Isaiah 41
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.
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.
3. He pursued * them, and passed * safely; even by the way that he had not gone * with his feet.
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.
5. The isles saw * it, and feared * ; the ends of the earth were afraid * , drew near * , and came * .
6. They helped * every one his neighbour; and every one said * to his brother, 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 * .
8. But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen * , the seed of Abraham my friend * .
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 * .
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.
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 * .
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.
13. For I the LORD thy God will hold * thy right hand, saying * unto thee, Fear * not; I will help * thee.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
21. Produce * your cause, saith * the LORD; bring forth * your strong reasons, saith * 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 * .
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.
24. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth * you.
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.
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.
27. The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give * to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings * .
28. For I beheld * , and there was no man;even among them, and there was no counsellor * , that, when I asked * of them, could answer * a word.
29. Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
