Isaiah 41
41
The Lord versus the Nations’ Gods
1“Be silent before Me, islands! # Is 11:11; Hab 2:20; Zch 2:13
And let peoples renew their strength.
Let them approach, then let them testify;
let us come together for the trial.
2Who has stirred him up from the east? # Is 41:25; 45:1-3; 46:11; Rv 16:12
He calls righteousness to his feet. # Hb obscure # Is 42:6
The Lord hands nations over to him, # 2Ch 36:23; Ezr 1:2
and he subdues kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like wind-driven stubble with his bow.
3He pursues them, going on safely,
hardly touching the path with his feet.
4Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, Yahweh, am the first,
and with the last # Is 43:10; 44:6; Rv 1:8,17; 22:13 — I am He.” # Is 43:13; 46:4; 48:12
5The islands see and are afraid,
the whole earth trembles. # Ps 67:7
They approach and arrive.
6Each one helps the other,
and says to another, “Take courage! ”
7The craftsman encourages the metalworker; # Is 40:19
the one who flattens with the hammer
supports the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good.”
He fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over. # Is 40:20; 46:7
8But you, Israel, My servant, # Is 42:19; 43:10; 44:1-2,21; 45:4; 48:20; 49:3; 54:17; Ezk 28:25; 37:25; Lk 1:54
Jacob, whom I have chosen, # Is 42:1; 43:10,20; 44:1-2; 45:4; 49:7; 65:9,15,22
descendant of Abraham, My friend # 2Ch 20:7; Jms 2:23 —
9I brought # Or seized you from the ends of the earth
and called you from its farthest corners.
I said to you: You are My servant;
I have chosen you and not rejected you. # Is 43:5-7
10Do not fear, for I am with you; # Gn 26:24; 28:15; Is 43:5; Jr 1:19; 15:20; 42:11
do not be afraid, for I am your God. # Ezk 34:31
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. # Ex 15:6,12; Ps 18:35; 48:10; 63:8; 138:7; 139:10
11Be sure that all who are enraged against you
will be ashamed and disgraced; # Is 45:24
those who contend with you
will become as nothing and will perish.
12You will look for those who contend with you,
but you will not find them.
Those who war against you
will become absolutely nothing.
13For I, Yahweh your God, # Is 43:3
hold your right hand
and say to you: Do not fear,
I will help you.
14Do not fear, you worm Jacob, # Jb 25:6; Ps 22:6
you men # LXX reads small number ; DSS read dead ones of Israel:
I will help you —
this is the Lord’s declaration.
Your Redeemer # Is 43:14; 44:6,24; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7,26; 54:5,8; 59:20; 60:16; 63:16 is the Holy One of Israel. # Is 1:4
15See, I will make you into a sharp threshing board,
new, with many teeth.
You will thresh mountains and pulverize them
and make hills into chaff. # Mc 4:13; Hab 3:12
16You will winnow them # Jr 51:2
and a wind will carry them away,
a gale will scatter them.
But you will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
17The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, Yahweh, will answer them; # Is 43:20; 44:3; 49:10; 55:1
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18I will open rivers on the barren heights, # Is 30:25
and springs in the middle of the plains.
I will turn the desert into a pool of water
and dry land into springs of water. # Ps 107:35; Is 35:6-7; 43:19
19I will plant cedars in the desert,
acacias, myrtles, and olive trees. # Is 35:1; 55:13; 60:13
I will put juniper trees in the desert,
elms and cypress trees together,
20so that all may see and know,
consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this, # Jb 12:9; Is 66:14
the Holy One of Israel has created # Is 4:5 it.
21“Submit your case,” says the Lord.
“Present your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.
22“Let them come and tell us
what will happen. # Is 44:7-8; 45:21; 46:10
Tell us the past events,
so that we may reflect on them
and know the outcome,
or tell us the future.
23Tell us the coming events, # Is 42:9; 45:3; Jn 13:19
then we will know that you are gods.
Indeed, do something good or bad,
then we will be in awe # DSS read we may hear and perceive.
24Look, you are nothing # Ps 115:8; Is 44:9; 1Co 8:4
and your work is worthless.
Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
25“I have raised up one from the north, # Jr 50:3 and he has come,
one from the east # Is 41:2; 46:11 who invokes My # DSS read his name. # Ezr 1:2-4
He will march over rulers as if they were mud,
like a potter who treads the clay.
26Who told about this from the beginning,
so that we might know,
and from times past,
so that we might say: He is right?
No one announced it,
no one told it,
no one heard your words.
27I was the first to say to Zion: # Lit First to Zion
Look! Here they are!
And I gave a herald of good news to Jerusalem. # Is 40:9; 44:28; 52:7; Nah 1:15
28When I look, there is no one;
there is no counselor among them;
when I ask them, they have nothing to say. # Is 46:7
29Look, all of them are a delusion; # DSS, Syr read are nothing
their works are nonexistent;
their images are wind and emptiness.
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Isaiah 41: HCSB
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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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© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.