Isaiah 41

1Come quietly before me, O sea-lands, and let the peoples get together their strength: let them come near; then let them say what they have to say: let us put forward our cause against one another.

1Keep silent towards Me, O isles, And the peoples pass on <FI>to<Fi> power, They come nigh, then they speak, `Together--to judgment we draw near.'

1Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.

2Who sent out from the east one who is right wherever he goes? he gives the nations into his hands, and makes him ruler over kings; he gives them as the dust to his sword, as dry stems before the wind to his bow.

2Who stirred up from the east a righteous one? He calleth him to His foot, He giveth before him nations, And kings He causeth him to rule, He giveth <FI>them<Fi> as dust <FI>to<Fi> his sword, As driven stubble <FI>to<Fi> his bow.

2Who hath raised up one from the east, whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot? he giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; he giveth them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.

3He goes after them safely, not touching the road with his feet.

3He pursueth them, he passeth over in safety A path with his feet he entereth not.

3He pursueth them, and passeth on safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.

4Whose purpose and work was it? His who sent out the generations from the start. I the Lord, the first, and with the last, I am he.

4Who hath wrought and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I <FI>am<Fi> He.

4Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.

5The sea-lands saw it, and were in fear; the ends of the earth were shaking: they came near.

5Seen have isles and fear, ends of the earth tremble, They have drawn near, yea, they come.

5The isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.

6They gave help everyone to his neighbour; and everyone said to his brother, Take heart!

6Each his neighbour they help, And to his brother he saith, `Be strong.'

6They help every one his neighbor; and every one saith to his brother, Be of good courage.

7So the metal-worker put heart into the gold-worker, and he who was hammering the metal smooth said kind words to the iron-worker, saying of the plate, It is ready: and he put it together with nails, so that there might be no slipping.

7And strengthen doth an artisan the refiner, A smoother <FI>with<Fi> a hammer, Him who is beating <FI>on<Fi> an anvil, Saying, `For joining it <FI>is<Fi> good,' And he strengtheneth it with nails, it is not moved!

7So the carpenter encourageth the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that it should not be moved.

8But as for you, Israel, my servant, and you, Jacob, whom I have taken for myself, the seed of Abraham my friend:

8--And thou, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham, My lover,

8But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,

9You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and sent for from its farthest parts, saying to you, You are my servant, whom I have taken for myself, and whom I have not given up:

9Whom I have taken hold of, from the ends of the earth, And from its near places I have called thee, And I say to thee, My servant Thou <FI>art<Fi> , I have chosen thee, and not rejected thee.

9thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away;

10Have no fear, for I am with you; do not be looking about in trouble, for I am your God; I will give you strength, yes, I will be your helper; yes, my true right hand will be your support.

10Be not afraid, for with thee I <FI>am<Fi> , Look not around, for I <FI>am<Fi> thy God, I have strengthened thee, Yea, I have helped thee, yea, I upheld thee, With the right hand of My righteousness.

10fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

11Truly, all those who are angry with you will be made low and put to shame: those desiring to do you wrong will come to nothing and never again be seen.

11Lo, all those displeased with thee, They are ashamed and blush, They are as nothing, yea, perish Do the men who strive with thee.

11Behold, all they that are incensed against thee shall be put to shame and confounded: they that strive with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish.

12You will make search for your haters but they will not be there; those who make war against you will be as nothing and will come to destruction.

12Thou seekest them, and findest them not, The men who debate with thee, They are as nothing, yea, as nothing, The men who war with thee.

12Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

13For I, the Lord your God, have taken your right hand in mine, saying to you, Have no fear; I will be your helper.

13For I, Jehovah thy God, Am strengthening thy right hand, He who is saying to thee, `Fear not, I have helped thee.'

13For I, Jehovah thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

14Have no fear, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel; I will be your helper, says the Lord, even he who takes up your cause, the Holy One of Israel.

14Fear not, O worm Jacob, ye men of Israel, I helped thee, an affirmation of Jehovah, Even thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15See, I will make you like a new grain-crushing instrument with teeth, crushing the mountains small, and making the hills like dry stems.

15Lo, I have set thee for a new sharp threshing instrument, Possessing teeth, thou threshest mountains, And beatest small, and hills as chaff thou makest.

15Behold, I have made thee to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

16You will send the wind over them, and it will take them away; they will go in all directions before the storm-wind: you will have joy in the Lord, and be glad in the Holy One of Israel.

16Thou winnowest them, and a wind lifteth them up, And a whirlwind scattereth them, And thou--thou rejoicest in Jehovah, In the Holy One of Israel dost boast thyself.

16Thou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17The poor and crushed are looking for water where no water is, and their tongue is dry for need of it: I the Lord will give ear to their prayer, I the God of Israel will not give them up.

17The poor and the needy are seeking water, And there is none, Their tongue with thirst hath failed, I, Jehovah do answer them, The God of Israel--I forsake them not.

17The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18I will make rivers on the dry mountain-tops, and fountains in the valleys: I will make the waste land a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

18I open on high places rivers, And in midst of valleys fountains, I make a wilderness become a pond of water, And a dry land become springs of water.

18I 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.

19I will put in the waste land the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive-tree; and in the lowland will be planted the fir-tree, the plane, and the cypress together:

19I give in a wilderness the cedar, Shittah, and myrtle, and oil-tree, I set in a desert the fir-pine and box-wood together.

19I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together:

20So that they may see and be wise and give their mind to it, and that it may be clear to them all that the hand of the Lord has done this, and that the Holy One of Israel has made it.

20So that they see, and know, And regard, and act wisely together, For the hand of Jehovah hath done this, And the Holy One of Israel hath prepared it.

20that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

21Put forward your cause, says the Lord; let your strong argument come out, says the King of Jacob.

21Bring near your cause, saith Jehovah, Bring nigh your mighty ones, saith the king of Jacob.

21Produce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

22Let the future be made clear to us: give us news of the past things, so that we may give thought to them; or of the things to come, so that we may see if they are true.

22They bring nigh, and declare to us that which doth happen, The first things--what they <FI>are<Fi> declare ye, And we set our heart, and know their latter end, Or the coming things cause us to hear.

22Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.

23Give us word of what will be after this, so that we may be certain that you are gods: yes, do good or do evil, so that we may all see it and be surprised.

23Declare the things that are coming hereafter, And we know that ye <FI>are<Fi> gods, Yea, ye may do good or do evil, And we look around and see <FI>it<Fi> together.

23Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.

24But you are nothing, and your work is of no value: foolish is he who takes you for his gods.

24Lo, ye <FI>are<Fi> of nothing, and your work of nought, An abomination--it fixeth on you.

24Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.

25I have sent for one from the north, and from the dawn he has come; in my name he will get rulers together and go against them; they will be like dust, even as the wet earth is stamped on by the feet of the potter.

25I have stirred up <FI>one<Fi> from the north, And he cometh, From the rising of the sun he calleth in My name, And he cometh in <FI>on<Fi> prefects as <FI>on<Fi> clay, And as a potter treadeth down mire.

25I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.

26Who has given knowledge of it from the first, so that we may be certain of it? and from the start, so that we may say, His word is true? There is no one who gives news, or says anything, or who gives ear to your words.

26Who hath declared from the first, and we know? And beforetime, and we say, `Righteous?' yea, there is none declaring, Yea, there is none proclaiming, Yea, there is none hearing your sayings.

26Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.

27I was the first to give word of it to Zion, and I gave the good news to Jerusalem.

27First to Zion, Behold, behold them, And to Jerusalem one proclaiming tidings I give,

27I am the first that saith unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

28And I saw that there was no man, even no wise man among them, who might give an answer to my questions.

28And I see that there is no man, Yea, of these that there is no counsellor, And I ask them, and they return word:

28And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

29Truly they are all nothing, their works are nothing and of no value: their metal images are of no more use than wind.

29`Lo, all of them <FI>are<Fi> vanity, Nought <FI>are<Fi> their works, Wind and emptiness their molten images!'

29Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.