Isaiah 44
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
Now, then—hear, O Jacob, my Servant, —and Israel whom I have chosen:
2 Thus says Jehovah who made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
Thus, saith Yahweh—Who made thee and formed thee from birth, Who helpeth thee: Do not fear O my Servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen;
3 For I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.
For I will pour, Water upon the thirsty soil, and Floods upon the dry ground, —I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring;
4 And they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
So will they spring up among the grass, As willows by the water-courses:
5 One shall say, I am Jehovah's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand to Jehovah, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
This one, will say Yahweh’s, am I, and That one, will call himself by the name of Jacob, and Yonder one will write on his hand—Yahweh’s, And after the name of Israel, will one entitle himself.
6 Thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.
Thus saith Yahweh—King of Israel, Even his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts, —I, am, First, and, I, Last, And besides me, there is no God.
7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? And let them declare the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass.
Who then, like me, can call, and declare it, and order it, for me, Seeing that I appointed an age-abiding people, —Or things yet to be, and that shall come to pass, Let them declare on their part.
8 Fear ye not, nor be afraid. Have I not declared to thee of old, and shown it? And ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Yea, there is no Rock. I know not any.
Do not ye dread, nor yet be alarmed, Have I not from olden time, told thee and declared? So that, ye, are my witnesses, —Whether there is a GOD besides me? Or is no Rock—I knew of none!
9 Those who fashion a graven image are all of them vanity. And the things that they delight in shall not profit. And their own witnesses see not, nor know, that they may be put to shame.
The fashioners of an image—all of them, are emptiness, And, the things they delight in, cannot profit, —And, their, witnesses, they, neither see nor know, That they may be ashamed.
10 Who has fashioned a god, or molded an image that is profitable for nothing?
Who hath fashioned a GOD, Oran image, hath molten? It cannot profit!
11 Behold, all his fellows shall be put to shame, and the workmen. They are of men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They shall fear. They shall be put to shame together.
Lo! all his partners, turn pale, Even, the artificers themselves, are of the sons of earth, —Let them gather themselves together—all of them. Let them take their stand, Let them dread, and turn pale, together!
12 The smith makes an axe, and works in the coals, and fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. Yea, he is hungry, and his strength fails. He drinks no water, and is faint.
As for the smith, [with his] cutting-tool, —When he hath wrought in the live coals, And, with hammers, hath fashioned it, —And hath wrought it with his strong arm, Anon he is hungry, and hath no strength, He hath drunk no water and so hath become faint!
13 The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. And he marks it out with the compasses, and shapes it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.
As for the carpenter, —He hath stretched out a line hath drawn it with a pencil, Hath made it with carving tools, With compasses, hath rounded it, —And so hath made it after the figure of a great man, After the beauty of a son of earth, that it may remain in a house!
14 He hews down cedars for him, and takes the holm tree and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain nourishes it.
When one was cutting him down cedars, Then took he a holm-tree and an oak, And secured them for himself, among the trees of the forest, —He planted a fir-tree and the pouring rain made it grow;
15 Then it shall be for a man to burn. And he takes of it, and warms himself. Yea, he kindles it, and bakes bread. Yea, he makes a god, and worships it. He makes it a graven image, and falls down to it.
So it serveth for a man to burn, And he hath taken of the branches and warmed himself, Also he kindleth a fire, and baketh bread, —Also he maketh a GOD, and hath bowed himself down, Hath made of it a carved image, and adored it:
16 He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it he eats flesh. He roasts roast, and is satisfied. Yea, he warms himself, and says, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
The half thereof, hath he burned in the fire, Over half thereof, he eateth flesh, He roasteth roast, that he may be satisfied, —Also he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen a blaze;
17 And the residue of it he makes a god, even his graven image. He falls down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, Deliver me, for thou are my god.
And the residue thereof, Into a GOD, he maketh, Into his carved image, —Adoreth it, and boweth down and prayeth unto it, And saith Deliver me, for, my GOD, thou art!
18 They do not know, nor do they consider. For he has shut their eyes, that they cannot see, and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
They have not taken note, neither can they perceive, —He hath besmeared—past seeing—their eyes, Past understanding, their hearts;
19 And none calls to mind, nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire. Yea, I have also baked bread upon the coals of it. I have roasted flesh and eaten it. And shall I make the residue of it an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
And no one reflecteth—There is neither knowledge nor discernment—to say, Half thereof, have I burned up in the fire Moreover also I have baked, on the coals thereof, bread, I roasted flesh, and have been eating, —And of the remainder thereof, an abomination, shall I make? And, to a log of wood, shall I pay adoration?
20 He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
He is feeding on ashes, A deluded heart, hath turned him aside, —And he cannot deliver his own soul nor say, Is there not a falsehood in my right hand?
21 Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for thou are my servant. I have formed thee. Thou are my servant, O Israel, thou shall not be forgotten by me.
Remember these things, O Jacob, And, Israel, —for, my Servant, thou art, —I have fashioned thee, a Servant of mine, thou art.
22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed thee.
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me, I have wiped out, As with a thick cloud, thy transgressions, And as with a broad cloud, thy sins, —Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee.
23 Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah has done it. Shout, ye lower parts of the earth. Break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein. For Jehovah has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
Shout in triumph ye heavens for Yahweh, hath effectually wrought. Shout, O ye underparts of the earth, Ring out, Ye mountains, into cries of triumph, Thou forest, and every tree therein, —For, Yahweh, hath redeemed, Jacob, And in Israel, will he get himself glory.
24 Thus says Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he who formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah, who makes all things, who stretches forth the heavens alone, who spreads abroad the earth (who is with me?),
Thus, saith Yahweh Who hath redeemed thee, Who hath fashioned thee from birth, —I—Yahweh, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens, alone, Spreading forth the earth, of myself;
25 who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad, who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish,
Frustrating the signs of praters, And, diviners, he confoundeth, —Turning wise men backwards, And their knowledge, he maketh folly;
26 who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited, and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places of it,
Establishing the word of his Servant, And the counsel of his Messengers, he maketh good, —Who saith of Jerusalem—She shall be inhabited! And of the cities of Judah—They shall be built! And the ruins thereof, will I set up!
27 who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers,
Who saith to the deep—Be dry and Thy rivers, will I drain!
28 who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built, and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
Who saith of Cyrus—My Shepherd! and All my pleasure, shall he make good Even saying of Jerusalem—She shall be built! And of the temple—Be her foundation laid!
