The Futility of Idols

21 “Present your case,” says the Lord.

“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the zKing of Jacob.

22 “Let athem bring forth and show us what will happen;

Let them show the bformer things, what they were,

That we may 6consider them,

And know the latter end of them;

Or declare to us things to come.

23 cShow the things that are to come hereafter,

That we may know that you are gods;

Yes, ddo good or do evil,

That we may be dismayed and see it together.

24 Indeed eyou 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 7rising of the sun fhe shall call on My name;

gAnd he shall come against princes as though mortar,

As the potter treads clay.

26 hWho 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 iThe first time jI said to Zion,

‘Look, there they are!’

And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.

28 kFor 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 lIndeed they are all 8worthless;

Their works are nothing;

Their molded images are wind and confusion.

The Servant of the Lord

42 “Behold! aMy Servant whom I uphold,

My 1Elect One in whom My soul bdelights!

cI have put My Spirit upon Him;

He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,

Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.

3 A bruised reed He will not break,

And 2smoking flax He will not 3quench;

He will bring forth justice for truth.

4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,

Till He has established justice in the earth;

dAnd the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

5 Thus says God the Lord,

eWho created the heavens and stretched them out,

Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,

fWho gives breath to the people on it,

And spirit to those who walk on it:

6 “I, gthe Lord, have called You in righteousness,

And will hold Your hand;

I will keep You hand give You as a covenant to the people,

As ia light to the Gentiles,

7 jTo open blind eyes,

To kbring out prisoners from the prison,

Those who sit in ldarkness from the prison house.

8 I am the Lord, that is My name;

And My mglory I will not give to another,

Nor My praise to carved images.

9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,

And new things I declare;

Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Praise to the Lord

10 nSing to the Lord a new song,

And His praise from the ends of the earth,

oYou who go down to the sea, and 4all that is in it,

You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!

11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice,

The villages that Kedar inhabits.

Let the inhabitants of Sela sing,

Let them shout from the top of the mountains.

12 Let them give glory to the Lord,

And declare His praise in the coastlands.

13 The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man;

He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war.

He shall cry out, pyes, shout aloud;

He shall prevail against His enemies.