Isaiah 41

The Lord Will Help Israel

1The Lord says, “Faraway countries, listen to me.

Let the nations become strong.

Come to me and speak;

we will meet together to decide who is right.

2“Who caused the one to come from the east?

Who gives him victories everywhere he goes?

The one who brought him gives nations over to him

and defeats kings.

He uses his sword, and kings become like dust.

He uses his bow, and they are blown away like chaff.

3He chases them and is never hurt,

going places he has never been before.

4Who caused this to happen?

Who has controlled history since the beginning?

I, the Lord, am the one. I was here at the beginning,

and I will be here when all things are finished.”

5All you faraway places, look and be afraid;

all you places far away on the earth, shake with fear.

Come close and listen to me.

6The workers help each other

and say to each other, “Be strong!”

7The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,

and the workman who smooths the metal with a hammer encourages the one who shapes the metal.

He says, “This metal work is good.”

He nails the statue to a base so it can’t fall over.

Only the Lord Can Save Us

8The Lord says, “People of Israel, you are my servants.

People of Jacob, I chose you.

You are from the family of my friend Abraham.

9I took you from places far away on the earth

and called you from a faraway country.

I said, ‘You are my servants.’

I have chosen you and have not turned against you.

10So don’t worry, because I am with you.

Don’t be afraid, because I am your God.

I will make you strong and will help you;

I will support you with my right hand that saves you.

11“All those people who are angry with you

will be ashamed and disgraced.

Those who are against you

will disappear and be lost.

12You will look for your enemies,

but you will not find them.

Those who fought against you

will vanish completely.

13I am the Lord your God,

who holds your right hand,

and I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid.

I will help you.’

14You few people of Israel who are left,

do not be afraid even though you are weak as a worm.

I myself will help you,” says the Lord.

“The one who saves you is the Holy One of Israel.

15Look, I have made you like a new threshing board

with many sharp teeth.

So you will walk on mountains and crush them;

you will make the hills like chaff.

16You will throw them into the air, and the wind will carry them away;

a windstorm will scatter them.

Then you will be happy in the Lord;

you will be proud of the Holy One of Israel.

17“The poor and needy people look for water,

but they can’t find any.

Their tongues are dry with thirst.

But I, the Lord, will answer their prayers;

I, the God of Israel, will not leave them to die.

18I will make rivers flow on the dry hills

and springs flow through the valleys.

I will change the desert into a lake of water

and the dry land into fountains of water.

19I will make trees grow in the desert—

cedars, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees.

I will put pine, fir, and cypress trees

growing together in the desert.

20People will see these things and understand;

they will think carefully about these things and learn

that the Lord’s power did this,

that the Holy One of Israel made these things.”

The Lord Challenges False Gods

21The Lord says, “Present your case.”

The King of Jacob says, “Tell me your arguments.

22Bring in your idols to tell us

what is going to happen.

Have them tell us what happened in the beginning.

Then we will think about these things,

and we will know how they will turn out.

Or tell us what will happen in the future.

23Tell us what is coming next

so we will believe that you are gods.

Do something, whether it is good or bad,

and make us afraid.

24You gods are less than nothing;

you can’t do anything.

Those who worship you should be hated.

25“I have brought someone to come out of the north

I have called by name a man from the east, and he knows me.

He walks on kings as if they were mud,

just as a potter walks on the clay.

26Who told us about this before it happened?

Who told us ahead of time so we could say, ‘He was right’?

None of you told us anything;

none of you told us before it happened;

no one heard you tell about it.

27I, the Lord, was the first one to tell Jerusalem that the people were coming home.

I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the good news.

28I look at the idols, but there is not one that can answer.

None of them can give advice;

none of them can answer my questions.

29Look, all these idols are false.

They cannot do anything;

they are worth nothing.

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Isaiah 41: NCV

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Isaiah 41

The Lord Controls Human Events

1Be silent and listen,

every island in the sea.

Have courage and come near,

every one of you nations.

Let's settle this matter!

2Who appointed this ruler

from the east?#41.2 ruler from the east: Probably Cyrus (see 44.28; 45.1; 48.14).

Who puts nations and kings

in his power?#41.2 Who puts … power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

His sword and his arrows

turn them to dust

blown by the wind.

3He goes after them so quickly

that his feet

barely touch the ground—

he doesn't even get hurt.

4Who makes these things happen?

Who controls human events?

I do! I am the Lord.

I was there at the beginning;

I will be there at the end.

5Islands and foreign nations

saw what I did and trembled

as they came near.

What Can Idols Do?

6Worshipers of idols

comfort each other,

saying, “Don't worry!”

7Woodcarvers, goldsmiths,

and other workers#41.7 and other workers: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

encourage one another and say,

“We've done a great job!”

Then they nail the idol down,

so it won't fall over.

The Lord's Chosen Servant

8 # 2 Ch 20.7; Jas 2.23. Israel, you are my servant.

I chose you, the family

of my friend Abraham.

9From far across the earth

I brought you here and said,

“You are my chosen servant.

I haven't forgotten you.”

10Don't be afraid. I am with you.

Don't tremble with fear.

I am your God.

I will make you strong,

as I protect you with my arm

and give you victories.

11Everyone who hates you

will be terribly disgraced;

those who attack

will vanish into thin air.

12You will look around

for those brutal enemies,

but you won't find them—

they will be gone.

13I am the Lord your God.

I am holding your hand,

so don't be afraid.

I am here to help you.

14People of Israel, don't worry,

though others may say,

“Israel is only a worm!”

I am the holy God of Israel,

who saves and protects you.

15I will let you be like a log

covered with sharp spikes.#41.15 I will let … sharp spikes: In ancient times a heavy object was sometimes dragged over wheat or barley to separate the grain from the husk. This was called threshing.

You will grind and crush

every mountain and hill#41.15 mountain and hill: These stand for the power and pride of Israel's enemies.

until they turn to dust.

16A strong wind will scatter them

in all directions.

Then you will celebrate

and praise me, your Lord,

the holy God of Israel.

The Lord Helps the Poor

17When the poor and needy

are dying of thirst

and cannot find water,

I, the Lord God of Israel,

will come to their rescue.

I won't forget them.

18I will make rivers flow

on mountain peaks.

I will send streams

to fill the valleys.

Dry and barren land

will flow with springs

and become a lake.

19I will fill the desert

with all kinds of trees—

cedars, acacias, and myrtles;

olive and cypress trees;

fir trees and pines.

20Everyone will see this

and know that I,

the holy Lord God of Israel,

created it all.

Idols Are Useless

21I am the Lord,

the King of Israel!

Come argue your case with me.

Present your evidence.

22Come near me, you idols.#41.22 Come near … idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Tell us about the past,

and we will think about it.

Tell us about the future,

so we will know

what is going to happen.

23Prove that you are gods

by making your predictions

come true.

Do something good or evil,

so we can be amazed

and terrified.#41.23 and terrified: Or “when we see it.”

24You idols are nothing,

and you are powerless.#41.24 powerless: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

To worship you

would be disgusting.

25I, the Lord, appointed a ruler

in the north;

now he comes from the east

to honor my name.

He tramples#41.25 tramples: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. kings like mud,

as potters trample clay.#41.25 trample clay: This was done to soften the clay and make it easier to shape.

26Did any of you idols predict

what would happen?

Did any of you get it right?

None of you told about this

or even spoke a word.

27I was the first to tell

the people of Jerusalem,

“Look, it's happening!”#41.27 Look … happening: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

I was the one who announced

this good news to Zion.

28None of these idols

are able to give advice

or answer questions.

29They are nothing,#41.29 nothing: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

and they can do nothing—

they are merely

a passing breeze.

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