Isaiah 41

The Lord Controls Human Events

1 Be silent and listen,

every island in the sea.

Have courage and come near,

every one of you nations.

Let’s settle this matter!

2 Who appointed this ruler

from the east?*41.2 ruler from the east: Probably Cyrus (see 44.28; 45.1; 48.14).

Who puts nations and kings

in his power?*41.2 Who puts … power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

His sword and his arrows

turn them to dust

blown by the wind.

3 He goes after them so quickly

that his feet

barely touch the ground—

he doesn’t even get hurt.

4 Who makes these things happen?

Who controls human events?

I do! I am the Lord.

I was there at the beginning;

I will be there at the end.

5 Islands and foreign nations

saw what I did and trembled

as they came near.

What Can Idols Do?

6 Worshipers of idols

comfort each other,

saying, "Don’t worry!"

7 Woodcarvers, goldsmiths,

and other workers*41.7 and other workers: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

encourage one another and say,

"We’ve done a great job!"

Then they nail the idol down,

so it won’t fall over.

The Lord’s Chosen Servant

8 *2 Ch 20.7;Jas 2.23. Israel, you are my servant.

I chose you, the family

of my friend Abraham.

9 From far across the earth

I brought you here and said,

"You are my chosen servant.

I haven’t forgotten you."

10 Don’t be afraid. I am with you.

Don’t tremble with fear.

I am your God.

I will make you strong,

as I protect you with my arm

and give you victories.

11 Everyone who hates you

will be terribly disgraced;

those who attack

will vanish into thin air.

12 You will look around

for those brutal enemies,

but you won’t find them—

they will be gone.

13 I am the Lord your God.

I am holding your hand,

so don’t be afraid.

I am here to help you.

14 People of Israel, don’t worry,

though others may say,

"Israel is only a worm!"

I am the holy God of Israel,

who saves and protects you.

15 I will let you be like a log

covered with sharp spikes.*41.15 I will let … sharp spikes: In ancient times a heavy object was sometimes dragged over wheat or barley to separate the grain from the husk. This was called threshing.

You will grind and crush

every mountain and hill*41.15 mountain and hill: These stand for the power and pride of Israel’s enemies.

until they turn to dust.

16 A strong wind will scatter them

in all directions.

Then you will celebrate

and praise me, your Lord,

the holy God of Israel.

The Lord Helps the Poor

17 When the poor and needy

are dying of thirst

and cannot find water,

I, the Lord God of Israel,

will come to their rescue.

I won’t forget them.

18 I will make rivers flow

on mountain peaks.

I will send streams

to fill the valleys.

Dry and barren land

will flow with springs

and become a lake.

19 I will fill the desert

with all kinds of trees—

cedars, acacias, and myrtles;

olive and cypress trees;

fir trees and pines.

20 Everyone will see this

and know that I,

the holy Lord God of Israel,

created it all.

Idols Are Useless

21 I am the Lord,

the King of Israel!

Come argue your case with me.

Present your evidence.

22 Come near me, you idols.*41.22 Come near … idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Tell us about the past,

and we will think about it.

Tell us about the future,

so we will know

what is going to happen.

23 Prove that you are gods

by making your predictions

come true.

Do something good or evil,

so we can be amazed

and terrified.*41.23 and terrified: Or "when we see it."

24 You idols are nothing,

and you are powerless.*41.24 powerless: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

To worship you

would be disgusting.

25 I, the Lord, appointed a ruler

in the north;

now he comes from the east

to honor my name.

He tramples*41.25 tramples: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. kings like mud,

as potters trample clay.*41.25 trample clay: This was done to soften the clay and make it easier to shape.

26 Did any of you idols predict

what would happen?

Did any of you get it right?

None of you told about this

or even spoke a word.

27 I was the first to tell

the people of Jerusalem,

"Look, it’s happening!"*41.27 Look … happening: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

I was the one who announced

this good news to Zion.

28 None of these idols

are able to give advice

or answer questions.

29 They are nothing,*41.29 nothing: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

and they can do nothing—

they are merely

a passing breeze.