8. The Lord says, “You, Israel, are my servant. Jacob, I chose you. You are from the family of my friend, Abraham.
9. 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.
10. Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.
11. Look, some people are angry with you, but they will be ashamed and disgraced. Your enemies will be lost and disappear.
12. You will look for the people who were against you, but you will not be able to find them. Those who fought against you will disappear completely.
13. I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand. And I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid! I will help you.’
14. 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.
15. Look, I have made you like a new threshing board with many sharp teeth. You will trample mountains and crush them. You will make the hills like chaff.
16. 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.
17. “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.
18. 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.
19. I will make trees grow in the desert. There will be cedar, acacias, olive trees, cypress, fir trees, and pines.
20. 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.”
21. The Lord, the king of Jacob, says, “Come, present your arguments. Show me your proof.
22. 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.
23. 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.
24. “Look, you false gods are worthless. You cannot do anything. Only some horrible fool would want to worship you.”