Isaiah 44
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
Yet now hear, O Jacob, my servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen;
2 Thus says the LORD that made you, and formed you from the womb, which will help you; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and you, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Creator, He that formed thee, and hath helped thee from thy birth, Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, O Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon your seed, and my blessing upon your offspring:
For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, And streams upon the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on thy children, And my blessing on thine offspring;
4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
And they shall grow up, as among grass; As willows by the water-brooks.
5 One shall say, I am the LORD's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
One shall say, “I belong to Jehovah”; Another shall call upon the name of Jacob; Another shall write upon his hand, Jehovah's! And praise the name of Israel.
6 Thus says the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, His redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I the 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 appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them.
Who like me hath proclaimed the future, —Let him declare it, and set it in order before me!— Since I established the people of old? Let them make known the future, even that which is to come!
8 Fear all of you not, neither be afraid: have not I told you from that time, and have declared it? all of you are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Fear ye not, neither be ye afraid! Have I not declared and made it known to you of old? Ye are my witnesses; Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no other rock; I know not any.
9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
They that make a graven image are all of them vanity, And their valued works are profitable for nothing; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor understand, So that they may be ashamed.
10 Who has formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Who hath formed a god, And cast a graven image, that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed; The workmen are themselves mortal men; They shall all be assembled; they shall stand up; They shall tremble, and be put to shame together!
12 The smith with the tongs both works in the coals, and fashions it with hammers, and works it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength fails: he drinks no water, and is faint.
The smith prepareth an axe in the coals, And fashioneth it with hammers, And worketh it with his strong arm; He becometh hungry, and his strength faileth; He drinketh no water, and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretches out his rule; he marks it out with a line; he fits it with planes, and he marks it out with the compass, and makes it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
The carpenter stretcheth out the line; He marketh out the form of it with the sharp tool; He formeth it with planes; He marketh it with the compass; He maketh it in the figure of a man, With the beauty of a man, To dwell in a house.
14 He hews him down cedars, and takes the cypress and the oak, which he strengthens for himself among the trees of the forest: he plants an ash, and the rain does nourish it.
He heweth him down cedars; He taketh the ilex and the oak; He chooseth for himself among the trees of the forest; He planteth the ash, and the rain matureth it;
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm 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 thereto.
These are fuel for man; He taketh thereof and warmeth himself; He kindleth with it, and baketh bread; A god also he formeth of it, and worshippeth it; A graven image, and falleth down before it.
16 He burns part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eats flesh; he roasts roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warms himself, and says, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
Half of it he burneth with fire; With half of it he eateth flesh; He roasteth meat, and satisfieth himself; He also warmeth himself, and saith, Aha! I am warm; I feel the fire.
17 And the residue thereof he makes a god, even his graven image: he falls down unto it, and worships it, and prays unto it, and says, Deliver me; for you are my god.
Of the residue he maketh a god, even his graven image; He falleth down before it and worshippeth it, And prayeth to it, and saith, “Deliver me, for thou art my God!”
18 They have not known nor understood: for he has shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
They know not, neither understand; For their eyes are closed up, that they cannot see, And their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 And none considers in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
None considereth in his mind, Or hath knowledge and understanding to say: “Half of it I have burned with fire; I have also baked bread on the coals of it; I have roasted flesh and have eaten; And shall I make the remnant an abomination? Shall I fall down before the stock of a tree?”
20 He feeds on ashes: a deceived heart has turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
He toileth for ashes; A deluded heart turneth him aside, So that he cannot deliver himself, and say “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for you are my servant: I have formed you; you are my servant: O Israel, you shall not be forgotten of me.
Remember these things, O Jacob, O Israel, for thou art my servant! I formed thee; thou art my servant; O Israel, I will not forget thee.
22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed you.
I have caused thy transgressions to vanish like a cloud, And thy sins like a mist; Return to me, for I have redeemed thee!
23 Sing, O all of you heavens; for the LORD has done it: shout, all of you lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, all of you mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; Shout, O ye depths of the earth! Break forth into song, ye mountains! Thou forest, and every tree therein! For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, And glorified himself in Israel.
24 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, and he that formed you from the womb, I am the LORD that makes all things; that stretches forth the heavens alone; that spreads abroad the earth by myself;
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, Even he that formed thee from the womb; I am Jehovah, who made all things; Who stretched out the heavens alone; Who spread out the earth by myself;
25 That frustrates the tokens of the liars, and makes diviners mad; that turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;
Who frustrateth the signs of deceivers, And maketh the diviners mad; Who putteth the wise men to shame, And maketh their knowledge folly;
26 That confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; that says to Jerusalem, You shall be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, All of you shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:
Who establisheth the word of his servant, And performeth the purpose of his messengers; Who saith of Jerusalem, “She shall be inhabited,” And of the cities of Judah, “They shall be built,” And, “Her desolated places I will restore.”
27 That says to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers:
Who saith to the deep, “Be dry! I will dry up thy streams!”
28 That says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
Who saith of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd; He shall perform all my pleasure”; Who saith of Jerusalem, “She shall be built,” And of the temple, “Her foundation shall be laid.”
