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Isaiah 41:8-42:9
New International Version
Isaiah 41:8-42:9
New International Version
8 “But you, Israel, my servant,(A)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(B)
you descendants of Abraham(C) my friend,(D)
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,(E)
from its farthest corners I called(F) you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;(G)
I have chosen(H) you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear,(I) for I am with you;(J)
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen(K) you and help(L) you;
I will uphold you(M) with my righteous right hand.(N)
11 “All who rage(O) against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;(P)
those who oppose(Q) you
will be as nothing and perish.(R)
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.(S)
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing(T) at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand(U)
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help(V) you.
14 Do not be afraid,(W) you worm(X) Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help(Y) you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer,(Z) the Holy One(AA) of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,(AB)
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains(AC) and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.(AD)
16 You will winnow(AE) them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale(AF) will blow them away.(AG)
But you will rejoice(AH) in the Lord
and glory(AI) in the Holy One(AJ) of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water,(AK)
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.(AL)
But I the Lord will answer(AM) them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake(AN) them.
18 I will make rivers flow(AO) on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert(AP) into pools of water,(AQ)
and the parched ground into springs.(AR)
19 I will put in the desert(AS)
the cedar and the acacia,(AT) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers(AU) in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress(AV) together,(AW)
20 so that people may see and know,(AX)
may consider and understand,(AY)
that the hand(AZ) of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One(BA) of Israel has created(BB) it.
21 “Present your case,(BC)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(BD)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(BE)
Tell us what the former things(BF) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(BG)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(BH) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(BI)
so that we will be dismayed(BJ) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(BK)
and your works are utterly worthless;(BL)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(BM)
25 “I have stirred(BN) up one from the north,(BO) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(BP) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(BQ) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(BR) it,
no one heard any words(BS) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(BT) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(BU)
28 I look but there is no one(BV)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(BW)
no one to give answer(BX) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(BY)
their images(BZ) are but wind(CA) and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant,(CB) whom I uphold,
my chosen one(CC) in whom I delight;(CD)
I will put my Spirit(CE) on him,
and he will bring justice(CF) to the nations.(CG)
2 He will not shout or cry out,(CH)
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed(CI) he will not break,(CJ)
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(CK)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(CL)
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(CM) on earth.
In his teaching(CN) the islands(CO) will put their hope.”(CP)
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(CQ) who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth(CR) with all that springs from it,(CS)
who gives breath(CT) to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called(CU) you in righteousness;(CV)
I will take hold of your hand.(CW)
I will keep(CX) you and will make you
to be a covenant(CY) for the people
and a light(CZ) for the Gentiles,(DA)
7 to open eyes that are blind,(DB)
to free(DC) captives from prison(DD)
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(DE)
Isaiah 41:8-42:9
Good News Translation
Isaiah 41:8-42:9
Good News Translation
8 (A)“But you, Israel my servant,
you are the people that I have chosen,
the descendants of Abraham, my friend.
9 I brought you from the ends of the earth;
I called you from its farthest corners
and said to you, ‘You are my servant.’
I did not reject you, but chose you.
10 Do not be afraid—I am with you!
I am your God—let nothing terrify you!
I will make you strong and help you;
I will protect you and save you.
11 “Those who are angry with you
will know the shame of defeat.
Those who fight against you will die
12 and will disappear from the earth.
13 I am the Lord your God;
I strengthen you and tell you,
‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’”
14 The Lord says,
“Small and weak as you are, Israel,
don't be afraid; I will help you.
I, the holy God of Israel, am the one who saves you.
15 I will make you like a threshing board,
with spikes that are new and sharp.
You will thresh mountains and destroy them;
hills will crumble into dust.
16 You will toss them in the air;
the wind will carry them off,
and they will be scattered by the storm.
Then you will be happy because I am your God;
you will praise me, the holy God of Israel.
17 “When my people in their need look for water,
when their throats are dry with thirst,
then I, the Lord, will answer their prayer;
I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.
18 I will make rivers flow among barren hills
and springs of water run in the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water
and the dry land into flowing springs.
19 I will make cedars grow in the desert,
and acacias and myrtles and olive trees.
Forests will grow in barren land,
forests of pine and juniper and cypress.
20 People will see this and know
that I, the Lord, have done it.
They will come to understand
that Israel's holy God has made it happen.”
The Lord's Challenge to False Gods
21 The Lord, the king of Israel, has this to say:
“You gods of the nations, present your case.
Bring the best arguments you have!
22 Come here and predict what will happen,
so that we will know it when it takes place.
Explain to the court the events of the past,
and tell us what they mean.
23 Tell us what the future holds—
then we will know that you are gods!
Do something good or bring some disaster;
fill us with fear and awe!
24 You and all you do are nothing;
those who worship you are disgusting!
25 “I have chosen a man who lives in the east;[a]
I will bring him to attack from the north.
He tramples on rulers as if they were mud,
like a potter trampling clay.
26 Which of you predicted that this would happen,
so that we could say that you were right?
None of you said a word about it;
no one heard you say a thing!
27 I, the Lord, was the first to tell Zion the news;
I sent a messenger to Jerusalem to say,
‘Your people are coming! They are coming home!’[b]
28 When I looked among the gods,
none of them had a thing to say;
not one could answer the questions I asked.
29 All these gods are useless;
they can do nothing at all—
these idols are weak and powerless.”
The Lord's Servant
42 (B)The Lord says,
“Here is my servant, whom I strengthen—
the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased.
I have filled him with my Spirit,
and he will bring justice to every nation.
2 He will not shout or raise his voice
or make loud speeches in the streets.
3 He will not break off a bent reed
nor put out a flickering lamp.
He will bring lasting justice to all.
4 He will not lose hope or courage;
he will establish justice on the earth.
Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching.”
5 (C)God created the heavens and stretched them out;
he fashioned the earth and all that lives there;
he gave life and breath to all its people.
And now the Lord God says to his servant,
6 (D)“I, the Lord, have called you and given you power
to see that justice is done on earth.
Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples;
through you I will bring light to the nations.
7 You will open the eyes of the blind
and set free those who sit in dark prisons.
8 “I alone am the Lord your God.
No other god may share my glory;
I will not let idols share my praise.
9 The things I predicted have now come true.
Now I will tell you of new things
even before they begin to happen.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:25 See 41.2.
- Isaiah 41:27 Verse 27 in Hebrew is unclear.
Isaiah 41:8-42:9
Living Bible
Isaiah 41:8-42:9
Living Bible
8 But as for you, O Israel, you are mine, my chosen ones; for you are Abraham’s family, and he was my friend. 9 I have called you back from the ends of the earth and said that you must serve but me alone, for I have chosen you and will not throw you away. 10 Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.[a]
11 See, all your angry enemies lie confused and shattered. Anyone opposing you will die. 12 You will look for them in vain—they will all be gone. 13 I am holding you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God—and I say to you, Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you. 14 Despised though you are, fear not, O Israel; for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer; I am the Holy One of Israel. 15 You shall be a new and sharp-toothed threshing instrument to tear all enemies apart, making chaff of mountains. 16 You shall toss them in the air; the wind shall blow them all away; whirlwinds shall scatter them. And the joy of the Lord shall fill you full; you shall glory in the God of Israel.
17 When the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I will answer when they cry to me. I, Israel’s God, will never forsake them. 18 I will open up rivers for them on high plateaus! I will give them fountains of water in the valleys! In the deserts will be pools of water, and rivers fed by springs shall flow across the dry, parched ground. 19 I will plant trees—cedars, myrtle, olive trees, cypress, fir, and pine—on barren land. 20 Everyone will see this miracle and understand that it is God who did it, Israel’s Holy One.
21 Can your idols make such claims as these? Let them come and show what they can do, says God, the King of Israel. 22 Let them try to tell us what occurred in years gone by or what the future holds. 23 Yes, that’s it! If you are gods, tell what will happen in the days ahead! Or do some mighty miracle that makes us stare, amazed. 24 But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Anyone who chooses you needs to have his head examined!
25 But I have stirred up Cyrus from the north and east; he will come against the nations and call on my name, and I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will tread them as a potter tramples clay.
26 Who but I have told you this would happen? Who else predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one else! None other said one word! 27 I was the first to tell Jerusalem, “Look! Look! Help is on the way!” 28 Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked. 29 See, they are all foolish, worthless things; your idols are all as empty as the wind.
42 See my servant,[b] whom I uphold; my Chosen One in whom I delight. I have put my Spirit upon him; he will reveal justice to the nations of the world. 2 He will be gentle—he will not shout nor quarrel in the streets. 3 He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the dimly burning flame. He will encourage the fainthearted, those tempted to despair. He will see full justice given to all who have been wronged. 4 He won’t be satisfied[c] until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth, nor until even distant lands beyond the seas have put their trust in him.
5 The Lord God who created the heavens and stretched them out, who created the earth and everything in it, who gives life and breath and spirit to everyone in all the world, he is the one who says to his Servant, the Messiah[d]: 6 “I the Lord have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will guard and support you, for I have given you to my people as the personal confirmation of my covenant with them.[e] You shall also be a light to guide the nations unto me. 7 You will open the eyes of the blind and release those who sit in prison darkness and despair. 8 I am the Lord! That is my name, and I will not give my glory to anyone else; I will not share my praise with carved idols. 9 Everything I prophesied came true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:10 with my victorious right hand, or “with the right hand of my righteousness.”
- Isaiah 42:1 See my servant. Not Cyrus, as in ch. 41, but Christ.
- Isaiah 42:4 He won’t be satisfied, literally, “He will not burn dimly or be bruised.”
- Isaiah 42:5 to his Servant, the Messiah, implied.
- Isaiah 42:6 I have given you to my people as the personal confirmation of my covenant with them, or “you will be my covenant with all the people.”
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.