11. “See, all your angry enemies lie there,confused and humiliated.Anyone who opposes you will dieand come to nothing.
12. You will look in vainfor those who tried to conquer you.Those who attack youwill come to nothing.
13. For I hold you by your right hand—I, the lord your God.And I say to you,‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.
14. Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob,don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you.I am the lord, your Redeemer.I am the Holy One of Israel.’
15. You will be a new threshing instrumentwith many sharp teeth.You will tear your enemies apart,making chaff of mountains.
16. You will toss them into the air,and the wind will blow them all away;a whirlwind will scatter them.Then you will rejoice in the lord.You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17. “When the poor and needy search for water and there is none,and their tongues are parched from thirst,then I, the lord, will answer them.I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.
18. I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus.I will give them fountains of water in the valleys.I will fill the desert with pools of water.Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.
19. I will plant trees in the barren desert—cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine.
20. I am doing this so all who see this miraclewill understand what it means—that it is the lord who has done this,the Holy One of Israel who created it.
21. “Present the case for your idols,”says the lord.“Let them show what they can do,”says the King of Israel.
22. “Let them try to tell us what happened long agoso that we may consider the evidence.Or let them tell us what the future holds,so we can know what’s going to happen.
23. Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead.Then we will know you are gods.In fact, do anything—good or bad!Do something that will amaze and frighten us.
24. But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all.Those who choose you pollute themselves.
25. “But I have stirred up a leader who will approach from the north.From the east he will call on my name.I will give him victory over kings and princes.He will trample them as a potter treads on clay.
26. “Who told you from the beginningthat this would happen?Who predicted this,making you admit that he was right?No one said a word!