Isaiah, 41

1. Keep 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.

1. Keep silent before me, O islands, or be prepared to contend with me; O nations, draw near and speak. Let us meet together for judgment.

2. Who 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.

2. Who has called from the east one that victory hails at every step? Who has given him the nations to rule and their kings to subdue? His sword makes dust of them and his arrows scatter them like chaff.

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

3. Unharmed he pursues them through paths that his feet have scarcely touched.

4. Who hath wrought and done [it], calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I [am] he.

4. Who really has done all this? I, who call the generations from the beginning, I, Yahweh, who am the first and will be with the last.

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

5. The islands have seen it and feared, the ends of the earth were scared.

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

6. (Each helps the other and says to his companion, "Take heart!"

7. So 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.

7. So the craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who beats out with the hammer assures the other who strikes the anvil, saying, "It is ready for soldering"; and he fastens the idol with nails to hold it in place.)

8. But thou, Israel, [art] my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

8. But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, seed of Abraham my friend,

9. [Thou] 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.

9. I have taken you from the ends of the earth. I have called you from the remotest corners, and I said, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and will not cast you away."

10. Fear 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.

10. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will give you strength, I will bring you help, I will uphold you with the right hand of my justice.

11. Behold, 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.

11. All who rage against you will be put to shame and disgrace; all who fight against you will perish and come to nothing.

12. Thou 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.

12. You will seek, but will not find them; those enemies of yours, those who took up arms against you will be destroyed, brought to nothing.

13. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

13. For I, Yahweh, your God, take hold of your right hand and say to you: "Fear not, I am your assistance."

14. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, [and] ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

14. Fear not, Jacob, poor worm, and you, people of Israel, so frail. I am your redeemer, says Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, your helper.

15. Behold, 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.

15. I will make you a thresher, new and with sharp double teeth: you will thresh hills and mountains, crushing them and reducing them to chaff.

16. Thou 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.

16. You will winnow them, the wind will carry them off and the storm will scatter them. But you will rejoice in Yahweh and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17. [When] 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.

17. The poor and the afflicted seek water, and find none. Their tongues are parched with thirst. But I, Yahweh, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18. I 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.

18. I will open up streams over the barren heights and let the rivers flow through all the valleys; I will turn the desert into lakes and brooks and the thirsty earth into a land of springs.

19. I 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:

19. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle and the olive; I will plant in the wasteland fir, cypress and pine -

20. That 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.

20. that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

21. Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong [reasons], saith the King of Jacob.

21. Present your case, says Yahweh. Produce your evidence, says the King of Jacob.

22. Let 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.

22. Bring your idols and let them tell us what is going to happen. What have they foretold, so that we may consider them and reflect on the final outcome?

23. Shew 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.

23. Let them foretell what is to come, that we may know that they are gods. Let them do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed and terrified.

24. Behold, ye [are] of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination [is he that] chooseth you.

24. See, they are nothing, their work is nothing, and to choose them is foolishness.

25. I 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.

25. From the north I have called him, and he comes; from the east I have called him by his name. He tramples kings and princes down as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter working the clay.

26. Who 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.

26. Has anyone announced this from the beginning, so we might know, or foretold it long ago, so we might say, "It is true"? No one among you foretold it, no one proclaimed it. No one heard a word from you.

27. The first [shall say] to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

27. I was the first to announce to Zion: "Look, here they come!" and I sent a messenger to Jerusalem.

28. For 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.

28. But when I looked, there was no one, there was not a single counselor among them who, if asked, could give an answer.

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

29. All of them are nothing, emptiness are their works; their images are wind and nothingness.