Isaiah 44

The Blessings of Israel

1“But now listen, Jacob, My 1servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen:2This is what the Lord says, He who made you And 2formed you from the womb, who 3will help you: ‘4Do not fear, Jacob My servant, And 56Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.3For 7I will pour water on 8the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will 9pour out My Spirit on your 10offspring, And My blessing on your descendants;4And they will spring up 11among the grass Like 12poplars by streams of water.’5This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’; And that one 13will call on the name of Jacob; And another will 14write 15on his hand, ‘Belonging to the Lord,’ And will give himself Israel’s name with honor.

6“This is what the Lord says, He who is the 16King of Israel and his 17Redeemer, the Lord of armies: ‘I am the 18first and I am the last, And there is no God 19besides Me.7Who is like Me? 20Let him proclaim and declare it; And, let him confront Me 21Beginning with My establishing of the ancient 22nation. Then 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; 23Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And 24you are My witnesses. Is there any God 25besides Me, Or is there any other 26Rock? I know of none.’”

The Foolishness of Idolatry

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

12The 30craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, 31fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and 32his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 1333The craftsman of wood extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a marker. He works it with carving knives and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of 34mankind, so that it may sit in a 35house. 14He will cut cedars for himself, and he takes a holm-oak or another oak and lets it grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow. 15Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also 36makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and 37bows down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat, he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17Yet the rest of it he 38makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also 39prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

18They do not 40know, nor do they understand, for He has 41smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19No one 42remembers, nor is there 43knowledge 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 44I make the rest of it into an 45abomination, 46I bow down before a block of wood!” 20He 4748feeds on ashes; a 49deceived heart has misled him. And he cannot save 50himself, nor say, “51Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

God Forgives and Redeems

21“52Remember these things, Jacob, And Israel, for you are 53My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, Israel, you will 54not be forgotten by Me.22I have 55wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud And your sins like a 56heavy mist. 57Return to Me, for I have 58redeemed you.”2359Shout for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; 60Break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains, Forest, and every tree in it; For 61the Lord has redeemed Jacob, And in Israel He 62shows His glory.

24This is what the Lord says, He who is your 63Redeemer, and the One who 64formed you from the womb: “I, the Lord, am the Maker of all things, 65Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth 66alone,2567Causing the 68omens of diviners to fail, 69Making fools of fortune-tellers; 70Causing wise men to turn back And 71making their knowledge ridiculous,2672Confirming the word of His servant And 73carrying out the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the 74cities of Judah, ‘75They shall be built.’ And I will raise her ruins again.27I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Dry up!’ And I will make your rivers 76dry up.28It is I who says of 77Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he will carry out all My desire.’ And 78he says of Jerusalem, ‘79She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘80Your foundation will be laid.’”