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Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Bible in Basic English

Isaiah 41:26

Who has given knowledge of it from the first, so that we may be certain of it? and from the start, so that we may say, His word is true? There is no one who gives news, or says anything, or who gives ear to your words.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Idolatry;   The Topic Concordance - Resurrection;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Election;   Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Alpha and Omega (2);   Prophet;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Omniscience;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Names of God;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Who told about this from the beginning,so that we might know,and from times past,so that we might say, ‘He is right’?No one announced it,no one told it,no one heard your words.
Hebrew Names Version
Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and before, 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.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, "He is right"? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words.
New American Standard Bible
Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, "He is right!"? There was no one at all who declared, There was no one at all who proclaimed, There was no one at all who heard your words.
New Century Version
Who told us about this before it happened? Who told us ahead of time so we could say, ‘He was right'? None of you told us anything; none of you told us before it happened; no one heard you tell about it.
Amplified Bible
Who [among the idols] has declared this from the beginning, so that we could know? Or from earlier times, so that we could say, "He is [unquestionably] right!"? In fact, there was no one who declared it, Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed it; There was no one at all who heard you speak [for you pagan gods are speechless].
World English Bible
Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and before, 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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may knowe? or before time, that we may say, He is righteous? Surely there is none yt sheweth: surely there is none that declareth: surely there is none that heareth your wordes.
Legacy Standard Bible
Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know?Or from former times, that we may say, "He is right!"?Surely there was no one who declared;Surely there was no one who caused those words to be heard;Surely there was no one who heard your words.
Berean Standard Bible
Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: 'He was right'? No one announced it, no one foretold it, no one heard your words.
Contemporary English Version
Did any of you idols predict what would happen? Did any of you get it right? None of you told about this or even spoke a word.
Complete Jewish Bible
Who said this at the start, so we could know, or foretold it, so we could say, "He's right"? In fact, no one said it; no one foretold it — the fact is, nobody hears what you say.
Darby Translation
Who hath declared [it] from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, [It is] right? Indeed, there is none that declareth; no, none that sheweth; no, none that heareth your words.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Who told us about this before it happened so that we could say he was right? None of your idols told us anything. They didn't say a word, and they cannot hear anything you say.
George Lamsa Translation
Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? And beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? Yea, there is none that shows, yea, there is none that declares, yea, there is none that hears your words.
Good News Translation
Which of you predicted that this would happen, so that we could say that you were right? None of you said a word about it; no one heard you say a thing!
Lexham English Bible
Who declared it from the beginning so that we might know, and beforehand so that we might say, "He is right!" Indeed, there was no one who declared it; Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed it. Indeed there was no one who heard your words.
Literal Translation
Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know; and before, that we may say, He is right? Yea, no one declares; yea, no one proclaims; yea, there is no one who hears your words.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who tolde yt afore? So wil we confesse & saye, that he is rightuous. But there is none that sheweth or declareth eny thinge, there is none also that heareth youre wordes.
American Standard Version
Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say that he is right? Yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that announceth, yea, there is none that heareth your utterances.
King James Version (1611)
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and before time, 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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who declared this from the beginning, and we will knowe hym: or from the olde times, and we wil confesse and say that he is righteous? but there is none that sheweth or declareth any thing, there is none also that heareth your wordes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For who will declare the things from the beginning, that we may know also the former things, and we will say that they are true? there is no one that speaks beforehand, nor anyone that hears your words.
English Revised Version
Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who tolde fro the bigynnyng, that we wite, and fro the bigynnyng, that we seie, Thou art iust? noon is tellynge, nether biforseiynge, nether herynge youre wordis.
Update Bible Version
Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and formerly, that we may say, [He is] right? yes, there is none that declares, yes, there is none that shows, yes, there is none that hears your words.
Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and before time, that we may say, [He is] righteous? verily, [there is] none that showeth, verily, [there is] none that declareth, verily, [there is] none that heareth your words.
New English Translation
Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know? Who announced it ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He's correct'? Indeed, none of them decreed it! Indeed, none of them announced it! Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
New King James Version
Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? And former times, that we may say, "He is righteous'? Surely there is no one who shows, Surely there is no one who declares, Surely there is no one who hears your words.
New Living Translation
"Who told you from the beginning that this would happen? Who predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one said a word!
New Life Bible
Who has said this from the beginning, that we might know, or from times long ago, that we might say, "He is right"? There was no one who said it, no one who made it known, no one who heard your words.
New Revised Standard
Who declared it from the beginning, so that we might know, and beforehand, so that we might say, "He is right"? There was no one who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who hath told in advance, that we might know, And beforetime, that we might say Right! Nay, there is none who can tell. Nay, there is none who can let us hear, Nay, there is none who can understand what ye utter.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know: and from time of old, that we may say: Thou art just. There is none that sheweth, nor that foretelleth, nor that heareth your words.
Revised Standard Version
Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforetime, that we might say, "He is right"? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words.
Young's Literal Translation
Who hath declared from the first, and we know? And beforetime, and we say, `Righteous?' yea, there is none declaring, Yea, there is none proclaiming, Yea, there is none hearing your sayings.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, "He is right!"? Surely there was no one who declared, Surely there was no one who proclaimed, Surely there was no one who heard your words.

Contextual Overview

21 Put forward your cause, says the Lord; let your strong argument come out, says the King of Jacob. 22 Let the future be made clear to us: give us news of the past things, so that we may give thought to them; or of the things to come, so that we may see if they are true. 23 Give us word of what will be after this, so that we may be certain that you are gods: yes, do good or do evil, so that we may all see it and be surprised. 24 But you are nothing, and your work is of no value: foolish is he who takes you for his gods. 25 I have sent for one from the north, and from the dawn he has come; in my name he will get rulers together and go against them; they will be like dust, even as the wet earth is stamped on by the feet of the potter. 26 Who has given knowledge of it from the first, so that we may be certain of it? and from the start, so that we may say, His word is true? There is no one who gives news, or says anything, or who gives ear to your words. 27 I was the first to give word of it to Zion, and I gave the good news to Jerusalem. 28 And I saw that there was no man, even no wise man among them, who might give an answer to my questions. 29 Truly they are all nothing, their works are nothing and of no value: their metal images are of no more use than wind.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

declared: Isaiah 41:22, Isaiah 43:9, Isaiah 44:7, Isaiah 45:21, Habakkuk 2:18-20

righteous: Isaiah 41:23

Reciprocal: Isaiah 41:4 - hath Daniel 2:22 - revealeth 2 Peter 1:19 - a more

Cross-References

Genesis 2:24
For this cause will a man go away from his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they will be one flesh.
Genesis 40:12
Then Joseph said, This is the sense of your dream: the three branches are three days;
Genesis 40:18
Then Joseph said, This is the sense of your dream: the three baskets are three days;
Genesis 41:2
And out of the Nile came seven cows, good-looking and fat, and their food was the river-grass.
Genesis 41:5
But he went to sleep again and had a second dream, in which he saw seven heads of grain, full and good, all on one stem.
Genesis 41:29
Seven years are coming in which there will be great wealth of grain in Egypt;
Genesis 41:47
Now in the seven good years the earth gave fruit in masses.
Genesis 41:53
And so the seven good years in Egypt came to an end.
Exodus 12:11
And take your meal dressed as if for a journey, with your shoes on your feet and your sticks in your hands: take it quickly: it is the Lord's Passover.
Exodus 26:6
Then make fifty gold hooks, joining the curtains together by the hooks, and in this way the House will be made.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know?.... Who of the idols, or of their priests, that have declared things future before they came to pass, or ever predicted such an event as this before mentioned; which, if understood of Cyrus, was an hundred and fifty years before it came to pass; and if of Constantine, near a thousand years:

and before time, that we may say, he is righteous? that is, who hath declared things before the time of the accomplishment of them, and they have come to pass, as they have been declared? by which it may be known that they are gods, or the priests of such that are so, by their having prescience of future events, or the spirit of prophecy; and so it may be said of them, that they are just in their pretensions, and have a rightful claim to deity, or are true prophets; so the Targum,

"that we may say it is true''

yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that declareth; that shows and declares things to come, or such as the true God shows and declares:

yea, there is none that heareth your words; none of your worshippers that ever heard you speak a word, who, when they have prayed to you, could never have an answer; and therefore you have no just claim to deity; or ever heard any of your prophets say such a thing should come to pass, and it did.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who hath declared from the beginning - The meaning of this passage is, ‘there is no one among the soothsayers, and the worshippers of idols, who has predicted the birth, the character, and the conquests of Cyrus. There is among the pagan no recorded prediction on the subject, as there is among the Jews, that when he shall have come, it may be said that a prediction is accomplished.’

And before-time - Formerly; before the event occurred.

That we may say - That it may be said; that there may be evidence, or reason for the affirmation.

He is righteous - The words ‘he is’ are not in the Hebrew ·The original is simply ‘righteous’ (צדיק tsaddı̂yq), just, that is, it is just, or true; the prediction is fulfilled. It does not refer to the character of God, but to the certainty of the fulfillment of the prediction.

There is none that showeth - There is no one among the worshippers of false gods, the soothsayers and necromancers, that has predicted these events.

None that heareth your words - There is no one that has heard such a prediction among you.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 41:26. Your word — אמרתיכם imrntheychem; but, instead of this, one of my most ancient MSS. has דבריכם dibreychem. The meaning is nearly the same: but in this reading this MS. is singular.


 
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