1 GLT “Be silent before me, coastlands, and let the nations renew{ their} strength; let them approach, then let them speak; together let us draw near to trial. 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 GLT “Who has stirred up righteousness from the east, calling it to his feet? He gives nations before his face and tramples kings. He makes{ them} like dust{ with} his sword, like scattered straw 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 GLT He pursues them, passes by{ in} peace, no path does he touch with his feet. BSB BSB: He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet.
4 GLT Who has worked and accomplished, has summoned the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first and the last, 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 GLT 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 GLT { Every} man helps his neighbor, and says to his brother,“Be strong.” BSB BSB: Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7 GLT And the artisan strengthens the goldsmith, who smooths{ with} a hammer, who strikes the anvil, saying of the welding,“It{ is} good.” And they fasten it with nails; 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 GLT “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, BSB BSB: “But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend—
9 GLT you whom I am seizing from the ends of the earth, and from its extremities I called you and said to you,‘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 GLT Do not fear, for I{ am} with you. Do not be anxious, for I{ am} your God. I will strengthen you, indeed, I will help you, yes, 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 GLT “Behold, they will be ashamed and disgraced, all who have been angry with you; they will be as nothing and will perish, men who contend with 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 GLT You will seek them and will not find the men who quarreled with you; they will be as void and as nothing, the men who fought you. BSB BSB: You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
13 GLT 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 GLT Do not fear, worm of Jacob, men of Israel. I will help you”— the declaration of Yahweh, and 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 GLT “Behold, I am making you into a threshing sledge, a new threshing board, having two- edges; you will thresh the mountains and crush{ them}, and 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 GLT You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away; and the whirlwind will scatter them. And you, you will rejoice in Yahweh, in the Holy One of Israel you will boast. 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 GLT “The oppressed and needy look for water, but{ there is} none, their tongues are parched for thirst; I, Yahweh, shall respond to them; I, the God of Israel, shall 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 GLT I shall open streams upon the slopes, and in the middle of the valleys, fountains. I shall make the wilderness 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 GLT In the wilderness I shall set the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree. I shall place in the desert plain the cypress, the elm and the box tree together 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 GLT so that they may see and know and take{ to heart} and have insight together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and 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.”
21 GLT “Present your case,” says Yahweh,“bring forth your arguments,” says the King of Jacob. BSB BSB: “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.
22 GLT “Let them bring forth and tell us what will happen. The first{ things}, what{ are} they? Let them tell, and put{ before} our hearts, and we will know the last{ things}, and they will inform us{ of} the coming{ things}. 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 GLT Tell the signs of the future, that we may know if you{ are} gods. Yes, do good or evil, that we may look and see altogether. 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 GLT Behold, you are nothing, and your deeds are naught; an abomination, he who chooses you. BSB BSB: Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
25 GLT “I have raised up one from the north, and he comes; from the rising of the sun he calls on my name, and he will trample rulers like mud, and like a potter treading 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 GLT Who has told from the beginning that we might know? And from before the face, that we may say,‘{ He is} right’? Indeed, none told, truly, none announced, yes, none heard your sayings. 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 GLT First, to Zion:‘Behold, here they are!’ And to Jerusalem a herald I sent. BSB BSB: I was the first to tell Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ And I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
28 GLT And I looked, but there was no man, and from them, none who counseled, or, when I asked, returned 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 GLT Behold, all of them{ are} nothing, naught{ are} their deeds; wind and void{ are} their images. 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.