1 “ 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.

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 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.

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

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 has done this, calling out all the people from the beginning? I, the Lord, am 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 islands have seen and are afraid. The ends of the earth shake in fear and they have come.

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

6 E very one helps each other, and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

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

7 T he 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.

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

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

9 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.’

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 D o 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.

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 S ee, 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.

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 Y ou 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.

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

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 D o 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.

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 S ee, 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.

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 Y ou 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.

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 “ 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 hen 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.

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

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 T ell 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.

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

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

25 “ 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.”

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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