Isaiah 41

1 Come quietly before me, O sea-lands, and let the peoples get together their strength: let them come near; then let them say what they have to say: let us put forward our cause against one another.

“Keep silent before me, islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let’s meet together for judgement.

2 Who sent out from the east one who is right wherever he goes? he gives the nations into his hands, and makes him ruler over kings; he gives them as the dust to his sword, as dry stems before the wind to his bow.

Who has raised up one from the east? Who called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands over nations to him and makes him rule over kings. He gives them like the dust to his sword, like the driven stubble to his bow.

3 He goes after them safely, not touching the road with his feet.

He pursues them and passes by safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.

4 Whose purpose and work was it? His who sent out the generations from the start. I the Lord, the first, and with the last, I am he.

Who has worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last, I am he.”

5 The sea-lands saw it, and were in fear; the ends of the earth were shaking: they came near.

The islands have seen, and fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They approach, and come.

6 They gave help everyone to his neighbour; and everyone said to his brother, Take heart!

Everyone helps his neighbour. They say to their brothers, “Be strong!”

7 So the metal-worker put heart into the gold-worker, and he who was hammering the metal smooth said kind words to the iron-worker, saying of the plate, It is ready: and he put it together with nails, so that there might be no slipping.

So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith. He who smooths with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good;” and he fastens it with nails, that it might not totter.

8 But as for you, Israel, my servant, and you, Jacob, whom I have taken for myself, the seed of Abraham my friend:

“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,

9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and sent for from its farthest parts, saying to you, You are my servant, whom I have taken for myself, and whom I have not given up:

you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from its corners, and said to you, ‘You are my servant. I have chosen you and have not cast you away.’

10 Have no fear, for I am with you; do not be looking about in trouble, for I am your God; I will give you strength, yes, I will be your helper; yes, my true right hand will be your support.

Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

11 Truly, all those who are angry with you will be made low and put to shame: those desiring to do you wrong will come to nothing and never again be seen.

Behold, all those who are incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded. Those who strive with you will be like nothing, and shall perish.

12 You will make search for your haters but they will not be there; those who make war against you will be as nothing and will come to destruction.

You will seek them, and won’t find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing.

13 For I, the Lord your God, have taken your right hand in mine, saying to you, Have no fear; I will be your helper.

For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I will help you.’

14 Have no fear, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel; I will be your helper, says the Lord, even he who takes up your cause, the Holy One of Israel.

Don’t be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel. I will help you,” says the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15 See, I will make you like a new grain-crushing instrument with teeth, crushing the mountains small, and making the hills like dry stems.

Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff.

16 You will send the wind over them, and it will take them away; they will go in all directions before the storm-wind: you will have joy in the Lord, and be glad in the Holy One of Israel.

You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them. You will rejoice in the LORD. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 The poor and crushed are looking for water where no water is, and their tongue is dry for need of it: I the Lord will give ear to their prayer, I the God of Israel will not give them up.

The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18 I will make rivers on the dry mountain-tops, and fountains in the valleys: I will make the waste land a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

I will open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the middle of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

19 I will put in the waste land the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive-tree; and in the lowland will be planted the fir-tree, the plane, and the cypress together:

I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. I will set cypress trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert;

20 So that they may see and be wise and give their mind to it, and that it may be clear to them all that the hand of the Lord has done this, and that the Holy One of Israel has made it.

that they may see, know, consider, and understand together, that the LORD’s hand has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

21 Put forward your cause, says the Lord; let your strong argument come out, says the King of Jacob.

Produce your cause,” says the LORD. “Bring out your strong reasons!” says the King of Jacob.

22 Let the future be made clear to us: give us news of the past things, so that we may give thought to them; or of the things to come, so that we may see if they are true.

“Let them announce and declare to us what will happen! Declare the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.

23 Give us word of what will be after this, so that we may be certain that you are gods: yes, do good or do evil, so that we may all see it and be surprised.

Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and see it together.

24 But you are nothing, and your work is of no value: foolish is he who takes you for his gods.

Behold, you are nothing, and your work is nothing. He who chooses you is an abomination.

25 I have sent for one from the north, and from the dawn he has come; in my name he will get rulers together and go against them; they will be like dust, even as the wet earth is stamped on by the feet of the potter.

“I have raised up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name, and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

26 Who has given knowledge of it from the first, so that we may be certain of it? and from the start, so that we may say, His word is true? There is no one who gives news, or says anything, or who gives ear to your words.

Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and before, that we may say, ‘He is right’? Surely, there is no one who declares. Surely, there is no one who shows. Surely, there is no one who hears your words.

27 I was the first to give word of it to Zion, and I gave the good news to Jerusalem.

I am the first to say to Zion, ‘Behold, look at them;’ and I will give one who brings good news to Jerusalem.

28 And I saw that there was no man, even no wise man among them, who might give an answer to my questions.

When I look, there is no man, even amongst them there is no counsellor who, when I ask, can answer a word.

29 Truly they are all nothing, their works are nothing and of no value: their metal images are of no more use than wind.

Behold, all of their deeds are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion.