Keep silence before me, O islands
; and let the people
renew
their strength
: let them come near
; then let them speak
: let us come near
together
to judgment
.
Who raised up the righteous
man from the east
, called
him to his foot
, gave
the nations
before
him, and made him rule
over kings
? he gave
them as the dust
to his sword
, and as driven
stubble
to his bow
.
He pursued them, and passed
safely
; even by the way
that he had not gone
with his feet
.
Who hath wrought and done
it , calling
the generations
from the beginning
? I the LORD
, the first
, and with the last
; I am he.
The isles saw
it , and feared
; the ends
of the earth
were afraid
, drew near
, and came
.
They helped every one
his neighbour
; and every one said
to his brother
, Be of good courage
.
So the carpenter encouraged
the goldsmith
, and he that smootheth
with the hammer
him that smote
the anvil
, saying
, It is ready
for the sodering
: and he fastened
it with nails
, that it should not be moved
.
But thou, Israel, art my servant
, Jacob
whom I have chosen
, the seed
of Abraham
my friend
.
Thou whom I have taken from the ends
of the earth
, and called
thee from the chief men
thereof, and said
unto thee, Thou art my servant
; I have chosen
thee, and not cast thee away
.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed
; for I am thy God
: I will strengthen
thee; yea, I will help
thee; yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand
of my righteousness
.
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed
and confounded
: they shall be as nothing; and they
that strive
with thee shall perish
.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find
them, even them
that contended
with thee: they that war
against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought
.
For I the LORD thy God
will hold
thy right hand
, saying
unto thee, Fear
not; I will help
thee.
Fear not, thou worm
Jacob
, and ye men
of Israel
; I will help
thee, saith
the LORD
, and thy redeemer
, the Holy One
of Israel
.
Behold, I will make thee a new
sharp
threshing
instrument having
teeth
: thou shalt thresh
the mountains
, and beat them small
, and shalt make
the hills
as chaff
.
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind
shall carry them away
, and the whirlwind
shall scatter
them: and thou shalt rejoice
in the LORD
, and shalt glory
in the Holy One
of Israel
.
When the poor and needy
seek
water
, and there is none, and their tongue
faileth
for thirst
, I the LORD
will hear
them, I the God
of Israel
will not forsake
them.
I will open rivers
in high places
, 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 plant in the wilderness
the cedar
, the shittah tree
, and the myrtle
, and the oil
tree
; I will set
in the desert
the fir tree
, and the pine
, and the box tree
together
:
That they may see, and know
, and consider
, and understand
together
, that the hand
of the LORD
hath done
this, and the Holy One
of Israel
hath created
it.
Produce your cause
, saith
the LORD
; bring forth
your strong
reasons , saith
the King
of Jacob
.
Let them bring them forth, and shew
us what shall happen
: let them shew
the former things
, what they be , that we may consider
them, and know
the latter end
of them; or declare
us things for to come
.
Shew the things that are to come
hereafter
, that we may know
that ye are gods
: yea, do good
, or do evil
, that we may be dismayed
, and behold
it together
.
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work
of nought
: an abomination
is he that chooseth
you.
I have raised up one from the north
, and he shall come
: from the rising
of the sun
shall he call
upon my name
: and he shall come
upon princes
as upon morter
, and as the potter
treadeth
clay
.
Who hath declared from the beginning
, that we may know
? and beforetime
, that we may say
, He is righteous
? yea, there is none that sheweth
, yea, there is none that declareth
, yea, there is none that heareth
your words
.
The first shall say to Zion
, Behold
, behold
them: and I will give
to Jerusalem
one that bringeth good tidings
.
For I beheld, and there was no man
; even among them, and there was no counsellor
, that, when I asked
of them, could answer
a word
.
Behold, they are all vanity; their works
are nothing
: their molten images
are wind
and confusion
.