1 K eep silence before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.

“Islands, be quiet and listen to Me. Let the people get new strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let us come together to be judged.

2 W ho hath raised up one from the east, whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot? he giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; he giveth them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.

Who has called this one from the east, one who is right at every step? He gives up nations in front of him and makes him ruler over kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, and like wind-blown dry grass with his bow.

3 H e pursueth them, and passeth on safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.

He goes after them and is safe as he passes, on paths he has not gone on before.

4 W ho hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.

Who has done this, calling out all the people from the beginning? I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.”

5 T he isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.

The islands have seen and are afraid. The ends of the earth shake in fear and they have come.

6 T hey help every one his neighbor; and every one saith to his brother, Be of good courage.

Every one helps each other, and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

7 S o the carpenter encourageth the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that is should not be moved.

The able workman gives strength of heart to the one who works with gold. He who makes iron smooth gives strength of heart to the one who beats the iron, saying of his work, “It is good.” And he puts it in its place with nails so that it cannot be moved.

8 B ut thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,

“But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, son of My friend Abraham,

9 t hou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away;

I have taken you from the ends of the earth. I have called you from its farthest parts, and said to you, ‘You are My servant. I have chosen you and have not turned away from you.’

10 F ear 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.

Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and for sure I will help you. Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good.

11 B ehold, all they that are incensed against thee shall be put to shame and confounded: they that strive with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish.

See, all those who are angry with you will be put to shame and troubled. Those who fight against you will be as nothing and will be lost.

12 T hou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

You will look for those who argue with you, but will not find them. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all.

13 F or I, Jehovah thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

For I am the Lord your God Who holds your right hand, and Who says to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I will help you.’

14 F ear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel. I will help you,” says the Lord. “The One Who bought you and sets you free is the Holy One of Israel.

15 B ehold, I have made thee to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

See, I have made you a new, sharp, crushing tool with teeth. You will beat the mountains and crush them. You will make the hills like dry grass.

16 T hou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

You will make the wind blow over them, and it will carry them away. The storm will send them everywhere. But you will have joy in the Lord. You will be glad in the Holy One of Israel.

17 T he poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

“The suffering and those in need look for water, but there is none. Their tongue is dry with thirst. I the Lord will answer them. I the God of Israel will not leave them alone.

18 I 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.

I will open rivers on the dry mountain tops, and give water in the valleys. I will make the desert a pool of water, and the dry land wells of water.

19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together:

I will put in the desert the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive tree. I will put the juniper tree in the desert, together with the box tree and the cypress.

20 t hat they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

Then men will see and know and think about and understand that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has made it happen.

21 P roduce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

“Let your cause be known,” says the Lord. “Bring what you have to prove it,” says the King of Jacob.

22 L et them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.

Let them bring what they have, and tell us what is going to happen. Let them tell us what has happened in the past, that we may think about it and know what will happen in the future.

23 D eclare 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.

Tell us what will happen after this, that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good or bad, that we may together be afraid and fear.

24 B ehold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.

See, you are nothing. And your work is nothing. He who chooses you is hated and sinful.

25 I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.

“I have called one from the north, and he has come. From the rising of the sun he will call on My name. He will step hard on rulers as on builder’s clay, as the pot-maker steps hard on clay.”

26 W ho hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.

Who has said this from the beginning, that we might know, or from times long ago, that we might say, “He is right”? There was no one who said it, no one who made it known, no one who heard your words.

27 I am the first that saith unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

“Before I had said to Zion, ‘See, here they are,’ and to Jerusalem, ‘I will send someone to bring good news.’

28 A nd when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

But I see that there is no one, even no wise man among them, who can answer My questions.

29 B ehold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.

See, all of them are false. Their works are nothing. Their objects of worship are empty wind.