Isaiah 41
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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.1Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.
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?2Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow.
3And who pursues them and moves on unscathed by a path that his feet don't know? 3He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod.
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!"4Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
5"The coastlands have looked and are afraid; the ends of the earth have drawn near together and come forward.5The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come.
6Each helps his neighbor, saying to each other, 'Be strong!'6Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
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."7The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved.
8"But as for you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I've chosen, the offspring of my friend Abraham—8But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
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.'9you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
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."10fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11"Look! All who are enraged at you will be put to shame and disgraced; those who contend with you will all die. 11Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.
12Those who quarrel with you will be as nothing; those who fight you like nothing at all!"12You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.
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.13For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
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."14Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
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.15Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff;
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."16you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
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.17When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
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.18I will open rivers on the bare heights, 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'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—19I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together,
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."20that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21"Put forward your case!" says the LORD. "Submit your arguments!" says Jacob's King.21Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
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.22Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come.
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.'"23Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.
24"Look! You and your work are less than nothing; whoever finds you pleasing is disgusting."24Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.
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.25I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.
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:26Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, “He is right”? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words.
27First, to Zion: "There is slumber." And to Jerusalem: "I'll send a messenger with good news."27I was the first to say to Zion, “Behold, here they are!” and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
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.28But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer.
29See, none of them exist, and their deeds are nothing. Their metal images are only wind and confusion.'"29Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.
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Isaiah 40
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