< Isaiah 44 >
1 But now, you people of Israel whom Yahweh has chosen to serve him, listen to me.
And therefore listen O Jacob servant my and Israel [whom] I have chosen it.
2 Yahweh, the one who created you and helps you, says this: “You dear people of Israel whom I have chosen, you who serve me, do not be afraid.
Thus he says Yahweh [who] made you and [who] formed you from [the] womb he will help you may not you be afraid O servant my Jacob and Jeshurun [whom] I have chosen it.
3 I will pour water on your dry land and cause streams to flow. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and greatly bless them.
For I will pour out water on thirsty [ground] and streams on dry ground I will pour out spirit my on offspring your and blessing my on descendants your.
4 They will grow up like [SIM] grass grows along the water, like [SIM] willow/poplar [trees] grow well along a riverbank.
And they will spring up in between grass like poplars at watercourses of water.
5 Some of them will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are descendants of Jacob,’ and others will write on their hands, ‘We belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are Israelis.’”
This one he will say [belong] to Yahweh I and this one he will call out with [the] name of Jacob and this one he will write hand his [belongs] to Yahweh and with [the] name of Israel he will name.
6 Yahweh, the King of Israel, the one who saves us, the Commander of the armies of angels, says this: “I am the one who begins everything and who ends everything; there is no other God.
Thus he says Yahweh [the] king of Israel and redeemer its Yahweh of hosts I [am] first and I [am] last and except me there not [is] a god.
7 If there is anyone like me [RHQ], he should proclaim it! He should speak and tell me [now]! He should tell what has happened since I caused my people [of Israel] to become a nation long ago, and he should also tell what things will happen; he should predict what will happen in the future.
And who? [is] like me let him proclaim [it] and let him declare it and let him recount in order it to me from when established I a people of antiquity and [the] coming [things] and [the things] which they will come let them declare to them.
8 [My people], do not be afraid. Long ago I told you things that would happen [RHQ]; I predicted them, and you can testify that I did that. There certainly is not [RHQ] any other God. There is no other God who is able to protect you [MET]; I know that there is no other God!”
May not you be in dread and may not you fear ¿ not from then did I proclaim to you and did I declare and you [are] witnesses my ¿ [is] there a god except me and there not [is] a rock not I know.
9 All those who make idols are foolish, and the idols that they (think highly of/greatly respect) are worthless. And the people who worship those idols— [it is as though] they are blind, and they will be ashamed [for having worshiped those idols].
[those who] form an idol All of them [are] nothingness and desired [things] their not they confer profit and witnesses their they not they see and not they know so that they may be ashamed.
10 Only [foolish people] [RHQ] would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all.
Who? has he formed a god and an idol has he cast? to not to confer profit.
11 Those who make idols and those who worship them will be ashamed. Those who make idols are only human beings, [but they claim that they are making gods]! They should stand in front of God in a court, and [when they hear what he says], they will be terrified, and they will all be disgraced.
There! all companions his they will be ashamed and craftsmen they [are] from humankind let them gather together all of them let them stand up let them be in dread let them be ashamed altogether.
12 Metalworkers stand in front of hot coals in order to make idols. They pound them strongly with hammers, and shape them. Because they work very hard, they become hungry and weak; they become very thirsty and feel exhausted.
A craftsman of iron a tool and he works [it] on the coal[s] and with hammers he forms it and he worked it with [the] arm of strength his also he is hungry and there not [is] strength not he drinks water and he grew weary.
13 Then a woodcarver takes a big block/piece of wood and he measures it; then he marks it to show where he will cut it. He uses a chisel and other tools to carve it to resemble a human. He causes it to become a very beautiful [idol], and then he puts it in a shrine.
A craftsman of wood he stretches out a measuring-line he outlines it with marker he works it with scraping tools and with compass he outlines it and he made it like [the] form of a man like [the] beauty of a man to dwell a house.
14 [Before he carves an idol from that block of wood], he has cut down a cedar tree, or he has selected a cypress tree or an oak tree and allowed it to grow tall in the forest. Or, he has planted a pine/evergreen tree and the rain has watered it [and caused it to grow tall].
To cut down for himself cedars and he took a cypress and an oak and he strengthened [it] for himself among [the] trees of [the] forest he plants laurel and rain it makes [it] grow.
15 [And after he uses part of the tree to make an idol], he uses the other part of the tree to make a fire, either to warm himself or to bake bread. But he uses [part of the same tree] to make for himself an idol to worship! He makes an idol and then he bows down to worship it.
And it belongs to anyone to burn and he took some of them and he became warm also he kindles a fire and he bakes bread also he makes a god and he bowed down he makes it an idol and he prostrated himself to it.
16 He burns part of the wood of the tree to cook his meat and eats the meat and his stomach becomes full, and he burns part of the wood to warm his body, and he says, “I feel warm while I am watching the flames in the fire.”
Half of it he burns in a fire over half of it meat he eats he roasts roasted meat so he may be satisfied also he is warm and he may say aha! I am warm I see a fire.
17 Then he takes the rest of the wood and makes an idol which is his god. He bows down to it and worships it, and prays to it and says, “You are my god, so save me!”
And [the] remainder of it a god he makes idol his (he prostrates himself *Q(k)*) to it so he may bow down and he may pray to it so he may say deliver me for [are] god my you.
18 Those people are very stupid and ignorant [SAR]. [It is as though] they are blind and cannot see, and their minds are closed and they cannot think well.
Not they know and not they understand for it is besmeared from seeing eyes their from having insight hearts their.
19 They do not think about what they are doing, that they are taking a block of wood and burning half of it to warm themselves and using some of the rest to bake bread and roast some meat! [They do not say to themselves], “It is stupid [RHQ] to take the rest of the wood to make a detestable idol! It does not make sense to bow down to a block of wood!”
And not he brings to heart his and not knowledge and not understanding to say half of it I burned in a fire and also I baked on coals its bread I roasted meat so I may eat [it] and [the] remainder of it an abomination will I make? to a product of a tree will I prostrate myself?
20 They are very stupid to [worship something that if you burn it, it becomes] ashes! They trust in something that cannot save them; they do not admit, “In my hand I hold something that is not really a god! [RHQ]”
[he is] feeding Ash[es] a heart [which] it is deceived it has turned aside him and not he will deliver self his and not he will say ¿ not [is] falsehood in right [hand] my.
21 [Yahweh says, “You descendants of] [MTY] Jacob, you people of Israel who should be serving me, I created you, and I will not forget you.
Remember these [things] O Jacob and O Israel for [are] servant my you I formed you [are] a servant of me you O Israel not you will be forgotten by me.
22 I have gotten rid of your sins like [SIM] [the wind blows away] a cloud. [It is as though] your transgressions were a morning mist [SIM] that I have blown away. Return to me because I have rescued you.”
I have wiped out like dark cloud transgressions your and like cloud sins your return! to me for I have redeemed you.
23 [The sun and moon and stars] in the sky should sing, and all the things that are beneath the ground should shout joyfully! All the mountains and forests, and all you trees, should sing loudly, because Yahweh has rescued [the descendants of] [MTY] Jacob; [the people of] Israel will praise/honor him.
Shout for joy O heaven for he has acted Yahweh shout in triumph O lower parts of [the] earth break forth O mountains a shout of joy O forest and every tree in it for he has redeemed Yahweh Jacob and by Israel he will get glory for himself.
24 Yahweh, who saved you and created you, says this: “I am Yahweh, the one who created everything. I am the only one who stretched out the sky. There was [RHQ] no one who (was with/helped) me when I created the earth.
Thus he says Yahweh redeemer your and [the one who] formed you from [the] womb I [am] Yahweh [who] made everything [who] stretched out [the] heavens to alone me [who] spread out the earth (from with myself. *Q(K)*)
25 I show that the false prophets are liars, and I show that those who perform rituals to predict the future are fools. Some people who [falsely think that they] are [IRO] wise [say that they] know a lot, but I show that they are foolish.
[who] frustrates [the] signs of Empty talkers and diviners he makes look foolish [who] turns back wise [people] backwards and knowledge their he makes foolish.
26 But I always cause to happen what my prophets predict [DOU]. [I tell them to] say to [the people of] [MTY] Jerusalem, ‘[Some day] people will live here again.’ [And I tell them to] say to [the people in other] towns in Judah [that Yahweh says], ‘Your towns will be rebuilt; I will cause the places that are only ruins to be rebuilt.’
[who] establishes [the] word of Servant his and [the] counsel of messengers his he performs who says of Jerusalem it will be inhabited and of [the] cities of Judah they will be rebuilt and ruins its I will raise up.
27 When I say to the rivers, ‘Dry up!’, they will become dry.
Who says to the ocean-deep be dried up and rivers your I will make dry.
28 When I say about King Cyrus, ‘He will [take care of my people like] [MET] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep], he will do what I want him to do,’ he will say about Jerusalem, ‘We must rebuild it!’, and he will also say, ‘We must rebuild the temple!’”
Who says of Cyrus shepherd my and all desire my he will perform and to say of Jerusalem let it be rebuilt and [the] temple let it be refounded.