3 He chases armies and is never hurt. He goes places he has never been before.
4 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.
5 People along the coast saw this, and they were frightened. Nations at the ends of the earth shook with fear. They have come near. They have arrived.
6 “Workers help each other. They encourage each other to be strong.
7 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!”
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.