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 hath wrought and done it , calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, 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 every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.7So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened 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.9Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.10Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.11Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.12Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.13For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.15Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, 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, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.17When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel 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 hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.21Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons , saith the King of Jacob.22Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew 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.23Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.24Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth 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 morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.26Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.27The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.28For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, 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.
Isaiah 41
English Standard Version
Fear Not, for I Am with You
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. (Isa 11:11; Hab 2:20; Zec 2:13)2Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step?[1] He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow. (Jud 4:10; 2Ch 36:23; Isa 40:24; Isa 45:1; Isa 46:11)3He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod.4Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he. (Isa 41:26; Isa 43:10; Isa 44:6; Isa 48:12; Re 1:8; Re 1:17; Re 22:13)5The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come. (Isa 11:11)6Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”7The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved. (Isa 40:19; Isa 40:20)8But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; (De 7:6; De 10:15; De 14:2; 2Ch 20:7; Ps 135:4; Isa 44:1; Jas 2:23; 1Pe 2:9)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”; (Isa 41:8; Isa 43:5)10fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Ps 48:10)11Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. (Isa 45:24)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. (Ps 37:10; Isa 40:17)13For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”14Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. (Ps 22:6; Ps 78:35; Isa 43:14; Isa 54:5)15Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; (Isa 2:14; Mic 4:13)16you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. (Isa 41:2; Isa 45:25; Jer 51:2)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. (Isa 44:3)18I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (Ps 107:35; Isa 35:6)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, (Isa 35:1; Isa 55:12; Isa 60:13)20that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Job 12:9)
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, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. (Isa 41:26; Isa 44:7; Isa 45:21; Isa 46:10)23Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.[2] (Isa 41:22; Isa 45:7)24Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you. (Ps 115:8; Isa 41:29; 1Co 8:4)25I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay. (Ps 44:5; Isa 41:2; Jer 50:3)26Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, “He is right”? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words. (Isa 41:22)27I was the first to say[3] to Zion, “Behold, here they are!” and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news. (Isa 40:9; Isa 51:12; Isa 52:7)28But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. (Isa 41:21)29Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind. (Isa 41:12)