Isaiah 41 Parallel Bible Translations

Isaiah 41 ▼
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1 “Listen to Me in silence, you islands and coastlands, And let the nations gain their strength; Let them come near, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment [and decide the issue between us concerning the enemy from the east]. 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. “Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred up and put into action one from the east [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great] Whom He calls in righteousness to His service and whom victory meets at every step? The LORD turns nations over to him And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, Like wind-driven chaff with his bow. Who 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. “Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.
3 “He (Cyrus) pursues them and passes along safely, By a way his feet had not traveled before. He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod. He pursues them and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled before.
4 “Who has performed and done this, Calling forth [and guiding the destinies of] the generations [of the nations] from the beginning? ‘I, the LORD—the first, and with the last [existing before history began, the ever-present, unchanging God]—I am He.’” Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.”
5 The islands and coastlands have seen and they fear; The ends of the earth tremble; They have drawn near and have come. The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come. The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward;
6 They each help his neighbor And say to his brother [as he fashions his idols], “Be of good courage!” Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!” they help each other and say to their companions, “Be strong!”
7 So the craftsman encourages the goldsmith, And he who smooths metal with the smith’s hammer encourages him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering (welding), “That is good”; And he fastens the idol with nails, So that it will not totter nor be moved. 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. The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, “It is good.” The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.
8 “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The offspring of Abraham My friend, But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,
9 You whom I [the LORD] have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not rejected you [even though you are exiled]. 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”; I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 ‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’ 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. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 “Indeed, all those who are angry with you will be put to shame and humiliated; Those who strive against you will be as nothing and will perish. 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. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.
12 “You shall search for those who quarrel with you, but will not find them; They who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all. 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. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.
13 “For I the LORD your God keep hold of your right hand; [I am the Lord], Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’ 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.” For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
14 “Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you,” declares the LORD, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 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. Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 “In fact, I have made of you a new, sharp threshing implement with sharp edges; You will thresh the mountains and crush them, And make the hills like chaff. 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; “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.
16 “You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And a high wind will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the LORD, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. 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. You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none; Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them Myself; I, the God of Israel, will not neglect them. 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. “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 “I will open rivers on the barren heights And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a reed-pool of water And the dry land springs of water. 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. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.
19 “I will put the cedar in the wilderness, The acacia, the myrtle and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert Together with the box tree and the cypress, 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, I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together,
20 So that they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, That the Holy One of Israel has created it. 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. so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21 “Present your case [for idols made by men’s hands],” says the LORD. “Produce your evidence [of divinity],” Says the king of Jacob. Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.
22 Let them bring forward [their evidence] and tell us what is going to happen. Regarding the former events, tell what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome; Or announce to us the things that are going to come. 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. “Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come,
23 Tell us the things that are to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, you should do something good or do evil, that we may be afraid and fear [you] together [as we observe the miracle]. 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. tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.
24 Hear this! You [idols] are less than nothing, And your work is worthless; The worshiper who chooses you [as a god] is repulsive. Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you. But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable.
25 “I have stirred up and put into action one from the north [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great], and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My Name [in prayer]. And he will trample on [the Babylonian] officials as on mortar, Even as a potter treads clay.” 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. “I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes— one from the rising sun who calls on my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who [among the idols] has declared this from the beginning, so that we could know? Or from earlier times, so that we could say, “He is [unquestionably] right!”? In fact, there was no one who declared it, Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed it; There was no one at all who heard you speak [for you pagan gods are speechless]. 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. Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you.
27 “I was first to say to Zion, ‘Listen carefully, here they are [the Jews who will be restored to their own land].’ And to Jerusalem, ‘I will provide a messenger (Isaiah) to bring the good news [that Cyrus will be stirred up and put into action to save them].’ I was the first to say to Zion, “Behold, here they are!” and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news. I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’ I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.
28 “But when I look [on the pagan prophets and priests], there is no one [who could predict these events], And there is no counselor among them, Who, if I ask, can give an answer. But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. I look but there is no one— no one among the gods to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them.
29 “In fact, all of these [pagan prophets and priests] are false; Their works are worthless, Their cast images are [merely] wind and emptiness. Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind. See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.
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