Historical
The Assyrians Invade Judah(A)
36 During Hezekiah’s fourteenth year as king [C 701 bc], Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of Judah and captured them. 2 The king of Assyria sent out ·his field commander [or chief advisor; or the Rabshakeh] with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem [2 Chr. 32:9]. When the commander came near the ·waterway [aqueduct; conduit] from the upper pool on the road ·where people do their laundry [or to the Launderer’s/T Fuller’s Field], he stopped. 3 Eliakim son of Hilkiah [22:20], ·the palace manager [L who was over the house], Shebna [22:15], the ·royal secretary [scribe], and Joah son of Asaph, the ·recorder [royal historian] went out to meet him.
4 The ·field commander [chief advisor; or Rabshakeh] said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this:
“‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says: ·What can you trust in now [On what do you base your confidence; Where does this confidence come from]? 5 You say you have ·battle plans [strategy; counsel] and ·power [strength] for war, but your words ·mean nothing [are empty]. Whom are you ·trusting [relying/counting on] for help so that you ·turn [rebel] against me? 6 Look, you are depending on Egypt to help you, but Egypt is like a ·splintered [broken] ·walking stick [reed]. If you lean on it for help, it will stab your hand and ·hurt [pierce] you. So it will be with the king of Egypt for all those who depend on him. 7 You might say, “We are depending on the Lord our God,” but ·Hezekiah destroyed [L did not Hezekiah destroy…?] the Lord’s altars and ·the places of worship [L high places; 2 Kin. 18:4; 2 Chr. 30:14; 31:1]. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship only at this one altar [C at the temple in Jerusalem; the Assyrian official wrongly assumes that the other altars and high places were dedicated to the Lord and that restricting worship to Jerusalem would offend him; Deut. 12].”
8 “‘Now make an ·agreement [pledge; deal] with my ·master [lord], the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough men to ride them [C a taunt that Judah’s army is too small even if Assyria were to supply it]. 9 You cannot ·defeat [repel] one of my ·master’s [lord’s] least important officers, so why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and ·horsemen [charioteers]? 10 ·I have not [L Do you think I have…?] come to attack and destroy this country without ·an order from the Lord [L the Lord]. The Lord himself told me to come ·to [against] this country and destroy it [C echoing Isaiah’s prophecy that this is judgment from the Lord].’”
11 Then Eliakim [22:20], Shebna [22:15], and Joah said to the ·field commander [chief advisor; or Rabshakeh], “Please speak to ·us [L your servants] in the Aramaic language [C the language of trade and diplomacy]. We understand it. Don’t speak to us in ·Hebrew [L Judean], because the people on the city wall can hear you.”
12 But the commander said, “My master did not send me to tell these ·things [words] only to you and your ·king [L master; lord]. He sent me to speak also to those people sitting on the wall who will have to eat their own ·dung [excrement] and drink their own urine like you [C because of shortages caused by the upcoming siege].”
13 Then the commander stood and shouted loudly in ·the Hebrew language [L Judean], “·Listen to what [L Hear the word of] the great king, the king of Assyria, says. 14 The king says you should not let Hezekiah ·fool [deceive; delude] you, because he can’t ·save [rescue; T deliver] you. 15 Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely ·save [rescue; T deliver] us. This city won’t be handed over to the king of Assyria.’
16 “Don’t listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, ‘Make peace with me, and come out of the city to me. Then everyone will be free to eat the fruit from his own grapevine and fig tree and to drink water from his own ·well [cistern; C symbols of freedom and prosperity]. 17 ·After that [L …until] I will come and take you to a land like your own—a land with grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.’
18 “Don’t let Hezekiah ·fool [mislead] you, saying, ‘The Lord will save us.’ Has a god of any other nation saved his people from the ·power [L hand] of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad [C cities conquered by Assyria; 10:9]? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim [C city in northern Syria conquered by Assyria]? They did not save Samaria from my ·power [L hand]. 20 ·Not one [L Which…?] of all the gods of these countries has ·saved [rescued; T delivered] his people from me. Neither can the Lord ·save [rescue; T deliver] Jerusalem from my ·power [L hand].”
21 ·The people [L They] were silent. They didn’t answer the commander at all, because King Hezekiah had ordered, “Don’t answer him.”
22 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah [22:20], ·the palace manager [L who was over the house], Shebna [22:15], the ·royal secretary [scribe], and Joah son of Asaph, the ·recorder [royal historian], went to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes [C a sign of grief, anguish or despair] and went in and told him what the field commander had said.
Hezekiah Asks God to Help(B)
37 When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes [C a sign of mourning or distress; 36:22] and put on ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth; C also a sign of mourning]. Then he went into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 2 Hezekiah sent Eliakim [22:20], ·the palace manager [L who was over the house], and Shebna [22:15], the ·royal secretary [scribe], and the ·older [or senior; leading; L elders of the] priests to Isaiah. They were all wearing ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth] when they came to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 They told Isaiah, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of ·sorrow [distress; trouble] and ·punishment [insults; rebuke] and ·disgrace [rejection], as when a child ·should [is ready to] be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it. 4 The king of Assyria sent his ·field commander [chief advisor; or Rabshakeh] to ·make fun of [defy; ridicule; insult] the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will hear what the commander said and will ·punish [rebuke] him for it. So pray for the ·few of us who are left alive [remnant that is left].”
5 When Hezekiah’s ·officers [officials] came to Isaiah, 6 he said to them, “Tell your ·master [lord] this: ·The Lord says [T Thus says the Lord], ‘Don’t be afraid of what you have heard. Don’t be frightened by the words the ·servants [subordinates; young men] of the king of Assyria have ·spoken [used to blaspheme] against me. 7 ·Listen [Look; T Behold]! I am going to put a spirit [C either an evil spirit or an inclination] in the king of Assyria. He will hear a report that will make him return to his own country, and I will cause him to ·die [L fall] by the sword there.’”
8 The ·field commander [chief advisor; or Rabshakeh] heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. When he went back, he found the king fighting against the city of Libnah.
9 The king received a report that Tirhakah, the ·Cushite king of Egypt [L king of Cush; C ruled 689–664 bc], was coming to attack him. When the king of Assyria heard this, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Tell Hezekiah king of Judah: Don’t be ·fooled [deceived; deluded] by the god you trust. Don’t believe him when he says Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria. 11 You ·have heard [know] what the kings of Assyria have done. They have completely defeated every country, so do ·not [L you…?] think you will be ·saved [rescued; T delivered]. 12 Did the gods of ·those people [the nations] ·save [rescue; T deliver] them? My ·ancestors [predecessors; fathers] destroyed them, defeating the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and the people of Eden living in Tel Assar [C cities in Mesopotamia]. 13 Where are the kings of Hamath and Arpad [10:9; 36:19]? Where are the kings of Sepharvaim [36:19], Hena, and Ivvah?”
Hezekiah Prays to the Lord
14 When Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. He spread the letter out before the Lord 15 and prayed ·to [before] the Lord: 16 “Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], you are the God of Israel, whose throne is ·between [above] the ·gold creatures with wings [L cherubim; Ex. 25:18–22; Ezek. 10:1], only you are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth [Gen. 1]. 17 ·Hear [L Extend/Incline your ear], Lord, and listen. Open your eyes, Lord, and see. Listen to all the words Sennacherib has said to ·insult [defy; ridicule; mock] the living God.
18 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have ·destroyed [devastated; laid waste to] all these ·countries [nations] and their lands. 19 They have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire, ·but [for] they were only wood and rock statues ·that people made [L the work of human hands]. So they have destroyed them. 20 Now, Lord our God, ·save [rescue; T deliver] us from the king’s ·power [L hand] so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, ·Lord, are the only God [L …alone are Lord; 2 Kin. 19:19].”
The Lord Answers Hezekiah
21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah that said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘You prayed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria [C from 704–681 bc]. 22 So this is what the Lord has said against Sennacherib:
The ·people of Jerusalem [L virgin daughter of Zion]
·hate you [despise] and ·make fun of [mock; scorn] you;
the ·people [L daughter] of Jerusalem
·laugh at you [L tosses her head] ·as you run away [as you flee; or behind your back].
23 ·You have insulted me and spoken against me [L Whom have you defied/ridiculed/mocked?];
·you have raised your voice against me [L against whom have you raised your voice?].
·You have a proud look on your face [L …and arrogantly lifted your eyes/gaze…?],
which is against me, the Holy One of Israel [1:4]!
24 You have sent your messengers to ·insult [defy; ridicule; mock] the Lord.
You have said, “With my many chariots
I have gone to the tops of the mountains,
to the ·highest [or remotest] mountains of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars
and its best ·pine [cypress] trees.
I have gone to its greatest heights
and its ·best [densest] forests.
25 I have dug wells in foreign ·countries [lands]
and drunk water there.
By the soles of my feet,
I have ·dried [stopped] up all the rivers of Egypt.”
26 “‘King of Assyria, ·surely you have [L have you not…?] heard.
Long ago I, the Lord, ·planned [determined; ordained] these things.
·Long ago [In ancient times/days of old] I ·designed them [planned it],
and now I have ·made them happen [brought them to pass].
I allowed you to turn those ·strong, walled [fortified] cities
into piles of ·rocks [rubble; ruins].
27 The people in those cities were ·weak [powerless; drained of strength];
they were ·frightened [dismayed] and ·put to shame [confused; confounded].
They were like grass in the field,
like tender, young ·grass [shoots],
like grass on the housetop
that is ·burned [scorched] by the wind before it can grow.
28 “‘I know ·when you rest [when you stand or sit; or where you are],
when you come and go,
and how you ·rage [rave] against me.
29 Because you ·rage [rave] against me,
and because I have heard your ·proud [arrogant] words,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth.
Then I will ·force you to leave my country [turn you back; make you retreat]
the ·same way [road] you came.’
30 “Then the Lord said, ‘Hezekiah, I will give you this sign:
This year you will eat the grain that grows ·wild [L of itself],
and the second year you will eat what ·grows [springs] from that.
But in the third year, ·plant grain [sow] and ·harvest it [reap].
Plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
31 ·Some of the people in [A remnant of] the ·family [L house] of Judah
will ·escape [survive].
·Like plants that take root [They will put down roots below],
·they will grow strong and have many children [and will bear fruit above].
32 A ·few people will come out of Jerusalem alive [remnant will spread out from Jerusalem];
·a few from Mount Zion will live […and survivors out from Mount Zion].
The ·strong love [zeal] of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
will ·make this happen [accomplish this].’
33 “So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘He will not enter this city
or even shoot an arrow here.
He will not fight against it with shields
or build a ramp to ·attack the city walls [lay siege to it].
34 He will ·return to his country [retreat] the same ·way [road] he came,
and he will not enter this city,’
says the Lord.
35 ‘I will defend and ·save [rescue; T deliver] this city
for my sake and for David, my servant.’”
The Angel of Death(C)
36 Then the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord went out and killed one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead bodies. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria left and went back to Nineveh and stayed there.
38 One day as Sennacherib was worshiping in the ·temple [L house] of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with a sword. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. So Sennacherib’s son Esarhaddon became king of Assyria.
Hezekiah’s Illness(D)
38 At that time Hezekiah became so sick he ·almost died [was about to die]. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, “·This is what the Lord says [T Thus says the Lord]: ·Make arrangements [L Set your house in order], because you are going to die. You will not recover.”
2 Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Lord, please remember that I have always ·obeyed [L walked before] you. I have ·given myself completely to you [served you wholeheartedly] and have done ·what you said was right [L right in the eyes/sight of the Lord].” Then Hezekiah ·cried loudly [wept bitterly].
4 Then the Lord spoke his word to Isaiah: 5 “Go to Hezekiah and tell him: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ·ancestor [father] David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. So I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will ·save [rescue] you and this city from [L the hand of] the king of Assyria; I will defend this city.
7 “‘The Lord will do what he ·says [promises]. This is the sign from the Lord to show you: 8 The sun has made a shadow go down the stairway of Ahaz, but I will make it go back ten steps.’” So the shadow made by the sun went back up the ten steps it had gone down.
9 After Hezekiah king of Judah got well, he wrote this ·song [or poem; L writing]:
10 I said, “I am in the ·middle [prime] of my life.
Do I have to go through the gates of ·death [or the grave; L Sheol]?
Will I have the rest of my life ·taken away [deprived; robbed] from me?”
11 I said, “I will not see ·the Lord [the Lord, the Lord; L Yah, Yah; 26:4]
in the land of the living again.
I will not again see ·the people [a human being]
who live on the earth.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent,
my home has been pulled down and taken from me.
I am like the cloth a weaver rolls up and cuts from the loom.
·In one day [L From day to night] you brought me to this end.
13 ·All night I cried loudly [or I waited patiently till morning].
Like a lion, he ·crushed [breaks] all my bones.
·In one day [L From day to night] you brought me to this end.
14 I ·cried [twitter; chatter] like a ·bird [L swallow or a crane]
and moaned like a dove.
My eyes ·became tired as I looked [grew weary from looking] to the ·heavens [heights].
Lord, I ·have troubles [am oppressed]. ·Please help me [Be my security].”
15 What can I say?
·The Lord told me what would happen and then made it happen [L He spoke to me and he did it].
I will ·be humble [wander about; shuffle along; walk slowly] all my ·life [years]
because of ·these troubles in [the bitterness of] my soul.
16 Lord, because of ·you [L these things], people live.
Because of ·you [L them], my spirit also lives;
you ·made me well [restored me] and let me live.
17 It was for my own ·good [welfare; peace; C Hebrew shalom]
that I had such ·troubles [anguish; bitterness].
Because you love me very much,
you ·did not let me die [delivered my soul from the pit of destruction/corruption]
but threw my sins
·far away [L behind your back].
18 ·People in the place of the dead [or For the grave; L For Sheol] cannot ·praise [thank] you;
·those who have died [L death] cannot ·sing praises [praise] to you;
those who ·die [L go down to the pit] ·don’t trust you
to help them [L cannot hope for your faithfulness].
19 ·The people who are alive [L The living, the living] are the ones who ·praise [thank] you.
They praise you as I praise you today.
A father should tell his children
·that you provide help [L about your faithfulness].
20 The Lord ·saved me [or will save; or is ready to save],
so we will play songs on stringed instruments
in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord
all the days of our lives.
21 Then Isaiah said, “·Make a paste from [or Take a cake of] figs and put it on Hezekiah’s boil. Then he will get well.” 22 Hezekiah ·then [or had] asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign? What will show that I will go up to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord?”
Messengers from Babylon(E)
39 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan was king of Babylon [C ruled 722–710 and 703–702 bc]. He sent ·letters [greetings] and a gift to Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and was now well. 2 Hezekiah was pleased and showed the messengers what was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices, ·expensive perfumes [precious oils], his ·swords and shields [armory], and all his ·wealth [treasures]. He showed them everything in his ·palace [L house] and in his kingdom.
3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?”
Hezekiah said, “They came from a faraway country—from Babylon.”
4 So Isaiah asked him, “What did they see in your ·palace [L house]?”
Hezekiah said, “They saw everything in my ·palace [L house]. I showed them all my ·wealth [L treasuries; store houses].”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah: “Listen to the words of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]: 6 ‘·In the future to you [The time/day is coming when] everything in your palace and everything your ·ancestors [fathers] have stored up until this day will be ·taken away [carried off] to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 7 Some of your own ·children [sons], those ·who will be born to you [you will father], will be taken away, and they will become ·servants [eunuchs] in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
8 Hezekiah told Isaiah, “These words from the Lord are good.” He said this because he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”
Israel’s Punishment Will End
40 Your God says,
“Comfort, comfort my people.
2 Speak kindly to ·the people of Jerusalem [L Jerusalem]
and tell them
that their time of ·service [or warfare] is finished,
that ·they have paid for their sins [or her sins are pardoned],
that ·the Lord has punished Jerusalem [L she has received from the Lord]
·twice [double] for every sin they did.”
3 This is the voice of one who calls out:
“Prepare in the ·desert [wilderness]
the way for the Lord.
Make a straight road in the ·dry lands [arid plain]
for our God.
4 Every valley will be ·raised up [elevated],
and every mountain and hill will be made ·flat [level; low].
The rough ground will be ·made level [smoothed out],
and the rugged ground will be made ·smooth [into a plain].
5 Then the glory of the Lord [C his manifest presence] will be ·shown [revealed],
and all ·people [flesh] together will see it.
·The Lord himself said these things [L For the mouth of the Lord has spoken].”
6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Then I[a] said, “What shall I cry out?”
“Say all ·people [flesh] are like the grass,
and all their glory[b] is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass ·dies [withers] and the flowers fall
when the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are like grass.
8 The grass ·dies [withers] and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God will ·live [endure; stand] forever.”
9 ·Jerusalem [L Zion], ·you have good news to tell [herald of good news].
Go up on a high mountain.
Jerusalem, ·you have good news to tell [herald of good news].
Shout out loud the good news.
Shout it out and don’t be afraid.
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God.”
10 Look, the Lord God is coming with power
·to rule all the people [L his arm rules for him].
Look, ·he will bring reward for his people [L his reward is with him];
·he will have their payment with him [L his payment/prize is before him].
11 He ·takes care of his people [L tends his flock] like a shepherd.
He gathers them like lambs in his arms
and carries them ·close to him [on his chest/bosom].
He gently leads the mothers of the lambs.
God Is Supreme
12 Who has measured the ·oceans [L waters] in the ·palm [hollow] of his hand?
Who has used ·his hand [L a span; C the distance between the extended thumb and little finger] to measure the ·sky [heavens]?
Who has used a bowl to measure all the dust of the earth
and ·scales to weigh the mountains and [L a balance (to weigh) the] hills?
13 Who has ·known [comprehended; or directed; or measured] the ·mind [or Spirit] of the Lord
or been able to ·give him advice [instruct him as counselor; Job 38:2; Rom. 11:34]?
14 Whom did he ·ask for help [take counsel from]?
Who taught him the ·right way [path/way of justice/judgment]?
Who taught him knowledge
and showed him the way to understanding?
15 [L Look; T Behold] The nations are like one small drop in a bucket;
they are ·no more than [regarded as] the dust on his measuring scales.
·To him the islands are no more than fine dust on his scales [L He weighs/or lifts the coastlands/islands like fine dust].
16 ·All the trees in Lebanon are not enough [L Lebanon is not sufficient] for the altar fires,
and all the animals in Lebanon are not enough for burnt offerings.
17 ·Compared to the Lord [L Before him] all the nations are worth nothing;
to him they are ·less than nothing [L nothing and void/empty].
18 To whom can you compare God?
To what image can you compare him?
19 An idol is ·formed [cast] by a craftsman,
and a goldsmith ·covers [overlays] it with gold
and ·makes [forms; refines] silver chains for it.
20 A poor person cannot ·buy those expensive statues [make such an offering],
so he finds a tree that will not rot.
Then he finds a skilled craftsman
to make it into an idol that will not fall over.
21 ·Surely you [L Do you not…?] know. ·Surely you have [L Have you not…?] heard.
·Surely [L Has not…?] from the beginning someone told you.
·Surely you [L Do you not…?] understand ·how the earth was created [or from the foundations of the earth].
22 ·God sits on his throne [L He sits] above the ·circle [horizon] of the earth,
and ·compared to him, [L its] people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the ·skies [heavens] like a ·piece of cloth [canopy; curtain]
and spreads them out like a tent to ·sit under [or live in].
23 He makes rulers ·unimportant [nothing]
and the judges of this world ·worth nothing [insignificant; useless].
24 ·They are like plants that are placed in the ground [L Indeed, they are barely planted],
·like seeds that are planted [L indeed, they are barely sown].
·As soon as they begin to grow strong [L Indeed, they barely take root],
he blows on them and they ·die [wither],
and the ·wind [storm; whirlwind] blows them away like ·chaff [straw].
25 The Holy One [1:4], says, “To whom can you compare me?
Is anyone equal to me?”
26 Look up to the ·skies [heavens].
Who created ·all these stars [L these]?
He leads out the ·army [hosts] of heaven one by one
and calls ·all the stars [L them all] by name.
Because ·he is strong and powerful [L of his great strength and mighty power],
not one of them is missing.
27 ·People of Jacob [L Jacob], why do you complain?
·People of Israel [L Israel], why do you say,
“The Lord does not see ·what happens to me [L my way/path];
he ·does not care if I am treated fairly [disregards my cause]”?
28 ·Surely you [L Do you not…?] know.
·Surely you have [L Have you not…?] heard.
The Lord is the ·God who lives forever [everlasting God],
who created ·all [L the ends of] the ·world [earth].
He does not become tired or ·need to rest [weary].
No one can ·understand [fathom; comprehend] how great his ·wisdom [knowledge] is.
29 He gives strength to those who are tired
and more power to those who are weak.
30 Even ·children [youths; young people] become tired and ·need to rest [weary],
and young ·people [men] ·trip and fall [fall in exhaustion].
31 But the people who ·trust [hope in; wait on] the Lord will become strong again.
They will rise up ·as an eagle in the sky [L with wings like eagles];
they will run and not ·need rest [grow weary];
they will walk and not ·become tired [T faint].
The Lord Will Help Israel
41 The Lord says, “·Faraway countries [or Coastlands; or Islands], listen to me.
Let the nations ·become strong [renew their strength].
·Come to me [Approach] and speak;
·we will [or let us] meet together ·to decide who is right [for judgment/or debate].
2 “Who ·caused the one to come [stirs up one] from the east [C the Persian king Cyrus the Great; 44:28—45:6; 46:11; 48:14–16]?
Who ·gives him victories everywhere he goes [or calls him in righteousness to his service/L foot]?
He [C the Lord] gives nations over to him
and ·defeats [subdues] kings.
He uses his sword, and kings become like dust.
He uses his bow, and they are blown away like ·chaff [straw].
3 He chases them and ·is never hurt [L passes by in peace],
·going places he has never been before [L by a path his feet have not gone].
4 Who caused this to happen?
·Who has controlled history [L …calling generations] since the beginning?
I, the Lord, am the one. ·I was here at the beginning,
and I will be here when all things are finished [or…the First and the Last; or…with them at the first and the last; L first and with them at the last].”
5 All you ·faraway places [or islands; or coastlands], look and be afraid;
all you ·places far away on [ends of] the earth, shake with fear.
Come close and ·listen to [approach] me.
6 ·The workers help each other [A man helps his companion/neighbor]
and say to ·each other [his brother], “Be strong!”
7 The ·craftsman [engraver; metal worker] encourages the goldsmith,
and the workman who smooths the metal with a hammer encourages the one who ·shapes the metal [strikes the anvil].
He says, “This ·metal work [welding; soldering] is ·good [sound; well crafted].”
He nails the statue to a base so it can’t fall over [C the nations find false hope and baseless courage in their idols; vv. 28–29].
Only the Lord Can Save Us
8 ·The Lord says, “People of Israel, you are my servants [L “You Israel, my servant].
·People of Jacob, I chose you [L Jacob, whom I have chosen; 44:1].
You are ·from the family [descendants; offspring; seed] of my friend Abraham [Gen. 12:1–3].
9 I took you from ·places far away on [L the ends of] the earth
and called you from ·a faraway country [its farthest parts].
I said, ‘You are my ·servants [L servant].’
I have chosen you and have not ·turned against [rejected; thrown away] you.
10 So don’t ·worry [fear], because I am with you.
Don’t be ·afraid [dismayed], because I am your God.
I will ·make you strong [strengthen you] and will help you;
I will ·support [uphold] you with my ·right hand that saves you [or righteous right hand; C a symbol of power to save and protect; Ex. 15:6; Ps. 63:8].
11 “[L Look; T Behold] All those people who ·are angry with [seethe/rage against] you
will be ashamed and disgraced.
Those who ·are [strive] against you
will ·disappear [become nothing] and ·be lost [perish].
12 You will look for your enemies,
but you will not find them.
Those who ·fought [wage war] against you
will ·vanish completely [be as nothing].
13 [L For; Because] I am the Lord your God,
who holds your right hand,
and I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid.
I will help you.’
14 Do not be afraid ·even though you are weak as a worm [L you worm, Jacob],
you ·few people of Israel who are left [or people of Israel; or maggot, Israel].
I myself will help you,” says the Lord.
“·The one who saves you [Your redeemer/protector] is the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
15 Look, I ·have made [or will make] you like a new threshing ·board [sledge]
with many sharp teeth.
So you will ·walk on [thresh the] mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like ·chaff [straw].
16 You will ·throw them into the air [winnow them], and the wind will carry them away;
a ·windstorm [gale; tempest] will scatter them.
Then you will ·be happy [rejoice] in the Lord;
you will ·be proud of [boast in] the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
17 “The poor and needy people look for water,
but ·they can’t find any [there is none].
Their tongues are ·dry [parched] with thirst.
But I, the Lord, will answer ·their prayers [L them];
I, the God of Israel, will not ·leave them to die [L abandon/forsake them].
18 I will ·make rivers flow [L open rivers] on the ·dry hills [barren heights]
and springs flow through the valleys.
I will change the ·desert [wilderness] into ·a lake [pools] of water
and the ·dry [arid; parched] land into ·fountains [springs] of water.
19 I will ·make trees grow [plant; put] in the ·desert [wilderness]—
cedars, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees.
I will put pine, fir, and cypress trees
growing together in the desert.
20 [L …so that] People will see these things and ·understand [know];
they will ·think carefully about these things [consider] and ·learn [comprehend]
that the Lord’s ·power [L hand] did this,
that the Holy One of Israel [1:4] ·made these things [created it].”
The Lord Challenges False Gods
21 The Lord says, “Present your case.”
The King of Jacob says, “·Tell me [Produce; Bring forth] your ·arguments [evidence; L strong words].
22 ·Bring in your idols [L Let them come forward] to tell us
what is going to happen.
Have them tell us ·what happened in the beginning [the former things].
Then we will ·think about [consider] these things,
and we will know ·how they will turn out [their outcome; how they were fulfilled].
Or tell us ·what will happen in the future [things to come].
23 Tell us what is coming next
so we will ·believe [know] that you are gods.
Do something, whether it is good or bad,
and make us ·afraid [or dismayed and afraid].
24 [L Look; T Behold] ·You gods [L You] are less than nothing;
you can’t do anything.
Those who ·worship [L choose] you ·should be hated [are detestable/an abomination].
25 “I have ·brought [stirred up] someone to come out of the north [C Cyrus, king of Persia; 41:2; 44:28—45:6; 46:11; 48:14–16].
·I have called him by name from the east [or…one from the east/rising sun who calls on my name].
He ·walks on kings [tramples on rulers] as if they were ·mud [mortar],
just as a potter ·walks [treads] on the clay.
26 Who ·told us about [declared; decreed] this ·before it happened [L from the beginning]?
Who told us ahead of time so we could say, ‘He was right’?
·None of you [L Indeed no one] told us anything;
·none of you [L indeed no one] told us before it happened;
·no one [L indeed no one] heard you tell about it.
27 I, the Lord, was the first one to tell ·Jerusalem [L Zion] ·that the people were coming home [or “Look, help is coming!”; L “Look, here they are!”].
I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the good news.
28 I ·look at the idols [L look], but there is ·not one that can answer [L no one/man].
None of them can give ·advice [counsel];
none of them can answer my questions.
29 Look, all these idols are ·false [a deception/delusion; or foolish; worthless].
They cannot do anything;
their images are ·worth nothing [wind and confusion/chaos; or empty wind].
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.