Isaiah 44
44
1But now listen, my servant Jacob, Israel, whom I have chosen.
2The Lord made you, formed you in the womb, and will help you.
This is what the Lord says:
Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun,#44:2 “Jeshurun” is another name for Israel. whom I have chosen.
3I will pour water on thirsty ground and rain on dry land.
I will pour my Spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your descendants.
4They will spring up with the grass
as poplars spring up by streams.
5One person will say, “I belong to the Lord.”
Another will call on the name of Jacob.
Another will write on his hand, “The Lord’s,”
and he will adopt the name of Israel.
The Nations Form Idols, but the LORD Formed Israel
6The Lord is Israel’s king and defender.
He is the Lord of Armies.
This is what the Lord says:
I am the first and the last,
and there is no God except me.
7If there is anyone like me, let him say so.
Let him tell me what happened
when I established my people long ago.
Then let him predict what will happen to them.
8Don’t be terrified or afraid.
Didn’t I make this known to you long ago?
You are my witnesses.
Is there any God except me?
There is no ⌞other⌟ rock; I know of none.
9All who make idols are nothing. Their precious treasures are worthless. Their own witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame. 10Nothing comes from making gods or casting metal idols. 11Everyone associated with the gods will be put to shame. The craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all get together and take their stand. They will be frightened and ashamed together.
12Blacksmiths shape iron into tools. They work them over the coals and shape them with hammers, working them with their strong arms. They get hungry, and their strength fails. If they don’t drink water, they will faint.
13Carpenters measure blocks of wood with ⌞chalk⌟ lines. They mark them with pens. They carve them with chisels and mark them with compasses. They carve them into forms of people, beautiful people, so the idols can live in shrines.
14They cut down cedars for themselves. Then they choose fir trees or oaks. They let them grow strong among the trees in the forest. Then they plant cedars, and the rain makes them grow. 15These trees become ⌞fuel⌟ for people to burn. So they take some of them and warm themselves with them. They start fires and bake bread. They also make gods from these trees and worship them. They make them into carved statues and bow in front of them. 16Half of the wood they burn in the fire. Over this half they roast meat that they can eat until they are full. They also warm themselves and say, “Ah! We are warm. We can see the fire!” 17But the rest of the wood they make into gods, carved statues. They bow to them and worship them. They pray to them, saying, “Rescue us, because you are our gods.”
18They don’t know or understand anything. Their eyes are plastered shut, so they can’t see. And their minds are closed, so they can’t understand. 19No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding to say, “I burned half of the wood in the fire. I also baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Now I am making the rest of the wood into a disgusting thing and bowing to a block of wood.” 20They eat ashes because they are deceived. Their own misguided minds lead them astray. They can’t rescue themselves or ask themselves, “Isn’t what I hold in my right hand a false god?”
21Remember these things, Jacob:
You are my servant, Israel.
I formed you; you are my servant.
Israel, I will not forget you.
22I made your rebellious acts disappear like a thick cloud
and your sins like the morning mist.
Come back to me, because I have reclaimed you.
23Sing with joy, you heavens, because the Lord has done this.
Rejoice, you deep places of the earth.
Break into shouts of joy, you mountains,
you forests and every tree in them.
The Lord has reclaimed Jacob.
He will display his glory in Israel.
Through Cyrus the LORD Will Set Israel Free
24The Lord reclaimed you.
He formed you in the womb.
This is what the Lord says:
I, the Lord, made everything.
I stretched out the heavens by myself.
I spread out the earth all alone.
25I cause the signs of false prophets to fail
and make fools of fortunetellers.
I make wise men retreat
and turn their knowledge into foolishness.
26He confirms the word of his servant
and fulfills the plan of his messengers.
He says about Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited.”
He says about the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt.”
He says about their ruins, “I will restore them.”
27He says to the deep water, “Dry up.”
So I will dry up your rivers.
28He says about Cyrus, “He is my shepherd.
He will do everything I want him to do.”
He says about Jerusalem, “It will be rebuilt.”
He says about the temple, “Your foundation will be laid.”
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Isaiah 44: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. 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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