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.

“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)
He pursues them and moves on unscathed,(M)
    by a path his feet have not traveled before.
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)

The islands(R) have seen it and fear;
    the ends of the earth(S) tremble.
They approach and come forward;
    they help each other
    and say to their companions, “Be strong!(T)
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)

“But you, Israel, my servant,(X)
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,(Y)
    you descendants of Abraham(Z) my friend,(AA)
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

  1. Isaiah 41:2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every step

Promesa de ayuda a Israel

41 «Guarden silencio ante Mí(A), costas[a](B),
Y renueven sus fuerzas los pueblos(C).
Acérquense(D) y entonces hablen,
Juntos vengamos a juicio(E).
-»¿Quién ha levantado del oriente(F)
Al que Él llama en justicia(G) a Sus pies[b]?
Ante Él entrega naciones(H),
Y a reyes somete(I).
Los deja como polvo con su espada(J),
Como hojarasca los dispersa con su arco(K),
Los persigue, pasando seguros
Por una senda por donde no habían andado[c] sus pies.
-»¿Quién lo ha hecho y lo ha realizado,
Llamando a las generaciones desde el principio(L)?
Yo, el Señor, soy el primero, y con los postreros(M) soy(N)».
¶Las costas[d](O) han visto y temen,
Tiemblan los confines de la tierra(P),
Se han acercado y han venido.
Cada uno ayuda a su prójimo,
Y dice a su hermano: «Sé fuerte».
El artífice anima al fundidor,
Y el que alisa a martillo, al que bate el yunque(Q),
Diciendo de la soldadura: «Está bien».
Entonces[e] asegura su obra con clavos,
Para que no se mueva(R).
«Pero tú, Israel, siervo Mío(S),
Jacob, a quien he escogido,
Descendiente[f] de Abraham(T), Mi amigo(U).
-»Tú, a quien tomé de los confines de la tierra(V),
Y desde sus lugares más remotos te llamé(W),
Y te dije: “Mi siervo eres tú;
Yo te he escogido(X) y no te he rechazado.
10 -”No temas, porque Yo estoy contigo(Y);
No te desalientes[g], porque Yo soy tu Dios.
Te fortaleceré, ciertamente te ayudaré(Z),
Sí, te sostendré con la diestra de Mi justicia(AA)”.
11 -»Ciertamente, los que se enojan contra ti serán avergonzados(AB) y humillados[h].
Los que luchen contigo serán como nada y perecerán(AC).
12 -»Buscarás a los que riñen contigo, pero no los hallarás.
Serán como nada, como si no existieran(AD), los que te hacen guerra.
13 -»Porque Yo soy el Señor tu Dios, que sostiene tu diestra(AE),
Que te dice: “No temas, Yo te ayudaré(AF)”.
14 -»No temas, gusano(AG) de Jacob, ustedes hombres de Israel.
Yo te ayudaré», declara el Señor, «tu Redentor es el Santo[i] de Israel(AH).
15 -»Te he convertido en trillo nuevo, cortante, de doble filo;
Trillarás los montes(AI) y los harás polvo(AJ),
Y los collados dejarás como hojarasca(AK).
16 -»Los aventarás(AL), el viento se los llevará,
Y la tempestad los dispersará.
Pero tú te regocijarás en el Señor(AM),
En el Santo de Israel te gloriarás.
17 ¶»Los afligidos[j] y los necesitados buscan agua, pero no la hay,
Su lengua está reseca de sed.
Yo, el Señor, les responderé(AN),
Yo, el Dios de Israel, no los abandonaré(AO).
18 -»Abriré ríos en las alturas desoladas(AP),
Y manantiales en medio de los valles.
Transformaré el desierto en estanque de aguas,
Y la tierra seca en manantiales(AQ).
19 -»Pondré en los desiertos el cedro,
La acacia, el mirto(AR) y el olivo[k];
Pondré en el lugar desolado el ciprés(AS),
Junto con el olmo y el boj(AT),
20 Para que vean y entiendan(AU),
Consideren y comprendan a una
Que la mano del Señor ha hecho esto(AV),
Que el Santo de Israel lo ha creado.
21 ¶»Presenten[l] su causa», dice el Señor.
«Expongan sus fuertes argumentos»,
Dice el Rey de Jacob(AW).
22 Que expongan y nos declaren lo que ha de suceder(AX).
En cuanto a los hechos anteriores, declaren lo que fueron,
Para que los consideremos[m] y sepamos su resultado,
O bien, anúnciennos lo que ha de venir(AY).
23 Declaren lo que ha de suceder en el futuro(AZ),
Para que sepamos que ustedes son dioses(BA).
Sí, hagan algo bueno o malo, para que nos desalentemos[n] y temamos a una(BB).
24 Miren, ustedes no son nada,
Y su obra es vana(BC);
Abominación(BD) es el que los escoge(BE).
25 ¶«Del norte levanté a uno(BF), y ha venido.
Del nacimiento del sol invocará Mi nombre,
Y vendrá sobre los gobernantes(BG), como sobre lodo,
Como el alfarero pisotea el barro(BH)».
26 ¿Quién lo anunció desde el principio, para que supiéramos,
O desde tiempos antiguos(BI), para que dijéramos: «Tiene razón?».
Ciertamente no había quien lo anunciara,
Sí, no había quien lo proclamara,
Ciertamente no había quien oyera sus palabras(BJ).
27 «Dije primero a Sión(BK): “Mira, aquí están”,
Y a Jerusalén: “Les daré un mensajero de buenas nuevas(BL)”.
28 -»Pero cuando miro, no hay nadie(BM),
Y entre ellos[o] no hay consejeros(BN)
A quienes, si les pregunto, puedan responder(BO).
29 -»Pues todos ellos son falsos[p];
Sus obras inútiles(BP),
Viento(BQ) y vacuidad sus imágenes fundidas(BR).

Footnotes

  1. 41:1 O islas.
  2. 41:2 Lit. su pie.
  3. 41:3 Lit. no había ido con.
  4. 41:5 O islas.
  5. 41:7 Lit. Y lo.
  6. 41:8 Lit. simiente.
  7. 41:10 O no seas receloso.
  8. 41:11 O confundidos.
  9. 41:14 O y tu Redentor, el Santo.
  10. 41:17 O pobres.
  11. 41:19 U oleastro.
  12. 41:21 Lit. Acercad.
  13. 41:22 Lit. pongamos nuestro corazón.
  14. 41:23 O seamos recelosos.
  15. 41:28 Lit. y de estos.
  16. 41:29 Otra posible lectura es: nada.

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.

“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?
Who pursued them, and passed [a]safely
By the way that he had not gone with his feet?
(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.’ ”

The coastlands saw it and feared,
The ends of the earth were afraid;
They drew near and came.
(H)Everyone helped his neighbor,
And said to his brother,
[b]“Be of good courage!”
(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.

“But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have (L)chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My (M)friend.
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

  1. Isaiah 41:3 Lit. in peace
  2. Isaiah 41:6 Lit. Be strong
  3. Isaiah 41:7 refiner
  4. Isaiah 41:7 Or The soldering is good
  5. Isaiah 41:12 Lit. Men of your strife
  6. Isaiah 41:22 Lit. set our heart on them
  7. Isaiah 41:25 East
  8. Isaiah 41:29 So with MT, Vg.; DSS, Syr., Tg. nothing; LXX omits first line

41 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.

He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.

Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.

The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.

They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.

So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:

20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

21 Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.

23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.

24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.

25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.

26 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.

27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

28 For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.