Isaiah 41

1Keep 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.

2Who 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.footnote a

3He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.footnote b

4Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

5The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.

6They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.footnote c

7So 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.footnote dfootnote efootnote f

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

9Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

10Fear 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.

11Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.footnote g

12Thou 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 nought.footnote hfootnote i

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

14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.footnote j

15Behold, 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.footnote k

16Thou 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.

17When 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.

18I 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.

19I 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:

20That 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.

21Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.footnote l

22Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew 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.footnote m

23Shew 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.

24Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.footnote nfootnote o

25I 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 morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.

26Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.

27The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

28For 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.footnote p

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

God’s Help to Israel

1“Be silent before Me, O islands,footnote aand let the peoples renew their strength.Let them come forward and testify;let us together draw near for judgment. 2Who has aroused one from the eastand called him to his feet in righteousnessfootnote b?He hands nations over to himand subdues kings before him.He turns them to dust with his sword,to windblown chaff with his bow. 3He pursues them, going on safely,hardly touching the path with his feet. 4Who 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.”

5The islands see and fear;the ends of the earth tremble.They approach and come forward. 6Each one helps the otherand says to his brother, “Be strong!” 7The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,and he who wields the hammercheers 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, O Israel, My servant,Jacob, whom I have chosen,descendant of Abraham My friend— 9I brought you from the ends of the earthand called you from its farthest corners.I said, ‘You are My servant.’I have chosen and not rejected you. 10Do 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 righteous right hand.

11Behold, all who rage against youwill be ashamed and disgraced;those who contend with youwill be reduced to nothing and will perish. 12You will seek them but will not find them.Those who wage war against you will come to nothing. 13For I am the LORD your God,who takes hold of your right handand tells you: Do not fear,I will help you. 14Do not fear, O Jacob, you worm,O few men of Israel.I will help you,” declares the LORD.“Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 15Behold, 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. 16You 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.

17The 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. 18I 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. 19I will plant cedars in the wilderness,acacias, myrtles, and olive trees.I will set cypressesfootnote cin the desert,elms and boxwood together, 20so that all may see and know,may consider and understand,that the hand of the LORD has done thisand the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

Meaningless Idols

21“Present your case,” says the LORD.“Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob. 22“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. 23Tell 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. 24Behold, you are nothingand your work is of no value.Anyone who chooses you is detestable.

25I 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. 26Who 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.

27I was the first to tell Zion:footnote d‘Look, here they are!’And I gave to Jerusalema herald of good news. 28When I look, there is no one;there is no counselor among them;when I ask them,they have nothing to say. 29See, they are all a delusion;their works amount to nothing;their images are as empty as the wind.