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
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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