Isaiah 41 : 1 (ERVEN)
The Lord says, "Faraway countries, be quiet and listen to me! Nations be brave. Come to me and speak. We will meet together and decide who is right.
Isaiah 41 : 2 (ERVEN)
Who woke up the man who is coming from the east? He called Justice to march with him. He uses his sword to crush nations. He uses his bow and conquers kings� they run away like straw blown by the wind.
Isaiah 41 : 3 (ERVEN)
He chases armies and is never hurt. He goes places he has never been before.
Isaiah 41 : 4 (ERVEN)
Who was able to make all this happen? Who controlled the lives of everyone from the beginning? I, the Lord, am the one. I was here at the beginning, and I will be here when all things are finished.
Isaiah 41 : 5 (ERVEN)
People along the coast saw this, and they were frightened. Nations at the ends of the earth shook with fear. They have come near. They have arrived.
Isaiah 41 : 6 (ERVEN)
"Workers help each other. They encourage each other to be strong.
Isaiah 41 : 7 (ERVEN)
One worker cuts wood to make a statue. He encourages the man who works with gold. Another worker uses a hammer and makes the metal smooth. Then he encourages the man at the anvil. This last worker says, 'This work is good; the metal will not come off.' Then he nails the statue to a base so that it will not fall over. And it never moves!"
Isaiah 41 : 8 (ERVEN)
The Lord says, "You, Israel, are my servant. Jacob, I chose you. You are from the family of my friend, Abraham.
Isaiah 41 : 9 (ERVEN)
You were in a faraway country, but I reached out to you. I called you from that faraway place. I said, 'You are my servant.' I chose you, and I have not rejected you.
Isaiah 41 : 10 (ERVEN)
Don't worry�I am with you. Don't be afraid�I am your God. I will make you strong. I will help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.
Isaiah 41 : 11 (ERVEN)
Look, some people are angry with you, but they will be ashamed and disgraced. Your enemies will be lost and disappear.
Isaiah 41 : 12 (ERVEN)
You will look for the people who were against you, but you will not be able to find them. Those who fought against you will disappear completely.
Isaiah 41 : 13 (ERVEN)
I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand. And I tell you, 'Don't be afraid! I will help you.'
Isaiah 41 : 14 (ERVEN)
People of Israel, descendants of Jacob, you may be weak and worthless, but do not be afraid. I myself will help you." This is what the Lord himself says. "I am the Holy One of Israel, the one who saves you.
Isaiah 41 : 15 (ERVEN)
Look, I have made you like a new threshing board with many sharp teeth. You will trample mountains and crush them. You will make the hills like chaff.
Isaiah 41 : 16 (ERVEN)
You will throw them into the air, and the wind will blow them away and scatter them. Then you will be happy in the Lord. You will be proud of the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 41 : 17 (ERVEN)
"The poor and needy look for water, but they cannot find any. Their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer their prayers. I, the God of Israel, will not leave them to die.
Isaiah 41 : 18 (ERVEN)
I will make rivers flow on dry hills. I will make springs of water flow through the valleys. I will change the desert into a lake filled with water. There will be springs of water in that dry land.
Isaiah 41 : 19 (ERVEN)
I will make trees grow in the desert. There will be cedar, acacias, olive trees, cypress, fir trees, and pines.
Isaiah 41 : 20 (ERVEN)
I will do this so that people will see it and know who did it. They will notice what happened. Then they will understand that the Lord's hand made it happen, that the Holy One of Israel created it all."
Isaiah 41 : 21 (ERVEN)
The Lord, the king of Jacob, says, "Come, present your arguments. Show me your proof.
Isaiah 41 : 22 (ERVEN)
Let your idols come in and tell us what will happen. Idols, tell us what happened in the beginning. We will listen closely so that we can make a decision. Tell us what will happen in the future.
Isaiah 41 : 23 (ERVEN)
What signs did you give in the past to prove that you really are gods? Do something! Do anything, good or bad so that we can see that you are alive. Then we might fear and respect you.
Isaiah 41 : 24 (ERVEN)
"Look, you false gods are worthless. You cannot do anything. Only some horrible fool would want to worship you."
Isaiah 41 : 25 (ERVEN)
"I called someone in the north to come. He is coming from the east where the sun rises, and he honors my name. He tramples kings the way a potter softens clay with his feet.
Isaiah 41 : 26 (ERVEN)
"Who told us about this before it happened so that we could say he was right? None of your idols told us anything. They didn't say a word, and they cannot hear anything you say.
Isaiah 41 : 27 (ERVEN)
I, the Lord, was the first one to tell Zion about these things. I sent a messenger to Jerusalem to say, 'Look, your people are coming back!'"
Isaiah 41 : 28 (ERVEN)
I looked at those false gods. Not one of them said anything. They had no advice to offer. I asked them questions, but they didn't say a word.
Isaiah 41 : 29 (ERVEN)
Those gods are all less than nothing. They cannot do anything. They are worthless.
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