Prepare the Way for the Lord

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

1Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God.

2Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, That her warfare hath been completed, That accepted hath been her punishment, That she hath received from the hand of Jehovah Double for all her sins.

3A voice is crying -- in a wilderness -- Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God.

4Every valley is raised up, And every mountain and hill become low, And the crooked place hath become a plain, And the entangled places a valley.

5And revealed hath been the honour of Jehovah, And seen it have all flesh together, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.

The Word of the Lord Stands Forever

(1 Peter 1:22-25)

6A voice is saying, 'Call,' And he said, 'What do I call?' All flesh is grass, and all its goodliness is As a flower of the field:

7Withered hath grass, faded the flower, For the Spirit of Jehovah blew upon it, Surely the people is grass;

8Withered hath grass, faded the flower, But a word of our God riseth for ever.

Here is Your God!

9On a high mountain get thee up, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, Lift up with power thy voice, O Jerusalem, proclaiming tidings, Lift up, fear not, say to cities of Judah, 'Lo, your God.'

10Lo, the Lord Jehovah with strength cometh, And His arm is ruling for Him, Lo, His hire is with Him, and His wage before Him.

11As a shepherd His flock He feedeth, With His arm He gathereth lambs, And in His bosom He carrieth them: Suckling ones He leadeth.

12Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters? And the heavens by a span hath meted out, And comprehended in a measure the dust of the earth, And hath weighed in scales the mountains, And the hills in a balance?

13Who hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, being His counsellor, doth teach Him!

14With whom consulted He, That he causeth Him to understand? And teacheth Him in the path of judgment, And teacheth Him knowledge? And the way of understanding causeth Him to know?

15Lo, nations as a drop from a bucket, And as small dust of the balance, have been reckoned, Lo, isles as a small thing He taketh up.

16And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering.

17All the nations are as nothing before Him, Less than nothing and emptiness, They have been reckoned to Him.

18And unto whom do ye liken God, And what likeness do ye compare to Him?

19The graven image poured out hath a artisan, And a refiner with gold spreadeth it over, And chains of silver he is refining.

20He who is poor by heave-offerings, A tree not rotten doth choose, A skilful artisan he seeketh for it, To establish a graven image -- not moved.

21Do ye not know -- do ye not hear? Hath it not been declared from the first to you? Have ye not understood From the foundations of the earth?

22He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out as a thin thing the heavens, And spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in.

23He who is making princes become nothing, Judges of earth as emptiness hath made;

24Yea, they have not been planted, Yea, they have not been sown, Yea, not taking root in the earth is their stock, And also He hath blown upon them, and they wither, And a whirlwind as stubble taketh them away.

25And unto whom do ye liken Me, And am I equal? saith the Holy One.

26Lift up on high your eyes, And see -- who hath prepared these? He who is bringing out by number their host, To all of them by name He calleth, By abundance of strength (And he is strong in power) not one is lacking.

27Why sayest thou, O Jacob? and speakest thou, O Israel? 'My way hath been hid from Jehovah, And from my God my judgment passeth over.'

28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The God of the age -- Jehovah, Preparer of the ends of the earth, Is not wearied nor fatigued, There is no searching of His understanding.

29He is giving power to the weary, And to those not strong He increaseth might.

30Even youths are wearied and fatigued, And young men utterly stumble,

31But those expecting Jehovah pass to power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!