God’s Help to Israel 1 WBS Keep silence before me, O isles; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. BSB BSB: He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet.
4 WBS Who hath wrought and done it , calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with 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 WBS The isles saw it , and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. BSB BSB: The islands see and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward.
6 WBS They helped every one his neighbor; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. BSB BSB: Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7 WBS 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. 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 WBS But thou, Israel, art 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 WBS Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said to thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.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 WBS Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yes, I will help thee; yes, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 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 WBS Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that contend with thee shall perish. 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 WBS 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 naught. BSB BSB: You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
13 WBS For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying to thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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.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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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, the pine, 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons , saith the King of Jacob. BSB BSB: “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.
22 WBS Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen: let them show the former things, what they are that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things to come. 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 WBS Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. 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 WBS Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of naught: an abomination is he that chooseth you. BSB BSB: Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
25 WBS 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 mortar, and as the potter treadeth 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 WBS Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and before time, that we may say, He is righteous? verily, there is none that showeth, verily, there is none that declareth, verily, there is none that heareth your words. 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 WBS The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. BSB BSB: I was the first to tell Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ And I gave to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
28 WBS For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counselor, that, when I asked of them, could 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 WBS Behold, they are all vanity, their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion. BSB BSB: See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.
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