Isaiah 44–45

The Lord Chooses Israel

44“Family of Jacob, listen to me. You are my servants.

People of Israel, I have chosen you.

²I made you. I formed you when you were born as a nation.

I will help you.

So listen to what I am saying.

Family of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servants.

People of Israel, I have chosen you.

³I will pour water out on the thirsty land.

I will make streams flow on the dry ground.

I will pour out my Spirit on your children.

I will pour out my blessing on their children after them.

⁴They will spring up like grass in a meadow.

They will grow like poplar trees near flowing streams.

⁵Some will say, ‘We belong to the Lord.’

Others will call themselves by Jacob’s name.

Still others will write on their hands,

‘We belong to the Lord.’

And they will be called by the name of Israel.

Worship the Lord, Not Other Gods

⁶“I am Israel’s King. I set them free.

I am the Lord who rules over all.

So listen to what I am saying.

I am the First and the Last.

I am the one and only God.

⁷Who is like me? Let him come forward and speak boldly.

Let him tell me everything that has happened

since I created my people long ago.

And let him tell me what has not happened yet.

Let him announce ahead of time what is going to take place.

⁸Do not tremble with fear. Do not be afraid.

Didn’t I announce everything that has happened?

Didn’t I tell you about it long ago?

You are my witnesses. Is there any other God but me?

No! There is no other Rock. I do not know even one.”

⁹Those who make statues of gods don’t amount to anything.

And the statues they think so much of are worthless.

Those who would speak up for them are blind.

They don’t know anything.

So they will be put to shame.

¹⁰People make statues of gods.

But those gods can’t do them any good.

¹¹People like that will be put to shame.

Those who make statues of gods are mere men.

Let all of them come together and state their case.

They will be terrified and put to shame.

¹²A blacksmith gets his tool.

He uses it to shape metal over the burning coals.

He uses his hammers to make a statue of a god.

He forms it with his powerful arm.

He gets hungry and loses his strength.

He doesn’t drink any water.

He gets weaker and weaker.

¹³A carpenter measures a piece of wood with a line.

He draws a pattern on it with a marker.

He cuts out a statue with sharp tools.

He marks it with compasses.

He shapes it into the form of a handsome man.

He does all of that so he can put it in a temple.

¹⁴He cuts down a cedar tree.

Or perhaps he takes a cypress or an oak tree.

It might be a tree that grew in the forest.

Or it might be a pine tree he planted.

And the rain made it grow.

¹⁵Man gets wood from trees for fuel.

He uses some of it to warm himself.

He starts a fire and bakes bread.

But he also uses some of it to make a god and worship it.

He makes a statue of a god and bows down to it.

¹⁶He burns half of the wood in the fire.

He prepares a meal over it.

He cooks meat over it.

He eats until he is full.

He also warms himself. He says,

“Good! I’m getting warm.

The fire is nice and hot.”

¹⁷From the rest of the wood he makes a statue.

It becomes his god.

He bows down and worships it.

He prays to it. He says,

“Save me. You are my god.”

¹⁸People like that don’t even know what they are doing.

Their eyes are shut so that they can’t see the truth.

Their minds are closed so that they can’t understand it.

¹⁹No one even stops to think about this.

No one has any sense or understanding.

If anyone did, he would say,

“I used half of the wood for fuel.

I even baked bread over the fire.

I cooked meat. Then I ate it.

Should I now make a statue of a god

out of the wood that’s left over?

Should I bow down to a block of wood?

The Lord would hate that.”

²⁰That’s as foolish as eating ashes!

The mind of someone like that

has led him down the wrong path.

He can’t save himself.

He can’t bring himself to say,

“This thing I’m holding in my right hand

isn’t really a god at all.”

²¹The Lord says, “Family of Jacob, remember those things.

People of Israel, you are my servants.

I have made you. You are my servants.

Israel, I will not forget you.

²²I will sweep your sins away as if they were a cloud.

I will blow them away as if they were the morning mist.

Return to me.

Then I will set you free.”

²³Sing with joy, you heavens!

The Lord does wonderful things.

Shout out loud, you earth!

Burst into song, you mountains!

Sing, you forests and all of your trees!

The Lord sets the family of Jacob free.

He shows his glory in Israel.

People Will Live in Jerusalem Again

²⁴The Lord says,

“People of Israel, I set you free.

I formed you when you were born as a nation.

“I am the Lord. I have made everything.

I alone spread out the heavens.

I formed the earth by myself.

²⁵“Some prophets are not really prophets at all.

I show that their miraculous signs are fake.

I make those who practice evil magic look foolish.

I destroy the learning of those who think they are wise.

Their knowledge does not make any sense at all.

²⁶I make the words of my servants the prophets come true.

I carry out what my messengers say will happen.

“I say about Jerusalem,

‘My people will live there again.’

I say about the towns of Judah,

‘They will be rebuilt.’

I say about their broken-down buildings,

‘I will make them like new again.’

²⁷I say to the deep waters,

‘Dry up. Let your streams become dry.’

²⁸I say about Cyrus,

‘He is my shepherd.

He will accomplish everything I want him to.

He will say about Jerusalem,

“Let it be rebuilt.”

And he will say about the temple,

“Let its foundations be laid.” ’

45“Cyrus is my anointed king.

I take hold of his right hand.

I give him the power

to bring nations under his control.

I help him strip kings of their power

to go to war against him.

I break city gates open so he can go through them.

I say to him,

²‘I will march out ahead of you.

I will make the mountains level.

I will break down bronze gates.

I will cut through their heavy iron bars.

³I will give you treasures that are hidden away in dark places.

I will give you riches that are stored up in secret places.

Then you will know that I am the Lord.

I am the God of Israel.

I am sending for you by name.

⁴Cyrus, I am sending for you by name.

I am doing it for the good of the family of Jacob.

They are my servants.

I am doing it for Israel.

They are my chosen people.

You do not know anything about me.

But I am giving you a title of honor.

⁵I am the Lord. There is no other Lord.

I am the one and only God.

You do not know anything about me.

But I will make you strong.

⁶Then people will know there is no God but me.

Everyone from where the sun rises in the east

to where it sets in the west will know it.

I am the Lord.

There is no other Lord.

⁷I cause light to shine. I also create darkness.

I bring good times. I also create hard times.

I do all of those things. I am the Lord.

⁸“ ‘Rain down godliness, you heavens above.

Let the clouds shower it down.

Let the earth open wide to receive it.

Let freedom spring to life.

Let godliness grow along with it.

I have created all of those things.

I am the Lord.’ ”

⁹How terrible it will be for anyone who argues with his Maker!

He is like a broken piece of pottery lying on the ground.

Does clay say to a potter,

“What are you making?”

Does a pot say,

“You don’t have any skill”?

¹⁰How terrible it will be for anyone who says to his father,

“Why did you give me life?”

How terrible for anyone who says to his mother,

“Why have you brought me into the world?”

¹¹The Lord is the Holy One of Israel.

He made them.

He says to them,

“Are you asking me about what will happen to my children?

Are you telling me what I should do with what my hands have made?

¹²I made the earth.

I created man to live there.

My own hands spread out the heavens.

I put all of the stars in their places.

¹³I will stir up Cyrus and help him win his battles.

I will make all of his roads straight.

He will rebuild Jerusalem.

My people have been taken away from their country.

But he will set them free.

I will not pay him to do it.

He will not receive a reward for it,”

says the Lord who rules over all.

¹⁴The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem,

“You will get everything Egypt produces.

You will receive everything the people of Cush

and the tall Sabeans get in trade.

All of it will belong to you.

And all of those people will walk behind you as slaves.

They will be put in chains and come over to you.

They will bow down to you.

They will admit,

‘God is with you.

There is no other God.’ ”

¹⁵You are a God who hides yourself.

You are the God of Israel. You save us.

¹⁶All those who make statues of gods will be put to shame.

They will be dishonored.

They will be led away in shame together.

¹⁷But the Lord will save Israel.

He will save them forever.

They will never be put to shame or dishonored.

That will be true for all time to come.

¹⁸The Lord created the heavens.

He is God.

He formed the earth and made it.

He set it firmly in place.

He didn’t create it to be empty.

Instead, he formed it for people to live on.

He says, “I am the Lord.

There is no other Lord.

¹⁹I have not spoken in secret.

I have not spoken from a dark place.

I have not said to Jacob’s people,

‘It is useless to look for me.’

I am the Lord. I always speak the truth.

I always say what is right.

²⁰“Come together, you people of the nations

who escaped from Babylonia.

Gather together and come into court.

Only people who do not know anything

would carry around gods that are made out of wood.

They pray to gods that can’t save them.

²¹Tell me what will happen. State your case.

Talk it over together.

Who spoke long ago about what would happen?

Who said it a long time ago?

I did. I am the Lord.

I am the one and only God.

I always do what is right.

I am the one who saves.

There is no God but me.

²²“All of you who live anywhere on earth,

turn to me and be saved.

I am God. There is no other God.

²³I have made a promise with an oath in my own name.

I have spoken with complete honesty.

I will not take back a single word. I said,

‘Everyone’s knee will bow down to me. …