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11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries[a] will be reduced to nothing[b] and perish.
12 When you will look for your opponents,[c] you will not find them;
your enemies[d] will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
13 For I am the Lord your God,
the one who takes hold of your right hand,
who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob,[e]
men of[f] Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your Protector,[g] the Holy One of Israel.[h]
15 “Look, I am making you like[i] a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged.[j]
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw.[k]
16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
  2. Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
  3. Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
  4. Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
  5. Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
  6. Isaiah 41:14 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
  7. Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
  8. Isaiah 41:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  9. Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
  10. Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
  11. Isaiah 41:15 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.

11 All who are incensed against you
    shall be ashamed and disgraced;
those who strive against you
    shall be as nothing and shall perish.(A)
12 You shall seek those who contend with you,
    but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
    shall be as nothing at all.(B)
13 For I, the Lord your God,
    hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Do not fear,
    I will help you.”(C)

14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
    you maggot[a] Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
    your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.(D)
15 I will make of you a threshing sledge,
    sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
    and you shall make the hills like chaff.(E)
16 You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away,
    and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the Lord;
    in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 41.14 Cn: Heb men of