Isaiah 41

1 “Be silent before me, you coastlands, and let the people renew their strength! Let them come forward, then let them speak together— let’s draw near for a ruling.ISV — Isaiah 41:1

2 Who has aroused victory from the east, and ^{a41:2 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack and} has summoned it to his service, and ^{b41:2 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks and} has handed over nations to him? Who brings down kings, and ^{c41:2 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks and} turns them into dust with his sword, into windblown stubble with his bow?ISV — Isaiah 41:2

3 And ^{d41:3 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and} who pursues them and ^{e41:3 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack and} moves on unscathed by a path that his feet don’t know? ^{f41:3 So 1QIsaa; MT reads travel}ISV — Isaiah 41:3

4 Who has performed and carried this out, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and will be with the last —I am the One!”ISV — Isaiah 41:4

5 “The coastlands have looked and are afraid; the ends of the earth have drawn near together ^{g41:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads earth tremble} and come forward.ISV — Isaiah 41:5

6 Each helps his neighbor, saying ^{h41:6 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read and saying; cf. LXX} to each other, ‘Be strong!’ISV — Isaiah 41:6

7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and the hammersmith ^{i41:7 Lit. he who smoothes with the hammer} encourages the one who strikes the anvil. He says ^{j41:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads saying} about the welding, ‘It’s good!’ and he reinforces it with nails so that it won’t topple.”ISV — Isaiah 41:7

8 “But as for you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I’ve chosen, the offspring of my friend Abraham—ISV — Isaiah 41:8

9 you whom I encouraged from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corners, and told you, ‘You’re my servant, I’ve chosen you and haven’t cast you aside.’ISV — Isaiah 41:9

10 Don’t be afraid, because I’m with you; don’t be anxious, because I am your God. I keep on strengthening you; I’m truly helping you. I’m surely upholding you with my victorious right hand.”ISV — Isaiah 41:10

11 “Look! All who are enraged at you will be put to shame and disgraced; those who contend with you will all die. ^{k41:11 So 1QIsaa; MT reads will become nothing and die; cf. LXX}ISV — Isaiah 41:11

12 Those who quarrel with you ^{l41:12 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read You will seek them and not find those who quarrel with you} will be as nothing; those who fight you like nothing at all!”ISV — Isaiah 41:12

13 “For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you.ISV — Isaiah 41:13

14 Don’t be afraid, you little worm Jacob, and ^{m41:14 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks and} you insects of Israel! I myself will help you,’ ^{n41:14 1QIsaa is masculine; MT is feminine} declares the LORD, your ^{o41:14 1QIsaa is masculine; MT is feminine} Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”ISV — Isaiah 41:14

15 “See, I’m making you ^{p41:15 1QIsaa is masculine; MT is feminine} into a new, sharp, and multi-tooth threshing sledge. You’ll thresh and crush the mountains, and make the hills like chaff.ISV — Isaiah 41:15

16 You’ll winnow them, and the wind will lift them up, and a tempest will blow them away. Then you’ll rejoice in the LORD, and ^{q41:16 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks and} you’ll make your boast in the Holy One of Israel.”ISV — Isaiah 41:16

17 “As for the poor, the needy, those seeking ^{r41:17 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read poor and the needy seeking} water— when there is none and their tongues are parched from thirst— I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, won’t abandon them.ISV — Isaiah 41:17

18 I’ll open up rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I’ll turn the ^{s41:18 So 1QIsaa; MT implies the} desert into a pool of water, and the parched land into springs of water.ISV — Isaiah 41:18

19 I’ll put cedar trees in the wilderness, along with acacia, myrtle, and olive trees. I’ll plant cypresses in the desert— box ^{t41:19 Or elm} trees, and pine trees together—ISV — Isaiah 41:19

20 all so that people may see and recognize, perceive, ^{u41:20 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsaa corrector MT LXX read to consider} consider, and comprehend at the same time, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and that the Holy One of Israel has created it.”ISV — Isaiah 41:20

21 “Put forward your case!” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments!” says Jacob’s King.ISV — Isaiah 41:21

22 Let them approach and ask us, ‘What will happen? As to the former things, what were they? Tell us, so that we may consider them and know. Or ^{v41:22 So 1QIsaa; MT reads them. And we may know} the latter things or the things to come— let us hear.ISV — Isaiah 41:22

23 Tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods! Yes, do something good or something bad, so we may hear ^{w41:23 So 1QIsaa; MT reads stare at one another; cf. LXX} and gaze at it together.’”ISV — Isaiah 41:23

24 “Look! You and your work are less than nothing; ^{x41:24 So 1QIsaa; MT reads you are nothing, and your work means nothing} whoever finds you pleasing is disgusting.”ISV — Isaiah 41:24

25 “You are stirring up ^{y41:25 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read I am raising} one from the north, and they are coming ^{z41:25 So 1QIsaa; MT reads I am raising} from the rising of the sun; and ^{aa41:25 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack and} he will be called by his ^{bb41:25 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read my} name. Rulers will arrive like mud; ^{cc41:25 i.e. like an overflowing river; so 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads He will come, rulers like mud} just ^{dd41:25 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and} like a potter, he will trample the clay.ISV — Isaiah 41:25

26 Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could ask, ‘Is it right?’ ^{ee41:26 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads He was right} Indeed, no one told of this, no one made an announcement, and no one heard your words:ISV — Isaiah 41:26

27 First, to Zion: “There is slumber.” ^{ff41:27 So 1QIsaa; MT reads look, there they are} And to Jerusalem: “I’ll send a messenger with good news.”ISV — Isaiah 41:27

28 But when I look, there is no one— among them there’s no one to give counsel, no one to give an answer when I ask them.ISV — Isaiah 41:28

29 See, none of them exist, and their deeds are nothing. ^{gg41:29 So 1QIsaa; MT reads all of their works are utterly nothing} Their metal images are only wind and confusion.’”ISV — Isaiah 41:29