Israel Assured of God’s Help

41 “Keep asilence before Me, O coastlands,

And let the people renew their strength!

Let them come near, then let them speak;

Let us bcome near together for judgment.

2 “Who raised up one cfrom the east?

Who in righteousness called him to His feet?

Who dgave the nations before him,

And made him rule over kings?

Who gave them as the dust to his sword,

As driven stubble to his bow?

3 Who pursued them, and passed 1safely

By the way that he had not gone with his feet?

4 eWho has performed and done it,

Calling the generations from the beginning?

‘I, the Lord, am fthe first;

And with the last I am gHe.’ ”

5 The coastlands saw it and feared,

The ends of the earth were afraid;

They drew near and came.

6 hEveryone helped his neighbor,

And said to his brother,

2“Be of good courage!”

7 iSo the craftsman encouraged the jgoldsmith; 3

He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil,

Saying, 4“It is ready for the soldering”;

Then he fastened it with pegs,

kThat it might not totter.

8 “But you, Israel, are My servant,

Jacob whom I have lchosen,

The descendants of Abraham My mfriend.

9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,

And called from its farthest regions,

And said to you,

‘You are My servant,

I have chosen you and have not cast you away:

10 nFear not, ofor I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you

Shall be pashamed and disgraced;

They shall be as nothing,

And those who strive with you shall perish.

12 You shall seek them and not find them—

5Those who contended with you.

Those who war against you

Shall be as nothing,

As a nonexistent thing.

13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,

Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

14 “Fear not, you qworm Jacob,

You men of Israel!

I will help you,” says the Lord

And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15 “Behold, rI will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth;

You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,

And make the hills like chaff.

16 You shall swinnow them, the wind shall carry them away,

And the whirlwind shall scatter them;

You shall rejoice in the Lord,

And tglory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,

Their tongues fail for thirst.

I, the Lord, will hear them;

I, the God of Israel, will not uforsake them.

18 I will open vrivers in desolate heights,

And fountains in the midst of the valleys;

I will make the wwilderness a pool of water,

And the dry land springs of water.

19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,

The myrtle and the oil tree;

I will set in the xdesert the cypress tree and the pine

And the box tree together,

20 yThat they may see and know,

And consider and understand together,

That the hand of the Lord has done this,

And the Holy One of Israel has created it.