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Israel Assured of God’s Help

41Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;
   let the peoples renew their strength;
let them approach, then let them speak;
   let us together draw near for judgement.

² Who has roused a victor from the east,
   summoned him to his service?
He delivers up nations to him,
   and tramples kings under foot;
he makes them like dust with his sword,
   like driven stubble with his bow.
³ He pursues them and passes on safely,
   scarcely touching the path with his feet.
⁴ Who has performed and done this,
   calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am first,
   and will be with the last.
⁵ The coastlands have seen and are afraid,
   the ends of the earth tremble;
   they have drawn near and come.
⁶ Each one helps the other,
   saying to one another, ‘Take courage!’
⁷ The artisan encourages the goldsmith,
   and the one who smooths with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, ‘It is good’;
   and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.
⁸ But you, Israel, my servant,
   Jacob, whom I have chosen,
   the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
⁹ you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
   and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, ‘You are my servant,
   I have chosen you and not cast you off ’;
¹⁰ do not fear, for I am with you,
   do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

¹¹ Yes, all who are incensed against you
   shall be ashamed and disgraced;
those who strive against you
   shall be as nothing and shall perish.
¹² You shall seek those who contend with you,
   but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
   shall be as nothing at all.
¹³ For I, the Lord your God,
   hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ‘Do not fear,
   I will help you.’

¹⁴ Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
   you insect^* Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
   your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
¹⁵ Now, I will make of you a threshing-sledge,
   sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
   and you shall make the hills like chaff.
¹⁶ You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away,
   and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the Lord;
   in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.