Parallel Bible results for "isaiah 41"

Isaiah 41

New Living Translation NLT

1 “Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.

2 “Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God’s service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind.

3 He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar ground.

4 Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he.”

5 The lands beyond the sea watch in fear. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war.

6 The idol makers encourage one another, saying to each other, “Be strong!”

7 The carver encourages the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine.” Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over.

8 “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend,

9 I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.

10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

11 “See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing.

12 You will look in vain for those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing.

13 For I hold you by your right hand— I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

14 Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’

15 You will be a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth. You will tear your enemies apart, making chaff of mountains.

16 You will toss them into the air, and the wind will blow them all away; a whirlwind will scatter them. Then you will rejoice in the LORD . You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 “When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.

18 I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.

19 I will plant trees in the barren desert— cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine.

20 I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means— that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it.

21 “Present the case for your idols,” says the LORD . “Let them show what they can do,” says the King of Israel.

22 “Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen.

23 Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods. In fact, do anything—good or bad! Do something that will amaze and frighten us.

24 But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Those who choose you pollute themselves.

25 “But I have stirred up a leader who will approach from the north. From the east he will call on my name. I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will trample them as a potter treads on clay.

26 “Who told you from the beginning that this would happen? Who predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one said a word!

27 I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look! Help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news.

28 Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked.

29 See, they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind.

Common English Bible CEB

1 Be quiet before me, coastlands. Let the nations renew their strength. Let them approach and speak. Let's draw near for a judgment.

2 Who has awakened one from the east and has authority to summon him to serve— giving him nations, conquering kings, making them like dust with his sword, like scattered straw with his bow?

3 He pursues them and passes untouched, needing no path for his feet.

4 Who has acted and who has done this, calling upon generation after generation since the beginning? I, the LORD, was first, and I will be the last!

5 The coastlands see and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near and arrive.

6 Each helps the other, each saying to the other, "Take courage!"

7 The craftsman encourages the metalworker; the one who smoothes with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil, saying of the welding, "That's good," and strengthening it with nails so it won't move.

8 But you, Israel my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham, whom I love,

9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant; I chose you and didn't reject you":

10 Don't fear, because I am with you; don't be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand.

11 All who rage against you will be shamed and disgraced. Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.

12 You will look for your opponents, and won't find them. Those who fight you will be of no account and will die.

13 I am the LORD your God, who grasps your strong hand, who says to you, Don't fear; I will help you.

14 Don't fear, worm of Jacob, people of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD. The holy one of Israel is your redeemer.

15 Look, I've made you into a new threshing tool with sharp teeth. You will thresh mountains and pulverize them; you will reduce hills to straw.

16 When you winnow them, the wind will carry them off; the tempest will scatter them. You will rejoice in the LORD and take pride in the holy one of Israel.

17 The poor and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will respond to them; I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them.

18 I will open streams on treeless hilltops and springs in valleys. I will make the desert into ponds and dry land into cascades of water.

19 I will plant in the desert cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees; I will put in the wilderness cypress, elm, and pine as well,

20 so that they will see and know and observe and comprehend that the LORD's hand has done this, and the holy one of Israel has created it.

21 Present your case, says the LORD. Bring forward your evidence, says Jacob's king.

22 Let the idols approach and tell us what will happen. The prior things—what are they? Announce them, and we'll think about them and know their significance. Or proclaim to us what is to come!

23 Report things that will happen in the future, then we'll know that you are gods. Do good! Or do bad! Then we will all be afraid and fearful.

24 Look! You are nobody, and your deeds are nothing. Whoever chooses you is disgusting.

25 I woke up one from the north and he came; from the east, one who calls my name. He tramples governors like mud, as a potter treads clay.

26 Who announced this from the start so that we would know; from an earlier time so we would say, "That's right"? Truly, no one announced it, no one proclaimed it, and no one heard your words.

27 I first said it to Zion, "Look, here they are"; to Jerusalem I now send a herald.

28 But I look, and there's no one among them, no counselor; and when I ask, no one can answer.

29 Look, all of them are frauds; their deeds amount to nothing; their images are a total delusion.