1 K eep silence before me, islands; and let the peoples renew strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us draw 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 raised up from the east him whom righteousness calleth to its foot? He gave the nations before him, and caused him to have dominion over kings; he gave them as dust to his sword, as 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 pursued them, he passed on in safety, by a way he had never come 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, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first; and with the last, I 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 saw, and feared; the ends of the earth trembled: they drew near, and came.

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

6 T hey helped every one his neighbour, and said to his brother, Take courage.

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

7 A nd the artizan encouraged the founder, he that smootheth the hammer him that smiteth on the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that it be not 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 — thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from the extremities thereof, and to whom I said, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not rejected thee,

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 — Fear not, for I with thee; be not dismayed, for I 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 L o, all that are incensed against thee shall be ashamed 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—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, 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, ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and thy Redeemer, 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 of thee a new sharp threshing instrument having double teeth: thou shalt thresh and beat small the mountains, 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 fan 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 afflicted and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue faileth for thirst: I, Jehovah, will answer them,, 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 into a pool of water, and the dry land into water-springs.

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 give in the wilderness the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oleaster; I will set in the desert the cypress, pine, and 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 forward your arguments, 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 them forward, and declare to us what shall happen: shew the former things, what they are, that we may give attention to them, and know the end of them;—or let us hear 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 happen hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods; yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be astonished, 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 less than 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 shall come,—from the rising of the sun, he who will call upon my name; and he shall come upon princes as on 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 from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, right? Indeed, there is none that declareth; no, none that sheweth; no, 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 T he first, to Zion, Behold, behold them! and to Jerusalem, I will give one that bringeth glad 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 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.

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

29 B ehold, they are all vanity, their works are nought, their molten images are wind and emptiness.

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