1 Keep silent before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.

2 Who has raised up one from the east, whom he calls in righteousness to his foot? He gives nations before him, and makes him rule over kings; he gives them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.

3 He pursues them, and passes on safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.

4 Who has wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last, I am he.

5 The isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.

6 A man helps his fellow man; and says to his brother, Be of good courage.

7 So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, [and] he who smoothes with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fastens it with nails, that it should not be moved.

8 But you, Israel, my slave, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,

9 you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from its corners, and said to you, You are my slave, I have chosen you and not cast you away;

10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you; don't be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

11 Look, all those who are incensed against you will be put to shame and confounded: those who strive with you will be as nothing, and will perish.

12 You will seek them, and will not find them, even those who contend with you: those who war against you will be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing.

13 For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, Don't be afraid; I will help you.

14 Don't be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you{+} vermin Israel; I will help you, says Yahweh, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15 Look, I have made you [to be] a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; you will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills as chaff.

16 You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them; and you will rejoice in Yahweh, you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst; I, Yahweh, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

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 put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together:

20 that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

21 Produce your{+} cause, says Yahweh; bring forth your{+} strong reasons, says the King of Jacob.

22 Let them bring forth, and declare to us what will happen: declare{+} the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.

23 Declare 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 watch it together.

24 Look, you{+} are of nothing, and your{+} work is of nothing; he who chooses you{+} is disgusting.

25 I have raised up one from the north, and he has come; from the rising of the sun one who calls on my name: and he will trample rulers as mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

26 Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? And formerly, that we may say, [He is] right? Yes, there is none who declares, yes, there is none who shows, yes, there is none who hears your{+} words.

27 [I am the] first [who says] to Zion, Look, look at them; and I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good news.

28 And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counselor, who, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

29 Look, all of them, their works are vanity [and] nothing; their molten images are wind and confusion.