| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Be silent before Me, islands! And let peoples renew their strength. Let them approach, then let them testify; let us come together for the trial. | 1"Be silent before me, you coastlands, and let the people renew their strength! Let them come forward, then let them speak together— let's draw near for a ruling. |
| 2Who has stirred him up from the east? He calls righteousness to his feet. The LORD hands nations over to him, and he subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, like wind-driven stubble with his bow. | 2Who has aroused victory from the east, and has summoned it to his service, and has handed over nations to him? Who brings down kings, and turns them into dust with his sword, into windblown stubble with his bow? |
| 3He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet. | 3And who pursues them and moves on unscathed by a path that his feet don't know? |
| 4Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, am the first, and with the last--I am He." | 4Who has performed and carried this out, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and will be with the last —I am the One!" |
| 5The islands see and are afraid, the whole earth trembles. They approach and arrive. | 5"The coastlands have looked and are afraid; the ends of the earth have drawn near together and come forward. |
| 6Each one helps the other, and says to another, "Take courage!" | 6Each helps his neighbor, saying to each other, 'Be strong!' |
| 7The craftsman encourages the metalworker; the one who flattens with the hammer supports the one who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good." He fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over. | 7The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and the hammersmith encourages the one who strikes the anvil. He says about the welding, 'It's good!' and he reinforces it with nails so that it won't topple." |
| 8But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, My friend-- | 8"But as for you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I've chosen, the offspring of my friend Abraham— |
| 9I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are My servant; I have chosen you and not rejected you. | 9you whom I encouraged from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corners, and told you, 'You're my servant, I've chosen you and haven't cast you aside.' |
| 10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. | 10Don't be afraid, because I'm with you; don't be anxious, because I am your God. I keep on strengthening you; I'm truly helping you. I'm surely upholding you with my victorious right hand." |
| 11Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. | 11"Look! All who are enraged at you will be put to shame and disgraced; those who contend with you will all die. |
| 12You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. | 12Those who quarrel with you will be as nothing; those who fight you like nothing at all!" |
| 13For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you. | 13"For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, 'Don't be afraid. I'll help you. |
| 14Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel: I will help you-- this is the LORD's declaration. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. | 14Don't be afraid, you little worm Jacob, and you insects of Israel! I myself will help you,' declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." |
| 15See, I will make you into a sharp threshing board, new, with many teeth. You will thresh mountains and pulverize them and make hills into chaff. | 15"See, I'm making you into a new, sharp, and multi-tooth threshing sledge. You'll thresh and crush the mountains, and make the hills like 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 boast in the Holy One of Israel. | 16You'll winnow them, and the wind will lift them up, and a tempest will blow them away. Then you'll rejoice in the LORD, and you'll make your boast in the Holy One of Israel." |
| 17The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. | 17"As for the poor, the needy, those seeking water— when there is none and their tongues are parched from thirst— I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them. |
| 18I will open rivers on the barren heights, and springs in the middle of the plains. I will turn the desert into a pool of water and dry land into springs of water. | 18I'll open up rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I'll turn the desert into a pool of water, and the parched land into springs of water. |
| 19I will plant cedars in the desert, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees. I will put juniper trees in the desert, elms and cypress trees together, | 19I'll put cedar trees in the wilderness, along with acacia, myrtle, and olive trees. I'll plant cypresses in the desert— box trees, and pine trees together— |
| 20so that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it." | 20all so that people may see and recognize, perceive, consider, and comprehend at the same time, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and that the Holy One of Israel has created it." |
| 21Submit your case," says the LORD." Present your arguments," says Jacob's King." | 21"Put forward your case!" says the LORD. "Submit your arguments!" says Jacob's King. |
| 22Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell us the past events, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome, or tell us the future. | 22Let them approach and ask us, 'What will happen? As to the former things, what were they? Tell us, so that we may consider them and know. Or the latter things or the things to come— let us hear. |
| 23Tell us the coming events, then we will know that you are gods. Indeed, do something good or bad, then we will be in awe and perceive. | 23Tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods! Yes, do something good or something bad, so we may hear and gaze at it together.'" |
| 24Look, you are nothing and your work is worthless. Anyone who chooses you is detestable." | 24"Look! You and your work are less than nothing; whoever finds you pleasing is disgusting." |
| 25I have raised up one from the north, and he has come, one from the east who invokes My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mud, like a potter who treads the clay. | 25"You are stirring up one from the north, and they are coming from the rising of the sun; and he will be called by his name. Rulers will arrive like mud; just like a potter, he will trample the clay. |
| 26Who told about this from the beginning, so that we might know, and from times past, so that we might say: He is right? No one announced it, no one told it, no one heard your words. | 26Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could ask, 'Is it right?' Indeed, no one told of this, no one made an announcement, and no one heard your words: |
| 27I was the first to say to Zion: Look! Here they are! And I gave a herald of good news to Jerusalem. | 27First, to Zion: "There is slumber." And to Jerusalem: "I'll send a messenger with good news." |
| 28When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say. | 28But when I look, there is no one— among them there's no one to give counsel, no one to give an answer when I ask them. |
| 29Look, all of them are a delusion; their works are nonexistent; their images are wind and emptiness." | 29See, none of them exist, and their deeds are nothing. Their metal images are only wind and confusion.'" |
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