44:1 “But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.
44:2 This is what the LORD says–he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
44:4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.
44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’S,’ and will take the name Israel.
44:6 “This is what the LORD says–Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
44:7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come–yes, let him foretell what will come.
44:8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
44:9 All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.
44:10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing?
44:11 He and his kind will be put to shame; craftsmen are nothing but men. Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and infamy.
44:12 The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
44:13 The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of man, of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.
44:14 He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
44:15 It is man’s fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.
44:16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
44:17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me; you are my god.”
44:18 They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
44:19 No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
44:20 He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
44:21 “Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you.
44:22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
44:23 Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.
44:24 “This is what the LORD says–your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,
44:25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,
44:26 who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
44:27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,’
44:28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.” ‘
44:1 But now hear, O Jacob, My servant, / And Israel, whom I have chosen.
44:2 Thus says Jehovah your Maker / And the One who formed you from the womb, who will help you, / Do not fear, O Jacob, My servant, / And Jeshurun whom I have chosen,
44:3 For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, / And streams upon the dry ground; / I will pour out My Spirit upon your seed, / And My blessing upon your offspring.
44:4 They will spring up among the grass, / Like poplars beside the flowing streams of water.
44:5 One will say, I am Jehovah’s; / Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; / Another will write with his hand, I am Jehovah’s; / He will name himself with the name Israel.
44:6 Thus says Jehovah the King of Israel, / And his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts, / I am the First and I am the Last, / And apart from Me there is no God.
44:7 And who can proclaim as I can? / Then let him declare it and recount it in order for Me, / Since I set forth the people of ancient times. / Let them declare to them both the coming things / And the things which will take place.
44:8 Do not tremble and do not be afraid. / Have I not related to you from that time and declared it? / And you are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? / Or is there any other Rock? I do not know of any.
44:9 All those who make idols are a waste. / And the things they delight in will not profit them. / And those who are witnesses for them do not see, / And they do not know, that they may be put to shame.
44:10 Who has formed a god or cast an idol / That is of no profit?
44:11 Indeed, all those joined to him will be put to shame, / For the craftsmen are only men. / Let all of them be gathered together, let them stand up; / Let them be afraid and be put to shame together.
44:12 The ironsmith sharpens a cutting tool, / And works over the coals, / And forms the idol with hammers, / And he works it with the strength of his arm. / Yet he becomes hungry and has no strength; / If he does not drink water, he faints.
44:13 The carpenter stretches out a line; / He marks it out with a marking tool; / He works it with planes, / And marks it with a compass. / He makes it according to the likeness of a man, / Like the beautiful appearance of man, to dwell in a house.
44:14 Someone prepares to cut down cedars for himself, / Or he takes a cypress or an oak; / He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest; / He plants an ash, and the rain nourishes it.
44:15 It is also something for a man to burn; / He takes one of them and warms himself; / He even kindles a fire and bakes bread. / With the same he also makes a god and worships it; / He makes it into a graven image and bows down before it.
44:16 Half of it he burns in a fire; / Over this half he eats flesh, / And he roasts a roast and is satisfied. / He also warms himself and says, Ha! / I am warm, I have seen fire.
44:17 The rest of it he makes into a god, into his idol; / He bows down to it and worships it / And prays to it and says, / Deliver me, for you are my god.
44:18 They do not know, and they do not understand, / For He has covered their eyes so that they cannot see, / And their minds so that they cannot understand.
44:19 And no one considers in his heart, / And there is no knowledge or understanding to say, / I have burned half of it in the fire, / And I have even baked bread over its coals; / I have roasted flesh and eaten it. / Then shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? / Shall I fall down before a block of wood?
44:20 He feeds on ashes; / A deceived heart has led him astray; / And he cannot deliver his soul; / Nor does he say, Is this not a lie in my right hand?
44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob, / And Israel, for you are My servant. / I have formed you; you are My servant; / O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.
44:22 I have wiped away, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, / And like a cloud, your sins. / Return unto Me, for I have redeemed you.
44:23 Sing for joy, O heavens, for Jehovah has accomplished it. / Shout, O lower parts of the earth; / Break forth with singing, O mountains, / The forest and every tree in it; / For Jehovah has redeemed Jacob / And is glorified in Israel.
44:24 Thus says Jehovah who redeemed you / And formed you from the womb, / I am Jehovah who makes all things, / Who alone stretches out the heavens, / Who spread out the earth (Who was with Me?);
44:25 Who frustrates the signs of liars, / And makes fools of the diviners; / Who turns back the wise men, / And makes their knowledge foolish;
44:26 Who confirms the word of His servant, / And fulfills the counsel of His messengers; / Who says to Jerusalem, She will be inhabited, / And to the cities of Judah, They will be built, / And I will raise up their ruins;
44:27 Who says to the depths, Be dried up, / And I will dry up your rivers;
44:28 Who says to Cyrus, He is My shepherd, / And he will fulfill all My desire, / Even by saying of Jerusalem, She will be built, / And of the temple, Her foundations will be laid.