²¹ “Submit your case,” says the Lord.
“Present your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.
²² “Let them come and tell us
what will happen.^(A)
Tell us the past events,
so that we may reflect on them
and know the outcome,
or tell us the future.
²³ Tell us the coming events,^(B)
then we will know that you are gods.
Indeed, do something good or bad,
then we will be in awe^[a] and perceive.
²⁴ Look, you are nothing^(C)
and your work is worthless.
Anyone who chooses you is detestable.

²⁵ “I have raised up one from the north,^(D) and he has come,
one from the east^(E) who invokes My^[b] name.^(F)
He will march over rulers as if they were mud,
like a potter who treads the clay.
²⁶ Who told about this from the beginning,
so that we might know,
and from times past,
so that we might say: He is right?
No one announced it,
no one told it,
no one heard your words.
²⁷ I was the first to say to Zion:^[c]
Look! Here they are!
And I gave a herald of good news to Jerusalem.^(G)
28 When I look, there is no one;
there is no counselor among them;
when I ask them, they have nothing to say.^(H)
29 Look, all of them are a delusion;^[d]
their works are nonexistent;
their images are wind and emptiness.

⁹ All who make idols are nothing,
and what they treasure does not profit.
Their witnesses do not see or know anything,
so they will be put to shame.^(A)
10 Who makes a god or casts a metal image
for no profit?^(B)
11 Look, all its worshipers will be put to shame,
and the craftsmen are humans.
They all will assemble and stand;
they all will be startled and put to shame.

¹² The ironworker labors over the coals,
shapes the idol with hammers,
and works it with his strong arm.
Also he grows hungry and his strength fails;
he doesn’t drink water and is faint.
¹³ The woodworker stretches out a measuring line,
he outlines it with a stylus;
he shapes it with chisels
and outlines it with a compass.
He makes it according to a human likeness,^(C)
like a beautiful person,
to dwell in a temple.
¹⁴ He cuts down^[a] cedars for his use,
or he takes a cypress or an oak.
He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest.
He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.
¹⁵ It serves as fuel for man.
He takes some of it and warms himself;
also he kindles a fire and bakes bread;
he even makes it into a god and worships it;
he makes an idol from it and bows down to it.
¹⁶ He burns half of it in a fire,
and he roasts meat on that half.
He eats the roast and is satisfied.
He warms himself and says, “Ah!
I am warm, I see the blaze.”
¹⁷ He makes a god or his idol with the rest of it.
He bows down to it and worships;
He prays to it,^(D) “Save me, for you are my god.”