Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1"Be silent before me, coasts and islands! And let peoples renew their strength. Let them approach; let them testify; let's come together for the trial.

1Listen 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.

2Who has stirred up someone from the east? In righteousness he calls him to serve. The LORD hands nations over to him, and he subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, like wind-driven stubble with his bow.

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

3He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet.

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

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

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

5The coasts and islands see and are afraid, the whole earth trembles. They approach and arrive.

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

6Each one helps the other, and says to another, "Take courage!"

6Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

7The craftsman encourages the metalworker; the one who flattens with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good." He fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over.

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

8But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, my friend--

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

9I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are my servant; I have chosen you; I haven't rejected you.

9you 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”;

10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.

10fear 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 righteous right hand.

11Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish.

11Behold, 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.

12You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing.

12You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.

13For I am the LORD your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.

13For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

14Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel. I will help you'--this is the LORD's declaration. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

14Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15See, 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.

15Behold, I 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;

16You will winnow them 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.

16you 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.

17The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I will answer them. I am the LORD, the God of Israel. I will not abandon them.

17When 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.

18I will open rivers on the barren heights, and springs in the middle of the plains. I will turn the desert into a pool and dry land into springs.

18I 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.

19I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the wilderness. I will put juniper trees, elms, and cypress trees together in the desert,

19I 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,

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

20that they 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"Submit your case," says the LORD. "Present your arguments," says Jacob's King.

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

22"Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell us the past events, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome, or tell us the future.

22Let 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.

23Tell us the coming events, then we will know that you are gods. Indeed, do something good or bad, then we will be in awe when we see it.

23Tell 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.

24Look, you are nothing and your work is worthless. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.

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

25"I have stirred up one from the north, and he has come, one from the east who invokes my name. He will march over rulers as if they were mud, like a potter who treads the clay.

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

26Who 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.

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

27I was the first to say to Zion, 'Look! Here they are!' And I gave Jerusalem a herald with good news.

27I was the first to say to Zion, “Behold, here they are!” and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news.

28When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say.

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

29Look, all of them are a delusion; their works are nonexistent; their images are wind and emptiness.

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

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.