1 “ 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.

“ 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 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.

“ 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 pursues them, and passes by safely, Even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.

“He pursues them, passing on in safety, By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.

4 W ho has worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, 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 fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They approach, and come.

The coastlands have seen and are afraid; The ends of the earth tremble; They have drawn near and have come.

6 E veryone helps his neighbor. They say to their brothers, “Be strong!”

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

7 S o 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.

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, the offspring of Abraham my friend,

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

9 Y ou 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;’

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 on’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.

‘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 B ehold, all those who are incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded. Those who strive with you will be like nothing, and shall perish.

“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 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.

“ 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, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Don’t 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 on’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.

“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 B ehold, 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.

“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 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.

“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 T he 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.

“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 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.

“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 cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. I will set cypress trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert;

“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 hat they may see, know, consider, and understand together, that Yahweh’s hand has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

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 P roduce your cause,” says Yahweh. “Bring out your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.

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

22 “ 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.

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 D eclare 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.

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 B ehold, you are of nothing, and your work is of nothing. He who chooses you is an abomination.

Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.

25 “ 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.

“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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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