Isaiah 44

The Blessings of Israel

1“But nowH6258 listenH8085, JacobH3290, My 1servantH5650, And IsraelH3478, whom I have chosenH977:2ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559, He who madeH6213 you And 2formedH3335 you from the wombH990, who 3will helpH5826 you: ‘4Do not fearH3372, JacobH3290 My servantH5650, And 56JeshurunH3484, whom I have chosenH977.3For 7I will pourH3332 waterH4325 on 8the thirstyH6771 land And streamsH5140 on the dryH3004 groundH3004; I will 9pourH3332 outH3332 My SpiritH7307 on your 10offspringH6631, And My blessingH1293 on your descendantsH6631;4And they will springH6779 upH6779 11amongH996 the grassH2682 Like 12poplarsH6155 by streamsH2988 of waterH4325.’5ThisH2088 oneH2088 will sayH559, ‘I am the Lord’sH3068’; And that oneH2088 13will callH7121 on the nameH8034 of JacobH3290; And anotherH2088 will 14writeH3789 15on his handH3027, ‘Belonging to the LordH3068,’ And will giveH3655 himself Israel’sH3478 nameH8034 withH3655 honorH3655.

6“ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559, He who is the 16KingH4428 of IsraelH3478 and his 17RedeemerH1350, the LordH3068 of armiesH6635: ‘I am the 18firstH7223 and I am the lastH314, And thereH369 isH369 noH369 GodH430 19besidesH4480H1107 Me.7WhoH4310 is likeH3644 Me? 20Let him proclaimH7121 and declareH5046 it; And, let him confrontH6186 Me 21Beginning with My establishingH7760 of the ancientH5769 22nationH5971. Then 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 beH3385 afraidH3385; 23Have I not longH3975 sinceH3975 announcedH8085 it to you and declaredH5046 it? And 24you are My witnessesH5707. IsH3426 thereH3426 anyH3426 GodH433 25besidesH4480H1107 Me, Or is there any other 26RockH6697? I knowH3045 of noneH1077.’”

The Foolishness of Idolatry

9Those who fashionH3335 an idolH6459 are allH3605 futileH8414, and their treasuredH2530 thingsH2530 are of noH1077 benefitH3276; even their own witnessesH5707 failH1077 to seeH7200 or knowH3045, soH4616 thatH4616 they will be 27putH954 toH954 shameH954. 10WhoH4310 has fashionedH3335 a godH410 or castH5258 an idolH6459 to 28noH1115 benefitH3276? 11BeholdH2005, allH3605 his companionsH2270 will be 29putH954 toH954 shameH954, for the craftsmenH2796 themselvesH1992 are mereH4480 menH120. Let them allH3605 assembleH6908 themselves, let them standH5975 up, let them trembleH6342, let them be putH954 toH954 shameH954 togetherH3162.

12The 30craftsmanH2796 of ironH1270 shapes a cuttingH4621 toolH4621 and doesH6466 his workH6466 over the coalsH6352, 31fashioningH3335 it with hammersH4717 and workingH6466 it with his strongH3581 armH2220. He alsoH1571 getsH7456 hungryH7456 and 32his strengthH3581 failsH369; he drinksH8354 noH3808 waterH4325 and becomesH3286 wearyH3286. 1333The craftsmanH2796 of woodH6086 extendsH5186 a measuringH6957 lineH6957; he outlinesH8388 it with a markerH8279. He worksH6213 it with carvingH4741 knivesH4741 and outlinesH8388 it with a compassH4230, and makesH6213 it like the formH8403 of a manH376, like the beautyH8597 of 34mankindH120, so that it may sitH3427 in a 35houseH1004. 14He will cutH3772 cedarsH730 for himself, and he takesH3947 a holm-oakH8645 or another oakH437 and lets it growH553 strongH553 for himself among the treesH6086 of the forestH3293. He plantsH5193 a laurelH766 treeH766, and the rainH1653 makesH1431 it growH1431. 15Then it becomesH1961 something for a personH120 to burnH1197, so he takesH3947 one of them and getsH2552 warmH2552; he alsoH637 makesH5400 aH5400 fireH5400 and bakesH644 breadH3899. He alsoH637 36makesH6466 a godH410 and worshipsH2331 it; he makesH6213 it a carvedH6459 imageH6459 and 37bowsH5456 downH5456 before it. 16HalfH2677 of it he burnsH8313 in the fireH784; overH5921 this halfH2677 he eatsH398 meatH1320, he roastsH6740 a roastH6748, and isH7646 satisfiedH7646. He alsoH637 warmsH2552 himself and saysH559, “AhaH1889! I amH2552 warmH2552, I have seenH7200 the fireH217.” 17Yet the restH7611 of it he 38makesH6213 into a godH410, his carvedH6459 imageH6459. He bowsH5456 downH5456 before it and worshipsH2331; he also 39praysH6419 to it and saysH559, “SaveH5337 me, for you are my godH410.”

18They do not 40knowH3045, norH3808 do they understandH995, for He has 41smearedH2911 overH2911 their eyesH5869 soH4480 thatH4480 they cannotH4480 seeH7200, and their heartsH3820 soH4480 thatH4480 they cannotH4480 comprehendH7919. 19NoH3808 one 42remembersH7725H413H3820, norH3808 is there 43knowledgeH1847 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 44I makeH6213 the restH3499 of it into an 45abominationH8441, 46I bowH5456 downH5456 before a blockH944 of woodH6086!” 20He 4748feedsH7462 on ashesH665; a 49deceivedH8524 heartH3820 has misledH5186 him. And he cannotH3808 saveH5337 50himselfH5315, norH3808 sayH559, “51Is there not a lieH8267 in my rightH3225 handH3225?”

God Forgives and Redeems

21“52RememberH2142 theseH428 thingsH428, JacobH3290, And IsraelH3478, for you are 53My servantH5650; I have formedH3335 you, you are My servantH5650, IsraelH3478, you will 54not be forgottenH5382 by Me.22I have 55wipedH4229 outH4229 your wrongdoingsH6588 like a thickH5645 cloudH5645 And your sinsH2403 like a 56heavyH6051 mistH6051. 57ReturnH7725 to Me, for I have 58redeemedH1350 you.”2359ShoutH7442 forH7442 joyH7442, you heavensH8064, for the LordH3068 has doneH6213 it! ShoutH7321 joyfullyH7321, you lowerH8482 partsH8482 of the earthH776; 60BreakH6476 into a shoutH7440 of jubilationH7440, you mountainsH2022, ForestH3293, and everyH3605 treeH6086 in it; For 61the LordH3068 has redeemedH1350 JacobH3290, And in IsraelH3478 He 62showsH6286 His gloryH6286.

24ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559, He who is your 63RedeemerH1350, and the One who 64formedH3335 you from the wombH990: “I, the LordH3068, am the MakerH6213 of allH3605 thingsH3605, 65StretchingH5186 outH5186 the heavensH8064 by MyselfH905 And spreadingH7554 outH7554 the earthH776 66aloneH4480H854,2567Causing the 68omensH226 of divinersH907 to failH6565, 69MakingH1984 foolsH1984 of fortune-tellersH7080; 70Causing wiseH2450 menH2450 to turnH7725 backH268 And 71makingH5528 their knowledgeH1847 ridiculousH5528,2672ConfirmingH6965 the wordH1697 of His servantH5650 And 73carryingH7999 outH7999 the purposeH6098 of His messengersH4397. It is I who saysH559 of JerusalemH3389, ‘She shall be inhabitedH3427!’ And of the 74citiesH5892 of JudahH3063, ‘75They shall be builtH1129.’ And I will raiseH6965 her ruinsH2723 again.27I am the One who saysH559 to the depthH6683 ofH6683 theH6683 seaH6683, ‘DryH2717 upH2717!’ And I will makeH3001 your riversH5104 76dryH3001 upH3001.28It is I who saysH559 of 77CyrusH3566, ‘He is My shepherdH7462, And he will carryH7999 outH7999 allH3605 My desireH2656.’ And 78he saysH559 of JerusalemH3389, ‘79She will be builtH1129,’ And of the templeH1964, ‘80Your foundationH3245 will be laidH3245.’”