Isaiah 41

Fear Not, For I Am with You

1 "Keep a silence before Me, O coastlands,
And let the people renew their strength!
Let them come near, then let them speak;
Let us b come near together for judgment.

2 "Who raised up one c from the east?
Who in righteousness called him to His feet?
Who d gave the nations before him,
And made him rule over kings?
Who gave them as the dust to his sword,
As driven stubble to his bow? 3 Who pursued them, and passed 1 safely
By the way that he had not gone with his feet? 4 e Who has performed and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
'I, the LORD, am f the first;
And with the last I am g He.' "

5 The coastlands saw it and feared,
The ends of the earth were afraid;
They drew near and came. 6 h Everyone helped his neighbor,
And said to his brother,
2 "Be of good courage!" 7 i So the craftsman encouraged the j goldsmith; 3
He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil,
Saying, 4 "It is ready for the soldering";
Then he fastened it with pegs,
k That it might not totter.

8 "But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have l chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My m friend. 9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
'You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away: 10 n Fear not, o for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

11 "Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be p ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish. 12 You shall seek them and not find them -
5 Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing. 13 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'

14 "Fear not, you q worm Jacob,
You men of Israel!
I will help you," says the LORD
And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 "Behold, r I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,
And make the hills like chaff. 16 You shall s winnow them, the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind shall scatter them;
You shall rejoice in the LORD,
And t glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 "The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the LORD, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not u forsake them. 18 I will open v rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the w wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water. 19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the x desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box tree together, 20 y That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

The Futility of Idols

21 "Present your case," says the LORD.
"Bring forth your strong reasons," says the z King of Jacob. 22 "Let a them bring forth and show us what will happen;
Let them show the b former things, what they were,
That we may 6 consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come. 23 c Show the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods;
Yes, d do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed and see it together. 24 Indeed e you are nothing,
And your work is nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.

25 "I have raised up one from the north,
And he shall come;
From the 7 rising of the sun f he shall call on My name;
g And he shall come against princes as though mortar,
As the potter treads clay. 26 h Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know?
And former times, that we may say, 'He is righteous'?
Surely there is no one who shows,
Surely there is no one who declares,
Surely there is no one who hears your words. 27 i The first time j I said to Zion,
'Look, there they are!'
And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings. 28 k For I looked, and there was no man;
I looked among them, but there was no counselor,
Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word. 29 l Indeed they are all 8 worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion.

  1. Cross References
    Habakkuk 2:20
    "But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him."
    Zechariah 2:13
    "Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!"
  2. Cross References
    Isaiah 1:18
    Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
  3. Cross References
    Isaiah 46:11
    Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 14:14
    Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
    Isaiah 45:1
    Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held - To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
    Isaiah 45:13
    I have raised him up in righteousness, And I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city And let My exiles go free, Not for price nor reward," Says the LORD of hosts.
  5. Cross References
    Isaiah 41:26
    Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? And former times, that we may say, ' He is righteous'? Surely there is no one who shows, Surely there is no one who declares, Surely there is no one who hears your words.
  6. Cross References
    Revelation 1:8
    " I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, " says the Lord, " who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
    Revelation 1:17
    And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, " Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
    Revelation 22:13
    "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."
  7. Cross References
    Isaiah 43:10
    You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.
    Isaiah 44:6
    Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
  8. Cross References
    Isaiah 40:19
    The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.
  9. Cross References
    Isaiah 44:13
    The craftsman stretches out his rule, He marks one out with chalk; He fashions it with a plane, He marks it out with the compass, And makes it like the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
  10. Cross References
    Isaiah 40:19
    The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.
  11. Cross References
    Isaiah 40:20
    Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter.
  12. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 7:6
    For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.
    Deuteronomy 10:15
    The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day.
    Psalms 135:4
    For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.
    Isaiah 43:1
    But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
  13. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:7
    Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
    James 2:23
    And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.
  14. Cross References
    Isaiah 41:13
    For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.
    Isaiah 41:14
    Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
    Isaiah 43:5
    Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west.
  15. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 31:6
    "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 23:22
    But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
    Isaiah 45:24
    He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him.
    Isaiah 60:12
    For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined.
    Zechariah 12:3
    And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.
  17. Cross References
    Job 25:6
    How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?
    Psalms 22:6
    But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
  18. Cross References
    Micah 4:13
    "Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; For I will make your horn iron, And I will make your hooves bronze; You shall beat in pieces many peoples; I will consecrate their gain to the LORD, And their substance to the Lord of the whole earth."
    Habakkuk 3:12
    You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger.
    2 Corinthians 10:4
    For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 51:2
    And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land. For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around.
  20. Cross References
    Isaiah 45:25
    In the LORD all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.'
  21. Cross References
    Psalms 94:14
    For the LORD will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
    Romans 11:2
    God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying.
  22. Cross References
    Isaiah 35:6
    Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.
    Isaiah 35:7
    The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
    Isaiah 43:19
    Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
    Isaiah 44:3
    For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring.
  23. Cross References
    Psalms 107:35
    He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings.
  24. Cross References
    Isaiah 35:1
    The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.
  25. Cross References
    Job 12:9
    Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this.
    Isaiah 66:14
    When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies.
  26. Cross References
    Isaiah 43:15
    I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.
  27. Cross References
    Isaiah 45:21
    Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me.
  28. Cross References
    Isaiah 43:9
    Let all the nations be gathered together, And let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, And show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; Or let them hear and say, " It is truth.
  29. Cross References
    Isaiah 42:9
    Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.
    Isaiah 44:7
    And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them.
    Isaiah 44:8
    Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.'
    Isaiah 45:3
    I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.
    John 13:19
    Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
  30. Cross References
    Jeremiah 10:5
    They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.
  31. Cross References
    Psalms 115:8
    Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.
    Isaiah 44:9
    Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
    Romans 3:10 - 20
    As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one.
    1 Corinthians 8:4
    Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
  32. Cross References
    Ezra 1:2
    Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.
  33. Cross References
    Isaiah 41:2
    Who raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings? Who gave them as the dust to his sword, As driven stubble to his bow?
    Jeremiah 50:3
    For out of the north a nation comes up against her, Which shall make her land desolate, And no one shall dwell therein. They shall move, they shall depart, Both man and beast.
  34. Cross References
    Isaiah 43:9
    Let all the nations be gathered together, And let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, And show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; Or let them hear and say, " It is truth.
  35. Cross References
    Isaiah 41:4
    Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the beginning? 'I, the LORD, am the first; And with the last I am He.'
  36. Cross References
    Isaiah 40:9
    O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!
    Nahum 1:15
    Behold, on the mountains The feet of him who brings good tidings, Who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.
  37. Cross References
    Isaiah 63:5
    I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me.
  38. Cross References
    Isaiah 41:24
    Indeed you are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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