Isaiah 44
44
1 And now, listen, Jacob, my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 Thus says the Lord, who made and formed you, your Helper from the womb: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant and my most righteous, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour out waters upon the thirsty ground, and rivers upon the dry land. I will pour out my Spirit upon your offspring, and my benediction upon your stock.
4 And they will spring up among the plants, like willows beside running waters.
5 This one will say, "I am the Lord's," and that one will call himself by the name of Jacob, and yet another will write with his hand, "For the Lord," and he will take the name Israel.
6 Thus says the Lord, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the Lord of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last, and there is no God apart from me.
7 Who is like me? Let him call out and announce it. And let him explain to me the order of things, since it is I who appointed the ancient people. The things of the near and the distant future, let him announce them.
8 Do not be afraid, and do not be disturbed. From the time when I caused you to listen, I also announced it. You are my witnesses. Is there another God beside me, also a Maker, whom I have not known?
9 All of those who create idols are nothing, and their most beloved things will not benefit them. These are their witnesses, for they do not see, and they do not understand, so that they might be confounded.
10 Who has formed a god or cast a molten image, which is useful for nothing?
11 Behold, all those who partake in this will be confounded. For these makers are men. They will all assemble together. They will stand and be terrified. And they will be confounded together.
12 The maker of iron has wrought with his file. With coals and hammers, he has formed it, and he has wrought with the strength of his arm. He will hunger and grow faint. He will not drink water, and he will become weary.
13 The maker of wood has extended his ruler. He has formed it with a plane. He has made it with corners, and he has smoothed its curves. And he has made the image of a man, a seemingly beautiful man, dwelling in a house.
14 He has cut down cedars; he has taken the evergreen oak, and the oak that stood among the trees of the forest. He has planted the pine tree, which the rain has nourished.
15 And it is used by men for fuel. He took from it and warmed himself. And he set it on fire and baked bread. But from the remainder, he made a god, and he adored it. He made an idol, and he bowed down before it.
16 Part of it, he burned with fire, and with part of it, he cooked meat; he boiled food and was filled. And he was warmed, and so he said: "Ah, I am warm. I have gazed at the fire."
17 But from its remainder, he made a god and a graven image for himself. He bowed down before it, and he adored it, and he prayed to it, saying: "Free me! For you are my god."
18 They have neither known nor understood. For their eyes are obscured, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart.
19 They do not consider in their mind, nor do they know, nor do they think to say: "I have burned part of it in the fire, and I have baked bread upon its coals. I have cooked flesh and I have eaten. And from its remainder, should I make an idol? Should I fall prostrate before the trunk of a tree?"
20 Part of it is ashes. His foolish heart adores it. And he will not liberate his soul, and he will not say, "Perhaps there is a lie in my right hand."
21 Remember these things, O Jacob, O Israel. For you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant, Israel. Do not forget me.
22 I have wiped away your iniquities like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to me, because I have redeemed you.
23 Give praise, O heavens! For the Lord has shown mercy. Shout with joy, O ends of the earth! Let the mountains resound with praise, with the forest and all its trees. For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and Israel will be glorified.
24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and your Maker from the womb: I am the Lord, who makes all things, who alone extends the heavens, who makes the earth firm. And there is no one with me.
25 I make the signs of the diviners useless, and I turn the seers to madness. I turn the wise backwards, and make their knowledge into foolishness.
26 I lift up the word of my servant, and I fulfill the counsel of my messengers. I say to Jerusalem, "You shall be inhabited," and to the cities of Judah, "You shall be rebuilt," and I will lift up its deserts.
27 I say to the depths, "Be desolate," and, "I will dry up your rivers."
28 I say to Cyrus, "You are my shepherd, and you will accomplish all that I will." I say to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," and to the Temple, "Your foundations shall be laid."
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Isaiah 44: CPDV
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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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