Isaiah 40:27-41:16

New American Standard Bible

²⁷^(A)Why do you say, Jacob, and you assert, Israel,
“My way is ^(B)hidden from the Lord,
And the ^(C)justice due me ^[a]escapes the notice of ^(D)my God”?
²⁸^(E)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The ^(F)Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is ^(G)unsearchable.
²⁹He gives strength to the ^(H)weary,
And to the one who lacks might He ^(I)increases power.
³⁰Though ^(J)youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous ^(K)young men stumble badly,
³¹Yet those who ^[b]wait for the Lord
Will ^(L)gain new strength;
They will ^[c]^(M)mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Israel Encouraged

41 “^(N)Listen to Me ^(O)in silence, you coastlands,
And let the peoples ^(P)gain new strength;
^(Q)Let them come forward, then let them speak;
^(R)Let’s come together for judgment.
²^(S)Who has stirred one from the east
Whom He ^(T)calls in righteousness to His ^[d]feet?
He ^(U)turns nations over to him
And subdues kings.
He makes them like ^(V)dust with his sword,
Like the wind-driven ^(W)chaff with his bow.
³He pursues them, passing on in safety,
By a way he had not been ^[e]traversing with his feet.
⁴^(X)Who has performed and accomplished it,
Summoning the generations from the beginning?
‘^(Y)I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. ^(Z)I am He.’”

⁵The ^(AA)coastlands have seen and are afraid;
The ^(AB)ends of the earth tremble;
They have approached and have come.
⁶Each one helps his neighbor
And says to his brother, “Be strong!”
⁷So the ^(AC)craftsman encourages the ^(AD)smelter,
And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil,
Saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
And he fastens it with nails,
^(AE)So that it will not totter.
⁸“But you, Israel, ^(AF)My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of ^(AG)Abraham My ^(AH)friend,
⁹You whom I have ^[f]^(AI)taken from the ends of the earth
And called from its ^(AJ)remotest parts,
And said to you, ‘You are ^(AK)My servant,
I have ^(AL)chosen you and have not rejected you.
¹⁰Do not ^(AM)fear, for I am with you;
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, ^(AN)I will also help you,
I will also uphold you with My righteous ^(AO)right hand.’
¹¹Behold, ^(AP)all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
^(AQ)Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
¹²^(AR)You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.
¹³For I am the Lord your God ^(AS)who takes hold of your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘^(AT)Do not fear, I will help you.’
¹⁴Do not fear, you ^(AU)worm Jacob, you people of Israel;
I will help you,” declares the Lord, “and ^(AV)your ^[g]Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
¹⁵Behold, I turned you into a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;
^(AW)You will thresh the ^(AX)mountains and pulverize them,
And make the hills like chaff.
¹⁶You will ^(AY)winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,
And the storm will scatter them;
But you will ^(AZ)rejoice in the Lord,
You will boast in the Holy One of Israel.