< Isaiah 44 >
1 “And now, hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have fixed on—
And now hear, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen.
2 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.
Thus saith the Lord that made and formed thee, thy helper from the womb: Fear not, O my servant Jacob, and thou most righteous whom I have chosen.
3 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.
For I will pour out waters upon the thirsty ground, and streams upon the dry land: I will pour out my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy stock.
4 And they have sprung up as among grass, As willows by conduits of water.
And they shall spring up among the herbs, as willows beside the running waters.
5 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.”
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, To the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
6 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.
Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts: I am the brat, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.
7 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.
Who is like to me? let him call and declare: and let him set before me the order, since I appointed the ancient people: and the things to come, and that shall be hereafter, let them shew unto them.
8 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.”
Fear ye not, neither be ye troubled, from that time I have made thee to hear, and have declared: you are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me, a maker, whom I have not known?
9 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.
The makers of idols are all of them nothing, and their best beloved things shall not profit them. They are their witnesses, that they do not see, nor understand, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who has formed a god, And poured out a molten image—not profitable?
Who hath formed a god, and made a graven thing that is profitable for nothing?
11 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.
Behold, all the partakers thereof shall be confounded: for the makers are men: they shall all assemble together, they shall stand and fear, and shall be confounded together.
12 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.
The smith hath wrought with his file, with coals, and with hammers he hath formed it, and hath wrought with the strength of his arm: he shall hunger and faint, he shall drink no water, and shall be weary.
13 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.
The carpenter hath stretched out his rule, he hath formed it with a plane: he hath made it with corners, and hath fashioned it round with the compass: and he hath made the image of a man as it were a beautiful man dwelling in a house.
14 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].
He hath cut down cedars, taken the holm, and the oak that stood among the trees of the forest: he hath planted the pine tree, which the rain hath nourished.
15 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.
And it hath served men for fuel: he took thereof, and warmed himself: and he kindled it, and baked bread: but of the rest he made a god, and adored it: he made a graven thing, and bowed down before it.
16 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.”
Part of it he burnt with fire, and with part of it he dressed his meat: he boiled pottage, and was filled, and was warmed, and said: Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
17 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.”
But the residue thereof he made a god, and a graven thing for himself: he boweth down before it, and adoreth it, and prayeth unto it, saying: Deliver me, for thou art my God.
18 They have not known, nor do they understand, For He has coated their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely.
They have not known, nor understood: for their eyes are covered that they may not see, and that they may not understand with their heart.
19 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.”
They do not consider in their mind, nor know, nor have the thought to say: I have burnt part of it in the fire, and I have baked bread upon the coals thereof: I have broiled flesh and have eaten, and of the residue thereof shall I make an idol? shall I fall down before the stock of a tree?
20 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?”
Part thereof is ashes: his foolish heart adoreth it, and he will not save his soul, nor say: Perhaps there is a lie in my right hand.
21 “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.
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for thou art my servant. I have formed thee, thou art my servant, O Israel, forget me not.
22 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.”
I have blotted out thy iniquities as a cloud, and thy sins as a mist: return to me, for I have redeemed thee.
23 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.
Give praise, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath shewn mercy: shout with joy, ye ends of the earth: ye mountains, resound with praise, thou, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and Israel shall be glorified.
24 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?
Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer, and thy maker, from the womb: I am the Lord, that make all things, that alone stretch out the heavens, that establish the earth, and there is none with me.
25 Making void the tokens of devisers, And makes diviners mad, Turning the wise backward, And makes their knowledge foolish.
That make void the tokens of diviners, and make the soothsayers mad. That turn the wise backward, and that, make their knowledge foolish.
26 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,
That raise up the word of my servant and perform the counsel of my messengers, who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be inhabited: and to the cities of Juda: You shall be built, and I will raise up the wastes thereof.
27 Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and your rivers I cause to dry up,
Who say to the deep: Be thou desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers.
28 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.”
Who say to Cyrus: Thou art my shepherd, and thou shalt perform all my pleasure. Who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be built: and to the temple: Thy foundations shall be laid.