Isaiah 40:20–23

20 A 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.

21 Do 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?

22 He 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.

23 He brings princes to naught

and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot;

He seeketh unto him a cunning workman

To prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard?

Hath it not been told you from the beginning?

Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,

And the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers;

That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,

And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

23 That bringeth the princes to nothing;

He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

20 Or if people are too poor for that,

they might at least choose wood that won’t decay

and a skilled craftsman

to carve an image that won’t fall down!

21 Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand?

Are you deaf to the words of God—

the words he gave before the world began?

Are you so ignorant?

22 God sits above the circle of the earth.

The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!

He spreads out the heavens like a curtain

and makes his tent from them.

23 He judges the great people of the world

and brings them all to nothing.

20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution

Chooses a tree that will not rot;

He seeks for himself a skillful workman

To prepare a carved image that will not totter.

21 Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,

And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,

Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

23 He brings the princes to nothing;

He makes the judges of the earth useless.

20 A poor person cannot buy those expensive statues,

so he finds a tree that will not rot.

Then he finds a skilled craftsman

to make it into an idol that will not fall over.

21 Surely you know. Surely you have heard.

Surely from the beginning someone told you.

Surely you understand how the earth was created.

22 God sits on his throne above the circle of the earth,

and compared to him, people are like grasshoppers.

He stretches out the skies like a piece of cloth

and spreads them out like a tent to sit under.

23 He makes rulers unimportant

and the judges of this world worth nothing.

20 He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilful workman to set up a graven image, that shall not be moved. 21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in; 23 that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

20 He that is impoverished, so that he hath no offering, chooseth a tree that doth not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilled workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. 21 —Do ye not know? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood the foundation of the earth? 22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a gauze curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in; 23 that bringeth the princes to nothing, that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

20 The poorest people choose wood that will not rot 

and search out skillful craftsmen 

to set up idols that will not fall over. 

21 Don’t you know? 

Haven’t you heard? 

Haven’t you been told from the beginning? 

Don’t you understand the foundations of the earth? 

22 God is enthroned above the earth, 

and those who live on it are like grasshoppers. 

He stretches out the sky like a canopy 

and spreads it out like a tent to live in. 

23 He makes rulers unimportant 

and makes earthly judges worth nothing. 

20 To one who shapes a pedestal,

choosing wood that does not rot?

He looks for a skilled craftsman

to set up an idol that will not fall over.

21 Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been declared to you

from the beginning?

Have you not considered

the foundations of the earth?

22 God is enthroned above the circle of the earth;

its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.

He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth

and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

23 He reduces princes to nothing

and makes judges of the earth irrational.

20 As a gift one chooses mulberry wood

—wood that will not rot—

then seeks out a skilled artisan

to set up an image that will not topple.

21 Have you not known? Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,

and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,

who stretches out the heavens like a curtain

and spreads them like a tent to live in,

23 who brings princes to naught

and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

20 The one who is too impoverished for a gift chooses wood that will not rot;

he seeks a skillful artisan for himself to set up an image that will not be knocked over.

21 Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been told to you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundation of the earth?

22 He is the one who sits above the circle of the earth,

and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;

the one who stretches out the heavens like a veil

and spreads them out like a tent to live in,

23 the one who brings princes to nothing;

he makes rulers of the earth like nothing.

20 But someone who is too poor to bring that kind of offering

will choose some wood that won’t rot.

Then he looks for a skilled worker.

He pays the worker to make a statue of a god that won’t fall over.

21 Don’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?

22 God sits on his throne high above the earth.

Its people look like grasshoppers to him.

He spreads the heavens out like a cover.

He sets it up like a tent to live in.

23 He takes the power of princes away from them.

He reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering

Selects a tree that does not rot;

He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman

To prepare an idol that will not totter.

21 Do you not know? Have you not heard?

Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,

And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,

Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain

And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing,

Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.