Isaias (Isaiah) 41
41
1LET the islands keep silence before me, and the nations take new strength. Let them come near, and then speak: let us come near to judgment together.
2Who hath raised up the just one from the east, hath called him to follow him? He shall give the nations in his sight, and he shall rule over kings: he shall give them as the dust to his sword, as stubble driven by the wind, to his bow.
3He shall pursue them, he shall pass in peace: no path shall appear after his feet.
4Who hath wrought and done these things, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord. I am the first and the last.
5The islands saw it, and feared: the ends of the earth were astonished; they drew near, and came.
6Every one shall help his neighbour, and shall say to his brother: Be of good courage.
7The coppersmith striking with the hammer encouraged him that forged at that time, saying: It is ready for soldering. And he strengthened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
8But thou Israel art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend:
9In whom I have taken thee from the ends of the earth, and from the remote parts thereof have called thee, and said to thee: Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and have not cast thee away.
10Fear not, for I am with thee: turn not aside, for I am thy God. I have strengthened thee and have helped thee: and the right hand of my just one hath upheld thee.
11Behold, all that fight against thee shall be confounded and ashamed: they shall be as nothing; and the men shall perish that strive against thee.
12Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find the men that resist thee. They shall be as nothing: and as a thing consumed the men that war against thee.
13For I am the Lord thy God, who take thee by the hand, and say to thee: Fear not. I have helped thee.
14Fear not, thou worm of Jacob, you that are dead of Israel. I have helped thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel.
15I have made thee as a new thrashing wain, with teeth like a saw. Thou shall thrash the mountains, and break them in pieces: and shalt make the hills as chaff.
16Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them. And thou shalt rejoice in the Lord: in the Holy One of Israel thou shalt be joyful.
17The needy and the poor seek for waters, and there are none: their tongue hath been dry with thirst. I the Lord will hear them. I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18I will open rivers in the high hills, and fountains in the midst of the plains: I will turn the desert into pools of waters, and the impassable land into streams of waters.
19I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the thorn and the myrtle and the olive-tree: I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the elm, and the box-tree together:
20That they may see and know, and consider, and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
21Bring your cause near, saith the Lord: bring hither, if you have any thing to allege, saith the King of Jacob.
22Let them come and tell us all things that are to come, tell us the former things what they were: and we will set our heart upon them, and shall know the latter end of them. And tell us the things that are to come.
23Shew the things that are to come hereafter: and we shall know that ye are gods. Do ye also good or evil, if you can: and let us speak and see together.
24Behold, you are of nothing, and your work of that which hath no being: he that hath chosen you is an abomination.
25I have raised up one from the north: and he shall come from the rising of the sun. He shall call upon my name: and he shall make princes to be as dirt, and as the potter treading clay.
26Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? And from time of old, that we may say: Thou art just? There is none that sheweth, nor that foretelleth, nor that heareth your words.
27The first shall say to Sion: Behold, they are here, and to Jerusalem I will give an evangelist.
28And I saw: and there was no one even among them to consult, or who, when I asked, could answer a word.
29Behold, they are all in the wrong, and their works are vain: their idols are wind and vanity.
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Isaias (Isaiah) 41: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Isaiah 41
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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