Isaiah 44
1 And now, give ear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have taken for myself:
Now listen, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 The Lord who made you, forming you in your mother's body, the Lord, your helper, says, Have no fear, O Jacob my servant, and you, Jeshurun, whom I have taken for myself.
This is what Yahweh says, he who made you and formed you in the womb and who will help you: “Do not fear, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will send water on the land needing it, and streams on the dry earth: I will let my spirit come down on your seed, and my blessing on your offspring.
For I will pour water on the thirsty ground, and flowing streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your children.
4 And they will come up like grass in a well-watered field, like water-plants by the streams.
They will spring up among the grass, like willows by the streams of water.
5 One will say, I am the Lord's; and another will give himself the name, Jacob; another will put a mark on his hand, I am the Lord's, and another will take the name of Israel for himself.
One will say, 'I belong to Yahweh,' and another will call out the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand 'Belonging to Yahweh,' and name himself by the name of Israel.”
6 The Lord, the King of Israel, even the Lord of armies who has taken up his cause, says, I am the first and the last, and there is no God but me.
This is what Yahweh says—the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: “I am the first, and I am the last; and there is no God but me.
7 If there is one like me, let him come forward and say it, let him make it clear and put it in order before me: who has made clear in the past the things to come? let him make clear the future to me.
Who is like me? Let him announce it and explain to me the events that occurred since I established my ancient people, and let them declare the events to come.
8 Have no fear, be strong in heart; have I not made it clear to you in the past, and let you see it? and you are my witnesses. Is there any God but me, or a Rock of whom I have no knowledge?
Do not fear or be afraid. Have I not declared to you long ago, and announced it? You are my witnesses: Is there any God besides me? There is no other Rock; I know of none.”
9 Those who make a pictured image are all of them as nothing, and the things of their desire will be of no profit to them: and their servants see not, and have no knowledge; so they will be put to shame.
All who fashion idols are nothing; the things they delight in are worthless; their witnesses cannot see or know anything, and they will be put to shame.
10 Whoever makes a god, makes nothing but a metal image in which there is no profit.
Who would form a god or cast an idol that is worthless?
11 Truly, all those who make use of secret arts will be put to shame, and their words of power are only words of men: let them all come forward together; they will all be in fear and be put to shame.
Look, all his associates will be put to shame; the craftsmen are only men. Let them take their stand together; they will cower and be put to shame.
12 The iron-worker is heating the metal in the fire, giving it form with his hammers, and working on it with his strong arm: then for need of food his strength gives way, and for need of water he becomes feeble.
The smith works with his tools, forming it, working over the coals. He shapes it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength wanes; he drinks no water and becomes faint.
13 The woodworker is measuring out the wood with his line, marking it out with his pencil: after smoothing it with his plane, and making circles on it with his instrument, he gives it the form and glory of a man, so that it may be placed in the house.
The carpenter measures the wood with a line, and marks it with a stylus. He shapes it with his tools and marks it out with a compass. He shapes it after the figure of a man, like an attractive human, so it may stay in a house.
14 He has cedars cut down for himself, he takes an oak and lets it get strong among the trees of the wood; he has an ash-tree planted, and the rain gives it growth.
He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak tree. He picks for himself trees in the forest. He plants a fir tree and the rain makes it grow.
15 Then it will be used to make a fire, so that a man may get warm; he has the oven heated with it and makes bread: he makes a god with it, to which he gives worship: he makes a pictured image out of it, and goes down on his face before it.
Then a man uses it for a fire and warms himself. Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes from it a god and bows down to it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16 With part of it he makes a fire, and on the fire he gets meat cooked and takes a full meal: he makes himself warm, and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire:
He burns part of the wood for the fire, roasting his meat over it. He eats and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, “Ah, I am warm, I have seen the fire.”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, even his pictured image: he goes down on his face before it, giving worship to it, and making prayer to it, saying, Be my saviour; for you are my god.
With the rest of the wood he makes a god, his carved image; he bows down to it and reverences it, and prays to it saying, “Rescue me, for you are my god.”
18 They have no knowledge or wisdom; for he has put a veil over their eyes, so that they may not see; and on their hearts, so that they may not give attention.
They do not know, nor do they understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see, and their hearts cannot perceive.
19 And no one takes note, no one has enough knowledge or wisdom to say, I have put part of it in the fire, and made bread on it; I have had a meal of the flesh cooked with it: and am I now to make the rest of it into a false god? am I to go down on my face before a bit of wood?
No one thinks, nor do they comprehend and say, “I have burned part of the wood in the fire; yes, I have also baked bread upon its coals. I have roasted meat over its coals and eaten. Now should I make the other part of the wood into something disgusting to worship? Should I bow down to a block of wood?”
20 As for him whose food is the dust of a dead fire, he has been turned from the way by a twisted mind, so that he is unable to keep himself safe by saying, What I have here in my hand is false.
It is as if he were eating ashes; his deceived heart misleads him. He cannot rescue himself, nor does he say, “This thing in my right hand is a false god.”
21 Keep these things in mind, O Jacob; and you Israel, for you are my servant: I have made you; you are my servant; O Israel, I will not let you go out of my memory.
Think about these things, Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant: I have formed you; you are my servant: Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 I have put your evil doings out of my mind like a thick cloud, and your sins like a mist: come back to me; for I have taken up your cause.
I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your rebellious deeds, and like a cloud, your sins; return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23 Make a song, O heavens, for the Lord has done it: give a loud cry, you deep parts of the earth: let your voices be loud in song, you mountains, and you woods with all your trees: for the Lord has taken up the cause of Jacob, and will let his glory be seen in Israel.
Sing, you heavens, for Yahweh has done this; shout, you depths of the earth. Break out into singing, you mountains, you forest with every tree in it; for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob, and will show his glory in Israel.
24 The Lord, who has taken up your cause, and who gave you life in your mother's body, says, I am the Lord who makes all things; stretching out the heavens by myself, and giving the earth its limits; who was with me?
This is what Yahweh says, your Redeemer, he who formed you from the womb: “I am Yahweh, who made everything, who alone stretched out the heavens, who alone fashioned the earth.
25 Who makes the signs of those who give word of the future come to nothing, so that those who have knowledge of secret arts go off their heads; turning the wise men back, and making their knowledge foolish:
I who frustrate the omens of the empty talkers and who disgrace those who read omens; I who overturn the wisdom of the wise and make their advice foolish.
26 Who makes the word of his servants certain, and gives effect to the purposes of his representatives; who says of Jerusalem, Her people will come back to her; and of the towns of Judah, I will give orders for their building, and will make her waste places fertile again:
I, Yahweh, who confirmed the words of his servant and brings to pass the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'She will be inhabited,' and of the towns of Judah, 'They will be built again, and I will raise up their ruins';
27 Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will make your rivers dry:
who says to the deep sea, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your currents.'
28 Who says of Cyrus, He will take care of my sheep, and will do all my pleasure: who says of Jerusalem, I will give the word for your building; and of the Temple, Your bases will be put in place.
Yahweh is the one who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, he will do my every wish; he will decree about Jerusalem, 'She will be rebuilt,' and about the temple, 'Let its foundations be laid.'”
