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.

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
⁵ Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
⁶ And all people will see God’s salvation.’”^[a](I)

² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
    to search out a matter is the glory of kings.^(C)
3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
    so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴ Remove the dross from the silver,
    and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
⁵ remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,^(D)
    and his throne will be established^(E) through righteousness.^(F)

⁶ Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
    and do not claim a place among his great men;
⁷ it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”^(G)
    than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes
⁸     do not bring^[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
    if your neighbor puts you to shame?^(H)

⁹ If you take your neighbor to court,
    do not betray another’s confidence,
¹⁰ or the one who hears it may shame you
    and the charge against you will stand.

¹¹ Like apples^[b] of gold in settings of silver^(I)
    is a ruling rightly given.
¹² Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
    is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.^(J)

¹³ Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
    is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
    he refreshes the spirit of his master.^(K)
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
    is one who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁵ Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,^(L)
    and a gentle tongue can break a bone.^(M)

¹⁶ If you find honey, eat just enough—
    too much of it, and you will vomit.^(N)
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
    too much of you, and they will hate you.

¹⁸ Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
    is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.^(O)
19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
    is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
²⁰ Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
    or like vinegar poured on a wound,
    is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
    if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
²² In doing this, you will heap burning coals^(P) on his head,
    and the Lord will reward you.^(Q)

²³ Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
    is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

²⁴ Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.^(R)

²⁵ Like cold water to a weary soul
    is good news from a distant land.^(S)
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
    are the righteous who give way to the wicked.

²⁷ It is not good to eat too much honey,^(T)
    nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.^(U)

²⁸ Like a city whose walls are broken through
    is a person who lacks self-control.