Isaiah 41

1 Keep silence before me, O isles; 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 hath 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 neighbor; 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 smootheth [with] the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It [is] ready for the sodering: 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 thou, Israel, [art] 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 [Thou] whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said to thee, Thou [art] my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee 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 thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yes, I will help thee; yes, I will uphold thee 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 thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that contend with thee 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 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught.

You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.

13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying to thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

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, thou worm Jacob, [and] ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy 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 thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat [them] small, and shalt 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 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, [and] shalt 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 faileth 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, 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 hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath 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, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong [reasons], saith 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 [are] that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things 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 ye [are] gods: yes, 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, ye [are] of nothing, and your work of naught: an abomination [is he that] chooseth 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 treadeth 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 hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and before time, that we may say, [He is] righteous? verily, [there is] none that showeth, verily, [there is] none that declareth, verily, [there is] none that heareth 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 bringeth 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 counselor, 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.