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.
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.
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!"
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
"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.
"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.