Isaiah 44
44
No Profit in Casting Idols
1“But now listen, Jacob My servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.”
2Thus says Adonai who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you: “Do not fear, Jacob My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants.
4They will spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.
5This one will say, ‘I am Adonai’s.’ That one will be called by the name Jacob. Another will write on his hand, ‘Adonai’s’ and will take the name Israel.”
First and Last
6Thus says Adonai, Israel’s King and his Redeemer, Adonai-Tzva’ot: “I am the first, and the last, and there is no God beside Me.
7Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and announce it! Let him arrange it in order for Me— as I established the ancient nation. Let them declare to them what is coming and future events.
8Do not dread or be afraid. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? So you are My witnesses! Is there any God beside Me? Is there any other Rock? I know of none.
Folly of Idols
9Those who fashion idols are empty. Their precious things do not profit. Their witnesses do not see or know, so they will be put to shame.
10Who fashions a god or casts an idol for no profit?
11Behold, all his friends will be ashamed, for the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble. Let them stand up. Let them dread. Let them be put to shame together.
12The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. Yet when he is hungry, his strength fails. When he drinks no water, he gets tired.
13A carpenter stretches out a line; he marks it with a pencil; he shapes it with planes; he marks it with a compass; he shapes it like the figure of a man —like the beauty of a man— so that it may sit in a shrine.
14He chops down cedars for himself, or he takes a cypress or an oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine and rain nourishes it.
15Then it is something for a man to burn. so he takes one of them and warms himself. He also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it. He makes an idol and bows before it.
16He burns half of it in the fire. With this half, he eats meat. He roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire.”
17Yet with the rest he makes a god, his carved image. He falls down before it and worships. He even prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18They do not know or understand! For He smeared over their eyes, so they cannot see, and their hearts, so they cannot understand.
19No one reflects in his heart, with no knowledge or discernment to say, “I burned half of it in the fire and I also baked bread on its coals. I roasted meat and ate—and then I make the rest of it an abomination? Should I bow before a block of wood?”
20He is feeding on ashes. A deceived heart has led him astray, so he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, “Isn’t what is in my right hand a fraud?”
21Remember these things, Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant. I formed you, you are My servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!
22I have blotted out your transgressions like a thick cloud and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
23Sing, O heavens, for Adonai has done it! Shout, depths of the earth! Break forth into singing, mountains, forest, and every tree in it! For Adonai has redeemed Jacob and will be glorified through Israel.
24Thus says Adonai, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am Adonai, Maker of all things, stretching out the heavens alone, spreading the earth abroad by Myself,
25causing the omens of boasters to fail, making fools of diviners, turning wise men backward and making their knowledge foolish,
26while confirming the word of His servant, fulfilling the counsel of His messengers, saying of Jerusalem, “She will be lived in” and of the cities of Judah, “They will be built, and I will raise up their ruins,”
27while saying to the deep, “Be dry, I will dry up your rivers,”
28while saying of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd, and he shall fulfill all My purpose” while saying to Jerusalem, “You will be built” and to the Temple, “Your foundation will be laid.”
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Isaiah 44
44
Yahweh Blesses Chosen Israel
1“But now hear, Jacob my servant,
and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2Thus says Yahweh, who made you,
and who formed you in#Or “from” the womb and will help you:
you must not fear, my servant Jacob,
and Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3For I will pour out water on a thirsty land
and streams on dry ground.
I will pour my spirit out on your descendants#Hebrew “descendant”
and my blessing on your offspring.
4And they shall sprout among#Literally “in between” the grass
like willows by a watercourse of water.
5This one will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh!’
And that one will be called by the name of Jacob,
and another will write on his hand ‘Yahweh’s’
and take the name#Literally “he will be titled by the name” of Israel.”
Yahweh the Only God
6Thus says Yahweh, the king of Israel,
and its redeemer, Yahweh of hosts:
“I am the first, and I am the last,
and there is no god besides me.
7And who is like me? Let him proclaim#Or “call” it!
And let him declare it and set it in order for me
since I established an eternal people#Literally “from my placing a people of eternity” and things that are to come,
and let them tell them the things that are coming.
8You must not tremble,#Or “be startled”
and you must not be paralyzed with fear.
Have I not made you hear from of old#Or “then”
and declared it, and you are my witnesses?
Is there a god besides me?
And there is no rock! I know none!”
Idolatry Is Ridiculous
9All those who form an idol are nothing,
and their delightful things do not profit.
And their witnesses do not see or know,
so they will be ashamed.
10Who would form a god
and cast an image of which he cannot profit?
11Look! all his companions shall be ashamed,
and the artisans are human!
Let all of them assemble;
let them stand up.
They shall tremble;#Or “be startled”
they shall be ashamed together.
12The ironsmith#Literally “craftsman of iron” works in the coals with his tool
and forms it with hammers.
And he makes it with his strong arm;#Literally “the arm of his strength”
indeed, he becomes hungry, and he lacks#Literally “there is no” strength;
he does not drink water, and he is faint.
13The woodworker#Literally “craftsman of wood” stretches out a line;
he makes an outline of it with a marker.
He makes it with a knife
and makes an outline of it with a compass.
He makes it like the image of a man,
like the beauty of a human, to dwell in a temple.#Or “house”
14Cutting down cedars for himself,
he chooses#Literally “takes” a holm tree and an oak,
and he lets it grow strong for him among the trees of the forest.
He plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow.
15And it becomes fuel for a human,#Literally “will become for a man as burning”
and he takes some of it and grows warm;
also, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Also, he makes a god and bows in worship;
he makes himself an image and bows down to it!
16He burns half of it in the fire;
he eats meat over half of it;
he roasts a roast and is satisfied.
Also he grows warm and says, “Ah!
I am warm! I see the fire!”
17And he makes the remainder of it into a god!
He bows down to his idol,
and he bows in worship and prays to him,
and he says, “Save me, for you are my god!”
18They do not know,
and they do not understand,
for their eyes are besmeared so that they cannot see,#Literally “from seeing”
their minds#Literally “hearts” so that they have no insight.#Literally “from having insight”
19And no one takes it to heart,#Literally “he does not bring back to his heart” and there is no knowledge
and no understanding to say, “I burned half of it in the fire
and also I baked bread on its coals;
I roasted meat, and I have eaten.
And I shall make the rest of it into an abomination!
I shall bow down to a block of wood!”
20He feeds on ashes; a deceived mind#Literally “heart deceived” misleads him.
And he cannot save himself,#Literally “his soul” and he cannot say,
“Is this not an illusion in my right hand?”
Yahweh Remembers Israel
21Remember these things, Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant:
I formed you; you are my servant;
Israel, you will not be forgotten by me!
22I have wiped your transgressions out like a cloud
and your sins like mist.
Return to me, for I have redeemed you!
23Sing for joy, heavens, for Yahweh has done it!
Shout, depths of the earth!
Break forth, mountains, in rejoicing,
forest and every tree in it,
for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob,
and he will show his glory in Israel!
Jerusalem Restored through Cyrus
24Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer,
and he who formed you in#Or “from” the womb:
“I am Yahweh, who made everything,
who stretched out the heavens alone,
who spread out the earth—who was with me?—
25who frustrates#Or “breaks” the signs of oracle priests
and makes a fool of diviners,
who drives the wise men back
and makes their knowledge foolish,
26who keeps#Or “erects” the word of his servant
and carries out the plan of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’
and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,
and I will restore its ruins’;
27who says to the deep, ‘Dry up!
And I will cause your rivers to dry up’;
28who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd,’
and he shall carry out all my wishes#Hebrew “wish”;
and saying of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be rebuilt,’
and the temple, ‘It shall be founded.’ ”
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