Isaiah 41:11-16
New English Translation
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.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
- Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
- Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
- Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
- Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
- 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.”
- Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
- Isaiah 41:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
- Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
- Isaiah 41:15 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
Isaiah 41:11-16
Christian Standard Bible
11 Be sure that all who are enraged against you
will be ashamed and disgraced;(A)
those who contend with you
will become as nothing and will perish.
12 You will look for those who contend with you,
but you will not find them.
Those who war against you
will become absolutely nothing.
13 For I am the Lord your God,(B)
who holds your right hand,
who says to you, “Do not fear,
I will help you.
14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,(C)
you men[a] of Israel.
I will help you”—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
Your Redeemer(D) is the Holy One of Israel.(E)
15 See, I will make you into a sharp threshing board,
new, with many teeth.
You will thresh mountains and pulverize them
and make hills into chaff.(F)
16 You will winnow them(G)
and a wind will carry them away,
a whirlwind will scatter them.
But you will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
Footnotes
- 41:14 LXX reads small number; DSS read dead ones
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