Isaiah 41
41
Israel Assured of God's Help
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 roused a victor from the east,
summoned him to his service?
He delivers up nations to him,
and tramples kings under foot;
he makes them like dust with his sword,
like driven stubble with his bow.
3He pursues them and passes on safely,
scarcely touching the path with his feet.
4Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am first,
and will be with the last.
5The coastlands have seen and are afraid,
the ends of the earth tremble;
they have drawn near and come.
6Each one helps the other,
saying to one another, “Take courage!”
7The artisan encourages the goldsmith,
and the one who smooths with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.
8But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
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!”;
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 uphold you with my victorious right hand.
11Yes, all who are incensed against you
shall be ashamed and disgraced;
those who strive against you
shall be as nothing and shall perish.
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.
13For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Do not fear,
I will help you.”
14Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you insect#41.14 Syr: Heb men of Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15Now, I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
and you shall make the hills like chaff.
16You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away,
and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the Lord;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
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 will open rivers on the bare heights,#41.18 Or trails
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 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,
20so that all may see and know,
all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
The Futility of Idols
21Set forth your case, says the Lord;
bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
22Let them bring them, and tell us
what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
so that we may consider them,
and that we may know their outcome;
or declare to us the things to come.
23Tell us what is to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods;
do good, or do harm,
that we may be afraid and terrified.
24You, indeed, are nothing
and your work is nothing at all;
whoever chooses you is an abomination.
25I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,
from the rising of the sun he was summoned by name.#41.25 Cn Compare Q Ms Gk: MT and he shall call on my name
He shall trample#41.25 Cn: Heb come on rulers as on mortar,
as the potter treads clay.
26Who declared it from the beginning, so that we might know,
and beforehand, so that we might say, “He is right”?
There was no one who declared it, none who proclaimed,
none who heard your words.
27I first have declared it to Zion,#41.27 Cn: Heb First to Zion—Behold, behold them
and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good tidings.
28But when I look there is no one;
among these there is no counselor
who, when I ask, gives an answer.
29No, they are all a delusion;
their works are nothing;
their images are empty wind.
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Isaiah 41: NRSV
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 41
41
1“Keep silent before me, islands,
and let the peoples renew their strength.
Let them come near,
then let them speak.
Let’s meet together for judgment.
2Who has raised up one from the east?
Who called him to his feet in righteousness?
He hands over nations to him
and makes him rule over kings.
He gives them like the dust to his sword,
like the driven stubble to his bow.
3He pursues them
and passes by safely,
even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.
4Who has worked and done it,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last, I am he.”
5The islands have seen, and fear.
The ends of the earth tremble.
They approach, and come.
6Everyone helps his neighbor.
They say to their brothers, “Be strong!”
7So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith.
He who smooths with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good;”
and he fastens it with nails, that it might not totter.
8“But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham my friend,
9you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth,
and called from its corners,
and said to you, ‘You are my servant. I have chosen you and have not cast you away.’
10Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
Yes, I will help you.
Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
11Behold, all those who are incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded.
Those who strive with you will be like nothing, and shall perish.
12You will seek them, and won’t find them,
even those who contend with you.
Those who war against you will be as nothing,
as a nonexistent thing.
13For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand,
saying to you, ‘Don’t be afraid.
I will help you.’
14Don’t be afraid, you worm Jacob,
and you men of Israel.
I will help you,” says Yahweh.
“Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth.
You will thresh the mountains,
and beat them small,
and will make the hills like chaff.
16You will winnow them,
and the wind will carry them away,
and the whirlwind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in Yahweh.
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17The poor and needy seek water, and there is none.
Their tongue fails for thirst.
I, Yahweh, will answer them.
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
19I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness.
I will set cypress trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert;
20that they may see, know, consider, and understand together,
that Yahweh’s hand has done this,
and the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21Produce your cause,” says Yahweh.
“Bring out your strong reasons!” says the King of Jacob.
22“Let them announce and declare to us what will happen!
Declare the former things, what they are,
that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them;
or show us things to come.
23Declare the things that are to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods.
Yes, do good, or do evil,
that we may be dismayed,
and see it together.
24Behold, you are nothing,
and your work is nothing.
He who chooses you is an abomination.
25“I have raised up one from the north, and he has come,
from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name,
and he shall come on rulers as on mortar,
and as the potter treads clay.
26Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know?
and before, that we may say, ‘He is right’?
Surely, there is no one who declares.
Surely, there is no one who shows.
Surely, there is no one who hears your words.
27I am the first to say to Zion, ‘Behold, look at them;’
and I will give one who brings good news to Jerusalem.
28When I look, there is no man,
even among them there is no counselor who, when I ask, can answer a word.
29Behold, all of their deeds are vanity and nothing.
Their molten images are wind and confusion.
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