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
International Standard Version
God’s Blessing on Israel
44 “But now listen, Jacob my servant
and Israel whom I have chosen:
2 This what the Lord says, the one who made you,
formed you from the womb,
and who will help[a] you:
“Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant,
and Jeshurun,[b] whom I have chosen.
3 For I’ll pour water upon thirsty ground
and streams on parched land.
So[c] will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
4 They’ll[d] spring up as among[e] the green grass,
like willows by flowing streams.
5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will have written on his hand, ‘the Lord’s,’
and will adopt the name of Israel.”
I am the First and the Last
6 This is what the Lord says, the King of Israel
and its Redeemer—
the Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name—[f]
“I am the first and I am the last,
and apart from me there is no God.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim
and declare it, and lay it out for himself—[g]
since he made[h] an ancient people.
And let him speak[i] future events;
let them tell him what[j] will happen.
8 Don’t tremble, and don’t be afraid.[k]
Didn’t I tell you and announce it long ago?
You are my witnesses.
Is there any God besides me?
There is no other Rock—
I don’t know of any.”
A Rebuke to Idol Worship
9 Now,[l] all the forming of[m] images means nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their own witnesses cannot see, and they[n] know nothing. So they will be put to shame.
10 Who would shape a god or cast an image that profits nothing? 11 To be sure, all who associate with it will be put to shame; and as for the craftsmen, they are only human. Let them all gather together and[o] take their stand. Then[p] let them be terrified—they will be humiliated together.
12 The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then[q] fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter measures it[r] with a line; he traces its shape with a stylus, then fashions it with planes and shapes it with a compass. He makes the idol like a human figure, with human beauty, to be at home[s] in a shrine. 14 He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. Or he plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow. 15 He divides it up[t] for people to burn. Taking part of it, he warms himself, makes a fire, and bakes bread. Or perhaps[u] he constructs a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows down to it. 16 Half the wood he burns in the fire, and[v] over[w] that half he places[x] meat so he can eat. He sits by its coals, warms himself,[y] and says, “Ah! I am warm in front of[z] the fire.” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god. To blocks[aa] of wood he bows down, worships, prays, and says, “Save me, since you are my god.”
18 They don’t realize; they don’t understand, because their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds, too, so they cannot understand. 19 No one stops to think. No one has the knowledge or understanding to think—yes to think!—[ab]“Half of it I burned in the fire. I even baked bread on its coals, and[ac] I roasted meat and ate it. And[ad] am I about to make detestable things[ae] from what is left? Am I about to bow down to blocks[af] of wood?” 20 He tends ashes. A deceived mind has lead him astray. It cannot be his life,[ag] nor can he say, “There’s a lie in my right hand.”[ah]
A Call to Remembrance and Joy
21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
Israel,[ai] for you are my servant.
I have formed you;
you are a servant to me.
Israel,[aj] you must not mislead me.[ak]
22 I’ve wiped away your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist.
Return to me;
because I’ve redeemed you.
23 “Shout for joy, you heavens,
for the Lord has done it!
Shout aloud, you depths of the earth!
Burst out with singing, you mountains,
you forest, and all your trees!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and will display his glory in Israel.
24 “This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer
and the one who formed you in the womb:
‘I am the Lord, who has made everything,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth—
Who was with me at that time?—[al]
25 who frustrates the omens of idle talkers,
and drives diviners mad,
who turns back the wise,
and makes their knowledge foolish;[am]
26 who carries out the words of his servants,
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited,”
and of Judah’s cities, “They will be rebuilt,”
and of her ruins, “I’ll raise them up”;
27 who says to the watery deep, “Be dry—
I will dry up your rivers;”
28 who says about Cyrus, “He’s my shepherd,
and he’ll carry out everything that I please:
He’ll say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’
and of my[an] Temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid again.’”’”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 44:2 So 1QIsaa; MT reads he will help
- Isaiah 44:2 I.e. a poetic term for national Israel; the Heb. name means Upright One; cf. Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26
- Isaiah 44:3 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks So
- Isaiah 44:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read And they
- Isaiah 44:4 So 1QIsaa MTmss LXX Targ; MT reads up among
- Isaiah 44:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack is his name
- Isaiah 44:7 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read me
- Isaiah 44:7 Or himself, making him; so 1QIsaa; MT LXX read since I made
- Isaiah 44:7 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsac MT LXX lack let him speak
- Isaiah 44:7 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsac MT read and what
- Isaiah 44:8 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX lacks and do not be afraid
- Isaiah 44:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack Now
- Isaiah 44:9 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read those who form
- Isaiah 44:9 So MT LXX; 1QIsaa reads They
- Isaiah 44:11 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 44:11 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack Then
- Isaiah 44:12 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack then
- Isaiah 44:13 I.e. the idol; so 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks it
- Isaiah 44:13 Lit. to rest
- Isaiah 44:15 So 1QIsaa; MT reads It is; LXX reads so that it is
- Isaiah 44:15 So 1QIsaa; MT reads Also
- Isaiah 44:16 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 44:16 1QIsaa lacks over, but inserts it above the line
- Isaiah 44:16 Lit. half is
- Isaiah 44:16 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read eats meat he roasted as a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself
- Isaiah 44:16 So 1QIsaa; MT reads I see; LXX reads and I have seen
- Isaiah 44:17 Or to his Baals (i.e. to Canaanite deities); so 1QIsaa copyist error; MT LXX read god, for his idol
- Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks —yes to think!—
- Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsaa MT; 4QIsab lacks And
- Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX read make a detestable thing
- Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsaa; MT reads to a block
- Isaiah 44:20 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX read He does not save his life
- Isaiah 44:20 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX read “There’s no lie in my right hand, is there?”
- Isaiah 44:21 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX read and Israel
- Isaiah 44:21 So 1QIsaa MT; 4QIsab LXX read and Israel
- Isaiah 44:21 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT read you won’t be forgotten by me; LXX reads don’t forget me
- Isaiah 44:24 1QIsaa 4QIsab MT LXX lack at that time
- Isaiah 44:25 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsab LXX; MT reads wise
- Isaiah 44:28 So 1QIsaa LXX; 4QIsab MT read the
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