God’s Help to Israel 1 UEB "Listen before me in silence, you coastlands; let the nations renew their strength; let them come near and speak; let us come near together to argue a dispute. BSB BSB: “Be silent before Me, O islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come forward and testify; let us together draw near for judgment.
2 UEB Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and helps him subdue kings. He turns them to dust with his sword, like windblown stubble with his bow. BSB BSB: Who has aroused one from the east and called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.
3 UEB He pursues them and passes by safely, by a swift path that his feet scarcely touch. BSB BSB: He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet.
4 UEB Who has performed and accomplished these deeds? Who has summoned the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last ones, I am he. BSB BSB: Who has performed this and carried it out, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.”
5 UEB The isles have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they approach and come. BSB BSB: The islands see and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward.
6 UEB Everyone helps his neighbor, and every one says to one another, 'Be encouraged.' BSB BSB: Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7 UEB So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and he who works with the hammer encourages him who works with an anvil, saying of the welding, 'It is good.' They fasten it with nails so it will not topple over. BSB BSB: The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who wields the hammer cheers him who strikes the anvil, saying of the welding, “It is good.” He nails it down so it will not be toppled.
8 UEB But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend, BSB BSB: “But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend—
9 UEB you whom I am bringing back from the ends of the earth, and whom I called from the far away places, and to whom I said, 'You are my servant;' I have chosen you and not rejected you. BSB BSB: I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said, ‘You are My servant.’ I have chosen and not rejected you.
10 UEB Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and I will help you, and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. BSB BSB: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
11 UEB See, they will be ashamed and disgraced, all who have been angry with you; they will be as nothing and will perish, those who oppose you. BSB BSB: Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.
12 UEB You will seek and will not find those who contended with you; those who warred against you will be like nothing, absolutely nothing. BSB BSB: You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
13 UEB For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Do not fear; I am helping you.' BSB BSB: For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.
14 UEB Do not fear, Jacob you worm, and you men of Israel; I will help you—this is Yahweh's declaration, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. BSB BSB: Do not fear, O Jacob, you worm, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 UEB Look, I am making you like a sharp threshing sledge, new and two-edged; you will thresh the mountains and crush them; you will make the hills like chaff. BSB BSB: Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.
16 UEB You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away; the wind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh, you will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. BSB BSB: You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 UEB The oppressed and needy look for water, but there is none, and their tongues are parched for thirst; I, Yahweh, will respond to their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. BSB BSB: The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 UEB I will make streams to flow down the slopes, and springs in the middle of the valleys; I will make the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water. BSB BSB: I will open rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the middle of the valleys. I will turn the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into flowing springs.
19 UEB In the wilderness I will set the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree. I will set the cypress in the desert plain, with the pines and the cypress box trees. BSB BSB: I will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees. I will set cypresses in the desert, elms and boxwood together,
20 UEB I will do this so that the people may see, recognize, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it. BSB BSB: so that all may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this and the Holy One of Israel has created it.”
Meaningless Idols 21 UEB "Present your case," says Yahweh, "present your best arguments for your idols," says the King of Jacob. BSB BSB: “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.
22 UEB Let them bring us their own arguments; have them come forward and declare to us what will happen, so we may know these things well. Have them tell us of earlier predictive declarations, so we can reflect on them and know how they were fulfilled. BSB BSB: “Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming.
23 UEB Tell things about the future, that we may know if you are gods; do something good or evil, that we may be frightened and impressed. BSB BSB: Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay.
24 UEB See, you idols are nothing and your deeds are nothing; the one who chooses you is detestable. BSB BSB: Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
25 UEB I have raised up one from the north, and he comes; from the sun's rising I summon him who calls on my name, and he will trample the rulers like mud, like a potter who is treading on the clay. BSB BSB: I have raised up one from the north, and he has come—one from the east who calls on My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter who treads the clay.
26 UEB Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know? Before this time, that we may say, "He is right"? Indeed none of them decreed it, yes, none heard you say anything. BSB BSB: Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: ‘He was right’? No one announced it, no one foretold it, no one heard your words.
27 UEB I first said to Zion, "Look here they are;" I sent a herald to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: I was the first to tell Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ And I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
28 UEB When I look, there is no one, not one among them who can give good advice, who, when I ask, can answer a word. BSB BSB: When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say.
29 UEB Look, all of them are nothing, and their deeds are nothing; their cast metal figures are wind and emptiness. BSB BSB: See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.