Isaiah 41

1 Listen to me in silence, you people who live in lands beyond the sea. Let the nations regain their strength. Then let them come and speak, and let us join together for judgment.

Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

2 Who has encouraged this one from the east who is called into God's service to do what is right? He gives him nations, and helps him trample kings underfoot. He makes them like dust with his sword, and turns them into chaff with his bow, blown before him on the wind.

Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.

3 He chases them down, and goes on unharmed, not following the usual routes.

He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.

4 Who has achieved and done this, calling into existence each generation from the beginning of time? I, the Lord, the first and the last, I am the one.

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 islands watch in fear, the distant lands tremble. They get together and consult.

The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.

6 They all help each other, encouraging one another to “Be strong!”

They helped every one his neighbor; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.

7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith; the one who beats out the metal with a hammer encourages the one hitting the anvil, saying the soldering is good. They nail the idol down so it won't fall over.

So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoothes with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, the ones I have chosen, descendants of my friend Abraham,

But you, Israel, are my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

9 I brought you back from distant lands, I called you back from faraway places, telling you, “You are my servants.” I have chosen you, and I have not abandoned you.

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called you from the chief men thereof, and said to you, You are my servant; I have chosen you, and not cast you away.

10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you! Don't be frightened for I, your God, will make you strong, and I will certainly help you. I will support you with my strong hand, acting for what is right.

Fear you not; for I am with you: be not 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 See—everyone who is angry with you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who fight against you will end up as nothing and die.

Behold, all they that were incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with you shall perish.

12 Even though you look for your enemies, you won't find them. Those who attack you will become absolutely nothing.

You shall seek them, and shall not find them, even them that contended with you: they that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing.

13 For I the Lord will grab you by the hand and tell you, “Don't be afraid! I myself will help you.

For I the LORD your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, Fear not; I will help you.

14 Don't be frightened, Jacob, you little worm, you people of Israel, for I will help you,” declared the Lord your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.

Fear not, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel; I will help you, says the LORD, and your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15 Look! I will make you into a new and sharp threshing device, with many pointed teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush the hills, turning them into chaff.

Behold, I will make you a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: you shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff.

16 You will throw them into the air, the wind will carry them away, and a storm will scatter them. Then you will be happy in the Lord, and boast about the Holy One of Israel.

You shall fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and you shall rejoice in the LORD, and shall glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 The poor and needy search for water, but don't find any—their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will respond to them; I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them.

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

18 I will open up rivers in the desolate highlands and springs in the valleys. I will make pools in the wilderness and springs in the desert.

I will open rivers in high places, and fountains 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 plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the desert. I will place evergreens in the desert, firs and box trees together.

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:

20 In this way everyone can see and know, they can think about it and draw the conclusion that the it is the Lord who has done this, that the Holy One of Israel made it happen.

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

21 “Now you submit your case,” says the Lord. “Present your evidence,” says the King of Jacob.

Produce your cause, says the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Jacob.

22 “Let them come and tell us what's about to happen. Let them explain the things of the past, so that we can think about them and discover the final outcome. Or they can tell us about the future.

Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen: let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.

23 Predict what's coming so we can know for sure that you are gods. At least do something, good or bad, to impress us when we see it.

Show 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 behold it together.

24 But look at you! You're nothing, and you can't do anything! Anyone who chooses you is disgusting!

Behold, you are of nothing, and your work of nothing: an abomination is he that chooses you.

25 I have encouraged the one who comes from the north. He is from the east, and will respect me. He will tread on rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter treading on clay.

I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call on my name: and he shall come on princes as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

26 Who announced this beforehand so that we could know about it? Who let us know in the past, so that now we could say: ‘He was right’? None of you announced it, none of you predicted it, and nobody heard you say a word!

Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yes, there is none that shows, yes, there is none that declares, yes, there is none that hears your words.

27 I was the first to announce to Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ I was the one who brought to Jerusalem the good news.

The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that brings good tidings.

28 I look at these idols, and find there is no one who can say anything. None of them can give advice; when I ask them something, they can't even answer.

For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counselor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

29 Look at them! They're all evil, deceptive things. They can't do anything! They're just idols full of hot air!”

Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.