Isaiah 44
44
The Lord Is the Only God
1The Lord says, “People of Jacob, you are my servants. Listen to me!
People of Israel, I chose you.”
2This is what the Lord says, who made you,
who formed you in your mother’s body,
who will help you:
“People of Jacob, my servants, don’t be afraid.
Israel, I chose you.
3I will pour out water for the thirsty land
and make streams flow on dry land.
I will pour out my Spirit into your children
and my blessing on your descendants.
4Your children will grow like a tree in the grass,
like poplar trees growing beside streams of water.
5One person will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use the name Jacob.
Another will sign his name ‘I am the Lord’s,’
and another will use the name Israel.”
6The Lord, the king of Israel,
is the Lord All-Powerful, who saves Israel.
This is what he says: “I am the beginning and the end.
I am the only God.
7Who is a god like me?
That god should come and prove it.
Let him tell and explain all that has happened since I set up my ancient people.
He should also tell what will happen in the future.
8Don’t be afraid! Don’t worry!
I have always told you what will happen.
You are my witnesses.
There is no other God but me.
I know of no other Rock; I am the only One.”
Idols Are Useless
9Some people make idols, but they are worth nothing.
People treasure them, but they are useless.
Those people are witnesses for the statues, but those people cannot see.
They know nothing, so they will be ashamed.
10Who made these gods?
Who made these useless idols?
11The workmen who made them will be ashamed,
because they are only human.
If they all would come together,
they would all be ashamed and afraid.
12One workman uses tools to heat iron,
and he works over hot coals.
With his hammer he beats the metal and makes a statue,
using his powerful arms.
But when he becomes hungry, he loses his power.
If he does not drink water, he becomes tired.
13Another workman uses a line and a compass
to draw on the wood.
Then he uses his chisels to cut a statue
and his calipers to measure the statue.
In this way, the workman makes the wood look exactly like a person,
and this statue of a person sits in the house.
14He cuts down cedars
or cypress or oak trees.
Those trees grew by their own power in the forest.
Or he plants a pine tree, and the rain makes it grow.
15Then he burns the tree.
He uses some of the wood for a fire to keep himself warm.
He also starts a fire to bake his bread.
But he uses part of the wood to make a god, and then he worships it!
He makes the idol and bows down to it!
16The man burns half of the wood in the fire.
He uses the fire to cook his meat,
and he eats the meat until he is full.
He also burns the wood to keep himself warm. He says,
“Good! Now I am warm. I can see because of the fire’s light.”
17But he makes a statue from the wood that is left and calls it his god.
He bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it and says,
“You are my god. Save me!”
18Those people don’t know what they are doing. They don’t understand!
It is as if their eyes are covered so they can’t see.
Their minds don’t understand.
19They have not thought about these things;
they don’t understand.
They have never thought to themselves,
“I burned half of the wood in the fire
and used the hot coals to bake my bread.
I cooked and ate my meat.
And I used the wood that was left to make this hateful thing.
I am worshiping a block of wood!”
20He doesn’t know what he is doing;
his confused mind leads him the wrong way.
He cannot save himself
or say, “This statue I am holding is a false god.”
The Lord Is the True God
21“People of Jacob, remember these things!
People of Israel, remember you are my servants.
I made you, and you are my servants.
So Israel, I will not forget you.
22I have swept away your sins like a big cloud;
I have removed your sins like a cloud that disappears into the air.
Come back to me because I saved you.”
23Skies, sing for joy because the Lord did great things!
Earth, shout for joy, even in your deepest parts!
Sing, you mountains, with thanks to God.
Sing, too, you trees in the forest!
The Lord saved the people of Jacob!
He showed his glory when he saved Israel.
24This is what the Lord says, who saved you,
who formed you in your mother’s body:
“I, the Lord, made everything,
stretching out the skies by myself
and spreading out the earth all alone.
25I show that the signs of the lying prophets are false;
I make fools of those who do magic.
I confuse even the wise;
they think they know much, but I make them look foolish.
26I make the messages of my servants come true;
I make the advice of my messengers come true.
I say to Jerusalem,
‘People will live in you again!’
I say to the towns of Judah,
‘You will be built again!’
I say to Jerusalem’s ruins,
‘I will repair you.’
27I tell the deep waters, ‘Become dry!
I will make your streams become dry!’
28I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd
and will do all that I want him to do.
He will say to Jerusalem, “You will be built again!”
He will tell the Temple, “Your foundations will be rebuilt.” ’ ”
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Isaiah 44: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 44
44
Spiritual Blessing
1“And now listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen.#Is 41:8–9; 42:1; 43:10,20; 45:4; 49:7; 65:9,15,22
2This is the word of the Lord
your Maker, the one who formed you from the womb:
He will help you.
Do not fear, Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun#44:2 = Upright One whom I have chosen.#Dt 32:15; 33:5,26
3For I will pour water on the thirsty land
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit#Is 32:15; Jl 2:28 on your descendants
and my blessing on your offspring.
4They will sprout among#44:4 Some Hb mss, DSS, LXX read as among the grass
like poplars by flowing streams.
5This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
another will use the name of Jacob;
still another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and take on the name of Israel.”
No God Other Than the Lord
6This is what the Lord, the King of Israel and its Redeemer,#Is 41:14; 43:14 the Lord of Armies, says:
I am the first and I am the last.#Is 41:4; 43:10; 48:12; Rv 1:8,17; 22:13
There is no God but me.#Is 43:11; 44:8; 45:5–6
7Who, like me, can announce the future?
Let him say so and make a case before me,#Is 41:22,26
since I have established an ancient people.
Let these gods declare#44:7 Lit declare them — the coming things,
and what will take place.
8Do not be startled or afraid.
Have I not told you and declared it long ago?
You are my witnesses!#Is 43:10
Is there any God but me?#Dt 4:35,39; 1Sm 2:2; Is 45:5; Jl 2:27
There is no other Rock;#Is 17:10; 26:4; 30:29 I do not know any.
9All who make idols are nothing,
and what they treasure benefits no one.
Their witnesses do not see or know anything,
so they will be put to shame.#Ps 97:7; Is 42:17; 44:11; 45:16
10Who makes a god or casts a metal image
that benefits no one?#Is 41:29; Jr 10:5; Hab 2:18; Ac 19:26
11Look, 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.
12The 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.
13The 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 form,#Ps 115:5–7
like a beautiful person,
to dwell in a temple.
14He cuts down#44:14 Lit To cut down for himself 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.
15A person can use it for fuel.
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.
16He 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.”
17He makes a god or his idol with the rest of it.
He bows down to it and worships;
he prays to it,#1Kg 18:26,28; Is 45:20 “Save me, for you are my god.”
18Such people#44:18 Lit They do not comprehend
and cannot understand,
for he has shut their eyes#44:18 Or for their eyes are shut so they cannot see,
and their minds so they cannot understand.
19No one comes to his senses;#44:19 Lit No one returns to his heart
no one has the perception or insight to say,
“I burned half of it in the fire,
I also baked bread on its coals,
I roasted meat and ate.
Should I make something detestable#Dt 27:15; 1Kg 11:5,7; 2Kg 23:13–14 with the rest of it?
Should I bow down to a block of wood?”
20He feeds on#44:20 Or He shepherds ashes.
His deceived mind has led him astray,
and he cannot rescue himself,
or say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?” #Is 57:11; 59:3–4,13; Rm 1:25
21Remember these things, Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you, you are my servant;
Israel, you will never be forgotten by me.#44:21 DSS, LXX, Tg read Israel, do not forget me#Is 49:15
22I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud,#Ps 51:1,9; Is 43:25; Ac 3:19
and your sins like a mist.
Return to me,#Is 31:6; 55:7
for I have redeemed you.#Is 43:1; 48:20; 1Co 6:20; 1Pt 1:18–19
23Rejoice, heavens,#Ps 69:34; 96:11–12; Is 42:10; 49:13 for the Lord has acted;
shout, depths of the earth.
Break out into singing, mountains,
forest, and every tree in it.
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
and glorifies himself through Israel.#Is 49:3; 61:3
Restoration of Israel through Cyrus
24This is what the Lord, your Redeemer#Is 41:14; 43:14 who formed you from the womb,#Is 44:2 says:
I am the Lord, who made everything;
who stretched out the heavens by myself;#Is 40:22; 42:5; 45:12,18; 51:13
who alone spread out the earth;
25who destroys the omens of the false prophets
and makes fools of diviners;
who confounds the wise
and makes their knowledge foolishness;#2Sm 15:31; Jb 5:12–14; Ps 33:10; Is 29:14; Jr 51:57; 1Co 1:20,27
26who confirms the message of his servant
and fulfills the counsel of his messengers;
who says to Jerusalem, “She will be inhabited,”
and to the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt,”
and I will restore her ruins;
27who says to the depths of the sea, “Be dry,”
and I will dry up your rivers;
28who says to Cyrus,#Is 45:1 “My shepherd,
he will fulfill all my pleasure”#Eph 1:9
and says to Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,”#2Ch 36:22–23; Ezr 1:1; Is 14:32; 45:13; 54:11
and of the temple, “Its foundation will be laid.”
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