Lectionary Calendar
Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

King James Version (1611 Edition)

Isaiah 41:12

Thou shalt seeke them, and shalt not find them, euen them that contended with thee: they that warre against thee shalbe as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Strife;   War;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Warfare of Saints;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Election;   Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You will look for those who contend with you,but you will not find them.Those who war against youwill become absolutely nothing.
Hebrew Names Version
You shall seek them, and shall not find them, even those who contend with you: those who war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.
New American Standard Bible
"You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.
New Century Version
You will look for your enemies, but you will not find them. Those who fought against you will vanish completely.
Amplified Bible
"You shall search for those who quarrel with you, but will not find them; They who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all.
World English Bible
You shall seek them, and shall not find them, even those who contend with you: those who war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them: to wit, the men of thy strife, for they shall be as nothing, and the men that warre against thee, as a thing of nought.
Legacy Standard Bible
You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,Those who war with you will be as nothing and non‑existent.
Berean Standard Bible
You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
Contemporary English Version
You will look around for those brutal enemies, but you won't find them because they will be gone.
Complete Jewish Bible
You will seek them but not find them, those who contended with you; yes, those who made war with you will be brought to nothing, nothing at all.
Darby Translation
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them—them that contend with thee; they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Easy-to-Read Version
You will look for the people who were against you, but you will not be able to find them. Those who fought against you will disappear completely.
George Lamsa Translation
You shall seek them that strive with you, but you shall not find them; they that war against you shall be as if they were nothing.
Good News Translation
and will disappear from the earth.
Lexham English Bible
You shall seek them, but you shall not find them; your opponents shall be like nothing, and the men of your war like nothing.
Literal Translation
You shall seek them and shall not find them; men of your strife shall be as nothing, even men of your battle as ceasing.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So that who so seketh after them, shal not fynde them. Thy destroyers shal perish, & so shall they that vndertake to make batell agaynst the.
American Standard Version
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Bible in Basic English
You will make search for your haters but they will not be there; those who make war against you will be as nothing and will come to destruction.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee; they that warred against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So that who so seeketh after them, shall not finde them, thy destroyers shall perishe: and so shall they that vndertake to make battayle against thee be as that is not, & as a thing of naught.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thou shalt seek them, and thou shalt not find the men who shall insolently rage against thee: for they shall be as if they were not, and they that war against thee shall not be.
English Revised Version
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou schalt seke hem, and thou schalt not fynde thi rebel men; thei schulen be, as if thei ben not, and as the wastyng of a man fiytynge ayens thee.
Update Bible Version
You shall seek them, and shall not find them, even those that contend with you: those that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing.
Webster's Bible Translation
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 naught.
New English Translation
When you will look for your opponents, you will not find them; your enemies will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
New King James Version
You shall seek them and not find them-- Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing.
New Living Translation
You will look in vain for those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing.
New Life Bible
You will look for those who argue with you, but will not find them. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all.
New Revised Standard
You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou shalt seek them, but shalt not find them - The men who have contended with thee, They shall become as nothing, and as a thing of nought - The men who have warred against thee;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find the men that resist thee: they shall be as nothing: and as a thing consumed the men that war against thee.
Revised Standard Version
You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.
Young's Literal Translation
Thou seekest them, and findest them not, The men who debate with thee, They are as nothing, yea, as nothing, The men who war with thee.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.

Contextual Overview

10 Feare thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismaied, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea I will helpe thee, yea I will vphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee, shalbe ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing, and they that striue with thee, shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seeke them, and shalt not find them, euen them that contended with thee: they that warre against thee shalbe as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying vnto thee, Feare not, I will helpe thee. 14 Feare not, thou worme Iacob, and ye men of Israel: I will helpe thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharpe threshing instrument hauing teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountaines, and beate them small, and shalt make the hilles as chaffe. 16 Thou shalt fanne them, and the winde shall carie them away, and the whirlewinde shall scatter them: and thou shalt reioyce in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 When the poore and needie seeke water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will heare them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 18 I will open riuers in hie places, and fountaines in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wildernesse a poole of water, and the dry land springs of water. 19 I will plant in the wildernes the Cedar, the Shittah tree, and the Myrtle, and the Oyle tree: I will set in the desert the Firre tree, and the Pine and the Boxe tree together:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

shalt seek: Job 20:7-9, Psalms 37:35, Psalms 37:36

them that contended with thee: Heb. the men of thy contention. they that war against thee. Heb. the men of thy war.

Reciprocal: Psalms 27:3 - war Psalms 31:17 - wicked Isaiah 29:7 - the multitude Isaiah 49:25 - I will contend Jeremiah 10:24 - lest Jeremiah 30:16 - General Zechariah 10:5 - because John 8:10 - where 1 Corinthians 1:28 - to bring

Cross-References

Genesis 37:36
And the Medanites sold him into Egypt vnto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaohs, and captaine of the guard.
Genesis 39:1
And Ioseph was brought downe to Egypt, and Potiphar an Officer of Pharaoh, captaine of ye guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him downe thither.
Genesis 39:20
And Iosephs master tooke him, and put him into the prison, a place, where ye kings prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
Genesis 41:12
And there was there with vs a yong man an Hebrew, seruant to the captaine of the guard: and wee told him, and he interpreted to vs our dreames, to each man according to his dreame, he did interpret.
Genesis 41:19
And behold, seuen other kine came vp after them, poore and very ill fauoured, and leane fleshed, such as I neuer saw in all the land of Egypt for badnes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ver. 12 Thou shall seek them, and shalt not find them,.... They not existing, or being fled into holes and corners, to rocks and mountains, to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb, Revelation 6:15:

even them that contended with thee; or, "the men of thy contention" p; who contended with them, not by words and arguments, but by severe persecutions, striving thereby to hinder the progress of the Gospel, and to root Christianity out of the world:

they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought: or, "the men of thy war" q; that proclaimed and carried on war against the Christians, in order to destroy them utterly; yet they, and all their efforts, came to nothing, the Gospel prevailed, and Paganism was utterly abolished; which came to pass in Constantine's time, at the opening of the sixth seal, Revelation 6:12 which is a proper comment on this text.

p אנשי מצתיך "viros jurgii tui", Montanus. q אנשי מלחמתך "viri belli tui", Vatablus; "pugnae tuae", Montanus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt seek them - This denotes that it would be impossible to find them, for they should cease to exist. The whole verse, with the verse following, is emphatic, repeating in varied terms what was said before, and meaning that their foes should be entirely destroyed.


 
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