25 “I have stirred up one from the north,(A) and he has come,
one from the east(B) who invokes my[a] name.(C)
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,[b]
‘Look! Here they are!’
And I gave Jerusalem a herald with good news.(D)
28 When I look, there is no one;
there is no counselor among them;
when I ask them, they have nothing to say.(E)
29 Look, all of them are a delusion;[c]
their works are nonexistent;
their images are wind and emptiness.

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Footnotes

  1. 41:25 DSS read his
  2. 41:27 Lit First to Zion
  3. 41:29 DSS, Syr read are nothing

25 “I have stirred(A) up one from the north,(B) and he comes—
    one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(C) on rulers as if they were mortar,
    as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(D) so we could know,
    or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
    no one foretold(E) it,
    no one heard any words(F) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(G) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
    I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(H)
28 I look but there is no one(I)
    no one among the gods to give counsel,(J)
    no one to give answer(K) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
    Their deeds amount to nothing;(L)
    their images(M) are but wind(N) and confusion.

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