Isaiah 44

Israel the Chosen

“But now listen, Jacob, my servant,^a

Israel, whom I have chosen.^b

This is what the Lord says—

he who made^c you, who formed you in the womb,^d

and who will help^e you:

Do not be afraid,^f Jacob, my servant,^g

Jeshurun,^h whom I have chosen.

For I will pour waterⁱ on the thirsty land,

and streams on the dry ground;^j

I will pour out my Spirit^k on your offspring,

and my blessing^l on your descendants.^m

They will spring up like grassⁿ in a meadow,

like poplar trees^o by flowing streams.^p

Some will say, ‘I belong^q to the Lord’;

others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;

still others will write on their hand,^r ‘The Lord’s,’^s

and will take the name Israel.

The Lord, Not Idols

“This is what the Lord says—

Israel’s King^a and Redeemer,^b the Lord Almighty:

I am the first and I am the last;^c

apart from me there is no God.^d

Who then is like me?^e Let them proclaim it.

Let them declare and lay out before me

what has happened since I established my ancient people,

and what is yet to come—

yes, let them foretell^f what will come.

Do not tremble, do not be afraid.

Did I not proclaim^g this and foretell it long ago?

You are my witnesses. Is there any God^h besides me?

No, there is no other Rock;ⁱ I know not one.”

All who make idols^j are nothing,

and the things they treasure are worthless.^k

Those who would speak up for them are blind;^l

they are ignorant, to their own shame.^m

Who shapes a god and casts an idol,ⁿ

which can profit nothing?^o

People like that will be put to shame;^p

skilled workers are only human beings.

Let them all come together and take their stand;

they will be brought down to terror and shame.^q

The blacksmith^r takes a tool

and works with it in the coals;

he shapes an idol with hammers,

he forges it with the might of his arm.^s

He gets hungry and loses his strength;

he drinks no water and grows faint.^t

The carpenter^u measures with a line

and makes an outline with a marker;

he roughs it out with chisels

and marks it with compasses.

He shapes it in human form,^v

human form in all its glory,

that it may dwell in a shrine.^w

He cut down cedars,

or perhaps took a cypress or oak.

He let it grow among the trees of the forest,

or planted a pine,^x and the rain made it grow.

It is used as fuel^y for burning;

some of it he takes and warms himself,

he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

But he also fashions a god and worships^z it;

he makes an idol and bows^a down to it.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire;

over it he prepares his meal,

he roasts his meat and eats his fill.

He also warms himself and says,

“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.^b”

From the rest he makes a god, his idol;

he bows down to it and worships.^c

He prays^d to it and says,

“Save^e me! You are my god!”

They know nothing, they understand^f nothing;

their eyes^g are plastered over so they cannot see,

and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

No one stops to think,

no one has the knowledge or understanding^h to say,

“Half of it I used for fuel;ⁱ

I even baked bread over its coals,

I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestable^j thing from what is left?

Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”^k

Such people feed on ashes,^l a deluded^m heart misleads them;

they cannot save themselves, or say,

“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?^no”

“Remember^p these things, Jacob,

for you, Israel, are my servant.^q

I have made you, you are my servant;^r

Israel, I will not forget you.^s

I have swept away^t your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.

Return^u to me,

for I have redeemed^v you.”

Sing for joy,^w you heavens, for the Lord has done this;

shout aloud, you earth^x beneath.

Burst into song, you mountains,^y

you forests and all your trees,^z

for the Lord has redeemed^a Jacob,

he displays his glory^b in Israel.

Jerusalem to Be Inhabited

“This is what the Lord says—

your Redeemer,^a who formed^b you in the womb:^c

I am the Lord,

who has made all things,

who alone stretched out the heavens,^d

who spread out the earth^e by myself,

who foils^f the signs of false prophets

and makes fools of diviners,^g

who overthrows the learning of the wise^h

and turns it into nonsense,ⁱ

who carries out the words^j of his servants

and fulfills^k the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,^l ‘It shall be inhabited,’

of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’

and of their ruins,^m ‘I will restore them,’ⁿ

who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,

and I will dry up^o your streams,’

who says of Cyrus,^p ‘He is my shepherd

and will accomplish all that I please;

he will say of Jerusalem,^q “Let it be rebuilt,”

and of the temple,^r “Let its foundations^s be laid.” ’