Isaiah 44

1 But now listen, O Jacob My servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.

2 This is the word of the LORD, your Maker, who formed you from the womb and who will help you: “Do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.

4 They will sprout among the grass like willows by flowing streams.

5 One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD,’ another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name of Israel.”

6 Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.

7 Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take place.

8 Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”

9 All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.

10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?

11 Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame.

12 The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint.

13 The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.

14 He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.

15 It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread. He also fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

16 He burns half of it in the fire, and he roasts meat on that half. He eats the roast and is satisfied. Indeed, he warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”

17 From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

18 They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.

19 And no one considers in his heart, no one has the knowledge or insight to say, “I burned half of it in the fire, and I baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make something detestable with the rest of it? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”

20 He feeds on ashes. His deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

21 Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are My servant, O Israel. I have made you, and you are My servant; O Israel, I will never forget you.

22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

23 Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O depths of the earth. Break forth in song, O mountains, you forests and all your trees. For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and revealed His glory in Israel.

24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,

25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,

26 who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins,’

27 who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’

28 who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’”

1 ¶ Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, 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 thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

4 And they shall spring up [as] among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

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.

6 Thus saith 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.

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 shew unto them.

8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; 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.

10 Who hath formed a god, or molten 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.

12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

13 The carpenter stretcheth out [his] rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish [it].

15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth [it], and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth [it]; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth [himself], and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:

17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, [even] his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth [it], and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou [art] my god.

18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; [and] their hearts, that they cannot understand.

19 And none considereth 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?

20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, [Is there] not a lie in my right hand?

21 ¶ Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou [art] my servant: I have formed thee; thou [art] my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done [it]: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things]; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise [men] backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

28 That saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

1 Hear now, O my servant Jacob, and Israel, whom I have chosen.

2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and prepared thee, and hath stood by thee from the womb: Fear not, O my servant Jacob, and thou that art upright, whom I have chosen.

3 For I will pour water upon the thirsty, and streams upon the drought; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy seed,

4 That they may grow as grass, as the willows by the rivers of water.

5 This man shall say, I am the LORD'S; and this man shall be called by the name of Jacob: and this man shall ascribe himself with his hand unto the LORD, and shall be called by the name of Israel.

6 Thus saith the LORD 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.

7 And who is like unto me, that calleth, and proclaimeth, and bringeth it unto me, that setteth the nations from the world? Let them proclaim unto them the signs, and the things which are to come.

8 Fear not, neither be dismayed. Have I not at this time caused thee to hear and to proclaim it? For ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? There is no refuge, for I know of none.

9 The idolaters are all vain, and their good things are of no profit. They are their witnesses, and see nothing, neither perceive; therefore they are put to shame.

10 Who are they that make a god, and cast idols, which are of no profit?

11 Behold, all their fellows are put to shame; for they are masters of men. Though they all come together, yet they shall fear, and be put to shame.

12 A man forgeth iron in the tongs, and worketh in the furnace, and maketh it ready with hammers, and worketh at it with all the strength of his arm: he also suffereth hunger, until he cannot; neither drinketh he water, until he be weary.

13 And the other carpeth wood, and measureth it with a cord, and marketh it with a red stone, and heweth it, and chiseleth it, and maketh it like a man's image, like a goodly man that dwelleth in the house.

14 He goeth freshly among the trees of the forest, to cut down the cedars, and to take the beeches and the oaks, even a cedar that is planted, and that is grown before the rain.

15 Which giveth fireworks unto men, and they take them to warm themselves, and they set them on fire, and bake bread with them. There he maketh a god of it, and worshippeth it: he maketh an idol of it, and boweth down to it.

16 Half of it he burneth in the fire, and over the other half he eateth flesh: and he roasteth a roast, and is satisfied, and warmed himself, and said, Hoja! I am warmed; I see my delight in the fire.

17 But the rest he maketh God, that it may be his idol, before which he kneeleth, and boweth down, and prayeth, saying, Save me: for thou art my God.

18 They know nothing, and understand nothing: for they are blinded, that their eyes cannot see, nor their hearts perceive,

19 And they enter not into their heart: there is no understanding, neither wit, that they should think: I have burned half of it with fire, and have baked bread upon the coals, and roasted meat, and eaten it; and shall make the rest an abomination, and shall kneel to a block?

20 It giveth ashes, and deceiveth the heart that inclineth unto it, and cannot save his soul. Nor thinketh he, Is this also deceit, which my right hand driveth?

21 Remember this, O Jacob, and Israel: for thou art my servant. I have prepared thee to be my servant: Israel, forget me not.

22 I will destroy thy iniquity as a cloud, and thy sin as the mist. Turn to me, for I will deliver you.

23 Rejoice, ye heavens, for the LORD hath done it: call down, ye earth; ye mountains, rejoice with singing; the forest and all the trees thereof: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and is glorious in Israel.

24 Thus saith the LORD thy Redeemer, which hath prepared thee from the womb: I am the LORD that doeth all things, that stretched out the heavens alone, and made the earth wide without help,

25 Who destroyeth the signs of the diviners, and maketh the diviners foolish; who turneth back the wise, and maketh their art foolish,

26 But confirm the word of his servant, and execute the counsel of his messengers, which saith unto Jerusalem, Be ye inhabited; and unto the cities of Judah, Be ye built; and I will raise up their desolations;

27 Who saith to the deep, Seal up; and to the rivers, Dry up.

28 Who saith unto Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and he shall accomplish all my will, that it may be said unto Jerusalem, Be thou built; and unto the temple, Be thou established.