Isaiah 44

The Blessings of Israel

1“But now listen, O Jacob, My 1servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen:2Thus says the Lord who made you And 2formed you from the womb, who 3will help you, ‘4Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you 5Jeshurun whom I have chosen.3For 6I will pour out water on 7the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will 8pour out My Spirit on your 9offspring And My blessing on your descendants;4And they will spring up 10among the grass Like 11poplars by streams of water.’5This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’; And that one 12will call on the name of Jacob; And another will 13write 14on his hand, ‘Belonging to the Lord,’ And will name Israel’s name with honor.

6“Thus says the Lord, the 15King of Israel and his 16Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the 17first and I am the last, And there is no God 18besides Me.7Who is like Me? 19Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, 20From the time that I established the ancient 21nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place.8Do not tremble and do not be afraid; 22Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And 23you are My witnesses. Is there any God 24besides Me, Or is there any other 25Rock? I know of none.’”

The Folly of Idolatry

9Those who fashion 26a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be 27put to shame. 10Who has fashioned a god or cast 28an idol to 29no profit? 11Behold, all his companions will be 30put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.

12The 31man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, 32fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and 33his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 1334Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of 35man, so that it may sit in a 36house. 14Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a 37cypress or an oak and 38raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also 39makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and 40falls down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17But the rest of it he 41makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also 42prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”

18They do not 43know, nor do they understand, for He has 44smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19No one 45recalls, nor is there 46knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then 47I make the rest of it into an 48abomination, 49I fall down before a block of wood!” 20He 5051feeds on ashes; a 52deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver 53himself, nor say, “54Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

God Forgives and Redeems

21“55Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are 56My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will 57not be forgotten by Me.22I have 58wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a 59heavy mist. 60Return to Me, for I have 61redeemed you.”2362Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; 63Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For 64the Lord has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He 65shows forth His glory.

24Thus says the Lord, your 66Redeemer, and the one who 67formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, 68Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth 69all alone,2570Causing the 71omens of boasters to fail, 72Making fools out of diviners, 73Causing wise men to draw back And 74turning their knowledge into foolishness,2675Confirming the word of His servant And 76performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the 77cities of Judah, ‘78They shall be built.’ And I will raise up her ruins again.27It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’ And I will make your rivers 79dry.28It is I who says of 80Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And 81he declares of Jerusalem, ‘82She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘83Your foundation will be laid.’”