1Listen to me in silence, you people who live in lands beyond the sea. Let the nations regain their strength. Then let them come and speak, and let us join together for judgment. ¹⁵³

2Who has encouraged this one from the east who is called into God's service ¹⁵⁴to do what is right? ¹⁵⁵He gives him nations, and helps him trample kings underfoot. He makes them like dust with his sword, and turns them into chaff with his bow, blown before him on the wind.

3He chases them down, and goes on unharmed, not following the usual routes.

4Who has achieved and done this, calling into existence each generation from the beginning of time? I, the Lord, the first and the last, I am the one.

5The islands watch in fear, the distant lands tremble. They get together and consult.

6They all help each other, encouraging one another to “Be strong!”

7The craftsman encourages the goldsmith; the one who beats out the metal with a hammer encourages the one hitting the anvil, saying the soldering is good. They nail the idol down so it won't fall over.

8But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, the ones I have chosen, descendants of my friend Abraham,

9I brought you back from distant lands, I called you back from faraway places, telling you, “You are my servants.” I have chosen you, and I have not abandoned you.

10Don't be afraid, for I am with you! Don't be frightened for I, your God, will make you strong, and I will certainly help you. I will support you with my strong hand, acting for what is right.

11See—everyone who is angry with you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who fight against you will end up as nothing and die.

12Even though you look for your enemies, you won't find them. Those who attack you will become absolutely nothing.

13For I the Lord will grab you by the hand and tell you, “Don't be afraid! I myself will help you.

14Don't be frightened, Jacob, you little worm, you people of Israel, for I will help you,” declared the Lord your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.

15Look! I will make you into a new and sharp threshing device, ¹⁵⁶with many pointed teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush the hills, turning them into chaff.

16You will throw them into the air, the wind will carry them away, and a storm will scatter them. Then you will be happy in the Lord, and boast about the Holy One of Israel.

17The poor and needy search for water, but don't find any—their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will respond to them; I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them.

18I will open up rivers in the desolate highlands and springs in the valleys. I will make pools in the wilderness and springs in the desert.

19I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the desert. I will place evergreens in the desert, firs and box trees together.

20In this way everyone can see and know, they can think about it and draw the conclusion that it is the Lord who has done this, that the Holy One of Israel made it happen.

21“Now you submit your case,” ¹⁵⁷says the Lord. “Present your evidence,” says the King of Jacob.

22“Let them ¹⁵⁸come and tell us what's about to happen. Let them explain the things of the past, so that we can think about them and discover the final outcome. Or they can tell us about the future.

23Predict what's coming so we can know for sure that you are gods. At least do something, good or bad, to impress us when we see it.

24But look at you! You're nothing, and you can't do anything! Anyone who chooses you is disgusting!

25I have encouraged the one who comes from the north. He is from the east, ¹⁵⁹and will respect me. ¹⁶⁰He will tread on rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter treading on clay. ¹⁶¹

26Who announced this beforehand so that we could know about it? Who let us know in the past, so that now we could say: ‘He was right’? None of you announced it, none of you predicted it, and nobody heard you say a word! ¹⁶²

27I was the first to announce to Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ I was the one who brought to Jerusalem the good news.

28I look at these idols, and find there is no one who can say anything. ¹⁶³None of them can give advice; when I ask them something, they can't even answer.

29Look at them! They're all evil, deceptive things. They can't do anything! They're just idols full of hot air! ¹⁶⁴”