Le Livre du Prophète Ésaïe

Chapître 41

1

Keep silence⁵⁴ before me, O islands; and let the people renew⁵⁵ [their] strength: let them come near;⁴ then let them speak:¹⁷ let us come near⁴ together to judgment.

2

Who raised up⁵² the righteous [man] from the east, called⁴ him to his foot, gave⁴ the nations before him, and made [him] rule⁵⁵ over kings? he gave⁴ [them] as the dust to his sword, [and] as driven¹² stubble to his bow.

3

He pursued⁴ them, [and] passed⁴ safely; [even] by the way [that] he had not gone⁴ with his feet.

4

Who hath wrought¹ and done¹ [it], calling⁶ the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I [am] he.

5

The isles saw¹ [it], and feared;⁴ the ends of the earth were afraid,⁴ drew near,¹ and came.⁴

6

They helped⁴ every one his neighbour; and [every one] said⁴ to his brother, Be of good courage.³

7

So the carpenter encouraged¹⁷ the goldsmith,⁶ [and] he that smootheth⁵⁶ [with] the hammer him that smote⁶ the anvil, saying,⁶ It [is] ready for the sodering: and he fastened¹⁷ it with nails, [that] it should not be moved.¹¹

8

But thou, Israel, [art] my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen,¹ the seed of Abraham my friend.⁶

9

[Thou] whom I have taken⁵² from the ends of the earth, and called¹ thee from the chief men thereof, and said⁴ unto thee, Thou [art] my servant; I have chosen¹ thee, and not cast thee away.¹

10

 Fear⁴ thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed;¹⁰¹ for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen¹⁴ thee; yea, I will help¹ thee; yea, I will uphold¹ thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

11

Behold, all they that were incensed¹² against thee shall be ashamed⁴ and confounded:¹¹ they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.⁴

12

Thou shalt seek¹⁷ them, and shalt not find⁴ them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

13

For I the LORD thy God will hold⁵⁶ thy right hand, saying⁶ unto thee, Fear⁴ not; I will help¹ thee.

14

 Fear⁴ not, thou worm Jacob, [and] ye men of Israel; I will help¹ thee, saith⁷ the LORD, and thy redeemer,⁶ the Holy One of Israel.

15

Behold, I will make¹ thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh⁴ the mountains, and beat [them] small,⁴ and shalt make⁴ the hills as chaff.

16

Thou shalt fan⁴ them, and the wind shall carry them away,⁴ and the whirlwind shall scatter⁵⁵ them: and thou shalt rejoice⁴ in the LORD, [and] shalt glory¹⁰¹ in the Holy One of Israel.

17

[When] the poor and needy seek¹⁸ water, and [there is] none, [and] their tongue faileth¹ for thirst, I the LORD will hear⁴ them, I the God of Israel will not forsake⁴ them.

18

I will open⁴ rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make⁴ the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

19

I will plant⁴ in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set⁴ in the desert the fir tree, [and] the pine, and the box tree together:

20

That they may see,⁴ and know,⁴ and consider,⁴ and understand⁵⁵ together, that the hand of the LORD hath done¹ this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created¹ it.

21

 Produce¹⁶ your cause, saith⁴ the LORD; bring forth⁵⁴ your strong [reasons], saith⁴ the King of Jacob.

22

Let them bring [them] forth,⁵⁵ and shew⁵⁵ us what shall happen:⁴ let them shew⁵⁴ the former things, what they [be], that we may consider^{4 3820} them, and know⁴ the latter end of them; or declare⁵⁴ us things for to come.⁶

23

 Shew⁵⁴ the things that are to come⁶ hereafter, that we may know⁴ that ye [are] gods: yea, do good,⁵⁵ or do evil,⁵⁵ that we may be dismayed,¹⁰¹ and behold⁴ [it] together.

24

Behold, ye [are] of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination [is he that] chooseth⁴ you.

25

I have raised up⁵² [one] from the north, and he shall come:⁴ from the rising of the sun shall he call⁴ upon my name: and he shall come⁴ upon princes as [upon] morter, and as the potter⁶ treadeth⁴ clay.

26

Who hath declared⁵² from the beginning, that we may know?⁴ and beforetime, that we may say,⁴ [He is] righteous? yea, [there is] none that sheweth,⁵⁶ yea, [there is] none that declareth,⁵⁶ yea, [there is] none that heareth⁶ your words.

27

The first [shall say] to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give⁴ to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.¹⁸

28

For I beheld,⁴ and [there was] no man; even among them, and [there was] no counsellor,⁶ that, when I asked⁴ of them, could answer⁵⁵ a word.

29

Behold, they [are] all vanity; their works [are] nothing: their molten images [are] wind and confusion.