Isaiah 41:17–24

¹⁷The poor and the needy are seeking water and there is none;

their tongue is dried up with thirst.

I, Yahweh, will answer them;

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

¹⁸I will open rivers on the barren heights

and fountains in the midst of the valleys.

I will make the wilderness like a pool of water

and the land of dryness like springs of water.

¹⁹I will put^p the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive oil tree in the wilderness;

I will set the cypress, elm, and box tree together in the desert

²⁰so that they may see and know,

and take to heart and understand together

that the hand of Yahweh has done this,

and the holy one of Israel has created it.”

²¹“Present your legal case,” says Yahweh.

“Bring your evidence,” says the king of Jacob.

²²Let them bring them,

and let them tell us what will happen.

Tell us what the former things are

so that^q we may take them to our heart

and know their outcome.^r

Declare to us the things to come;

²³tell us the things coming hereafter,^s

that^t we may know that you are gods.

Indeed, do good or^u do evil,

that^v we may be afraid and see^w together.

²⁴Look! you are nothing,

and your work is something worthless;

whoever chooses you is an abomination.