Isaiah 41:17

Poverty and the vulnerable God's faithfulness

¹⁵ Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.

¹⁶ You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

¹⁸ I will open rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the middle of the valleys. I will turn the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into flowing springs.

¹⁹ I will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees. I will set cypresses in the desert, elms and boxwood together,

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
KJV: When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
WEB: The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
ASV: The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
DARBY: The afflicted and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue faileth for thirst: I, Jehovah, will answer them, [I], the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
BLB: The poor and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongues are dry with thirst. I, YHWH, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

ÅB: De elendige og fattige søker etter vann, men det er ikke noe; deres tunge brenner av tørst. Jeg, Herren, jeg vil svare dem; jeg, Israels Gud, jeg vil ikke forlate dem.
OTB: "De fattige og trengende søker etter vann, men det finnes ikke; deres tunger er tørre av tørst. Jeg, Herren, vil svare dem; jeg, Israels Gud, vil ikke forlate dem.
B1930: De elendige og fattige søker efter vann, men det er ikke noget; deres tunge brenner av tørst. Jeg, Herren, jeg vil svare dem; jeg, Israels Gud, jeg vil ikke forlate dem.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
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Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
Read in context
Isaiah 30:19
O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious when you cry for help; when He hears, He will answer you.
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Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
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Psalms 72:12–13
For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.
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Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
Read in context
Psalms 34:6
This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
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Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.
Read in context