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Isaiah 41:21-29
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 41:21-29
New American Standard Bible
21 “[a]Present your case,” the Lord says.
“Bring forward your evidence,”
The (A)King of Jacob says.
22 (B)Let them bring them forward and declare to us what is going to take place;
As for the (C)former events, declare what they were,
So that we may consider them and know their outcome.
Or announce to us what is coming;
23 (D)Declare the things that are going to come afterward,
So that we may know that you are gods;
Indeed, (E)do good or evil, that we may be afraid and fear together.
24 Behold, (F)you are less than nothing,
And (G)your work is less than nothing!
He who chooses you is an (H)abomination.
25 “I have put (I)one from the north into motion, and he has come;
From the rising of the sun he will call on My name;
And he will come upon rulers as upon [b](J)mortar,
As the potter treads on clay.”
26 Who has (K)declared this from the beginning, that we might know?
Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?
There was (L)no one at all who declared,
There was no one at all who proclaimed,
There was no one at all who heard your words.
27 “(M)Previously I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’
And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a (N)messenger of good news.’
28 But (O)when I look, there is no one,
And there is no (P)counselor [c]among them
Who, if I ask, can (Q)give an answer.
29 Behold, all of them are [d]false;
Their (R)works are (S)nothing,
Their cast metal images are (T)wind and emptiness.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:21 Lit Bring near
- Isaiah 41:25 I.e., the building material
- Isaiah 41:28 Lit out of those
- Isaiah 41:29 Another reading is nothing
Isaiah 41:21-29
New International Version
Isaiah 41:21-29
New International Version
21 “Present your case,(A)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(B)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(C)
Tell us what the former things(D) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(E)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(F) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(G)
so that we will be dismayed(H) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(I)
and your works are utterly worthless;(J)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(K)
25 “I have stirred(L) up one from the north,(M) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(N) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(O) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(P) it,
no one heard any words(Q) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(R) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(S)
28 I look but there is no one(T)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(U)
no one to give answer(V) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(W)
their images(X) are but wind(Y) and confusion.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.