< Isaiah 41 >

1 Be silent to me O islands and peoples let them renew strength let them approach then let them speak together for judgment let us draw near.
“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? has he stirred up from [the] east righteousness he calls him to foot his he delivers up before him nations and kings he subdues he makes [them] like dust sword his like chaff driven about bow his.
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 pursues them he passes on peace a path with feet his not he comes.
He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet.
4 Who? has he done [it] and has he accomplished [it]? calling forth the generations from [the] beginning I Yahweh [am] 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 They have seen islands so they may be afraid [the] ends of the earth they tremble they have drawn near and they have come!
The islands see and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward.
6 Each neighbor his they help and to brother his he says be strong.
Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7 And he encouraged a craftsman a metalsmith a smoother of a hammer a striker of an anvil saying of the soldering [is] good it and he strengthened it with nails not it will be shaken.
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 And you O Israel servant my Jacob whom I have chosen you [the] offspring of Abraham friend my.
“But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend—
9 Whom I took hold of you from [the] ends of the earth and from remotest parts its I called you and I said to you [are] servant my you I have chosen you and not I have rejected you.
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 May not you be afraid for [am] with you I may not you fear for I [am] God your I have strengthened you also I have helped you also I have supported you with [the] right [hand] of righteousness my.
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 There! they will be ashamed and they may be put to shame all those [who] are angry with you they will be as nothing so they may perish [the] people of strife your.
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 will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your.
You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
13 For I [am] Yahweh God your [who] takes hold of right [hand] your who says to you may not you be afraid I 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 May not you be afraid O worm of Jacob O men of Israel I I will help you [the] utterance of Yahweh and [is] redeemer your [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 Here! I will make you a threshing-sledge sharp new an owner of teeth you will thresh mountains so you may crush [them] and hills like chaff you will make.
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 will winnow them and a wind it will carry away them and a tempest it will scatter them and you you will be glad in Yahweh in [the] holy [one] of Israel you will boast.
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 The poor [people] and the needy [people] [are] seeking water and there not tongue their with thirst it is dry I Yahweh I will answer them [the] God of Israel not I will 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 on bare heights rivers and in [the] middle of valleys springs I will make [the] wilderness a pool of water and a land dry 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 put in the wilderness cedar[s] acacia tree[s] and myrtle tree[s] and tree[s] of oil I will set in the desert plain cypress[es] elm[s] and box tree[s] 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 So that they may see so they may know so they may set so they may have insight all together that [the] hand of Yahweh it has done this and [the] holy [one] of Israel he 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 Bring near case your he says Yahweh bring near arguments your he says [the] king of Jacob.
“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.
22 Let them bring [them] near and they may tell to us [the things] which they will happen the former [things] - what? [were] they tell so let us take [them] heart our so we may know end their or the coming [things] proclaim to us.
“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 Tell the [things] coming to afterwards so let us know that [are] gods you also you will do good and you may do harm and let us fear (so let us see *Q(K)*) altogether.
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 Here! you [are] from nothing and work your [is] from something worthless [is] an abomination [one who] he chooses you.
Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
25 I have stirred up from [the] north and he has come from [the] rising of [the] sun he will call on name my so he may come officials like mud and like a potter [who] he tramples 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? did he tell [it] from [the] beginning so we may know and from before so we may say correct also there not [was one who] told also there not [was one who] proclaimed also there not [was one who] heard words your.
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 A first [one] to Zion here! here [are] they and to Jerusalem a bearer of news I gave.
I was the first to tell Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ And I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
28 And [when] I may look and there not [is] a person and from these and there not [is] a counselor and I will ask them and they may bring back 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 There! all of them [are] deception [are] nothing deeds their [are] a wind and emptiness molten images their.
See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.

< Isaiah 41 >