Isaiah 41
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1"Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.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.
2"Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? 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.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 and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled before.3And who pursues them and moves on unscathed by a path that his feet don't know?
4Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD--with the first of them 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 have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward;5"The coastlands have looked and are afraid; the ends of the earth have drawn near together and come forward.
6they help each other and say to their companions, "Be strong!"6Each helps his neighbor, saying to each other, 'Be strong!'
7The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, "It is good." The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.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."
8"But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,8"But as for you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I've chosen, the offspring of my friend Abraham—
9I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have 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.'
10So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold 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."
11"All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.11"Look! All who are enraged at you will be put to shame and disgraced; those who contend with you will all die.
12Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.12Those who quarrel with you will be as nothing; those who fight you like nothing at all!"
13For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says 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 be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, 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."
15"See, 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.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, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory 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."
17"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD 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 make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.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 put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress 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 people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that 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."
21"Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob's King.21"Put forward your case!" says the LORD. "Submit your arguments!" says Jacob's King.
22"Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come,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 what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.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.'"
24But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable.24"Look! You and your work are less than nothing; whoever finds you pleasing is disgusting."
25"I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes-- one from the rising sun who calls on my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading 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 of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, 'He was right'? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you.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 tell Zion, 'Look, here they are!' I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.27First, to Zion: "There is slumber." And to Jerusalem: "I'll send a messenger with good news."
28I look but there is no one-- no one among the gods to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them.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.
29See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.29See, none of them exist, and their deeds are nothing. Their metal images are only wind and confusion.'"
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Isaiah 40
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