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.

“Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, And let the people 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 raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings? Who gave them as the dust to his sword, As driven stubble to his bow?

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

Who pursued them, and passed safely By the way that he had not gone 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 done it, Calling 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 saw it and feared, The ends of the earth were afraid; They drew near and came.

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

Everyone helped his neighbor, And said 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 craftsman encouraged the goldsmith; He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil, Saying, “It is ready for the soldering”; Then he fastened it with pegs, That it might not totter.

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

“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants 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 farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away:

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; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, 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 were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you 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 them and not find them— Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing.

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, will hold your right hand, Saying 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 And your Redeemer, 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 into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, And 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, the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the Lord, And 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 seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear 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 in desolate 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 and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree 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 they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the Lord has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it. The Futility of Idols

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

“Present your case,” says the Lord. “Bring forth your strong reasons, ” 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 forth and show us what will happen; Let them show the former things, what they were, That we may consider them, And know the latter end of them; Or declare to us 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.

Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That we may be dismayed and see it together.

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

Indeed you are nothing, And your work is 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 raised up one from the north, And he shall come; From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name; And he shall come against princes as though mortar, 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 from the beginning, that we may know? And former times, that we may say, ‘ He is righteous’? Surely there is no one who shows, Surely there is no one who declares, Surely there is no one who hears your words.

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

The first time I said to Zion, ‘Look, there they are!’ And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.

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

For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

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

Indeed they are all worthless; Their works are nothing; Their molded images are wind and confusion.