Isaias (Isaiah) 44
44
1AND now hear, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen.
2Thus saith the Lord that made and formed thee, thy helper from the womb: Fear not, O my servant Jacob, and thou most righteous whom I have chosen.
3For I will pour out waters upon the thirsty ground and streams upon the dry land: I will pour out my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy stock.
4And they shall spring up among the herbs, as willows beside the running waters.
5One shall say: I am the Lord's: and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob: and another shall subscribe with his hand, To the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
6Thus saith the Lord, the king of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last: and besides me there is no God.
7Who is like to me? Let him call and declare: and let him set before me the order, since I appointed the ancient people. And the things to come, and that shall be hereafter, let them shew unto them.
8Fear ye not, neither be ye troubled. From that time I have made thee to hear, and have declared: you are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me, a maker whom I have not known?
9The makers of idols are all of them nothing: and their best beloved things shall not profit them. They are their witnesses, that they do not see nor understand, that they may be ashamed.
10Who hath formed a god, and made a graven thing that is profitable for nothing?
11Behold, all the partakers thereof shall be confounded: for the makers are men. They shall all assemble together: they shall stand and fear, and shall be confounded together.
12The smith hath wrought with his file: with coals and with hammers he hath formed it, and hath wrought with the strength of his arm. He shall hunger and faint, he shall drink no water, and shall be weary.
13The carpenter hath stretched out his rule, he hath formed it with a plane. He hath made it with corners and hath fashioned it round with the compass: and he hath made the image of a man, as it were, a beautiful man, dwelling in a house.
14He hath cut down cedars, taken the holm and the oak that stood among the trees of the forest. He hath planted the pine-tree which the rain hath nourished:
15And it hath served men for fuel. He took thereof and warmed himself, and he kindled it and baked bread. But of the rest he made a god and adored it: he made a graven thing and bowed down before it.
16Part of it he burnt with fire, and with part of it he dressed his meat. He boiled pottage, and was filled, and was warmed, and said: Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
17But the residue thereof he made a god and a graven thing for himself: he boweth down before it and adoreth it and prayeth unto it, saying: Deliver me, for thou art my God.
18They have not known, nor understood: for their eyes are covered that they may not see and that they may not understand with their heart.
19They do not consider in their mind, nor know, nor have the thought to say: I have burnt part of it in the fire, and I have baked bread. Upon the coals thereof I have broiled flesh and have eaten. And of the residue thereof shall I make an idol? Shall I fall down before the stock of a tree?
20Part thereof is ashes. His foolish heart adoreth it, and he will not save his soul, nor say: Perhaps there is a lie in my right hand.
21Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for thou art my servant. I have formed thee: thou art my servant. O Israel, forget me not.
22I have blotted out thy iniquities as a cloud and thy sins as a mist: return to me, for I have redeemed thee.
23Give praise, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath shewn mercy: shout with joy, ye ends of the earth: Ye mountains, resound with praise, thou, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and Israel shall be glorified.
24Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and thy maker from the womb: I am the Lord, that make all things, that alone stretch out the heavens, that establish the earth. And there is none with me.
25That make void the tokens of diviners and make the soothsayers mad: that turn the wise backward, and that: make their knowledge foolish:
26That raise up the word of my servant and perform the counsel of my messengers, who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Juda: You shall be built, and I will raise up the wastes thereof.
27Who say to the deep: Be thou desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers.
28Who say to Cyrus: Thou art my shepherd, and thou shalt perform all my pleasure. Who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be built. And to the temple: Thy foundations shall be laid.
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Isaias (Isaiah) 44: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Isaiah 44
44
1“But now, listen to me, Jacob my servant,
Israel my chosen one.
2The Lord who made you and helps you says:
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,
O dear Israel,#44:2 Hebrew Jeshurun, a term of endearment for Israel. my chosen one.
3For I will pour out water to quench your thirst
and to irrigate your parched fields.
And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants,
and my blessing on your children.
4They will thrive like watered grass,
like willows on a riverbank.
5Some will proudly claim, ‘I belong to the Lord.’
Others will say, ‘I am a descendant of Jacob.’
Some will write the Lord’s name on their hands
and will take the name of Israel as their own.”
The Foolishness of Idols
6This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:
“I am the First and the Last;
there is no other God.
7Who is like me?
Let him step forward and prove to you his power.
Let him do as I have done since ancient times
when I established a people and explained its future.
8Do not tremble; do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago?
You are my witnesses—is there any other God?
No! There is no other Rock—not one!”
9How foolish are those who manufacture idols.
These prized objects are really worthless.
The people who worship idols don’t know this,
so they are all put to shame.
10Who but a fool would make his own god—
an idol that cannot help him one bit?
11All who worship idols will be disgraced
along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—
who claim they can make a god.
They may all stand together,
but they will stand in terror and shame.
12The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool,
pounding and shaping it with all his might.
His work makes him hungry and weak.
It makes him thirsty and faint.
13Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood
and draws a pattern on it.
He works with chisel and plane
and carves it into a human figure.
He gives it human beauty
and puts it in a little shrine.
14He cuts down cedars;
he selects the cypress and the oak;
he plants the pine in the forest
to be nourished by the rain.
15Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire.
With it he warms himself and bakes his bread.
Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it
and makes himself a god to worship!
He makes an idol
and bows down in front of it!
16He burns part of the tree to roast his meat
and to keep himself warm.
He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”
17Then he takes what’s left
and makes his god: a carved idol!
He falls down in front of it,
worshiping and praying to it.
“Rescue me!” he says.
“You are my god!”
18Such stupidity and ignorance!
Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see.
Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.
19The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,
“Why, it’s just a block of wood!
I burned half of it for heat
and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat.
How can the rest of it be a god?
Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”
20The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes.
He trusts something that can’t help him at all.
Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,
“Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”
Restoration for Jerusalem
21“Pay attention, O Jacob,
for you are my servant, O Israel.
I, the Lord, made you,
and I will not forget you.
22I have swept away your sins like a cloud.
I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.
Oh, return to me,
for I have paid the price to set you free.”
23Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done this wondrous thing.
Shout for joy, O depths of the earth!
Break into song,
O mountains and forests and every tree!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and is glorified in Israel.
24This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer and Creator:
“I am the Lord, who made all things.
I alone stretched out the heavens.
Who was with me
when I made the earth?
25I expose the false prophets as liars
and make fools of fortune-tellers.
I cause the wise to give bad advice,
thus proving them to be fools.
26But I carry out the predictions of my prophets!
By them I say to Jerusalem, ‘People will live here again,’
and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt;
I will restore all your ruins!’
27When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up!’
they will be dry.
28When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’
he will certainly do as I say.
He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’;
he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”
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