Isaiah 41

1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let nations acquire new strength: let them approach, then let them speak, together let us come near to judgment.

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

2 Who waked up from the east the man whom righteousness met in his steps? he giveth up nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; that his sword may render them as the dust, as driven stubble, his bow.

Who raised up the righteous man from the east, calls him to his foot, gives nations before him, and makes him rule over kings? He gives them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.

3 He pursueth them, passeth along in safety, by a path which his feet have not gone over before.

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

4 Who hath wrought and done it? he who called the generations from the beginning; I the Lord, [who am] the first, and with the latest I am the same.

Who has wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.

5 The isles saw it, and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.

The isles have seen, and fear. The ends of the earth tremble, they draw near, and come.

6 They help one another; and each one saith to his brother, Be strong!

They help every man his neighbor, and says to his brother, Be of good courage.

7 So the smith encouraged the melter, he that smootheth with the hammer him that striketh on the anvil; saying of the solder, It is good; and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, he who smoothes with the hammer, him who smites the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good, and he fastens it with nails, that it should not be moved.

8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend;

But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,

9 Thou, whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the midst of its chiefs, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said to thee, Thou are my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away.

10 Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I strengthen thee, yea, I help thee, yea, I uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

11 Behold, ashamed and confounded shall be all that were incensed against thee; they shall be as naught and perish—the men that strive with thee.

Behold, all those who are incensed against thee shall be put to shame and confounded. Those who strive with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish.

12 Thou wilt seek them, and shalt not find them, the men that contend with thee; they shall be as naught and as nothing, the men that make war against thee.

Thou shall seek them, and shall not find them, even those who contend with thee. Those who war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught.

13 For I the Lord thy God lay hold of thy right hand; [I am he] who saith unto thee, Fear not, I help thee.

For I, Jehovah thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying to thee, Fear not, I will help thee.

14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, ye few men of Israel: I myself help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel. I will help thee, says Jehovah, and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15 Behold, I have rendered thee a threshing instrument, sharp, new, having many teeth: thou shalt thresh mountains, and beat them small, and shalt render the hills as chaff.

Behold, I have made thee as a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth. Thou shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff.

16 Thou shalt scatter them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the storm shall disperse them; but thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, in the Holy One of Israel shalt thou glorify thyself.

Thou shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them. And thou shall rejoice in Jehovah. Thou shall glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 The poor and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue is dried up with thirst: I the Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

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

18 I will open on naked mountain-peaks rivers, and in the midst of valleys fountains; I will change the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water.

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

19 I will place in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine and the box-tree together;

I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil tree. I will set in the desert the fir tree, the pine, and the box tree together,

20 In order that they may see, and know and take [it to heart], and comprehend together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

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

21 Produce your cause, saith the Lord: bring forward your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

Produce your case, says Jehovah. Bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Jacob.

22 Let them bring them forward and tell us what shall happen: the former things—what are they?—tell us, that we may take it to heart, and know the result of them; or let us hear the things that are to come.

Let them bring forth, and declare to us what shall happen. Declare ye 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 Tell the events that are to happen hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be astonished, and see it together.

Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods. Yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.

24 Behold, ye are less than nothing, and your work less than a breath: [he that is] an abomination [alone] chooseth you.

Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of naught. An abomination is he who chooses you.

25 I have waked up one from the north, and he cometh; from the rising of the sun one who will call on my name: and he shall [over-]come princes as mortar, and as the potter treadeth down the clay.

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

26 Who hath told it from the beginning, that we may know it? and aforetimes, that we may say, “it is right?” but indeed there is none that telleth, indeed there is none that letteth us hear, indeed there is none that heareth your words.

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

27 The first [was I to say] to Zion, Behold, there they are; and to Jerusalem will I give one that bringeth good tidings.

First to Zion. Behold, behold them, and I will give to Jerusalem him who brings good news.

28 And I ever look, and there is no man; and among these there is no counsellor, that they could answer a word.

And when I look, there is no man. Even among them there is no counselor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

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

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