Isaiah 41

1Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew [their] strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

2Who raised up the righteous [man] from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made [him] rule over kings? he gave [them] as the dust to his sword, [and] as driven stubble to his bow.

3He pursued them, [and] passed safely; [even] by the way [that] he had not gone with his feet.

4Who has wrought and done [it], calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate), the first, and with the last; I [am] he.

5The isles saw [it], and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.

6They helped everyone his neighbour; and [everyone] said to his brother, Be of good courage.

7So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, [and] he that smoothes [with] the hammer him that struck the anvil, saying, It [is] ready for the soldering: and he fastened it with nails, [that] it should not be moved.

8But youi, Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God], [are] my servant, Ya’akov [Heal of God] whom I have chosen, the seed of Avraham [Exalted Father] my friend.

9 [youi] whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called youi from the chief men thereof, and said unto youi, youi [are] my servant; I have chosen youi, and not cast youi away.

10Fear youi not; for I [am] with youi: be not dismayed; for I [am] youri God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered]: I will strengthen youi; yes, I will help youi; yes, I will uphold youi with the right hand of my righteousness.

11Behold, all they that were incensed against youi shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with youi shall perish.

12youi shall seek them, and shall not find them, [even] them that contended with youi: they that war against youi shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing.

13For I the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) youi God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] will hold youri right hand, saying unto youi, Fear not; I will help youi.

14Fear not, youi worm Ya’akov [Heal of God], [and] you2f men of Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God]; I will help youi, says the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate), and youi redeemer, the Holy One of Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God].

15Behold, I will make youi a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: youi shall thresh the mountains, and beat [them] small, and shall make the hills as chaff.

16Youi shall fan (a fork-shaped tool to throw grain in the air, to let he wind separate the wheat from the chaff) them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and youi shall rejoice in the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate), [and] shall glory in the Holy One of Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God].

17 [When] the poor and needy seek water, and [there is] none, [and] their tongue fails for thirst, I the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) will hear them, I the God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] of Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God] will not forsake them.

18I will open rivers in high places, 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 plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, [and] the pine, and the box tree together:

20That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) has done this, and the Holy One of Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God] has created it.

21Produce your cause, says the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate); bring forth your strong [reasons], says the King of Ya’akov [Heal of God].

22Let them bring [them] forth, and show us what shall happen: let them show the former things, what they [be], that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.

23Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you2f [are] gods: yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold [it] together.

24Behold, you2f [are] of nothing, and your work of nothing: an abomination [is he that] chooses you.

25I have raised up [one] from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as [upon] mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

26Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? and formerly, that we may say, [He is] righteous? yes, [there is] none that shows, yes, [there is] none that declares, yes, [there is] none that hears your words.

27The first [shall say] to Tziyon [parched place], Behold, behold them: and I will give to Yerushalayim [Foundation of Peace] one that brings good tidings.

28For I beheld, and [there was] no man; even among them, and [there was] no counselor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

29Behold, they [are] all vanity; their works [are] nothing: their molten images [are] wind and confusion.

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Isaiah 41: NMV

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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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