Isaiah 44

The Blessings of Israel

1“But nowH6258 listenH8085, O JacobH3290, My 1servantH5650, And IsraelH3478, whom I have chosenH977:2ThusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068 who madeH6213 you And 2formedH3335 you from the wombH990, who 3will helpH5826 you, ‘4Do not fearH3372, O JacobH3290 My servantH5650; And you 5JeshurunH3484 whom I have chosenH977.3For 6I will pourH3332 out waterH4325 on 7the thirstyH6771 land And streamsH5140 on the dryH3004 groundH3004; I will 8pourH3332 out My SpiritH7307 on your 9offspringH6631 And My blessingH1293 on your descendantsH6631;4And they will springH6779 up 10amongH996 the grassH2682 Like 11poplarsH6155 by streamsH2988 of waterH4325.’5ThisH2088 oneH2088 will sayH559, ‘I am the Lord’sH3068’; And that oneH2088 12will callH7121 on the nameH8034 of JacobH3290; And anotherH2088 will 13writeH3789 14on his handH3027, ‘Belonging to the LordH3068,’ And will nameH3655 Israel’sH3478 nameH8034 with honorH3655.

6“ThusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068, the 15KingH4428 of IsraelH3478 and his 16RedeemerH1350, the LordH3068 of hostsH6635: ‘I am the 17firstH7223 and I am the lastH314, And thereH369 is noH369 GodH430 18besidesH4480H1107 Me.7WhoH4310 is likeH3644 Me? 19Let him proclaimH7121 and declareH5046 it; Yes, let him recountH6186 it to Me in orderH6186, 20From the time that I establishedH7760 the ancientH5769 21nationH5971. And let them declareH5046 to them the thingsH857 that are comingH857 And the events that are going to takeH935 placeH935.8Do not trembleH6342 and do not be afraidH3385; 22Have I not longH3975 sinceH3975 announcedH8085 it to you and declaredH5046 it? And 23you are My witnessesH5707. Is thereH3426 anyH3426 GodH433 24besidesH4480H1107 Me, Or is thereH369 any other 25RockH6697? I knowH3045 of noneH1077.’”

The Folly of Idolatry

9Those who fashionH3335 26a gravenH6459 imageH6459 are allH3605 of them futileH8414, and their preciousH2530 thingsH2530 are of noH1077 profitH3276; even their own witnessesH5707 failH1077 to seeH7200 or knowH3045, soH4616 that they will be 27putH954 to shameH954. 10WhoH4310 has fashionedH3335 a godH410 or castH5258 28an idolH6459 to 29noH1115 profitH3276? 11BeholdH2005, allH3605 his companionsH2270 will be 30putH954 to shameH954, for the craftsmenH2796 themselvesH1992 are mereH4480 menH120. Let them allH3605 assembleH6908 themselves, let them standH5975 up, let them trembleH6342, let them togetherH3162 be putH954 to shameH954.

12The 31man shapesH2796 ironH1270 into a cuttingH4621 toolH4621 and doesH6466 his workH6466 over the coalsH6352, 32fashioningH3335 it with hammersH4717 and workingH6466 it with his strongH3581 armH2220. He alsoH1571 getsH7456 hungryH7456 and 33his strengthH3581 failsH369; he drinksH8354 noH3808 waterH4325 and becomesH3286 wearyH3286. 1334Another shapesH2796 woodH6086, he extendsH5186 a measuringH6957 lineH6957; he outlinesH8388 it with red chalkH8279. He worksH6213 it with planesH4741 and outlinesH8388 it with a compassH4230, and makesH6213 it like the formH8403 of a manH376, like the beautyH8597 of 35manH120, so that it may sitH3427 in a 36houseH1004. 14Surely he cutsH3772 cedarsH730 for himself, and takesH3947 a 37cypressH8645 or an oakH437 and 38raisesH553 it for himself among the treesH6086 of the forestH3293. He plantsH5193 a firH766, and the rainH1653 makesH1431 it growH1431. 15Then it becomesH1961 something for a manH120 to burnH1197, so he takesH3947 one of them and warmsH2552 himself; he alsoH637 makesH8026 a fireH8026 to bakeH644 breadH3899. He alsoH637 39makesH6466 a godH410 and worshipsH7812 it; he makesH6213 it a gravenH6459 imageH6459 and 40fallsH5456 downH5456 before it. 16HalfH2677 of it he burnsH8313 in the fireH784; overH5921 this halfH2677 he eatsH398 meatH1320 as he roastsH6740 a roastH6748 and is satisfiedH7646. He alsoH637 warmsH2552 himself and saysH559, “AhaH1889! I am warmH2552, I have seenH7200 the fireH217.” 17But the restH7611 of it he 41makesH6213 into a godH410, his gravenH6459 imageH6459. He fallsH5456 downH5456 before it and worshipsH7812; he also 42praysH6419 to it and saysH559, “DeliverH5337 me, for you are my godH410.”

18They do not 43knowH3045, norH3808 do they understandH995, for He has 44smearedH2911 overH2911 their eyesH5869 soH4480 that they cannotH4480 seeH7200 and their heartsH3820 soH4480 that they cannotH4480 comprehendH7919. 19NoH3808 one 45recallsH7725H413H3820, norH3808 is there 46knowledgeH1847 or understandingH8394 to sayH559, “I have burnedH8313 halfH2677 of it in the fireH784 and alsoH637 have bakedH644 breadH3899 overH5921 its coalsH1513. I roastH6740 meatH1320 and eatH398 it. Then 47I makeH6213 the restH3499 of it into an 48abominationH8441, 49I fallH5456 downH5456 before a blockH944 of woodH6086!” 20He 5051feedsH7462 on ashesH665; a 52deceivedH8524 heartH3820 has turnedH5186 him asideH5186. And he cannotH3808 deliverH5337 53himselfH5315, norH3808 sayH559, “54Is there not a lieH8267 in my rightH3225 handH3225?”

God Forgives and Redeems

21“55RememberH2142 theseH428 thingsH428, O JacobH3290, And IsraelH3478, for you are 56My servantH5650; I have formedH3335 you, you are My servantH5650, O IsraelH3478, you will 57not be forgottenH5382 by Me.22I have 58wipedH4229 out your transgressionsH6588 like a thickH5645 cloudH5645 And your sinsH2403 like a 59heavyH6051 mistH6051. 60ReturnH7725 to Me, for I have 61redeemedH1350 you.”2362ShoutH7442 for joyH7442, O heavensH8064, for the LordH3068 has doneH6213 it! ShoutH7321 joyfullyH7321, you lowerH8482 partsH8482 of the earthH776; 63BreakH6476 forthH6476 into a shoutH7440 of joyH7440, you mountainsH2022, O forestH3293, and everyH3605 treeH6086 in it; For 64the LordH3068 has redeemedH1350 JacobH3290 And in IsraelH3478 He 65showsH6286 forth His gloryH6286.

24ThusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068, your 66RedeemerH1350, and the one who 67formedH3335 you from the wombH990, “I, the LordH3068, am the makerH6213 of allH3605 thingsH3605, 68StretchingH5186 out the heavensH8064 by MyselfH905 And spreadingH7554 out the earthH776 69allH4480H854 aloneH4480H854,2570Causing the 71omensH226 of boastersH907 to failH6565, 72MakingH1984 foolsH1984 out of divinersH7080, 73Causing wiseH2450 menH2450 to drawH7725 backH268 And 74turningH7725 their knowledgeH1847 into foolishnessH5528,2675ConfirmingH6965 the wordH1697 of His servantH5650 And 76performingH7999 the purposeH6098 of His messengersH4397. It is I who saysH559 of JerusalemH3389, ‘She shall be inhabitedH3427!’ And of the 77citiesH5892 of JudahH3063, ‘78They shall be builtH1129.’ And I will raiseH6965 up her ruinsH2723 again.27It is I who saysH559 to the depthH6683 of the seaH6683, ‘Be driedH2717 up!’ And I will makeH3001 your riversH5104 79dryH3001.28It is I who saysH559 of 80CyrusH3566, ‘He is My shepherdH7462! And he will performH7999 allH3605 My desireH2656.’ And 81he declaresH559 of JerusalemH3389, ‘82She will be builtH1129,’ And of the templeH1964, ‘83Your foundationH3245 will be laidH3245.’”