, mmabun brɛ, na wɔtɔ beraw,
na mmerante hintihintiw hwehwe ase;
31Nanso, wɔn a wɔn ani da Awurade so
benya ahoɔden foforo.
Wɔde ntaban sɛ akɔre de betu akɔ wim;
wobetu mmirika, na wɔrentɔ beraw.
Wɔbɛnantew, na wɔrentɔ piti.
