God Helps Israel
1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
1 “(A)Coastlands, listen to Me (B)in silence,And let the peoples (C)gain new strength;(D)Let them come forward, then let them speak;(E)Let us come together for judgment.
1 “Be silent before Me, islands!(A)And let peoples renew their strength.Let them approach, then let them testify;let us come together for the trial.
1 "Be silent before me, you coastlands, and let the people renew their strength! Let them come forward, then let them speak together let's draw near for a ruling.
1 “Listen to Me in silence, you islands and coastlands,And let the nations gain their strength;Let them come near, then let them speak;Let us come together for judgment [and decide the issue between us concerning the enemy from the east].
2 Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
2 “(F)Who has aroused one from the eastWhom He (G)calls in righteousness to His (a)feet?He (H)delivers up nations before himAnd subdues kings.He makes them like (I)dust with his sword,As the wind-driven (J)chaff with his bow.
2 Who has stirred him up from the east?(B)He calls righteousness to his feet.(a)(C)The Lord hands nations over to him,(D)and he subdues kings.He makes them like dust with his sword,like wind-driven stubble with his bow.
2 Who has aroused victory from the east, and has summoned it to his service, and has handed over nations to him? Who brings down kings, and turns them into dust with his sword, into windblown stubble with his bow?
2 “Who has stirred up and put into action one from the east [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great]Whom He calls in righteousness to His service and whom victory meets at every step?The Lord turns nations over to himAnd subdues kings.He makes them like dust with his sword,Like wind-driven chaff with his bow.(A)
3 He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
3 He pursues them, going on safely,hardly touching the path with his feet.
3 And who pursues them and moves on unscathed by a path that his feet don't know?
3 “He (Cyrus) pursues them and passes along safely,By a way his feet had not traveled before.
4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
4 “(K)Who has performed and accomplished it,Calling forth the generations from the beginning?‘(L)I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. (M)I am He.’”
4 Who has performed and done this,calling the generations from the beginning?I, Yahweh, am the first,and with the last(E)—I am He.”(F)
4 Who has performed and carried this out, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD the first and will be with the last I am the One!"
4 “Who has performed and done this,Calling forth [and guiding the destinies of] the generations [of the nations] from the beginning?‘I, the Lord—the first, and with the last [existing before history began, the ever-present, unchanging God]—I am He.’”
5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
5 The (N)coastlands have seen and are afraid;The (O)ends of the earth tremble;They have drawn near and have come.
5 "The coastlands have looked and are afraid; the ends of the earth have drawn near together and come forward.
5 The islands and coastlands have seen and they fear;The ends of the earth tremble;They have drawn near and have come.
6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
6 Each one helps his neighborAnd says to his brother, “Be strong!”
6 Each one helps the other,and says to another, “Take courage!”
6 Each helps his neighbor, saying to each other, "Be strong!'
6 They each help his neighborAnd say to his brother [as he fashions his idols], “Be of good courage!”
7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
7 So the (P)craftsman encourages the (Q)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,(R)So that it will not totter.
7 The craftsman encourages the metalworker;(H)the one who flattens with the hammersupports the one who strikes the anvil,saying of the soldering, “It is good.”He fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over.(I)
7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and the hammersmith encourages the one who strikes the anvil. He says about the welding, "It's good!' and he reinforces it with nails so that it won't topple."
7 So the craftsman encourages the goldsmith,And he who smooths metal with the smith’s hammer encourages him who beats the anvil,Saying of the soldering (welding), “That is good”;And he fastens the idol with nails,So that it will not totter nor be moved.
Only The Lord Can Save Us
9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
9 You whom I have (c)(V)taken from the ends of the earth,And called from its (W)remotest partsAnd said to you, ‘You are (X)My servant,I have (Y)chosen you and not rejected you.
9 I brought(b) you from the ends of the earthand called you from its farthest corners.I said to you: You are My servant;I have chosen you and not rejected you.(M)
9 you whom I encouraged from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corners, and told you, "You're my servant, I've chosen you and haven't cast you aside.'
10 Fear 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.
10 ‘Do not (Z)fear, for I am with you;Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.I will strengthen you, surely (AA)I will help you,Surely I will uphold you with My righteous (AB)right hand.’
10 Do not fear, for I am with you;(N)do not be afraid, for I am your God.(O)I will strengthen you; I will help you;I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.(P)
10 Don't be afraid, because I'm with you; don't be anxious, because I am your God. I keep on strengthening you; I'm truly helping you. I'm surely upholding you with my victorious right hand."
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
11 “Behold, (AC)all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;(AD)Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
11 Be sure that all who are enraged against youwill be ashamed and disgraced;(Q)those who contend with youwill become as nothing and will perish.
11 "Look! All who are enraged at you will be put to shame and disgraced; those who contend with you will all die.
11 “Indeed, all those who are angry with you will be put to shame and humiliated;Those who strive against you will be as nothing and will perish.
12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
12 “(AE)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.
12 You will look for those who contend with you,but you will not find them.Those who war against youwill become absolutely nothing.
12 Those who quarrel with you will be as nothing; those who fight you like nothing at all!"
12 “You shall search for those who quarrel with you, but will not find them;They who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all.
13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
13 “For I am the Lord your God, (AF)who upholds your right hand,Who says to you, ‘(AG)Do not fear, I will help you.’
13 "For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, "Don't be afraid. I'll help you.
13 “For I the Lord your God keep hold of your right hand; [I am the Lord],Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
14 “Do not fear, you (AH)worm Jacob, you men of Israel;I will help you,” declares the Lord, “(d)and (AI)your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,(S)you men(c) of Israel:I will help you—this is the Lord’s declaration.Your Redeemer(T) is the Holy One of Israel.(U)
14 Don't be afraid, you little worm Jacob, and you insects of Israel! I myself will help you,' declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."
14 “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 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
15 “Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;(AJ)You will thresh the (AK)mountains and pulverize them,And will make the hills like chaff.
15 See, I will make you into a sharp threshing board,new, with many teeth.You will thresh mountains and pulverize themand make hills into chaff.(V)
15 "See, I'm making you into a new, sharp, and multi-tooth threshing sledge. You'll thresh and crush the mountains, and make the hills like chaff.
16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
16 “You will (AL)winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,And the storm will scatter them;But you will (AM)rejoice in the Lord,You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
16 You will winnow them(W)and a wind will carry them away,a gale will scatter them.But you will rejoice in the Lord;you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
16 You'll winnow them, and the wind will lift them up, and a tempest will blow them away. Then you'll rejoice in the LORD, and you'll make your boast in the Holy One of Israel."
16 “You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,And a high wind will scatter them;But you will rejoice in the Lord,You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
17 “The (e)afflicted and needy are seeking (AN)water, but there is none,And their tongue is parched with thirst;I, the Lord, (AO)will answer them Myself,As the God of Israel I (AP)will not forsake them.
17 The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none;their tongues are parched with thirst.I, Yahweh, will answer them;(X)I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
17 "As for the poor, the needy, those seeking water when there is none and their tongues are parched from thirst I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them.
17 “The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none;Their tongues are parched with thirst.I, the Lord, will answer them Myself;I, the God of Israel, will not neglect them.
18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
18 “I will open (AQ)rivers on the bare heightsAnd springs in the midst of the valleys;I will make (AR)the wilderness a pool of waterAnd the dry land fountains of water.
18 I will open rivers on the barren heights,(Y)and springs in the middle of the plains.I will turn the desert into a pool of waterand dry land into springs of water.(Z)
18 I'll open up rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I'll turn the desert into a pool of water, and the parched land into springs of water.
18 “I will open rivers on the barren heightsAnd springs in the midst of the valleys;I will make the wilderness a reed-pool of waterAnd the dry land springs of water.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
19 “I will put the cedar in the wilderness,The acacia and the (AS)myrtle and the (f)olive tree;I will place the (AT)juniper in the desertTogether with the box tree and the cypress,
19 I will plant cedars in the desert,acacias, myrtles, and olive trees.(AA)I will put juniper trees in the desert,elms and cypress trees together,
19 I'll put cedar trees in the wilderness, along with acacia, myrtle, and olive trees. I'll plant cypresses in the desert box trees, and pine trees together
19 “I will put the cedar in the wilderness,The acacia, the myrtle and the olive tree;I will place the juniper in the desertTogether with the box tree and the cypress,
20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
20 That (AU)they may see and recognize,And consider and gain insight as well,That the (AV)hand of the Lord has done this,And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
20 so that all may see and know,consider and understand,that the hand of the Lord has done this,(AB)the Holy One of Israel has created(AC) it.
20 all so that people may see and recognize, perceive, consider, and comprehend at the same time, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and that the Holy One of Israel has created it."
20 So that they may see and know,And consider and understand together,That the hand of the Lord has done this,That the Holy One of Israel has created it.
The Futility Of Idols
21 Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
21 “(g)Present your case,” the Lord says.“Bring forward your strong arguments,”The (AW)King of Jacob says.
21 “Submit your case,” says the Lord.“Present your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.
21 "Put forward your case!" says the LORD. "Submit your arguments!" says Jacob's King.
21 “Present your case [for idols made by men’s hands],” says the Lord.“Produce your evidence [of divinity],”Says the king of Jacob.
22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
22 (AX)Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place;As for the (AY)former events, declare what they were,That we may consider them and know their outcome.Or announce to us what is coming;
22 “Let them come and tell uswhat will happen.(AD)Tell us the past events,so that we may reflect on themand know the outcome,or tell us the future.
22 Let them approach and ask us, "What will happen? As to the former things, what were they? Tell us, so that we may consider them and know. Or the latter things or the things to come let us hear.
22 Let them bring forward [their evidence] and tell us what is going to happen.Regarding the former events, tell what they were,That we may consider them and know their outcome;Or announce to us the things that are going to come.
23 Shew 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.
23 (AZ)Declare the things that are going to come afterward,That we may know that you are gods;Indeed, (BA)do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.
23 Tell us the coming events,(AE)then we will know that you are gods.Indeed, do something good or bad,then we will be in awe(d) and perceive.
23 Tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods! Yes, do something good or something bad, so we may hear and gaze at it together.'"
24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.
24 Behold, (BB)you are of (h)no account,And (BC)your work amounts to nothing;He who chooses you is an (BD)abomination.
24 "Look! You and your work are less than nothing; whoever finds you pleasing is disgusting."
25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
25 “I have aroused (BE)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 (BF)mortar,Even as the potter treads clay.”
25 “I have raised up one from the north,(AG) and he has come,one from the east(AH) who invokes My(e) name.(AI)He will march over rulers as if they were mud,like a potter who treads the clay.
25 "You are stirring up one from the north, and they are coming from the rising of the sun; and he will be called by his name. Rulers will arrive like mud; just like a potter, he will trample the clay.
26 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
26 Who has (BG)declared this from the beginning, that we might know?Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?Surely there was (BH)no one who declared,Surely there was no one who proclaimed,Surely there was no one who heard your words.
26 Who told about this from the beginning,so that we might know,and from times past,so that we might say: He is right?No one announced it,no one told it,no one heard your words.
26 Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could ask, "Is it right?' Indeed, no one told of this, no one made an announcement, and no one heard your words:
26 Who [among the idols] has declared this from the beginning, so that we could know?Or from earlier times, so that we could say, “He is [unquestionably] right!”?In fact, there was no one who declared it,Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed it;There was no one at all who heard you speak [for you pagan gods are speechless].
27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
27 “(BI)Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a (BJ)messenger of good news.’
27 I was the first to say to Zion:(f)Look! Here they are!And I gave a herald of good news to Jerusalem.(AJ)
27 First, to Zion: "There is slumber." And to Jerusalem: "I'll send a messenger with good news."
28 For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
28 “But (BK)when I look, there is no one,And there is no (BL)counselor (i)among themWho, if I ask, can (BM)give an answer.
28 When I look, there is no one;there is no counselor among them;when I ask them, they have nothing to say.(AK)
28 But when I look, there is no one among them there's no one to give counsel, no one to give an answer when I ask them.
29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
29 “Behold, all of them are (j)false;Their (BN)works are (BO)worthless,Their molten images are (BP)wind and emptiness.
29 Look, all of them are a delusion;(g)their works are nonexistent;their images are wind and emptiness.
29 See, none of them exist, and their deeds are nothing. Their metal images are only wind and confusion.'"
29 “In fact, all of these [pagan prophets and priests] are false;Their works are worthless,Their cast images are [merely] wind and emptiness.