1 K eep 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.

Listen in silence before Me, O islands and regions bordering on the sea! And let the people gather and renew their strength! Let them come near, then let them speak; let us come near together for judgment.

2 W ho 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.

Who has roused up one from the east, whom He calls in righteousness to His service and whom victory meets at every step? He subdues nations before him and makes him ruler over kings. He turns them to dust with the sword, and to driven straw and chaff with his bow.

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

He pursues them and passes safely and unhindered, even by a way his feet had not trod and so swiftly that his feet do not touch the ground.

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

Who has prepared and done this, calling forth and guiding the destinies of the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—the first and with the last —I am He.

5 T he isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.

The islands and coastlands have seen and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They draw near and come;

6 T hey helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.

They help every one his neighbor and say to his brother, Be of good courage!

7 S o 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.

So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who smites the anvil, saying of the soldering, That is good! And he fastens it with nails so that it cannot be moved.

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

But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham My friend,

9 T hou 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.

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and have called from the corners of it, and said to you, You are My servant—I have chosen you and not cast you off.

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.

Fear not, for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My right hand of rightness and justice.

11 B ehold, 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.

Behold, all they who are enraged and inflamed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; they who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.

12 T hou 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.

You shall seek those who contend with you but shall not find them; they who war against you shall be as nothing, as nothing at all.

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

For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!

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

Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15 B ehold, 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.

Behold, I will make you to be a new, sharp, threshing instrument which has teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and shall make the hills like chaff.

16 T hou 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.

You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest or whirlwind shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord, you shall glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 W hen 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.

The poor and needy are seeking water when there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I the Lord will answer 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.

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.

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:

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the wild olive; I will set the cypress in the desert, the plane and the pine together,

20 T hat 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.

That men may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

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

Produce your cause, says the Lord. Bring forth your strong proofs, says the King of Jacob.

22 L et 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.

Let them bring them forth and tell us what is to happen. Let them tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them and know the outcome of them; or declare to us the things to come.

23 S hew 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 the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; yes, do good or do evil, that we may stare in astonishment and be dismayed as we behold together!

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

Behold, you are nothing, and your work is nothing! The worshiper who chooses you is an abomination.

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.

I have raised up and impelled to action one from the north, and he comes; from the rising of the sun he calls upon My name. And he shall tread upon rulers and deputies as upon mortar and as the potter treads clay.

26 W ho 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.

has declared this from the beginning, that we could know? And beforetime, that we could say that he is right? Yes, there is none who declares it, yes, there is none who proclaims it; yes, there is none who hears you speak!

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

I first gave to Zion the announcement, Behold, behold them! And to Jerusalem I gave a herald bringing the good news.

28 F or 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.

For I look and there is no man among them, and among these there is no counselor who, when I ask of him, can answer a word.

29 B ehold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.

Behold, these are all emptiness (falseness and futility)! Their works are worthless; their molten images are empty wind (confusion and waste).