Isaiah 44
1 Now listen, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen:
But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, the one I've chosen.
2 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.
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.
3 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.
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.
4 They will spring up among the grass, like willows by the streams of water.
They will grow up among the grass, like willows beside streams.
5 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.”
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.
6 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.
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.
7 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.
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.
8 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.”
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!
9 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.
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.
10 Who would form a god or cast an idol that is worthless?
Who makes a god, who molds an idol that's no use to them?
11 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.
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.
12 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.
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.
13 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.
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.
14 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.
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.
15 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.
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!
16 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.”
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!”
17 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.”
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!”
18 They do not know, nor do they understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see, and their hearts cannot perceive.
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.
19 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?”
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.”
20 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.”
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?”
21 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.
“Remember all this, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I made you, Israel, you are my servant. I won't forget you.
22 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.
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.”
23 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.
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!
24 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.
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.
25 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.
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.
26 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';
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.’
27 who says to the deep sea, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your currents.'
When I order deep waters, ‘Dry up!’ I will make sure the rivers dry up!
28 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.'”
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.’”
