Isaiah, 44

1. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

1. But now listen, Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen.

2. Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

2. This is what Yahweh says - he who made you and will help you, he who formed you from the womb: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

3. For I will pour water upon the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon your race and my blessing upon your offspring.

4. And they shall spring up [as] among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

4. They will spring up like grass, like poplars beside the flowing streams.

5. One shall say, I [am] the LORD'S; and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe [with] his hand unto the LORD, and surname [himself] by the name of Israel.

5. One will say, "I belong to Yahweh"; another will call himself by Jacob's name. On his hand another will write "Yahweh" and take the name of Israel.

6. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and beside me [there is] no God.

6. This is what the Lord says - Israel's King and Redeemer, Yahweh Sabaoth: I am the first and the last, there is no other God besides me.

7. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.

7. Who then is like me? Let him stand up and speak, let him argue this out with me. Who from the beginning has foretold the future, and revealed to us what was to come?

8. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any].

8. Do not be afraid or troubled. Have I not proclaimed and foretold this long ago? You are my witnesses; is there a God besides me or another Rock? I know of none.

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

9. Good-for-nothing are all idol makers, and useless are the works they prize so much. Their witnesses, blind and ignorant, will be put to shame.

10. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image [that] is profitable for nothing?

10. Who ever fashioned a god or cast an idol without hope of gain? See how its devotees will be ridiculed, for its craftsmen are but men.

11. Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they [are] of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; [yet] they shall fear, [and] they shall be ashamed together.

11. Let them all assemble, let them come to court; they will be both terrified and scorned.

12. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

12. The blacksmith works on an iron image over the fire and beats it into shape with a hammer. He gets hungry and tired; if there is no water to drink, he gets exhausted.

13. The carpenter stretcheth out [his] rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

13. In like manner, the wood carver takes the measurement and marks the outline of an idol, carves it with chisels, giving it a bodily form and a human face that it may live in a shrine.

14. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish [it].

14. He cut down cedars or perhaps took an oak or cypress from the forest or maybe he planted a cedar which the rain caused to grow.

15. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm 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.

15. For the common people, that means fuel which they use to warm themselves and to cook their food. But the craftsman carves out of the tree trunk an idol which he worships and before which he bows down.

16. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part 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:

16. The remaining portion he burns to warm himself; over its live embers he roasts meat and is satisfied. He says, "Well and good, I feel warm and enjoy the light."

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

17. The other portion which he has made into an idol he worships and bows before it, praying "Rescue me, for you are my god."

18. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; [and] their hearts, that they cannot understand.

18. They have no knowledge, no discernment. For they have shut their mind to un-derstanding, their heart to all reason.

19. And none considereth in his heart, neither [is there] knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part 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?

19. Not one of them has the intelligence to reflect and the sense to say, "Half of the log I burned, and on its embers I baked bread and roasted meat. Shall I then make a dirty idol of what remains? Am I to worship a block of wood?"

20. He feedeth on 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?

20. Only one of deluded mind can hold on to ashes. Will he not save himself at least and confess, "What I hold is only a lie?"

21. Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou [art] my servant: I have formed thee; thou [art] my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

21. Remember this, Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel, I have formed you to be my servant; Israel, do not forget me.

22. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

22. I have blotted out your offenses as a thick cloud, your sins as a mist. Return to me for I am redeeming you.

23. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done [it]: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

23. Sing gladly, O heavens, for Yahweh has done this. Shout aloud, O earth below! Burst into song, you mountains, you forests with all your trees! For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob and shown his glory to Israel.

24. Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things]; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

24. Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, who formed you from the womb: I am Yahweh who made all things, I alone stretched out the heavens, and spread out the earth. Who helped me?

25. That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise [men] backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

25. I am he who thwarts the omens of false prophets, who makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes nonsense of their knowledge.

26. That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

26. I confirm the word of my servant and carry out the plan announced by my messengers. I am he who says of Jerusalem, "It shall be inhabited," and of the towns of Judah, "They shall be rebuilt; I will restore their ruins."

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

27. I am he who says to the ocean, "Be dry, I will dry up your wellsprings!"

28. That saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

28. I call on Cyrus, "My shepherd!" and he goes to fulfill my will. I say to Jerusalem, "Be rebuilt!" and see: the cornerstone is laid.