Isaiah 44
1BUT now hear, O Jacob My servant, and thou Israel, whom I have chosen;
2Thus saith the Lord, the God Who made thee, and Who formed thee from the womb, still thou shalt be helped. Fear not, thou My servant Jacob, and thou, beloved Israel, whom I have chosen:
3for I will give water in their thirst to them who are travelling in a desert. I will put My Spirit on thy seed, and My blessings on thy children;
4and they shall spring up like grass among water, and like a willow by the side of a flowing stream.
5One will say, I belong to God; and another will call himself by the name of Jacob; and another will write on his hand, I belong to God; and will surname himself by the name of Israel.
6Thus saith God, the King of Israel, and his [Israel’s] Redeemer, the God of Hosts, I am the First and I am the Last: besides Me there is no God.
7Who is like Me? Let him stand up and call and announce, and make ready for Me: In as much as I have made a man for this age, let them now tell you the train of events before they come to pass.
8Hide not yourselves nor be led astray. Have you not heard from the beginning? And have I not told you? You are witnesses whether there be any God besides Me.
9And have not then the fashioners and engravers heard? They are all fools making things to please their fancies---things which cannot profit them: but shame shall cover these god-makers,
10and all the engravers of these useless things.
11When all by whom they were made are dried up; then let all the stupid among men be collected and stand together, and let them be confounded and ashamed together:
12for the carpenter sharpened an axe, with a hatchet he modelled it; then he put it into a lathe and with his strong arm fashioned it. Though he be hungry and faint, he must not drink water.
13The carpenter having chosen a piece of wood, framed it by rule and glued the parts together, and made it in the form of a man and with the comeliness of a man, to set it in a house.
14He cut wood from the forest which the Lord planted—a pine tree which the rain had nourished,
15that it might be fuel for the use of man: and having taken some of it he warmed himself; and with other pieces they made a fire and baked cakes, and of the residue they made gods and worshipped them.
16Did he not burn half of it in the fire, and, with the coals of that half, bake cakes; and having roasted meat with it did he not eat and was satisfied; and when warmed say, Aha! I am warmed, I have enjoyed the fire?
17Yet of the residue he made a carved god, and worshippeth it, and prayeth to it, saying, Deliver me, for thou art my god.
18They had not sense to think; for they were so involved in darkness that they could not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts:
19nor did any reason in his mind, nor by his understanding recollect, that he had burned half of it in the fire, and on the coals thereof baked cakes, and had roasted flesh and eaten, and of the residue had made an abomination; so they bow themselves down to it.
20Know thou that their heart is ashes, and they are led astray and none can deliver his soul. Take a view of it, will you not say, There is indeed a lie in my right hand?
21Remember these things, O Jacob, even thou Israel, for thou art My servant. I have made thee My servant; therefore O Israel do not thou forget Me.
22For, lo! I have made thy transgressions vanish like a cloud—and thy sins like the murky vapour. Return to Me and I will redeem thee.
23(c) Rejoice, O heavens! because God hath compassionated Israel. Utter sounds of joy, ye foundations of the earth! Burst forth into songs, ye mountains and hills, and all ye trees which are thereon! Because God hath redeemed Jacob and Israel shall be glorified.
24Thus saith the Lord, Who redeemed thee—even He Who formed thee from the womb: I am the Lord the Maker of all things; I alone stretched out the heavens and firmly established the earth.
25Who else can dispel from the heart the signs of belly speakers and divinations? I am He Who turneth sages backwards and maketh their counsel foolish;
26but establisheth the word of His servant, and verifieth the counsel of His messengers—Who saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Idumea, Ye shall be rebuilded, and in its deserts vegetation shall spring up;
27Who saith to the deep, Thou shalt be wasted, and I will dry up the rivers;
28Who saith to Cyrus: [I will give] wisdom, and he shall execute all My pleasure; Who saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be rebuilded and the house dedicated to Me I will found.