1Keep silence before me , O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength : let them come near ; then let them speak ; let us come near together to judgment . 2Who hath raised up one from the east , whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot ? he giveth nations before him , and maketh him rule over kings ; he giveth them as the dust to his sword , as the driven stubble to his bow . 3He pursueth them , and passeth on safely , even by a way that he had not gone with his feet . 4Who hath wrought and done it , calling the generations from the beginning ? I , Jehovah , the first , and with the last , I am he . 5The isles have seen , and fear ; the ends of the earth tremble ; they draw near , and come . 6They help every one his neighbor ; and every one saith to his brother , Be of good courage . 7So the carpenter encourageth the goldsmith , and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil , saying of the soldering , It is good ; and he fasteneth it with nails , that it should not be moved .
The Call to Trust in God
8But thou, Israel , my servant , Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, 9thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant , I have chosen thee and not cast thee away ; 10fear 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 . 11Behold , all they that are incensed against thee shall be put to shame and confounded : they that strive with thee shall be as nothing , and shall perish. 12Thou 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 . 13For I , Jehovah thy God , will hold thy right hand , saying unto thee, Fear not ; I will help thee.
The Judgment of Idols
14Fear not , thou worm Jacob , and ye men of Israel ; I will help thee, saith Jehovah , and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel . 15Behold , I have made thee to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth ; thou shalt thresh the mountains , and beat them small , and shalt make the hills as chaff . 16Thou shalt winnow them , and the wind shall carry them away , and the whirlwind shall scatter them ; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah , thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel . 17The poor and needy seek water , and there is none , and their tongue faileth for thirst ; I , Jehovah , will answer them , I , the God of Israel , will not forsake them . 18I will open rivers on the 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 . 19I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia , and the myrtle , and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine , and the box-tree together : 20that they may see , and know , and consider , and understand together , that the hand of Jehovah hath done this , and the Holy One of Israel hath created it .
The Promise of Restoration
21Produce your cause , saith Jehovah ; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob . 22Let them bring forth , and declare unto us what shall happen : declare ye the former things , what they are , that we may consider them , and know the latter end of them ; or show us things to come . 23Declare 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 . 24Behold , ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you . 25I have raised up one from the north , and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name : and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar , and as the potter treadeth clay . 26Who 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. 27I am the first that saith unto Zion , Behold , behold them ; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings . 28And when I look , there is no man : even among them there is no counsellor , that , when I ask of them , can answer a word . 29Behold , all of them , their works are vanity and nought ; their molten images are wind and confusion .