Isaiah 44
1 Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
Yet now hear, O Jacob, my servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen;
2 This is what the LORD who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Creator, He that formed thee, and hath helped thee from thy birth, Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, O Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring;
For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, And streams upon the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on thy children, And my blessing on thine offspring;
4 and they will spring up amongst the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
And they shall grow up, as among grass; As willows by the water-brooks.
5 One will say, ‘I am the LORD’s.’ Another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand ‘to the LORD,’ and honour the name of Israel.”
One shall say, “I belong to Jehovah”; Another shall call upon the name of Jacob; Another shall write upon his hand, Jehovah's! And praise the name of Israel.
6 This is what the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, His redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I the last, And besides me there is no God.
7 Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen.
Who like me hath proclaimed the future, —Let him declare it, and set it in order before me!— Since I established the people of old? Let them make known the future, even that which is to come!
8 Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.”
Fear ye not, neither be ye afraid! Have I not declared and made it known to you of old? Ye are my witnesses; Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no other rock; I know not any.
9 Everyone who makes a carved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.
They that make a graven image are all of them vanity, And their valued works are profitable for nothing; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor understand, So that they may be ashamed.
10 Who has fashioned a god, or moulds an image that is profitable for nothing?
Who hath formed a god, And cast a graven image, that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.
Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed; The workmen are themselves mortal men; They shall all be assembled; they shall stand up; They shall tremble, and be put to shame together!
12 The blacksmith takes an axe, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.
The smith prepareth an axe in the coals, And fashioneth it with hammers, And worketh it with his strong arm; He becometh hungry, and his strength faileth; He drinketh no water, and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.
The carpenter stretcheth out the line; He marketh out the form of it with the sharp tool; He formeth it with planes; He marketh it with the compass; He maketh it in the figure of a man, With the beauty of a man, To dwell in a house.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one amongst the trees of the forest. He plants a cypress tree, and the rain nourishes it.
He heweth him down cedars; He taketh the ilex and the oak; He chooseth for himself among the trees of the forest; He planteth the ash, and the rain matureth it;
15 Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he burns it and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
These are fuel for man; He taketh thereof and warmeth himself; He kindleth with it, and baketh bread; A god also he formeth of it, and worshippeth it; A graven image, and falleth down before it.
16 He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.”
Half of it he burneth with fire; With half of it he eateth flesh; He roasteth meat, and satisfieth himself; He also warmeth himself, and saith, Aha! I am warm; I feel the fire.
17 The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
Of the residue he maketh a god, even his graven image; He falleth down before it and worshippeth it, And prayeth to it, and saith, “Deliver me, for thou art my God!”
18 They don’t know, neither do they consider, for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see, and their hearts, that they can’t understand.
They know not, neither understand; For their eyes are closed up, that they cannot see, And their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burnt part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”
None considereth in his mind, Or hath knowledge and understanding to say: “Half of it I have burned with fire; I have also baked bread on the coals of it; I have roasted flesh and have eaten; And shall I make the remnant an abomination? Shall I fall down before the stock of a tree?”
20 He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”
He toileth for ashes; A deluded heart turneth him aside, So that he cannot deliver himself, and say “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
21 Remember these things, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
Remember these things, O Jacob, O Israel, for thou art my servant! I formed thee; thou art my servant; O Israel, I will not forget thee.
22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
I have caused thy transgressions to vanish like a cloud, And thy sins like a mist; Return to me, for I have redeemed thee!
23 Sing, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; Shout, O ye depths of the earth! Break forth into song, ye mountains! Thou forest, and every tree therein! For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, And glorified himself in Israel.
24 The LORD, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: “I am the LORD, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, Even he that formed thee from the womb; I am Jehovah, who made all things; Who stretched out the heavens alone; Who spread out the earth by myself;
25 who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;
Who frustrateth the signs of deceivers, And maketh the diviners mad; Who putteth the wise men to shame, And maketh their knowledge folly;
26 who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited;’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be built,’ and ‘I will raise up its waste places;’
Who establisheth the word of his servant, And performeth the purpose of his messengers; Who saith of Jerusalem, “She shall be inhabited,” And of the cities of Judah, “They shall be built,” And, “Her desolated places I will restore.”
27 who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your rivers,’
Who saith to the deep, “Be dry! I will dry up thy streams!”
28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,’ even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”
Who saith of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd; He shall perform all my pleasure”; Who saith of Jerusalem, “She shall be built,” And of the temple, “Her foundation shall be laid.”
