Isaiah 44

1 But now listen, my servant Jacob,Israel, whom I have chosen.2 The Lord made you, formed you in the womb, and will help you.This is what the Lord says:Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,Jeshurun,t whom I have chosen.3 I will pour water on thirsty ground and rain on dry land.I will pour my Spirit on your offspringand my blessing on your descendants.4 They will spring up with the grassas poplars spring up by streams.5 One person will say, “I belong to the Lord.”Another will call on the name of Jacob.Another will write on his hand, “The Lord’s,”and he will adopt the name of Israel.

The Nations Form Idols, But the Lord Formed Israel

6 The Lord is Israel’s king and defender.He is the Lord of Armies.This is what the Lord says:I am the first and the last,and there is no God except me.7 If there is anyone like me, let him say so.Let him tell me what happenedwhen I established my people long ago.Then let him predict what will happen to them.8 Don’t be terrified or afraid.Didn’t I make this known to you long ago?You are my witnesses.Is there any God except me?There is no other rock; I know of none.9 All who make idols are nothing. Their precious treasures are worthless. Their own witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.10 Nothing comes from making gods or casting metal idols.

11 Everyone associated with the gods will be put to shame. The craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all get together and take their stand. They will be frightened and ashamed together.
12 Blacksmiths shape iron into tools. They work them over the coals and shape them with hammers, working them with their strong arms. They get hungry, and their strength fails. If they don’t drink water, they will faint.13 Carpenters measure blocks of wood with chalk lines. They mark them with pens. They carve them with chisels and mark them with compasses. They carve them into forms of people, beautiful people, so the idols can live in shrines.14 They cut down cedars for themselves. Then they choose fir trees or oaks. They let them grow strong among the trees in the forest. Then they plant cedars, and the rain makes them grow.15 These trees become fuel for people to burn. So they take some of them and warm themselves with them. They start fires and bake bread. They also make gods from these trees and worship them. They make them into carved statues and bow in front of them.16 Half of the wood they burn in the fire. Over this half they roast meat that they can eat until they are full. They also warm themselves and say, “Ah! We are warm. We can see the fire!”

17 But the rest of the wood they make into gods, carved statues. They bow to them and worship them. They pray to them, saying, “Rescue us, because you are our gods.”
18 They don’t know or understand anything. Their eyes are plastered shut, so they can’t see. And their minds are closed, so they can’t understand.19 No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding to say, “I burned half of the wood in the fire. I also baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Now I am making the rest of the wood into a disgusting thing and bowing to a block of wood.”

20 They eat ashes because they are deceived. Their own misguided minds lead them astray. They can’t rescue themselves or ask themselves, “Isn’t what I hold in my right hand a false god?”
21 Remember these things, Jacob:You are my servant, Israel.I formed you; you are my servant.Israel, I will not forget you.22 I made your rebellious acts disappear like a thick cloudand your sins like the morning mist.Come back to me, because I have reclaimed you.23 Sing with joy, you heavens, because the Lord has done this.Rejoice, you deep places of the earth.Break into shouts of joy, you mountains,you forests and every tree in them.The Lord has reclaimed Jacob.He will display his glory in Israel.

Through Cyrus the Lord Will Set Israel Free

24 The Lord reclaimed you.He formed you in the womb.This is what the Lord says:I, the Lord, made everything.I stretched out the heavens by myself.I spread out the earth all alone.25 I cause the signs of false prophets to failand make fools of fortunetellers.I make wise men retreatand turn their knowledge into foolishness.26 He confirms the word of his servantand fulfills the plan of his messengers.He says about Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited.”He says about the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt.”He says about their ruins, “I will restore them.”27 He says to the deep water, “Dry up.”So I will dry up your rivers.28 He says about Cyrus, “He is my shepherd.He will do everything I want him to do.”He says about Jerusalem, “It will be rebuilt.”He says about the temple, “Your foundation will be laid.”

Isaiah 44

1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, who I have chosen:2 Thus saith Jehovah that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:4 and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.5 One shall say, I am Jehovah’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto Jehovah, and surname himself by the name of Israel.6 Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and besides 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 established the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass, let them declare.8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not declared unto thee of old, and showed it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no Rock; I know not any.9 They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know: that they may be put to shame.10 Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?11 Behold, all his fellows shall be put to shame; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together.12 The smith maketh an axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint.13 The carpenter stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with a pencil; he shapeth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasses, and shapeth it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the holm-tree and the oak, and strengtheneth for himself one among the trees of the forest: he planteth a fir-tree, and the rain doth nourish it.15 Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he taketh thereof, and warmeth 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, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.18 They know not, neither do they consider: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.19 And none calleth to mind, 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; and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?21 Remember these things, 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 Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.24 Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah, that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth (who is with me?);25 that frustrateth the signs 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 of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste 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 of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.