Isaiah 41

Settle down and listen to me
You people by the sea.
Work up some courage,
Step forward and talk.
Let’s clear the air and settle this thing.
2  Who called the Eastern ruler?[1]
He crushes kings
And takes their kingdoms.
His enemies fight with swords of clay,
And bows woven from stubble.
3  He chases them and doesn’t get hurt.
He doesn’t even stub his toe.
4  Who’s the one behind all this?
Who's calling the shots?
And has been since the beginning of time?
I am the LORD,
First one here when time began,
Last to leave when it’s over.
5  Nations by the sea fear the future.
Kingdoms everywhere tremble at the thought.

Everyone starts pulling together,
Helping, encouraging:
“Be strong. Be brave.”
7  A woodcarver encourages a goldsmith.
A blacksmith tells a finisher, “Good job.”
They nail the idol in place.

But you are different, Israel.
You’re children of Jacob and Abraham
I chose you. Then you chose me.
9  I sent you far from home
Then called you back again
From the far side of the earth.
I said, “You still belong to me.
I haven’t quit on you.
10  Don’t be afraid. I’m here.
Don’t be afraid. I’m your God.
You’re with me, and we’ll win this thing.
11  Those who hate you will be disgraced.
Those who fight you will disappear.
12  You’ll look for enemies to defend against.
But you won’t find them. They’ve vanished.
13  I’m the LORD your God
Holding your hand and saying,
Don’t be scared, I’ve got you.
14  Don’t be afraid, Jacob, tiny worm of a nation,
Israel, little corn-eating worm[2] and butterfly
I’ll help you,
Says the LORD your savior,
Israel’s Holy One.

I’m going to change you.
You’ll be a walloping sled of threshing timber,
Heavy and bristling in sharp new blades.
You’ll tear mountains apart.
16  You’ll shred their rocks to dust
Blown away in windstorms.
You’ll celebrate the LORD then.
You’ll appreciate how glorious he is.

When poor folks thirst for water
And there’s none for the poor and thirsty,
There’s the LORD and God of Israel.
I won’t abandon my people.
18  I’ll set the rivers rolling,
Show springs hidden in the hills,
And turn on fountains in the valleys.
I’ll make wasteland into water world
And deserts into watering holes.
19  I’ll make badlands into a forest,
Trees of cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive.
I’ll fill the desert with cypress, pine, and fir.
20  Then everyone will see it’s me at work.
The LORD, Israel’s Holy One did it all.

Plead your case in my court, says the LORD.
Go ahead, make your argument, says Israel’s king.
22  Show us evidence that idols are gods.
Tell us something they saw from the past.
Then we’ll see if they got it right.
Or let them predict the future.
23  Have them step forward and prove what they say.
Do something good, bad—anything amazing or scary.
24  Indeed, you can’t. You’re nothing.
Nothing can’t do a thing.
Anyone who worships something like you
Is nauseating and disgusting to watch.
25  I’m calling a leader from the North.
I know him by name and call him by name.[3]
He’ll come from the East, his back to the sun.
He’ll walk on kings like cobblestone,
Like potters walk on clay.
26  Tell me, which idol predicted this would happen?
Who alerted us to what’s coming down the path?
Is there anyone we can say got it right? No one?
That’s correct. There was no one.
27  I’m the first to announce it to Zion.[3]
I brought the good news to Jerusalem.
28  When I look at these idols
I see no advisor,
There’s no one answering my questions.
29  These objects are illusions,
Fantasies doing nothing.
They crumble in time,
And blow away with the wind.