< Isaiah 44 >
1 But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, the one I've chosen.
“And now, hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have fixed on—
2 This is what the Lord says, the one who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Don't be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, the one I've chosen.
Thus said YHWH, your Maker, and your Former, From the womb He helps you: Do not fear, My servant Jacob, And Yeshurun, whom I have fixed on.
3 For I'm going to pour out water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground. I'm going to pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.
For I pour waters on a thirsty one, And floods on a dry land, I pour My Spirit on your seed, And My blessing on your offspring.
4 They will grow up among the grass, like willows beside streams.
And they have sprung up as among grass, As willows by conduits of water.
5 One of them will say, “I belong to the Lord,” while another will call himself by the name Jacob, and yet another will write on his hand, “Belonging to the Lord,” and will name himself Israel.
This [one] says, For I [am] YHWH’s, And this calls [himself] by the name of Jacob, And this [one] writes [with] his hand, For YHWH, And surnames himself by the name of Israel.”
6 This is what the Lord says, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me.
Thus said YHWH, King of Israel, And his Redeemer, YHWH of Hosts: “I [am] the first, and I [am] the last, And besides Me there is no God.
7 Who is like me? Let them announce it, make a declaration, and demonstrate it before me. For I was the one who long ago established a people and predicted its future. Let them predict what's going to happen.
And who [is] as I, call and declare it, And arrange it for Me, Since My placing the people of antiquity, And things that are coming, And those that come, they declare to them.
8 Don't tremble, don't be afraid! Didn't I tell you long ago what I was going to do? Didn't I explain it? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? There is no other Rock—I don't know any!
Do not fear, nor be afraid, Have I not caused you to hear from that time, and declared? And you [are] My witnesses, Is there a God besides Me? Indeed, there is none, I have not known another Rock.”
9 All those who make idols are stupid; these things they love so much don't bring them any benefit. Those people who believe in idols can't see this, and they don't know anything, making them look foolish.
Framers of a carved image, all of them [are] emptiness, And their desirable things do not profit, And they [are] their own witnesses, They do not see, nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who makes a god, who molds an idol that's no use to them?
Who has formed a god, And poured out a molten image—not profitable?
11 Everyone who makes idols should be ashamed of themselves. Idol-makers are just human beings! Bring them all together and have them stand up, trembling in shame.
Behold, all his companions are ashamed, As for artisans—they [are] of men, All of them gather together, they stand up, They fear, they are ashamed together.
12 The blacksmith makes an iron tool for woodcarving. Working over hot coals, he hammers it into shape as hard as he can. He gets hungry and loses his strength, and because he doesn't drink he grows weak.
He has worked iron [with] an axe, And has worked with coals, And forms it with hammers, And works it by his powerful arm, Indeed, he is hungry, and there is no power, He does not drink water, and he is wearied.
13 The woodworker measures out a piece of wood, and draws an image on it. He carves it with a chisel and uses a compass to make an outline. He creates an idol that looks like a person, someone beautiful, to be put in a shrine.
He has worked [with] wood, He has stretched out a rule, He marks it out with a line, He makes it with carving tools, And he marks it out with a compass, And makes it according to the form of a man, According to the beauty of a man, To remain in the house.
14 He chops down cedars, or takes a cypress or an oak. He lets them grow strong in the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain makes it grow.
Cutting down cedars for himself, He also takes a cypress, and an oak, And he strengthens [it] for himself Among the trees of a forest, He has planted an ash, and the shower nourishes [it].
15 Some wood he burns, to keep him warm and to bake his bread. Then he uses some of the same wood to make a god to worship, an idol he bows down to!
And it has been for man to burn, And he takes of them, and becomes warm, Indeed, he kindles [it], and has baked bread, Indeed, he makes a god, and bows himself, He has made it a carved image, And he falls down to it.
16 So he burns part of the wood to roast his meat to eat, and to warm him up, and says, “Ah! Look at that fire that keeps me warm!”
Half of it he has burned in the fire, By [this] half of it he eats flesh, He roasts a roasting and is satisfied, Indeed, he is warm and says: “Aha, I have become warm, I have enjoyed the light.”
17 Then he uses the rest of the wood to make himself a god, an idol he bows down to in worship and prays to, saying, “Save me, for you are my god!”
And he has made its remnant for a god—For his carved image, He falls down to it, and worships, And prays to it, and he says, “Deliver me, for you [are] my god.”
18 How ignorant they are, how dumb! Their eyes have been plastered over so they can't see, their minds closed so they don't have insight.
They have not known, nor do they understand, For He has coated their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely.
19 They can't think things over, they don't have the wisdom or the understanding to say, “Some of the wood I burned in the fire—I used it to bake my bread and roast my meat to eat. The rest of it I used to make a disgusting idol, and I bow down in worship to a block of wood.”
And none turn [it] back to his heart, Nor has knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, Indeed, I have also baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And I make its remnant for an abomination, I fall down to the stock of a tree.”
20 He is feeding on ashes, seduced by the deceptive thinking of his mind. He can't save himself, and he doesn't even ask, “Isn't this idol I'm holding just a lie?”
Feeding on ashes, the heart is deceived, It has turned him aside, And he does not deliver his soul, nor says: “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
21 “Remember all this, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I made you, Israel, you are my servant. I won't forget you.
“Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, For you [are] My servant, I formed you, you [are] a servant to Me, O Israel, you do not forget Me.
22 I have wiped away your acts of rebellion as if they were like a cloud, your sins as if they were like the mist. Come back to me, for I have set you free.”
I have blotted out, as [by] a thick cloud, Your transgressions, And as [by] a cloud, your sins, Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
23 Sing in celebration, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; cry out loud, you depths of the earth. Shout with joy, you mountains, you forests and every tree. For the Lord has set Jacob free, and his glory is shown in Israel!
Sing, O heavens, for YHWH has worked, Shout, O lower parts of earth, Break forth, O mountains, with singing, Forest, and every tree in it, For YHWH has redeemed Jacob, And He beautifies Himself in Israel.
24 This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, who shaped you in the womb: “I am the Lord, the Creator of everything. I alone made the heavens, and I myself formed the earth.
Thus said YHWH, your Redeemer, And your Framer from the womb: “I [am] YHWH, doing all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, Spreading out the earth—who [is] with Me?
25 I am the one who proves the signs of false prophets are wrong. I am the one who makes fools of fortune-tellers. I turn the wisdom of the wise upside-down, and make their knowledge ridiculous.
Making void the tokens of devisers, And makes diviners mad, Turning the wise backward, And makes their knowledge foolish.
26 But I confirm the messages given by my servants, and fulfill what my messengers say. They state, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited again, the towns of Judah will be rebuilt, your ruins will be repaired.’
Confirming the word of His servant, He perfects the counsel of His messengers, Who is saying of Jerusalem, She is inhabited, And of cities of Judah, They will be built, and her ruins I raise up,
27 When I order deep waters, ‘Dry up!’ I will make sure the rivers dry up!
Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and your rivers I cause to dry up,
28 When I say to Cyrus, ‘You are my shepherd,’ he will carry out everything I wish. He will give the order, ‘Jerusalem shall be rebuilt,’ and he will say, ‘the Temple shall be restored.’”
Who is saying of Cyrus, My shepherd, And he perfects all My delight, So as to say of Jerusalem, You are built, And of the temple, You are founded.”