< Isaiah 44 >

1 Yet nowe heare, O Iaakob my seruant, and Israel, whom I haue chosen.
And now hear, Jacob, my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus sayeth the Lord, that made thee, and formed thee from the wombe: he wil helpe thee. Feare not, O Iaakob, my seruaunt, and thou righteous, whome I haue chosen.
thus saith Jehovah, that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who helpeth thee, Fear not, Jacob, my servant, and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will powre water vpon the thirstie, and floods vpon the drie grounde: I will powre my Spirit vpon thy seede, and my blessing vpon thy buddes.
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.
4 And they shall grow as among the grasse, and as the willowes by the riuers of waters.
And they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the water-courses.
5 One shall say, I am the Lordes: another shalbe called by the name of Iaakob: and another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord, and name himselfe by the name of Israel.
One shall say, I am Jehovah's; and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and another shall write with his hand: [I am] Jehovah's, and surname [himself] by the name of Israel.
6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel and his redeemer, the Lord of hostes, I am the first, and I am the last, and without me is there no God.
Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I [am] the first, and I [am] the last, and beside me there is no God.
7 And who is like me, that shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order before me, since I appointed the ancient people? and what is at hand, and what things are to come? let them shewe vnto them.
And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? And the coming things, and those that shall happen, let them declare unto them.
8 Feare ye not, neither be afraide: haue not I tolde thee of olde, and haue declared it? you are euen my witnesses, whether there be a God beside me, and that there is no God that I knowe not.
Fear not, neither be afraid. Have I not caused thee to hear from that time, and have declared it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no Rock: I know not any.
9 All they that make an image, are vanitie, and their delectable things shall nothing profite: and they are their owne witnesses, that they see not nor know: therefore they shalbe confounded.
They that form a graven image are all of them vanity, and their delectable things are of no profit; and they are their own witnesses: they see not, nor know; — that they may be ashamed.
10 Who hath made a god, or molten an image, that is profitable for nothing?
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Beholde, all that are of the fellowship thereof, shall be confounded: for the workemen themselues are men: let them all be gathered together, and stand vp, yet they shall feare, and be confounded together.
Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed; and the workmen are but men. Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up: they shall fear, they shall be ashamed together.
12 The smith taketh an instrument, and worketh in the coles, and facioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his armes: yea, he is an hungred, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
The iron-smith [hath] a chisel, and he worketh in the coals, and he fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm; — but he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he hath not drunk water, and he is faint.
13 The carpenter stretcheth out a line: he facioneth it with a red thread, he planeth it, and he purtreyeth it with the compasse, and maketh it after the figure of a man, and according to the beautie of a man that it may remaine in an house.
The worker in wood stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with red chalk; he formeth it with sharp tools, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of man: that it may remain in the house.
14 He will hewe him downe cedars, and take the pine tree and the oke, and taketh courage among the trees of the forest: he planteth a firre tree, and the raine doeth nourish it.
When he heweth him down cedars, he taketh also a holm-oak and a terebinth — he chooseth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth a pine, and the rain maketh [it] grow.
15 And man burneth thereof: for he will take thereof and warme himselfe: he also kindleth it and baketh bread, yet he maketh a god, and worshippeth it: he maketh it an idole and boweth vnto it.
And it shall be for a man to burn, and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; he kindleth it also, and baketh bread; he maketh also a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
16 He burneth the halfe thereof euen in the fire, and vpon the halfe thereof he eateth flesh: he rosteth the roste and is satisfied: also he warmeth himselfe and sayth, Aha, I am warme, I haue bene at the fire.
He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh, he roasteth roast, and is satisfied; yea, he is warm, and saith, Aha, I am become warm, I have seen the fire.
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, euen his idole: he boweth vnto it, and worshippeth and prayeth vnto it, and sayeth, Deliuer me: for thou art my god.
And with the remainder thereof he maketh a god, his graven image; he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me, for thou art my god.
18 They haue not knowen, nor vnderstand: for God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see, and their heartes, that they cannot vnderstand.
They have no knowledge, and understand not; for he hath plastered their eyes, that they may not see; and their hearts, that they may not understand.
19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor vnderstanding to say, I haue burnt halfe of it, euen in the fire, and haue baked bread also vpon the coles thereof: I haue rosted flesh, and eaten it, and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I bowe to the stocke of a tree?
And none taketh it to heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire, and have also baked bread upon the coals thereof, I have roasted flesh, and eaten [it], and with the rest thereof shall I make an abomination? shall I bow down to a block of wood?
20 He feedeth of ashes: a seduced heart hath deceiued him, that he cannot deliuer his soule, nor say, Is there not a lye in my right hand?
He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
21 Remember these (O Iaakob and Israel) for thou art my seruant: I haue formed thee: thou art my seruant: O Israel forget me not.
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for thou art my servant; I have formed thee: thou art my servant, Israel; thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
22 I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloude, and thy sinnes, as a mist: turne vnto me, for I haue redeemed thee.
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
23 Reioyce, ye heauens: for the Lord hath done it: shoute, ye lower partes of the earth: brast foorth into prayses, ye mountaines, O forest and euery tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Iaakob and will be glorified in Israel.
Sing, ye heavens; for Jehovah hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, the forest, and every tree therein! For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
24 Thus sayeth the Lord thy redeemer and he that formed thee from the wombe, I am the Lord, that made all things, that spred out the heauens alone, and stretched out the earth by my selfe.
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb: I [am] Jehovah, the maker of all things; who alone stretched out the heavens, who did spread forth the earth by myself;
25 I destroy the tokens of ye southsayers, and make them that coniecture, fooles, and turne the wise men backwarde, and make their knowledge foolishnesse.
— he that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
26 He confirmeth the worde of his seruant and performeth the counsell of his messengers, saying to Ierusalem, Thou shalt bee inhabited: and to the cities of Iudah, Yee shall be built vp, and I will repayre the decayed places thereof.
that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built up, and I will raise up their ruins;
27 He saith to the deepe, Be drye and I will drye vp thy floods.
that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers;
28 He saith to Cyrus, Thou art my shepheard: and he shall performe all my desire: saying also to Ierusalem, Thou shalt be built: and to the Temple, Thy foundation shall be surely layed.
that saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and he shall perform all my pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

< Isaiah 44 >