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Isaiah 41
Complete Jewish Bible
Isaiah 41
Complete Jewish Bible
41 “Keep silence before me, coastlands!
Let the peoples replenish their strength!
Let them approach; then let them speak.
Let us assemble for judgment.”
2 Who has raised from the east one who is just
and called him to be in his service?
He hands nations over to him
and subjects kings to him;
his sword reduces them to dust,
his bow to driven straw.
3 He pursues them, passing on unscathed,
hardly touching the path with his feet.
4 Whose work is this? Who has brought it about?
He who called the generations from the beginning,
“I, Adonai, am the first;
and I am the same with those who are last.”
5 The coastlands have seen and became afraid.
The ends of the earth have trembled.
They have approached, and now they have come.
6 Every one helps his fellow workman,
everyone says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7 The woodworker encourages the goldsmith,
the polisher encourages the hammerer;
he says of the soldering, “Yes, that’s good,”
then puts nails in [the idol] to keep it from moving.
8 “But you, Isra’el, my servant;
Ya‘akov, whom I have chosen,
descendants of Avraham my friend,
9 I have taken you from the ends of the earth,
summoned you from its most distant parts
and said to you, ‘You are my servant’ —
I have chosen you, not rejected you.
10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you;
don’t be distressed, for I am your God.
I give you strength, I give you help,
I support you with my victorious right hand.
11 All those who were angry with you
will be disgraced, put to shame;
those who fought against you
will be destroyed, brought to nothing.
12 You will seek them but not find them,
those who contended with you;
yes, those who made war with you
will be brought to nothing, nothing at all.
13 For I, Adonai, your God,
say to you, as I hold your right hand,
‘Have no fear; I will help you.
14 Have no fear, Ya‘akov, you worm,
you men of Isra’el!’
I will help you,” says Adonai;
“Your redeemer is the Holy One of Isra’el.
15 “I will make you into a threshing-sledge,
new, with sharp, pointed teeth,
to thresh the mountains and crush them to dust,
to reduce the hills to chaff.
16 As you fan them, the wind will carry them off,
and the whirlwind will scatter them.
Then you will rejoice in Adonai,
you will glory in the Holy One of Isra’el.
17 “The poor and needy look for water in vain;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, Adonai, will answer them.
I, the God of Isra’el, will not leave them.
18 I will open up rivers on the barren hills
and wells down in the broad valleys.
I will turn the desert into a lake
and dry ground into springs.
19 I will plant the desert with cedars,
acacias, myrtles and olive trees;
In the ‘Aravah I will put cypresses
together with elm trees and larches.”
20 Then the people will see and know,
together observe and understand
that the hand of Adonai has done this,
that the Holy One of Isra’el created it.
21 “Present your case,” says Adonai,
“Produce your arguments,” says Ya‘akov’s king.
22 Bring out those idols!
Have them foretell the future for us,
tell us about past events,
so that we can reflect on them
and understand their consequences.
Or tell us about events yet to come,
23 state what will happen in the future,
so that we can know you are gods.
At least, do something, either good or bad —
anything, to make us awestruck and fearful!
24 You can’t! — because you are less than nothing.
Whoever chooses you is an abomination!
25 “I roused someone from the north,
and he has come from the rising sun;
he will call on my name.
He will trample on rulers as if they were mud,
like a potter treading clay.”
26 Who said this at the start, so we could know,
or foretold it, so we could say, “He’s right”?
In fact, no one said it; no one foretold it —
the fact is, nobody hears what you say.
27 I am the first to declare it to Tziyon,
to send Yerushalayim a messenger with good news.
28 But when I look around, there is no one —
not a single one can give counsel,
who, when I ask, can give an answer.
29 Look at them all! What they do is nothing!
Their idols are so much wind and waste.
Ésaïe 41
La Bible du Semeur
Ésaïe 41
La Bible du Semeur
L’Eternel suscite un Libérateur
Le grand Vainqueur
41 Tenez-vous en silence ╵devant moi, vous, les îles ╵et les régions côtières !
Que les peuples lointains ╵raniment leur courage :
qu’ils approchent, qu’ils parlent !
Oui, allons ensemble en justice.
2 Qui a fait lever de l’orient
celui que la justice[a] ╵entraîne sur ses pas ?
Qui lui a livré les nations
et qui a abaissé des rois ?
Son épée pulvérise ╵les peuples devant lui
et son arc les disperse ╵comme un fétu de paille ╵emporté par le vent.
3 Il les poursuit ╵et va plus loin, indemne,
par un chemin ╵que son pied n’avait pas foulé ╵auparavant.
4 Qui accomplit cela ? ╵Qui le fait arriver ?
Qui appelle à la vie
les générations d’hommes ╵dès le commencement ?
Moi, l’Eternel, ╵moi, qui suis le premier
et qui suis avec les derniers, ╵oui, c’est bien moi !
5 Les habitants des îles ╵et des régions côtières ╵ont vu ce que j’ai fait ╵et sont saisis de crainte ;
ceux qui ont pour demeure ╵les confins de la terre ╵se sont mis à trembler.
Ils approchent, ils viennent,
6 ils s’aident mutuellement,
chacun dit à son frère : ╵« Courage ! »
7 L’artisan encourage le fondeur.
Le polisseur soutient ╵celui qui bat l’enclume.
Il dit de la soudure : ╵« Voilà du bon travail ! »
Et il fixe l’idole avec des clous
afin qu’elle ne bouge pas.
L’Eternel délivre Israël
8 Quant à toi, Israël, ╵mon serviteur,
Jacob, que j’ai choisi,
et descendance d’Abraham, ╵qui était mon ami,
9 toi que je suis allé chercher ╵aux confins de la terre
et que j’ai appelé ╵de ses extrémités,
toi à qui j’avais dit :
« Tu es mon serviteur »,
je t’ai choisi
et non pas rejeté.
10 Ne sois pas effrayé,
car je suis avec toi ;
ne sois pas angoissé,
car moi je suis ton Dieu.
Je t’affermis,
je viens à ton secours,
pour sûr, je te soutiens ╵de mon bras droit ╵qui fait justice.
11 Tous ceux qui sont irrités contre toi,
sombreront dans la honte ╵et dans le déshonneur.
Tes adversaires ╵seront réduits à rien, ╵ils périront.
12 Tu auras beau chercher, ╵tu ne trouveras plus
ceux qui te querellaient.
Ils seront tous anéantis, ╵réduits à rien
ceux qui t’ont fait la guerre.
13 Car c’est moi, l’Eternel, ╵qui suis ton Dieu,
je saisis ta main droite,
je te dis : Sois sans crainte,
je suis là pour t’aider.
14 Sois donc sans crainte, ╵vermisseau de Jacob,
ô petit Israël,
car je viens à ton aide,
l’Eternel le déclare ;
celui qui te délivre ╵c’est le Saint d’Israël.
15 Voici je fais de toi
un traîneau de battage ╵tout neuf,
armé de pointes,
tu battras les montagnes, ╵tu les broieras,
tu rendras les collines ╵semblables à la paille.
16 Oui, tu les vanneras,
et le vent les emportera,
l’ouragan les dispersera.
Mais toi, tu placeras ta joie ╵en l’Eternel,
et ta fierté ╵dans le Saint d’Israël.
17 Les opprimés, les pauvres
cherchent de l’eau sans en trouver,
et la soif dessèche leur langue.
Moi, l’Eternel, ╵je les exaucerai,
moi, le Dieu d’Israël, ╵je ne les délaisserai pas.
18 Je ferai sourdre des rivières ╵du sommet des montagnes
et je ferai jaillir des sources ╵au milieu des vallées,
je transformerai le désert ╵en étang rempli d’eau
et le pays aride ╵en sources jaillissantes.
19 Je planterai dans le désert ╵le cèdre et l’acacia,
le myrte et l’olivier.
Je ferai croître dans la steppe
le cyprès, le pin et le buis,
20 pour que tous voient et reconnaissent,
et qu’ils observent, qu’ils comprennent,
que c’est la main de l’Eternel ╵qui a fait tout cela,
que le Saint d’Israël ╵en est le créateur.
L’Eternel en face des faux dieux
21 Vous, dieux des autres peuples, ╵présentez votre cause,
dit l’Eternel,
et exposez vos arguments,
dit le roi de Jacob.
22 Qu’ils les exposent donc,
qu’ils nous annoncent
ce qui doit arriver !
Déclarez-nous ╵quels sont les faits passés ╵que vous avez prédits,
pour que nous les examinions
et que nous constations ╵leur accomplissement,
ou faites-nous entendre ╵ce qui doit arriver !
23 Annoncez-nous ╵les événements à venir,
et nous saurons ╵que vous êtes des dieux.
Oui, faites quelque chose, ╵que ce soit bien ou mal,
afin qu’en le voyant
la crainte nous remplisse[b].
24 Mais vous, vous êtes moins que rien !
Et toutes vos actions ╵sont moins que du néant !
Celui qui vous choisit ╵commet une abomination.
25 Du nord, je fais surgir un homme,
il va venir, ╵oui, du soleil levant[c],
il est appelé par son nom,
il piétine les gouverneurs ╵comme s’ils étaient de la boue,
comme un potier foule l’argile.
26 Qui a prédit cela ╵dès le commencement
pour que nous le sachions ?
Qui donc l’a annoncé ╵bien longtemps à l’avance
afin que nous disions : « C’est juste ? »
Non, personne ne l’a prédit,
personne n’a rien annoncé
et personne n’a entendu ╵des paroles venant de vous.
27 Mais moi, j’ai été le premier ╵qui ai dit à Sion :
« Les voici ! Les voici ! »
J’ai donné à Jérusalem ╵un messager, ╵porteur de la bonne nouvelle.
28 Alors que, parmi ces dieux-là,
j’ai eu beau regarder, ╵je n’ai trouvé personne, ╵pas un seul conseiller,
personne pour répondre ╵si je les interroge.
29 Eux tous, ils ne sont rien[d],
leurs œuvres sont néant,
et leurs statues de fonte : ╵du vent, du vide.
Footnotes
- 41.2 Il s’agit de Cyrus, roi des Perses. Il est devenu le roi des Mèdes en 549 av. J.-C. puis s’est emparé de Babylone en 539 (voir 41.25 ; 44.28 ; etc.).
- 41.23 afin qu’en le voyant: autre traduction : afin que nous soyons terrifiés. la crainte nous remplisse: divers manuscrits et versions anciennes ont : que nous le voyons.
- 41.25 D’après les versions anciennes. Le texte hébreu traditionnel a : il viendra du soleil levant.
- 41.29 D’après le texte hébreu de Qumrân et la version syriaque. Le texte hébreu traditionnel a : ils sont iniques.
Isaiah 41
New International Version
Isaiah 41
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.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every step
Isaiah 41
New King James Version
Isaiah 41
New King James Version
Israel Assured of God’s Help
41 “Keep (A)silence before Me, O coastlands,
And let the people renew their strength!
Let them come near, then let them speak;
Let us (B)come near together for judgment.
2 “Who raised up one (C)from the east?
Who in righteousness called him to His feet?
Who (D)gave the nations before him,
And made him rule over kings?
Who gave them as the dust to his sword,
As driven stubble to his bow?
3 Who pursued them, and passed [a]safely
By the way that he had not gone with his feet?
4 (E)Who has performed and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
‘I, the Lord, am (F)the first;
And with the last I am (G)He.’ ”
5 The coastlands saw it and feared,
The ends of the earth were afraid;
They drew near and came.
6 (H)Everyone helped his neighbor,
And said to his brother,
[b]“Be of good courage!”
7 (I)So the craftsman encouraged the (J)goldsmith;[c]
He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil,
Saying, [d]“It is ready for the soldering”;
Then he fastened it with pegs,
(K)That it might not totter.
8 “But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have (L)chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My (M)friend.
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
10 (N)Fear not, (O)for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be (P)ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish.
12 You shall seek them and not find them—
[e]Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing.
13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
14 “Fear not, you (Q)worm Jacob,
You men of Israel!
I will help you,” says the Lord
And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Behold, (R)I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,
And make the hills like chaff.
16 You shall (S)winnow them, the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind shall scatter them;
You shall rejoice in the Lord,
And (T)glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the Lord, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not (U)forsake them.
18 I will open (V)rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the (W)wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the (X)desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box tree together,
20 (Y)That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
The Futility of Idols
21 “Present your case,” says the Lord.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the (Z)King of Jacob.
22 “Let(AA) them bring forth and show us what will happen;
Let them show the (AB)former things, what they were,
That we may [f]consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come.
23 (AC)Show the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods;
Yes, (AD)do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed and see it together.
24 Indeed (AE)you are nothing,
And your work is nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.
25 “I have raised up one from the north,
And he shall come;
From the [g]rising of the sun (AF)he shall call on My name;
(AG)And he shall come against princes as though mortar,
As the potter treads clay.
26 (AH)Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know?
And former times, that we may say, ‘He is righteous’?
Surely there is no one who shows,
Surely there is no one who declares,
Surely there is no one who hears your words.
27 (AI)The first time (AJ)I said to Zion,
‘Look, there they are!’
And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.
28 (AK)For I looked, and there was no man;
I looked among them, but there was no counselor,
Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29 (AL)Indeed they are all [h]worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:3 Lit. in peace
- Isaiah 41:6 Lit. Be strong
- Isaiah 41:7 refiner
- Isaiah 41:7 Or The soldering is good
- Isaiah 41:12 Lit. Men of your strife
- Isaiah 41:22 Lit. set our heart on them
- Isaiah 41:25 East
- Isaiah 41:29 So with MT, Vg.; DSS, Syr., Tg. nothing; LXX omits first line
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
La Bible du Semeur (BDS)
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.