Study Desk

"Be silent^(a) before me, you islands!^(b) Let the nations renew their strength!^(c) Let them come forward^(d) and speak; let us meet together^(e) at the place of judgment.

"Who has stirred^(f) up one from the east,^(g) calling him in righteousness^(h) to his service^[a]?⁽ⁱ⁾ He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust^(j) with his sword, to windblown chaff^(k) with his bow.^(l)

He pursues them and moves on unscathed,^(m) by a path his feet have not traveled before.

Who has done this and carried it through, calling⁽ⁿ⁾ forth the generations from the beginning?^(o) I, the Lord —with the first of them and with the last^(p)—I am he.^(q)"

The islands^(r) have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth^(s) tremble. They approach and come forward;

they help each other and say to their companions, "Be strong!^(t)"

The metalworker^(u) encourages the goldsmith,^(v) and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, "It is good." The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.^(w)

"But you, Israel, my servant,^(x) Jacob, whom I have chosen,^(y) you descendants of Abraham^(z) my friend,^(aa)

I took you from the ends of the earth,^(ab) from its farthest corners I called^(ac) you. I said, ‘You are my servant';^(ad) I have chosen^(ae) you and have not rejected you.

So do not fear,^(af) for I am with you;^(ag) do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen^(ah) you and help^(ai) you; I will uphold you^(aj) with my righteous right hand.^(ak)

"All who rage^(al) against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced;^(am) those who oppose^(an) you will be as nothing and perish.^(ao)

Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them.^(ap) Those who wage war against you will be as nothing^(aq) at all.

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand^(ar) and says to you, Do not fear; I will help^(as) you.

Do not be afraid,^(at) you worm^(au) Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help^(av) you," declares the Lord , your Redeemer,^(aw) the Holy One^(ax) of Israel.

"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,^(ay) new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains^(az) and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.^(ba)

You will winnow^(bb) them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale^(bc) will blow them away.^(bd) But you will rejoice^(be) in the Lord and glory^(bf) in the Holy One^(bg) of Israel.

"The poor and needy search for water,^(bh) but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst.^(bi) But I the Lord will answer^(bj) them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake^(bk) them.

I will make rivers flow^(bl) on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert^(bm) into pools of water,^(bn) and the parched ground into springs.^(bo)

I will put in the desert^(bp) the cedar and the acacia,^(bq) the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers^(br) in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress^(bs) together,^(bt)

so that people may see and know,^(bu) may consider and understand,^(bv) that the hand^(bw) of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One^(bx) of Israel has created^(by) it.

"Present your case,^(bz)" says the Lord . "Set forth your arguments," says Jacob's King.^(ca)

"Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen.^(cb) Tell us what the former things^(cc) were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come,^(cd)

tell us what the future holds, so we may know^(ce) that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad,^(cf) so that we will be dismayed^(cg) and filled with fear.

But you are less than nothing^(ch) and your works are utterly worthless;^(ci) whoever chooses you is detestable.^(cj)

"I have stirred^(ck) up one from the north,^(cl) and he comes— one from the rising sun who calls on my name. He treads^(cm) on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.

Who told of this from the beginning,^(cn) so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right'? No one told of this, no one foretold^(co) it, no one heard any words^(cp) from you.

I was the first to tell^(cq) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!' I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.^(cr)

I look but there is no one^(cs)— no one among the gods to give counsel,^(ct) no one to give answer^(cu) when I ask them.

See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing;^(cv) their images^(cw) are but wind^(cx) and confusion.

"Here is my servant,^(a) whom I uphold, my chosen one^(b) in whom I delight;^(c) I will put my Spirit^(d) on him, and he will bring justice^(e) to the nations.^(f)

He will not shout or cry out,^(g) or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed^(h) he will not break,⁽ⁱ⁾ and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.^(j) In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;^(k)

he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice^(l) on earth. In his teaching^(m) the islands⁽ⁿ⁾ will put their hope."^(o)

This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens,^(p) who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth^(q) with all that springs from it,^(r) who gives breath^(s) to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

"I, the Lord , have called^(t) you in righteousness;^(u) I will take hold of your hand.^(v) I will keep^(w) you and will make you to be a covenant^(x) for the people and a light^(y) for the Gentiles,^(z)

to open eyes that are blind,^(aa) to free^(ab) captives from prison^(ac) and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.^(ad)

"I am the Lord ;^(ae) that is my name!^(af) I will not yield my glory to another^(ag) or my praise to idols.^(ah)

See, the former things^(ai) have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce^(aj) them to you."

Sing^(ak) to the Lord a new song,^(al) his praise^(am) from the ends of the earth,^(an) you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,^(ao) you islands,^(ap) and all who live in them.

Let the wilderness^(aq) and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar^(ar) lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela^(as) sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.^(at)

Let them give glory^(au) to the Lord and proclaim his praise^(av) in the islands.^(aw)

The Lord will march out like a champion,^(ax) like a warrior^(ay) he will stir up his zeal;^(az) with a shout^(ba) he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.^(bb)

"For a long time I have kept silent,^(bc) I have been quiet and held myself back.^(bd) But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.^(be)

I will lay waste^(bf) the mountains^(bg) and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up^(bh) the pools.

I will lead^(bi) the blind^(bj) by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light^(bk) before them and make the rough places smooth.^(bl) These are the things I will do; I will not forsake^(bm) them.

But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,'^(bn) will be turned back in utter shame.^(bo)

"Hear, you deaf;^(bp) look, you blind, and see!

Who is blind^(bq) but my servant,^(br) and deaf like the messenger^(bs) I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant^(bt) with me, blind like the servant of the Lord ?

You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen."^(bu)

It pleased the Lord for the sake^(bv) of his righteousness to make his law^(bw) great and glorious.

But this is a people plundered^(bx) and looted, all of them trapped in pits^(by) or hidden away in prisons.^(bz) They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them;^(ca) they have been made loot, with no one to say, "Send them back."

Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention^(cb) in time to come?

Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers?^(cc) Was it not the Lord ,^(cd) against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow^(ce) his ways; they did not obey his law.^(cf)

So he poured out on them his burning anger,^(cg) the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames,^(ch) yet they did not understand;^(ci) it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.^(cj)