Isaiah 41
1 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.
“Be silent before Me, O islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come forward and testify; let us together draw near for judgment.
2 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.
Who has aroused one from the east and called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.
3 He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet.
4 Who has wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
Who has performed this and carried it out, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and the last— I am He.”
5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
The islands see and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward.
6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoothes with the hammer him that stroke the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who wields the hammer cheers him who strikes the anvil, saying of the welding, “It is good.” He nails it down so it will not be toppled.
8 But you, Israel, are my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
“But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend—
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called you from the chief men thereof, and said unto you, You are my servant; I have chosen you, and not cast you away.
I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said, ‘You are My servant.’ I have chosen and not rejected you.
10 Fear you not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.
11 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.
Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.
12 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.
You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
13 For I the LORD your God will hold your right hand, saying unto you, Fear not; I will help you.
For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.
14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, and all of you men of Israel; I will help you, says the LORD, and your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Do not fear, O worm of Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 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.
Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.
16 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.
You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 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.
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
I will open rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the middle of the valleys. I will turn the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into flowing springs.
19 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:
I will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees. I will set cypresses in the desert, elms and boxwood together,
20 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.
so that all may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this and the Holy One of Israel has created it.”
21 Produce your cause, says the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Jacob.
“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.
22 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 in order to come.
“Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming.
23 Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that all of you are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay.
24 Behold, all of you are of nothing, and your work of nothing: an abomination is he that chooses you.
Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treads clay.
I have raised up one from the north, and he has come— one from the east who calls on My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter who treads the clay.
26 Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? and in time past, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that shows, yea, there is none that declares, yea, there is none that hears your words.
Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: ‘He was right’? No one announced it, no one foretold it, no one heard your words.
27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that brings good tidings.
I was the first to tell Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ And I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
28 For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say.
29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.
