Isaiah 44

1Yet now hear, O Jacob My servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen;

2Thus saith YHWH that made thee, And formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob My servant, And thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, And streams upon the dry ground; I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, And My blessing upon thine offspring;

4And they shall spring up among the grass, As willows by the watercourses.

5One shall say: ‘I am YHWH's’; And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; And another shall subscribe with his hand unto YHWH, And surname himself by the name of Israel.

6Thus saith YHWH, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer YHWH of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last, And beside Me there is no God.

7And who, as I, can proclaim— Let him declare it, and set it in order for Me— Since I appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass, let them declare.

8Fear ye not, neither be afraid; Have I not announced unto thee of old, and declared it? And ye are My witnesses. Is there a God beside Me? Yea, there is no Rock; I know not any.

9They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity, And their delectable things shall not profit; And their own witnesses see not, nor know; That they may be ashamed.

10Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image That is profitable for nothing?

11Behold, all the fellows thereof shall be ashamed; And the craftsmen skilled above men; Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; They shall fear, they shall be ashamed together.

12The smith maketh an axe, And worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, And worketh it with his strong arm; Yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; He drinketh no water, and is faint.

13The carpenter stretcheth out a line; He marketh it out with a pencil; He fitteth it with planes, And he marketh it out with the compasses, And maketh it after the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man, to dwell in the house.

14He heweth him down cedars, And taketh the ilex and the oak, And strengtheneth for himself one among the trees of the forest; He planteth a bay-tree, and the rain doth nourish it.

15Then a man useth it for fuel; And he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; Yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; Yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; He maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

16He burneth the half thereof in the fire; With the half thereof he eateth flesh; He roasteth roast, and is satisfied; Yea, he warmeth himself, and saith: ‘Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire’;

17And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image; He falleth down unto it and worshippeth, and prayeth unto it, And saith: ‘Deliver me, for thou art my god.’

18They know not, neither do they understand; For their eyes are bedaubed, that they cannot see, And their hearts, that they cannot understand.

19And none considereth in his heart, Neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say: ‘I have burned the half of it in the fire; Yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten it; And shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?’

20He striveth after ashes, A deceived heart hath turned him aside, That he cannot deliver his soul, nor say: ‘Is there not a lie in my right hand?’

21Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for thou art My servant; I have formed thee, thou art Mine own servant; O Israel, thou shouldest not forget Me.

22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, And, as a cloud, thy sins; Return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee.

23Sing, O ye heavens, for YHWH hath done it; Shout, ye lowest parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein; For YHWH hath redeemed Jacob, And doth glorify Himself in Israel.

24Thus saith YHWH, thy Redeemer, And He that formed thee from the womb: I am YHWH, that maketh all things; That stretched forth the heavens alone; That spread abroad the earth by Myself;

25That frustrateth the tokens of the imposters, And maketh diviners mad; That turneth wise men backward, And maketh their knowledge foolish;

26That confirmeth the word of His servant, And performeth the counsel of His messengers; That saith of Jerusalem: ‘She shall be inhabited’; And of the cities of Judah: ‘They shall be built, And I will raise up the waste places thereof’;

27That saith to the deep: ‘Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers’;

28That saith of Cyrus: ‘He is My shepherd, And shall perform all My pleasure’; Even saying of Jerusalem: ‘She shall be built’; And to the temple: ‘My foundation shall be laid.’