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Isaiah 41-42
Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 41-42
Christian Standard Bible
The Lord versus the Nations’ Gods
41 “Be silent before me, coasts and islands!(A)
And let peoples renew their strength.
Let them approach; let them testify;
let’s come together for the trial.
2 Who has stirred up someone from the east?(B)
In righteousness he calls him to serve.[a][b](C)
The Lord hands nations over to him,(D)
and he subdues kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like wind-driven stubble with his bow.
3 He pursues them, going on safely,
hardly touching the path with his feet.
4 Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I am the Lord, the first
and with the last(E)—I am he.”(F)
5 The coasts and islands see and are afraid,
the whole earth trembles.(G)
They approach and arrive.
6 Each one helps the other,
and says to another, “Take courage!”
7 The craftsman encourages the metalworker;(H)
the one who flattens with the hammer
encourages the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good.”
He fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over.(I)
8 But you, Israel, my servant,(J)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(K)
descendant of Abraham, my friend(L)—
9 I brought[c] you from the ends of the earth
and called you from its farthest corners.
I said to you: You are my servant;
I have chosen you; I haven’t rejected you.(M)
10 Do not fear, for I am with you;(N)
do not be afraid, for I am your God.(O)
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.(P)
11 Be sure that all who are enraged against you
will be ashamed and disgraced;(Q)
those who contend with you
will become as nothing and will perish.
12 You will look for those who contend with you,
but you will not find them.
Those who war against you
will become absolutely nothing.
13 For I am the Lord your God,(R)
who holds your right hand,
who says to you, “Do not fear,
I will help you.
14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,(S)
you men[d] of Israel.
I will help you”—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
Your Redeemer(T) is the Holy One of Israel.(U)
15 See, I will make you into a sharp threshing board,
new, with many teeth.
You will thresh mountains and pulverize them
and make hills into chaff.(V)
16 You will winnow them(W)
and a wind will carry them away,
a whirlwind will scatter them.
But you will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
17 The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I will answer them.(X)
I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I will not abandon them.
18 I will open rivers on the barren heights,(Y)
and springs in the middle of the plains.
I will turn the desert into a pool
and dry land into springs.(Z)
19 I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees
in the wilderness.(AA)
I will put juniper, elm, and cypress trees together
in the desert,
20 so that all may see and know,
consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,(AB)
the Holy One of Israel has created(AC) it.
21 “Submit your case,” says the Lord.
“Present your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.
22 “Let them come and tell us
what will happen.(AD)
Tell us the past events,
so that we may reflect on them
and know the outcome,
or tell us the future.
23 Tell us the coming events,(AE)
then we will know that you are gods.
Indeed, do something good or bad,
then we will be in awe[e] when we see it.
24 Look, you are nothing(AF)
and your work is worthless.
Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
25 “I have stirred up one from the north,(AG) and he has come,
one from the east(AH) who invokes my[f] name.(AI)
He will march over rulers as if they were mud,
like a potter who treads the clay.
26 Who told about this from the beginning,
so that we might know,
and from times past,
so that we might say, ‘He is right’?
No one announced it,
no one told it,
no one heard your words.
27 I was the first to say to Zion,[g]
‘Look! Here they are!’
And I gave Jerusalem a herald with good news.(AJ)
28 When I look, there is no one;
there is no counselor among them;
when I ask them, they have nothing to say.(AK)
29 Look, all of them are a delusion;[h]
their works are nonexistent;
their images are wind and emptiness.
The Servant’s Mission
42 “This(AL) is my servant;(AM) I strengthen him,
this is my chosen one;(AN) I delight in him.(AO)
I have put my Spirit on him;(AP)
he will bring justice[i] to the nations.(AQ)
2 He will not cry out or shout
or make his voice heard in the streets.
3 He will not break a bruised reed,
and he will not put out a smoldering wick;
he will faithfully bring justice.
4 He will not grow weak or be discouraged
until he has established justice on earth.
The coasts and islands will wait for his instruction.”(AR)
5 This is what God, the Lord, says—
who created the heavens and stretched them out,(AS)
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,(AT)
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk on it(AU)—
6 “I am the Lord. I have called you
for a righteous purpose,[j](AV)
and I will hold you by your hand.(AW)
I will watch over you, and I will appoint you
to be a covenant for the people(AX)
and a light to the nations,(AY)
7 in order to open blind eyes,(AZ)
to bring out prisoners from the dungeon,(BA)
and those sitting in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord. That is my name,
and I will not give my glory to another(BB)
or my praise to idols.
9 The past events have indeed happened.
Now I declare new events;(BC)
I announce them to you before they occur.”
A Song of Praise
10 Sing a new song to the Lord;(BD)
sing his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea with all that fills it,(BE)
you coasts and islands with your[k] inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities shout,
the settlements where Kedar dwells cry aloud.(BF)
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy;(BG)
let them cry out from the mountaintops.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord
and declare his praise in the coasts and islands.
13 The Lord advances like a warrior;
he stirs up his zeal like a soldier.(BH)
He shouts, he roars aloud,
he prevails over his enemies.
14 “I have kept silent from ages past;
I have been quiet and restrained myself.(BI)
But now, I will groan like a woman in labor,(BJ)
gasping breathlessly.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up marshes.(BK)
16 I will lead the blind by a way they did not know;(BL)
I will guide them on paths they have not known.
I will turn darkness to light in front of them(BM)
and rough places into level ground.(BN)
This is what I will do for them,
and I will not abandon them.(BO)
17 They will be turned back and utterly ashamed—
those who trust in an idol
and say to a cast image,
‘You are our gods!’ (BP)
Israel’s Blindness and Deafness
18 “Listen, you deaf!
Look, you blind, so that you may see.(BQ)
19 Who is blind but my servant,(BR)
or deaf like my messenger I am sending?
Who is blind like my dedicated one,[l]
or blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 Though seeing many things,[m] you pay no attention.
Though his ears are open, he does not listen.”(BS)
21 Because of his righteousness, the Lord was pleased
to magnify his instruction and make it glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and looted,
all of them trapped in holes
or imprisoned in dungeons.
They have become plunder(BT)
with no one to rescue them
and loot, with no one saying, “Give it back!”
23 Who among you will hear this?
Let him listen and obey in the future.
24 Who gave Jacob to the robber,[n]
and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the Lord?
Have we not sinned against him?
They were not willing to walk in his ways,
and they would not listen to his instruction.
25 So he poured out his furious anger
and the power of war on Jacob.
It surrounded him with fire, but he did not know it;
it burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.(BU)
Footnotes
- 41:2 Or Righteousness calls him to serve
- 41:2 Lit to his foot
- 41:9 Or seized
- 41:14 LXX reads small number; DSS read dead ones
- 41:23 DSS read we may hear
- 41:25 DSS read his
- 41:27 Lit First to Zion
- 41:29 DSS, Syr read are nothing
- 42:1 DSS read his justice
- 42:6 Or you by my righteousness; lit you in righteousness
- 42:10 Lit their
- 42:19 Hb obscure
- 42:20 Alt Hb tradition reads You see many things;
- 42:24 Lit to loot
Isaiah 41-42
New International Version
Isaiah 41-42
New International Version
The Helper of Israel
41 “Be silent(A) before me, you islands!(B)
Let the nations renew their strength!(C)
Let them come forward(D) and speak;
let us meet together(E) at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred(F) up one from the east,(G)
calling him in righteousness(H) to his service[a]?(I)
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust(J) with his sword,
to windblown chaff(K) with his bow.(L)
3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed,(M)
by a path his feet have not traveled before.
4 Who has done this and carried it through,
calling(N) forth the generations from the beginning?(O)
I, the Lord—with the first of them
and with the last(P)—I am he.(Q)”
5 The islands(R) have seen it and fear;
the ends of the earth(S) tremble.
They approach and come forward;
6 they help each other
and say to their companions, “Be strong!(T)”
7 The metalworker(U) encourages the goldsmith,(V)
and the one who smooths with the hammer
spurs on the one who strikes the anvil.
One says of the welding, “It is good.”
The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.(W)
8 “But you, Israel, my servant,(X)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(Y)
you descendants of Abraham(Z) my friend,(AA)
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,(AB)
from its farthest corners I called(AC) you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;(AD)
I have chosen(AE) you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear,(AF) for I am with you;(AG)
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen(AH) you and help(AI) you;
I will uphold you(AJ) with my righteous right hand.(AK)
11 “All who rage(AL) against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;(AM)
those who oppose(AN) you
will be as nothing and perish.(AO)
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.(AP)
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing(AQ) at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand(AR)
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help(AS) you.
14 Do not be afraid,(AT) you worm(AU) Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help(AV) you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer,(AW) the Holy One(AX) of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,(AY)
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains(AZ) and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.(BA)
16 You will winnow(BB) them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale(BC) will blow them away.(BD)
But you will rejoice(BE) in the Lord
and glory(BF) in the Holy One(BG) of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water,(BH)
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.(BI)
But I the Lord will answer(BJ) them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake(BK) them.
18 I will make rivers flow(BL) on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert(BM) into pools of water,(BN)
and the parched ground into springs.(BO)
19 I will put in the desert(BP)
the cedar and the acacia,(BQ) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers(BR) in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress(BS) together,(BT)
20 so that people may see and know,(BU)
may consider and understand,(BV)
that the hand(BW) of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One(BX) of Israel has created(BY) it.
21 “Present your case,(BZ)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(CA)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(CB)
Tell us what the former things(CC) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(CD)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(CE) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(CF)
so that we will be dismayed(CG) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(CH)
and your works are utterly worthless;(CI)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(CJ)
25 “I have stirred(CK) up one from the north,(CL) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(CM) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(CN) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(CO) it,
no one heard any words(CP) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(CQ) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(CR)
28 I look but there is no one(CS)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(CT)
no one to give answer(CU) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(CV)
their images(CW) are but wind(CX) and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant,(CY) whom I uphold,
my chosen one(CZ) in whom I delight;(DA)
I will put my Spirit(DB) on him,
and he will bring justice(DC) to the nations.(DD)
2 He will not shout or cry out,(DE)
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed(DF) he will not break,(DG)
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(DH)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(DI)
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(DJ) on earth.
In his teaching(DK) the islands(DL) will put their hope.”(DM)
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(DN) who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth(DO) with all that springs from it,(DP)
who gives breath(DQ) to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called(DR) you in righteousness;(DS)
I will take hold of your hand.(DT)
I will keep(DU) you and will make you
to be a covenant(DV) for the people
and a light(DW) for the Gentiles,(DX)
7 to open eyes that are blind,(DY)
to free(DZ) captives from prison(EA)
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(EB)
8 “I am the Lord;(EC) that is my name!(ED)
I will not yield my glory to another(EE)
or my praise to idols.(EF)
9 See, the former things(EG) have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce(EH) them to you.”
Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing(EI) to the Lord a new song,(EJ)
his praise(EK) from the ends of the earth,(EL)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(EM)
you islands,(EN) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(EO) and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar(EP) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(EQ) sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.(ER)
12 Let them give glory(ES) to the Lord
and proclaim his praise(ET) in the islands.(EU)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(EV)
like a warrior(EW) he will stir up his zeal;(EX)
with a shout(EY) he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.(EZ)
14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(FA)
I have been quiet and held myself back.(FB)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.(FC)
15 I will lay waste(FD) the mountains(FE) and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up(FF) the pools.
16 I will lead(FG) the blind(FH) by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(FI) before them
and make the rough places smooth.(FJ)
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake(FK) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(FL)
will be turned back in utter shame.(FM)
Israel Blind and Deaf
18 “Hear, you deaf;(FN)
look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(FO) but my servant,(FP)
and deaf like the messenger(FQ) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(FR) with me,
blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
your ears are open, but you do not listen.”(FS)
21 It pleased the Lord
for the sake(FT) of his righteousness
to make his law(FU) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(FV) and looted,
all of them trapped in pits(FW)
or hidden away in prisons.(FX)
They have become plunder,
with no one to rescue them;(FY)
they have been made loot,
with no one to say, “Send them back.”
23 Which of you will listen to this
or pay close attention(FZ) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?(GA)
Was it not the Lord,(GB)
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(GC) his ways;
they did not obey his law.(GD)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(GE)
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(GF) yet they did not understand;(GG)
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(GH)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every step
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