New King James Version

English Standard Version

Israel Assured of God’s Help

“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

Fear Not, for I Am with You

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 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 stirred up one from the east
whom victory meets at every step?a
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.

3

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

3

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

4

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

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

5

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

6

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

6

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

7

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

7

The 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.

8

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

8

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

9

You 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:

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,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

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 righteous 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

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 them and not find them —
[e]Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing.

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, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

13

For 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.”

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.

14

Fear 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.

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.

15

Behold, 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;

16

You 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.

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

“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 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 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.

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 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,

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 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.

20

that 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

The Futility of Idols

“Present your case,” says the Lord.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.

21

The Futility of Idols

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

22

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

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

Show 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.

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.b

24

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

24

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

25

“I have raised up one from the north,
And he shall come;
From the [g]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

I 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.

26

Who 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 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.

27

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

27

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

28

For 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.

28

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

29

Indeed they are all [h]worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion.

29

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

Parallel

New King James Version

English Standard Version

Isaiah 41

Isaiah 41