Isaiah 41:2-23

21Who has stirred one from the east Whom He 2calls in righteousness to His 3feet? He 4turns nations over to him And subdues kings. He makes them like 5dust with his sword, Like the wind-driven 6chaff with his bow.3He pursues them, passing on in safety, By a way he had not been 7traversing with his feet.48Who has performed and accomplished it, Summoning the generations from the beginning? ‘9I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. 10I am He.’”

5The 11coastlands have seen and are afraid; The 12ends of the earth tremble; They have approached and have come.6Each one helps his neighbor And says to his brother, “Be strong!”7So the 13craftsman encourages the 14smelter, And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering, “It is good”; And he fastens it with nails, 15So that it will not totter.8“But you, Israel, 16My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of 17Abraham My 18friend,9You whom I have 1920taken from the ends of the earth And called from its 21remotest parts, And said to you, ‘You are 22My servant, I have 23chosen you and have not rejected you.10Do not 24fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, 25I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous 26right hand.’11Behold, 27all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; 28Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.1229You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.13For I am the Lord your God 30who takes hold of your right hand, Who says to you, ‘31Do not fear, I will help you.’14Do not fear, you 32worm Jacob, you people of Israel; I will help you,” declares the Lord, “and 33your 34Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.15Behold, I turned you into a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges; 35You will thresh the 36mountains and pulverize them, And make the hills like chaff.16You will 37winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And the storm will scatter them; But you will 38rejoice in the Lord, You will boast in the Holy One of Israel.

17“The poor and needy are seeking 39water, but there is none, And their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, 40will answer them Myself; As the God of Israel I 41will not abandon them.18I will open 42rivers on the bare heights, And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make 43the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land fountains of water.19I will put the cedar in the wilderness, The acacia, the 44myrtle, and the olive tree; I will place the 45juniper in the desert, Together with the elm tree and the cypress,20So that 46they may see and recognize, And consider and gain insight as well, That the 47hand of the Lord has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

21“48Present your case,” the Lord says. “Bring forward your evidence,” The 49King of Jacob says.2250Let them bring them forward and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the 51former events, declare what they were, So that we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming;2352Declare the things that are going to come afterward, So that we may know that you are gods; Indeed, 53do good or evil, that we may be afraid and fear together.