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 silent before me, islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let’s meet 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 raised up one from the east? Who called him to his foot in righteousness? He hands over nations to him, and makes him rule over kings. He gives them like the dust to his sword, like the 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.

He pursues them, and passes by safely, Even by a 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 worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, 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 have seen, and fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They approach, and come.

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

Everyone helps his neighbor. They say to their brothers, “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 carpenter encourages the goldsmith. He who smoothes with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and he fastens it with nails, that it might 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, 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 hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from its corners, and said to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and 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.

Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

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 incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded. Those who strive with you will be like 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 will seek them, and won’t find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a non-existent 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, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. 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.

Don’t be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel. I will help you,” says Yahweh, “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 into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, 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 whirlwind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh. 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 poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, 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 springs in the middle 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 put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. I will set cypress trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert;

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, know, consider, and understand together, that Yahweh’s hand 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.

Produce your cause,” says Yahweh. “Bring out 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 announce, and declare to us what shall happen. Declare the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show 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.

Declare 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.

Behold, you are of nothing, and your work is of 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 has come; from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name; and he shall come on rulers as on 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.

Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? And before, that we may say, ‘He is right?’ Surely, there is no one who declares. Surely, there is no one who shows. 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.’

I am the first to say to Zion, ‘Behold, look at them;’ and I will give one who brings good news to Jerusalem.

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

When I look, there is no man; even among them there is no counselor who, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

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

Behold, all of them, their deeds are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion.