Parallel Bible results for "isaiah 41"

Isaiah 41

Revised Standard Version RSV

1 Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.

2 Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings under foot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow.

3 He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod.

4 Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He.

5 The coastlands have seen and are afraid, the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come.

6 Every one helps his neighbor, and says to his brother, "Take courage!"

7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good"; and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.

8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;

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 have chosen you and not cast you off";

10 fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

11 Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.

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.

13 For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I will help you."

14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15 Behold, I will make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff;

16 You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

18 I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together;

20 that men may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

21 Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.

22 Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come.

23 Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.

24 Behold, you are nothing, and your work is nought; an abomination is he who chooses you.

25 I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call on my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.

26 Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforetime, that we might say, "He is right"? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words.

27 I first have declared it to Zion, and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good tidings.

28 But when I look there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer.

29 Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their molten images are empty wind.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 "Be silent and listen to me, you coastlands. Let the people gain new strength. Let them come near and speak. Let us come together for judgment.

2 "Who has raised up from the east someone to whom the LORD gives victory with every step he takes? Nations are handed over to him. He defeats kings. With his sword he turns them into dust. With his bow he turns them into straw blown by the wind.

3 He chases them, marching by safely on a path his feet have never traveled before.

4 Who has accomplished this? Who has determined the course of history from the beginning? I, the LORD, was there first, and I will be there to the end. I am the one!"

5 The coastlands have seen him and are afraid. The ends of the earth tremble. They have come near and gathered together.

6 People help their neighbors and say to their relatives, "Be brave!"

7 Craftsmen encourage goldsmiths. Metalsmiths encourage blacksmiths who work at their anvils. They say that their soldering is good. And they fasten things with nails so they won't move.

8 "But you are my servant Israel, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendant of Abraham, my dear friend.

9 I have taken you from the ends of the earth and called you from its most distant places. I said to you, 'You are my servant. I've chosen you; I haven't rejected you.'

10 Don't be afraid, because I am with you. Don't be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with my victorious right hand.

11 "Everyone who is angry with you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who oppose you will be reduced to nothing and disappear.

12 You will search for your enemies, but you will not find them. Those who are at war with you will be reduced to nothing and no longer exist.

13 I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand and say to you, 'Don't be afraid; I will help you.'

14 Don't be afraid, Jacob, you worm. You people of Israel, I will help you," declares the LORD, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel.

15 "I am going to make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp, double-edged teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them to dust. You will turn the hills into straw.

16 You will winnow them. The wind will carry them away. The windstorm will scatter them. But you will find joy in the LORD and praise the Holy One of Israel.

17 "The poor and needy are looking for water, but there is none. Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.

18 I will make rivers flow on bare hilltops. I will make springs flow through valleys. I will turn deserts into lakes. I will turn dry land into springs.

19 I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and wild olive trees in the desert. I will place cedar, fir, and cypress trees together in the wilderness.

20 People will see and know. Together they will consider and understand that the LORD's power has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

21 "Present your case," says the LORD. "Bring forward your best arguments," says Jacob's king.

22 "Bring [your idols] so they can tell us what's going to happen. Explain past events that your idols told you about so that we may consider them and know what their outcome will be. Tell us about future events.

23 Tell us what's going to happen so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something, good or evil, to intimidate us and make us afraid.

24 You are nothing! You can't do anything! Whoever chooses you is disgusting.

25 "I have raised up someone from the north, and he has come. He will call on my name from the east. He will attack rulers as if they were mud, as if he were treading on clay like a potter.

26 Who revealed this from the beginning so that we could know it? Who revealed this from the past so that we could say that he was right? No one revealed it. No one announced it. No one heard your words.

27 I was the first to tell Zion, 'Look, here they are.' I gave Jerusalem a messenger with the good news.

28 When I look, there is no one. There is no one to advise them. When I ask them a question, will they give an answer?

29 All of them are nothing. They can't do anything. Their statues are nothing but air."