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.

“ Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength; Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let us come 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 aroused one from the east Whom He calls in righteousness to His feet? He delivers up nations before him And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, As the wind-driven 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, passing on in safety, By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.

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 performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘ I, the Lord, am 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 coastlands have seen and are afraid; The ends of the earth tremble; They have drawn near and have come.

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

Each one helps his neighbor And says to his brother, “Be strong!”

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 craftsman encourages the smelter, And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering, “It is good”; And he fastens it with nails, So that it will not totter.

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, Descendant 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 called from its remotest parts And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.

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.

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

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 those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will 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 will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.

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 am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘ Do not fear, 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.

“Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you,” declares the Lord, “ and 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 have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges; You will thresh the mountains and pulverize them, And will 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 will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And the storm will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the Lord, You will 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 afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the Lord, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I 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 springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water And the dry land fountains 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 put the cedar in the wilderness, The acacia and the myrtle and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert Together with the box tree and the cypress,

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 they may see and recognize, And consider and gain insight as well, That the hand of the Lord has done this, And 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.

“ Present your case,” the Lord says. “Bring forward your strong arguments,” The King of Jacob says.

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 forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming;

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.

Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.

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

Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He 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 aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even 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.

Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, “ He is right!”? Surely there was no one who declared, Surely there was no one who proclaimed, Surely there was no one who heard your words.

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

“ Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’ And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’

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

“But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

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

“Behold, all of them are false; Their works are worthless, Their molten images are wind and emptiness.