Isaiah 44
Christian Standard Bible
Spiritual Blessing
44 “And now listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen.(A)
2 This is the word of the Lord
your Maker, the one who formed you from the womb:
He will help you.
Do not fear, Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun[a] whom I have chosen.(B)
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit(C) on your descendants
and my blessing on your offspring.
4 They will sprout among[b] the grass
like poplars by flowing streams.
5 This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
another will use the name of Jacob;
still another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and take on the name of Israel.”
No God Other Than the Lord
6 This is what the Lord, the King of Israel and its Redeemer,(D) the Lord of Armies, says:
I am the first and I am the last.(E)
There is no God but me.(F)
7 Who, like me, can announce the future?
Let him say so and make a case before me,(G)
since I have established an ancient people.
Let these gods declare[c] the coming things,
and what will take place.
8 Do not be startled or afraid.
Have I not told you and declared it long ago?
You are my witnesses!(H)
Is there any God but me?(I)
There is no other Rock;(J) I do not know any.
9 All who make idols are nothing,
and what they treasure benefits no one.
Their witnesses do not see or know anything,
so they will be put to shame.(K)
10 Who makes a god or casts a metal image
that benefits no one?(L)
11 Look, all its worshipers will be put to shame,
and the craftsmen are humans.
They all will assemble and stand;
they all will be startled and put to shame.
12 The ironworker labors over the coals,
shapes the idol with hammers,
and works it with his strong arm.
Also he grows hungry and his strength fails;
he doesn’t drink water and is faint.
13 The woodworker stretches out a measuring line,
he outlines it with a stylus;
he shapes it with chisels
and outlines it with a compass.
He makes it according to a human form,(M)
like a beautiful person,
to dwell in a temple.
14 He cuts down[d] cedars for his use,
or he takes a cypress or an oak.
He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest.
He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.
15 A person can use it for fuel.
He takes some of it and warms himself;
also he kindles a fire and bakes bread;
he even makes it into a god and worships it;
he makes an idol from it and bows down to it.
16 He burns half of it in a fire,
and he roasts meat on that half.
He eats the roast and is satisfied.
He warms himself and says, “Ah!
I am warm, I see the blaze.”
17 He makes a god or his idol with the rest of it.
He bows down to it and worships;
he prays to it,(N) “Save me, for you are my god.”
18 Such people[e] do not comprehend
and cannot understand,
for he has shut their eyes[f] so they cannot see,
and their minds so they cannot understand.
19 No one comes to his senses;[g]
no one has the perception or insight to say,
“I burned half of it in the fire,
I also baked bread on its coals,
I roasted meat and ate.
Should I make something detestable(O) with the rest of it?
Should I bow down to a block of wood?”
20 He feeds on[h] ashes.
His deceived mind has led him astray,
and he cannot rescue himself,
or say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?” (P)
21 Remember these things, Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you, you are my servant;
Israel, you will never be forgotten by me.[i](Q)
22 I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud,(R)
and your sins like a mist.
Return to me,(S)
for I have redeemed you.(T)
23 Rejoice, heavens,(U) for the Lord has acted;
shout, depths of the earth.
Break out into singing, mountains,
forest, and every tree in it.
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
and glorifies himself through Israel.(V)
Restoration of Israel through Cyrus
24 This is what the Lord, your Redeemer(W) who formed you from the womb,(X) says:
I am the Lord, who made everything;
who stretched out the heavens by myself;(Y)
who alone spread out the earth;
25 who destroys the omens of the false prophets
and makes fools of diviners;
who confounds the wise
and makes their knowledge foolishness;(Z)
26 who confirms the message of his servant
and fulfills the counsel of his messengers;
who says to Jerusalem, “She will be inhabited,”
and to the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt,”
and I will restore her ruins;
27 who says to the depths of the sea, “Be dry,”
and I will dry up your rivers;
28 who says to Cyrus,(AA) “My shepherd,
he will fulfill all my pleasure”(AB)
and says to Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,”(AC)
and of the temple, “Its foundation will be laid.”
Isaiah 44
Expanded Bible
The Lord Is the Only God
44 The Lord says, “·People of Jacob, you are my servants [L Jacob, my servant]. Listen to me!
·People of Israel, I chose you [L Israel, my chosen; 41:8].”
2 This is what the Lord says, who made you,
who formed you in ·your mother’s body [L the womb],
who will help you:
“·People of Jacob, my servants [L Jacob, my servant], don’t be afraid.
·Israel [L Jeshurun; C the location of the Temple; Deut. 32:15; 33:5, 26], I chose you.
3 I will pour out water for the thirsty land
and make streams flow on dry land.
I will pour out my Spirit ·into your children [on your descendants/offspring/seed]
and my blessing on your ·descendants [offspring].
4 ·Your children [L They] will ·grow [sprout up] like a tree in the grass,
like ·poplar trees [or willows] growing beside streams of water.
5 One person will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use the name Jacob.
Another will ·sign his name [or write on his hand] ‘I am the Lord’s,’
and another will ·use [call himself by] the name Israel.”
6 The Lord, the king of Israel,
is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], who saves Israel.
This is what he says: “I am the ·beginning and the end [L first and the last].
·I am the only God [There is no god but me].
7 Who is like me?
Let him ·come and prove [proclaim; claim] it.
Let him tell and explain all that has happened since I ·set up [established] my ancient people.
He should also tell what will happen in the future.
8 Don’t be afraid! Don’t ·worry [fear]!
·I have always told you what will happen [Have I not proclaimed it long ago?].
You are my witnesses.
·There is no other [L Is there another…?] God but me.
I know of no other Rock; I am the only One.”
Idols Are Useless
9 Some people make idols, but they are ·worth nothing [nothing; void].
People treasure them, but they are ·useless [worthless].
Those people are witnesses for the statues, but those people cannot see.
They know nothing, so they will be ·ashamed [put to shame; C idolmakers are as ignorant as their idols].
10 Who makes a god or ·shapes [casts; molds] an idol
that can do nothing for him?
11 [L Look; T Behold] ·The workmen who made them [L All his compansions] will be ·ashamed [put to shame],
because ·they [L the craftsmen] are only human.
If they all would come together to stand against me,
they would all be ·afraid [terrified] and ·ashamed [put to shame].
12 One ·workman [blacksmith] uses tools to heat iron,
and he works over hot coals.
With his hammer he beats the metal and makes a statue,
using his powerful arms.
But when he becomes hungry, he loses his ·power [strength].
If he does not drink water, he becomes tired.
13 ·Another workman [A carpenter/craftsman] ·uses a line and a compass [L stretches a line]
to draw on the wood.
Then he uses his chisels to cut a statue
and his ·calipers [compass] to measure the statue.
In this way, the workman makes the wood ·look exactly like a person [like the pattern of a man],
and this statue of a person ·sits [or dwells] in ·the house [or a shrine].
14 He cuts down cedars
or cypress or oak trees.
·Those trees grew by their own power in [or He secures it for himself from] the forest.
Or he plants a pine tree, and the rain makes it grow.
15 Then he burns the tree.
He uses some of the wood for a fire to keep himself warm.
He also starts a fire to bake his bread.
But he uses part of the wood to make a god, and then he worships it!
He makes the idol and bows down to it [C showing the absurdity of worshiping an idol made from the same material he burns]!
16 The man burns half of the wood in the fire.
He uses the fire to cook his meat,
and he eats the meat until he is full.
He also burns the wood to keep himself warm. He says,
“Good! Now I am warm. ·I can see because of the fire’s light [or …as I watch the fire; L I have seen the fire].”
17 But he makes a statue from the wood that is left and calls it his god.
He bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it and says,
“You are my god. ·Save [Rescue] me!”
18 Those people ·don’t know what they are doing [or know nothing]. They ·don’t understand [are ignorant]!
·It is as if their eyes are covered [or They shut their eyes] so they can’t see.
Their minds don’t understand.
19 ·They have not thought about these things [No one considers];
they don’t understand.
They have never thought to themselves,
“I burned half of the wood in the fire
and used the hot coals to bake my bread.
I cooked and ate my meat.
·And I used the wood that [or Should I use what…?] was left to make this ·hateful [abominable; detestable] thing.
·I am worshiping [or Should I bow down to…?] a block of wood!”
20 He ·doesn’t know what he is doing [L feeds on ashes; or eats on a pile of ashes];
his ·confused mind [deluded/deceived heart] leads him ·the wrong way [astray].
He cannot ·save [rescue; T deliver] himself
or say, “·This statue I am holding is a false god [L Is there not a lie in my right hand?].”
The Lord Is the True God
21 “·People of Jacob [L Jacob], remember these things!
·People of Israel [L Israel], remember you are my servants.
I ·made [shaped; formed] you, and you are my servants.
So Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have ·swept away [removed; or blotted out] your ·sins [offenses; transgressions] like a big cloud;
I have removed your sins like a ·cloud that disappears into the air [mist].
Come back to me because I ·saved [redeemed] you.”
23 ·Skies [or Heavens], sing for joy because the Lord ·did great things [or acts; intervenes; L has done this]!
Earth, shout for joy, even in your deepest parts!
·Sing [Break into song], you mountains, with thanks to God.
Sing, too, you forests and all your trees!
The Lord ·saved [redeemed] ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob]!
He ·showed his glory when he saved [L is glorified in] Israel.
24 This is what the Lord ·who saved you [your redeemer] says,
the one who formed you in ·your mother’s body [L the womb]:
“I, the Lord, made everything,
stretching out the skies by myself
and spreading out the earth all alone.
25 I ·show that the signs of the lying prophets are false [L frustrate the signs of babblers/or empty talkers];
I make fools of ·those who do magic [diviners].
I ·confuse even [reverse what is said by] the wise;
they think they know much, but I make ·them look foolish [their knowledge into foolishness].
26 I ·make the messages of my servants come true [confirm my servants’ words];
I make the ·advice [or prophecies] of my messengers come true.
I say to Jerusalem,
‘·People will live in you again [L It will be inhabited]!’
I say to the towns of Judah,
‘You will be built again!’
I say to Jerusalem’s ruins,
‘I will ·repair you [raise you up].’
27 I tell the deep waters, ‘Become dry!
I will make your streams become dry!’
28 I say of Cyrus [C the Persian king (ruled 550–530 bc) who allowed Israel to return from exile; 41:2; 44:28—45:6; 46:11; 48:14–16], ‘He is my shepherd
and will ·do [fulfill] all that I want him to do.
He will say to Jerusalem, “You will be built again!”
He will tell the Temple, “Your foundations will be rebuilt.”’”
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.