411 “Keep silent before me, islands,
and let the peoples renew their strength.
Let them come near,
then let them speak.
Let’s meet together for judgment. 2 Who has raised up one from the east?
Whom called him to his foot in righteousness?
He hands over nations to him,
and makes him rule over kings.
He gives them like the dust to his sword,
like the driven stubble to his bow. 3 He pursues them,
and passes by safely,
Even by a way that he had not gone with his feet. 4 Who has worked and done it,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last, I am he.” 5 The islands have seen, and fear.
The ends of the earth tremble.
They approach, and come. 6 Everyone helps his neighbor.
They say to their brothers, “Be strong!” 7 So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith.
He who smoothes with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good;”
and he fastens it with nails, that it might not totter. 8 “But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
the seed of Abraham my friend, 9 You whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth,
and called from its corners,
and said to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you away;’
10 Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
Yes, I will help you.
Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all those who are incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded.
Those who strive with you will be like nothing, and shall perish. 12 You will seek them, and won’t find them,
even those who contend with you.
Those who war against you will be as nothing,
as a non-existent thing. 13 For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand,
saying to you, ‘Don’t be afraid.
I will help you.’ 14 Don’t be afraid, you worm Jacob,
and you men of Israel.
I will help you,” says Yahweh,
“and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth.
You will thresh the mountains,
and beat them small,
and will make the hills like chaff. 16 You will winnow them,
and the wind will carry them away,
and the whirlwind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in Yahweh.
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 The poor and needy seek water, and there is none.
Their tongue fails for thirst.
I, Yahweh, will answer them.
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 18 I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and springs in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water. 19 I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness.
I will set fir trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert; 20 that they may see, know, consider, and understand together,
that the hand of Yahweh has done this,
and the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21 Produce your cause,” says Yahweh.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob. 22 “Let them announce, and declare to us what shall happen.
Declare the former things, what they are,
that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them;
or show us things to come. 23 Declare the things that are to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods.
Yes, do good, or do evil,
that we may be dismayed,
and see it together. 24 Behold, you are of nothing,
and your work is of nothing.
He who chooses you is an abomination. 25 “I have raised up one from the north, and he has come;
from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name;
and he shall come on rulers as on mortar,
and as the potter treads clay. 26 Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know?
And before, that we may say, ‘He is right?’
Surely, there is no one who declares.
Surely, there is no one who shows.
Surely, there is no one who hears your words. 27 I am the first to say to Zion, ‘Behold, look at them;’
and I will give one who brings good news to Jerusalem. 28 When I look, there is no man;
even among them there is no counselor who, when I ask of them, can answer a word. 29 Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nothing.
Their molten images are wind and confusion.
31 For, behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support,
the whole supply of bread,
and the whole supply of water; 2 the mighty man,
the man of war,
the judge,
the prophet,
the diviner,
the elder, 3 the captain of fifty,
the honorable man,
the counselor,
the skilled craftsman,
and the clever enchanter. 4 I will give boys to be their princes,
and children shall rule over them. 5 The people will be oppressed,
everyone by another,
and everyone by his neighbor.
The child will behave himself proudly against the old man,
and the base against the honorable. 6 Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying,
“You have clothing, you be our ruler,
and let this ruin be under your hand.” 7 In that day he will cry out, saying, I will not be a healer;
for in my house is neither bread nor clothing.
You shall not make me ruler of the people. 8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen;
because their tongue and their doings are against Yahweh,
to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The look of their faces testify against them.
They parade their sin like Sodom.
They don’t hide it.
Woe to their soul!
For they have brought disaster upon themselves. 10 Tell the righteous “Good!”
For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. 11 Woe to the wicked!
Disaster is upon them;
for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him. 12 As for my people, children are their oppressors,
and women rule over them.
My people, those who lead you cause you to err,
and destroy the way of your paths. 13 Yahweh stands up to contend,
and stands to judge the peoples. 14 Yahweh will enter into judgment with the elders of his people,
and their leaders:
“It is you who have eaten up the vineyard.
The spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean that you crush my people,
and grind the face of the poor?” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.
16 Moreover Yahweh said, “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes,
walking to trip as they go,
jingling ornaments on their feet; 17 therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion,
and Yahweh will make their scalps bald.” 18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings, the bracelets, the veils, 20 the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume bottles, the charms, 21 the signet rings, the nose rings, 22 the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses, 23 the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls. 24 It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness;
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of well set hair, baldness;
instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth;
and branding instead of beauty. 25 Your men shall fall by the sword,
and your mighty in the war. 26 Her gates shall lament and mourn;
and she shall be desolate and sit on the ground.
