Isaiah 41

The LORD challenges the nations to bring their case before Him and asks who raised up the righteous man from the east. He declares to Israel, 'Fear not, for I am with you; I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.' He will open rivers on bare heights and make the wilderness a pool of water. The idols of the nations are nothing, and their works are vanity.

v	King James Version	Modern English
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 silent before Me, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength. Let them approach and speak; let us come together for judgment.
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 stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before Him, so that He tramples kings underfoot. He makes them like dust with his sword and like wind-blown chaff with his bow.
3	He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.	He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths His feet have not trodden.
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 has done and brought this about — calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last — I am He.
5	The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.	The coastlands see it and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble. They draw near and come.
6	They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.	Everyone helps His neighbor and says to His brother, "Be 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.	The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good." Then He fastens it with nails so it cannot be moved.
8	But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.	But you, Israel, My servant — Jacob, whom I have chosen — you are the seed of Abraham My 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 the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are My servant. I have chosen you and not cast you off."
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.	Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
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.	All who rage against you shall be put to shame and be disgraced. Those who fight against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.
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 shall seek those who strive against you, but shall not find them. Those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.
13	For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.	For I, the LORD Your God, hold Your right hand. It is I who say to You, "Do not fear; I will help You."
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.	Do not fear, You worm Jacob, you few men of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD; Your Redeemer is 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.	I will make You a new threshing sledge with many sharp teeth. You shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and make the hills like chaff.
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 shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away — the storm shall scatter them. You shall rejoice in the LORD and glory in 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 poor and needy seek water and there is none — their tongue parched with thirst — I the LORD will answer them. The God of Israel will not forsake them.
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 open rivers in 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 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 put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive tree. I will place in the desert the cypress, the plane, and the pine together,
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 that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this — the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21	Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.	"Present Your case," says the LORD. "Bring forward Your strong arguments," 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.	Let them bring and tell us what will happen. Tell us the former things — what they were — so that we may consider them and know their outcome. Or declare to us the things to come.
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.	Tell us what is to come in the future, so we may know that You are gods. Do good, or do harm — that we may be filled with awe and fear.
24	Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.	You are less than nothing, and Your deeds are empty. Whoever chooses 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 stirred up one from the north, and He has come — from the rising of the sun He calls on My name. He tramples on rulers like mortar, as the potter treads clay.
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 declared this from the beginning, so that we could know — or beforehand, that we might say, "He is right"? No one declared it, no one proclaimed it, no one heard your words.
27	The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.	I was the first to say to Zion, "Here they are!" and to Jerusalem, "I will give You a herald of 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.	But when I look, there is no one — no one among them to give counsel; not one who can answer when I ask.
29	Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.	They are all nothing; their works are empty. Their metal images are wind and confusion.