New King James Version

New Living Translation

1“Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, And let the people renew their strength! Let them come near, then let them speak; Let us come near together for judgment.

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 raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings? Who gave them as the dust to his sword, As driven stubble to his bow?

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.

3Who pursued them, and passed safely By the way that he had not gone with his feet?

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

4Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the LORD, am the first; And with the last I am He.’ ”

4Who 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.”

5The coastlands saw it and feared, The ends of the earth were afraid; They drew near and came.

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

6Everyone helped his neighbor, And said to his brother, “Be of good courage!”

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

7So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith; He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil, Saying, “It is ready for the soldering”; Then he fastened it with pegs, That it might not totter.

7The 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 you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.

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

9You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away:

9I 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.

10Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

10Don’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“Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish.

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

12You shall seek them and not find them— Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing.

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

13For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

13For 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“Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you,” says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

14Though 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“Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, And make the hills like chaff.

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

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

16You 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“The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

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.

18I will open rivers in desolate 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.

18I 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.

19I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together,

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

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

20I 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 your case,” says the LORD. “Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.

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 bring forth and show us what will happen; Let them show the former things, what they were, That we may consider them, And know the latter end of them; Or declare to us things to come.

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.

23Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That we may be dismayed and see it together.

23Yes, 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.

24Indeed you are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.

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

25“I have raised up one from the north, And he shall come; From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name; And he shall come against princes as though mortar, As the potter treads clay.

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.

26Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? And former times, that we may say, ‘He is righteous’? Surely there is no one who shows, Surely there is no one who declares, Surely there is no one who hears your words.

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!

27The first time I said to Zion, ‘Look, there they are!’ And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.

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

28For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

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

29Indeed they are all worthless; Their works are nothing; Their molded images are wind and confusion.

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

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.