Isaiah

Prophecies about judgment and salvation, promising hope and a savior.

Chapter 41

1 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.

*Be quiet, islands. Let people regain their energy. They can approach, then talk. We'll all get close for a fair decision.

2 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.

*Who brought forth a righteous person from the east, chose him to be by his side, handed over nations to him, and let him rule over kings? He made their armies like dust under his sword and their forces like straw before his bow.

3 He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.

*He chased them and made it safely; through the path he hadn't walked on before.

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

*Who made and did this, calling people from the start? It's me, the LORD, the first and the last; I am he.

5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.

*The islands watched it and became scared; faraway places were terrified, they got closer and arrived.

6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.

*They supported everyone around them; and everyone told their sibling, Stay strong.

7 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.

*So, the woodworker supported the jeweler, and the one who shapes things with a hammer helped the one hitting the metal block. He said, "It's ready to be soldered." Then, he secured it with nails so it wouldn't move.

8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

*But you, Israel, are my servant. You are Jacob, whom I have picked out. You come from the family of Abraham, who is my good friend.

9 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.

*I took you from far away and chose you from important people, saying you are my servant. I have picked you and won't reject you.

10 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.

*Don't be afraid because I'm with you. Don't panic, as I'm your God. I will give you strength, I will assist you, and I will support you using the power of my righteousness.

11 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.

*Look, everyone who was angry with you will be embarrassed and confused. They will disappear, and those who fight against you will fail.

12 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.

*You will search for your enemies but won't find them; those who fought against you will be like nothing at all, worthless.

13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

*Because I am the Lord, your God, I'll hold your hand and tell you, "Don't be afraid," helping you along the way.

14 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.

*Don't be afraid, little Israel, and you people; I will help you, says the Lord, and your savior, the Holy One of Israel.

15 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.

*Look, I will create a new tool for sorting grain that has sharp edges. You will use it to crush the mountains into tiny pieces and turn the hills into something like dried plant husks.

16 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.

*You will blow them away, and the wind will carry them off; the storm will scatter them. You will be happy in the Lord and proud of the Holy One of Israel.

17 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.

*When the very poor and those who have nothing search for water but can't find any, and they can't even speak because they are so thirsty, God will listen to them. He won't leave them all alone.

18 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 create rivers in high locations and fountains in valley centers. I will transform the desert into a water-filled pool and the arid land into water sources.

19 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:

*I will plant the cedar, the shittah tree, the myrtle, and the oil tree in the wilderness. In the desert, I will also place the fir tree, the pine, and the box tree.

20 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.

*So they can see, understand, and think about it together, they'll realize that God's hand did this, and the Holy One of Israel made it happen.

21 Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

*Show your reason, says the Lord; present your solid evidence, says the King of Jacob.

22 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.

*Tell them to show us what will happen next. Let them also show us past events so we can understand them and know their final outcome. Or, they should tell us about future events.

23 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.

*Show us what will happen in the future so we can know if you are truly gods. Do good things or bad things so we can see the results and understand it all together.

24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.

*Look, you are worthless, and what you do is nothing: the one who picks you is detestable.

25 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.

*I've chosen someone from the north, and they will arrive. From where the sun rises, they will call on my name. They will act powerfully against leaders, just like someone crushing mud in their hands.

26 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.

*Who has told us from the start so we can understand? And long ago so we can say, He is fair? Indeed, no one shows this, no one explains it, and no one listens to your messages.

27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

*The first person will tell Zion, "Look, look at them!" And I will give Jerusalem someone who brings good news.

28 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.

*I looked around and saw no one; among these people, there was no one who could give advice. When I asked them, they couldn't answer anything.

29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.

*Look, everything is pointless; what they do doesn't matter: their statues made of metal are like wind and chaos.

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