1“Be silent before Me, you coastlands, and let peoples renew their power! Let them come near, then let them speak. Let us come together for right-ruling.

2“Who raised up the righteous one from the east, called him to His foot, gave the nations before him, and made sovereigns submit to him? He gave them as the dust to his sword, as driven stubble to his bow.

3“He pursued them, passed over in safety, by a path that he had not gone with his feet.

4“Who has performed and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? ‘I, יהוה, am the first, and with the last I am He.’ ”

5Coastlands see it and fear, the ends of the earth are afraid – they draw near and come.

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

7And the craftsman encourages the goldsmith. He who smooths with the hammer inspires him who strikes the anvil, saying of the joining, “It is good.” And he fastens it with nails, so it does not totter.

8“But you, Yisra’ĕl, are My servant, Ya‛aqoḇ, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Aḇraham My friend,

9whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest parts, and said to You, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

10‘Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not look around, for I am your Elohim. I shall strengthen you, I shall also help you, I shall also uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.’

11“See, all those who raged against you are ashamed and blush, they are as non-existent. And the men who strive with you perish.

12“You seek them but do not find them, those who struggle with you. Those who fight you are as non-existent, as naught.

13“For I, יהוה your Elohim, am holding your right hand, saying to you, ‘Do not fear, I shall help you.’

14“Do not fear, you worm Ya‛aqoḇ, you men of Yisra’ĕl! I shall help you,” declares יהוה and your Redeemer, the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl.

15“See, I shall make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth, let you thresh mountains and beat them small, and make hills like chaff.

16“You winnow them, the wind lifts them up, and the whirlwind scatters them; but you, you rejoice in יהוה, and boast in the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl.

17“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongues have failed for thirst, I, יהוה, do answer them; I, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, do not forsake them.

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

19“I set in the wilderness cedar, acacia and myrtle and oil tree; I place in the desert cypress, pine and box tree together.

20“So that they see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of יהוה has done this, and the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl has created it.

21“Present your case,” says יהוה. “Let your strong ones come near,” says the Sovereign of Ya‛aqoḇ.

22“Let them draw near and declare to us what is going to take place; let them declare the former events, what they were, and we consider them, and know the latter end of them; or announce to us what is coming.

23“Declare the events that are going to come hereafter, and we know that you are mighty ones; yea, do good or do evil, and let us be amazed and see it together.

24“See, you are of naught, and your work a breath; he who chooses you is an abomination.

25“I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes; from the rising of the sun he calls on My Name. And he comes against princes as though mortar, as the potter treads clay.

26“Who has declared from the beginning, and we know? and former times, and we say, ‘He is righteous’? No, no one is declaring; no, no one is proclaiming; no, no one is hearing your words.

27“He who is First said to Tsiyon, ‘See, see them!’ And to Yerushalayim I give one who brings good news.

28“And I see that there is no man, and of these, there is no counsellor, who, when I ask of them, answers a word.

29“See, all of them are useless, their works are naught, their moulded images are wind and confusion.