Isaiah 43-45
Authorized (King James) Version
43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob,
and he that formed thee, O Israel,
Fear not: for I have redeemed thee,
I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:
when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the Lord thy God,
the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:
I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight,
thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee:
therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee:
I will bring thy seed from the east,
and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up;
and to the south, Keep not back:
bring my sons from far,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 even every one that is called by my name:
for I have created him for my glory,
I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes,
and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
and let the people be assembled:
who among them can declare this,
and shew us former things?
let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified:
or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen:
that ye may know and believe me,
and understand that I am he:
before me there was no God formed,
neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord;
and beside me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved,
and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you:
therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
13 Yea, before the day was I am he;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand:
I will work, and who shall let it?
14 Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel;
For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
and have brought down all their nobles,
and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea,
and a path in the mighty waters;
17 which bringeth forth the chariot and horse,
the army and the power;
they shall lie down together, they shall not rise:
they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18 Remember ye not the former things,
neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing;
now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field shall honour me,
the dragons and the owls:
because I give waters in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 This people have I formed for myself;
they shall shew forth my praise.
22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob;
but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings;
neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices.
I have not caused thee to serve with an offering,
nor wearied thee with incense.
24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money,
neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices:
but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins,
thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake,
and will not remember thy sins.
26 Put me in remembrance:
let us plead together:
declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
27 Thy first father hath sinned,
and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary,
and have given Jacob to the curse,
and Israel to reproaches.
44 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant;
and 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.
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:
4 and they shall spring up as among the grass,
as willows by the water courses.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
10 Who hath formed a god,
or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
18 They have not known nor understood:
for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see;
and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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;
25 that frustrateth the tokens of the liars,
and maketh diviners mad;
that turneth wise men backward,
and maketh their knowledge foolish;
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:
27 that saith to the deep, Be dry,
and I will dry up thy rivers:
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.
45 Thus saith the Lord to his anointed,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden,
to subdue nations before him;
and I will loose the loins of kings,
to open before him the two leaved gates;
and the gates shall not be shut;
2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight:
I will break in pieces the gates of brass,
and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3 and I will give thee the treasures of darkness,
and hidden riches of secret places,
that thou mayest know that I, the Lord,
which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect,
I have even called thee by thy name:
I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is none else,
there is no God beside me:
I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west,
that there is none beside me.
I am the Lord, and there is none else.
7 I form the light, and create darkness:
I make peace, and create evil:
I the Lord do all these things.
8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above,
and let the skies pour down righteousness:
let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation,
and let righteousness spring up together;
I the Lord have created it.
9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!
Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth.
Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?
or thy work, He hath no hands?
10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou?
or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
11 Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker,
Ask me of things to come concerning my sons,
and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it:
I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens,
and all their host have I commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness,
and I will direct all his ways:
he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives,
not for price nor reward,
saith the Lord of hosts.
14 Thus saith the Lord,
The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature,
shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine:
they shall come after thee;
in chains they shall come over,
and they shall fall down unto thee,
they shall make supplication unto thee, saying,
Surely God is in thee;
and there is none else,
there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself,
O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them:
they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation:
ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens;
God himself that formed the earth and made it;
he hath established it,
he created it not in vain,
he formed it to be inhabited:
I am the Lord; and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth:
I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain:
I the Lord speak righteousness,
I declare things that are right.
20 Assemble yourselves and come;
draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations:
they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image,
and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Tell ye, and bring them near;
yea, let them take counsel together:
who hath declared this from ancient time?
who hath told it from that time?
have not I the Lord?
and there is no God else beside me;
a just God and a Saviour;
there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
for I am God,
and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself,
the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return,
That unto me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.
24 Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength:
even to him shall men come;
and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified,
and shall glory.
Isaiah 43-45
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Restoration and Protection Promised
43 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.(A)
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.(B)
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.(C)
4 Because you are precious in my sight
and honored and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.(D)
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;(E)
6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth—(F)
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”(G)
8 Bring forth the people who are blind yet have eyes,
who are deaf yet have ears!(H)
9 Let all the nations gather together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them declared this
and foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
and let them hear and say, “It is true.”(I)
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.(J)
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.(K)
12 I am the one who declared and saved and proclaimed,
not some strange god among you;
you are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God.(L)
13 Indeed, since that day I am he;
there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can hinder it?(M)
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.[a](N)
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,(O)
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down; they cannot rise;
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:(P)
18 Do not remember the former things
or consider the things of old.(Q)
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.(R)
20 The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,(S)
21 the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.(T)
22 Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, O Israel!(U)
23 You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings
or wearied you with frankincense.(V)
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
Rather, you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.(W)
25 I alone am the one
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.(X)
26 Accuse me; let us go to trial;
set forth your case, so that you may be proved right.(Y)
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
and your mediators rebelled against me.
28 Therefore I profaned the princes of the sanctuary;
I delivered Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.(Z)
God’s Blessing on Israel
44 But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!(AA)
2 Thus says the Lord who made you,
who formed you in the womb and will help you:
Do not fear, O Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.(AB)
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my spirit upon your descendants
and my blessing on your offspring.(AC)
4 They shall spring up like a green tamarisk,[b]
like willows by flowing streams.
5 This one will say, “I am the Lord’s”;
another will be called by the name of Jacob;
yet another will write on the hand, “The Lord’s,”
and adopt the name of Israel.(AD)
6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
I am the first, and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.(AE)
7 Who is like me? Let them proclaim it;
let them declare and set it forth before me.
Who has announced from of old the things to come?[c]
Let them tell us[d] what is yet to be.(AF)
8 Do not fear or be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
You are my witnesses!
Is there any god besides me?
There is no other rock; I know not one.(AG)
The Absurdity of Idol Worship
9 All who make idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit; their witnesses neither see nor know, and so they will be put to shame.(AH) 10 Who would fashion a god or cast an image that can do no good?(AI) 11 All its devotees shall be put to shame; the artisans, too, are merely human. Let them all assemble; let them stand up; they shall be terrified; they shall all be put to shame.(AJ)
12 The blacksmith works it with a tool over the coals, shaping it with hammers and forging it with his strong arm; he becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.(AK) 13 The carpenter stretches a line, marks it out with a stylus, fashions it with planes, and marks it with a compass; he makes it in human form, with human beauty, to be set up in a shrine.(AL) 14 He cuts down cedars or chooses a holm tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it can be used as fuel. Part of it he takes and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it, makes it a carved image and bows down before it.(AM) 16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he roasts meat, eats it,[e] and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Ah, I am warm[f] by the fire!” 17 The rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, bows down to it and worships it; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god!”(AN)
18 They do not know, nor do they comprehend, for their eyes are shut, so that they cannot see, and their minds as well, so that they cannot understand.(AO) 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. Now shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”(AP) 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded mind has led him astray, and he cannot save himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a fraud?”(AQ)
Israel Is Not Forgotten
21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you, you are my servant;
O Israel, do not forget me.[g](AR)
22 I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.(AS)
23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
O forest and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and will be glorified in Israel.(AT)
24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who by myself spread out the earth;(AU)
25 who frustrates the omens of soothsayers
and makes fools of diviners;
who turns back the wise
and makes their knowledge foolish;(AV)
26 who confirms the word of his servant
and fulfills the prediction of his messengers;
who says of Jerusalem, “It shall be inhabited,”
and of the cities of Judah, “They shall be rebuilt,
and I will raise up their ruins”;(AW)
27 who says to the deep, “Be dry—
I will dry up your rivers”;(AX)
28 who says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd,
and he shall carry out all my purpose”;
and who says of Jerusalem, “It shall be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”(AY)
Cyrus, God’s Instrument
45 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
and to strip kings of their robes,
to open doors before him—
and the gates shall not be closed:(AZ)
2 I will go before you
and level the mountains;[h]
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron;(BA)
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
and riches hidden in secret places,
so that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.(BB)
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name;
I give you a title, though you do not know me.(BC)
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;
besides me there is no god.
I arm you, though you do not know me,(BD)
6 so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.(BE)
7 I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe;
I the Lord do all these things.(BF)
8 Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may spring up,[i]
and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also;
I the Lord have created it.(BG)
9 Woe to those who strive with their Maker,
earthen vessels with the potter![j]
Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, “What are you making”?
or “Your work has no handles”?(BH)
10 Woe to anyone who says to a father, “What are you fathering?”
or to a woman, “With what are you in labor?”
11 Thus says the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel and its Maker:
Will you question me[k] about my children
or command me concerning the work of my hands?(BI)
12 I made the earth
and created humankind upon it;
it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
and I commanded all their host.(BJ)
13 I have aroused Cyrus[l] in righteousness,
and I will make all his paths straight;
he shall build my city
and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,
says the Lord of hosts.(BK)
14 Thus says the Lord:
The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush
and the Sabeans, tall of stature,
shall come over to you and be yours;
they shall follow you;
they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.
They will make supplication to you, saying,
“God is with you alone, and there is no other;
there is no god besides him.”(BL)
15 Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
O God of Israel, the Savior.(BM)
16 All of them are put to shame and confounded;
the makers of idols go in disgrace together.(BN)
17 But Israel is saved by the Lord
with everlasting salvation;
you shall not be put to shame or confounded
ever again.(BO)
18 For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it a chaos;
he formed it to be inhabited!):
I am the Lord, and there is no other.(BP)
19 I did not speak in secret
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
“Seek me in chaos.”
I the Lord speak the truth;
I declare what is right.(BQ)
Idols Cannot Save Babylon
20 Assemble yourselves and come together;
draw near, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge—
those who carry about their wooden idols
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.(BR)
21 Declare and present your case;
take counsel together![m]
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is no one besides me.(BS)
22 Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.(BT)
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
“To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.”(BU)
24 Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
shall come to him and be ashamed.(BV)
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall triumph and glory.(BW)
Footnotes
- 43.14 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 44.4 Q ms: MT in the midst of grass
- 44.7 Cn: Heb from my placing an eternal people and things to come
- 44.7 Tg: Heb them
- 44.16 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb he eats, he roasts a roast
- 44.16 Q ms: MT I see
- 44.21 Q ms Compare Gk Syr Tg: MT you will not be forgotten by me
- 45.2 Q ms Gk: MT the swellings
- 45.8 Q ms: MT that they may bring forth salvation
- 45.9 Cn: Heb with the potsherds or with the potters
- 45.11 Cn: Heb Ask me of things to come
- 45.13 Heb him
- 45.21 Syr Vg: Heb let them take counsel
Isaiah 43-45
English Standard Version
Israel's Only Savior
43 But now thus says the Lord,
(A)he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
(B)“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
(C)I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 (D)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
(E)when you walk through fire (F)you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For (G)I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
(H)I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and (I)Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 (J)Fear not, for I am with you;
(K)I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring (L)my sons from afar
and (M)my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Bring out (N)the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 (O)All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true.
10 (P)“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and (Q)my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
(R)Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 (S)I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and (T)you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
13 Also (U)henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
(V)“For your sake I send to Babylon
and (W)bring them all down as fugitives,
(X)even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord,
(Y)who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who (Z)brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
(AA)they are extinguished, (AB)quenched like a wick:
18 (AC)“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 (AD)Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
(AE)I will make a way in the wilderness
(AF)and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
(AG)the jackals and the ostriches,
(AH)for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
(AI)that they might declare my praise.
22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but (AJ)you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 (AK)You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
(AL)or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am he
(AM)who blots out (AN)your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; (AO)let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 (AP)Your first father sinned,
and (AQ)your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore (AR)I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and (AS)deliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.
Israel the Lord's Chosen
44 “But now hear, (AT)O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!
2 Thus says the Lord who made you,
(AU)who formed you from the womb and will help you:
(AV)Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
(AW)Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 (AX)For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They shall spring up among the grass
(AY)like willows by flowing streams.
5 (AZ)This one will say, ‘I am the Lord's,’
another will call on the name of Jacob,
and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord's,’
and name himself by the name of Israel.”
Besides Me There Is No God
6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
and (BA)his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
(BB)“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7 (BC)Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.[a]
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
(BD)And you are my witnesses!
(BE)Is there a God besides me?
There is no (BF)Rock; I know not any.”
The Folly of Idolatry
9 (BG)All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 (BH)Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 (BI)Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.
12 (BJ)The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil.[b] He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. (BK)He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 (BL)He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. (BM)He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an (BN)abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 (BO)He feeds on (BP)ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not (BQ)a lie in my right hand?”
The Lord Redeems Israel
21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are (BR)my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
(BS)O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 (BT)I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23 (BU)Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
shout, O (BV)depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
(BW)and will be glorified[c] in Israel.
24 Thus says the Lord, (BX)your Redeemer,
(BY)who formed you from the womb:
(BZ)“I am the Lord, who made all things,
(CA)who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself,
25 who frustrates the signs of liars
and makes fools of diviners,
(CB)who turns wise men back
and makes their knowledge foolish,
26 (CC)who confirms the word of his servant
and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’
(CD)and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,
and I will raise up their ruins’;
27 (CE)who says to the deep, ‘Be dry;
I will dry up your rivers’;
28 who says of (CF)Cyrus, ‘He is (CG)my shepherd,
and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;
saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’
(CH)and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’”
Cyrus, God's Instrument
45 Thus says the Lord to (CI)his anointed, to Cyrus,
(CJ)whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and (CK)to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2 “I will go before you
and (CL)level the exalted places,[d]
(CM)I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3 (CN)I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, (CO)who call you by your name.
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
(CP)I call you by your name,
(CQ)I name you, though you do not know me.
5 (CR)I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
(CS)I equip you, though you do not know me,
6 (CT)that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and (CU)create calamity;
I am the Lord, who does all these things.
8 (CV)“Shower, O heavens, from above,
and (CW)let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I the Lord have created it.
9 (CX)“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,
a pot among earthen pots!
(CY)Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
or ‘Your work has no handles’?
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’
or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’”
11 Thus says (CZ)the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him:
(DA)“Ask me of things to come;
will you command me (DB)concerning my children and (DC)the work of my hands?[e]
12 (DD)I made the earth
and created man on it;
it was my hands (DE)that stretched out the heavens,
and (DF)I commanded all their host.
13 (DG)I have stirred him up in righteousness,
(DH)and I will make all his ways level;
(DI)he shall build my city
(DJ)and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,”
says the Lord of hosts.
The Lord, the Only Savior
14 Thus says the Lord:
(DK)“The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,
and the Sabeans, men of stature,
shall come over to you (DL)and be yours;
they shall follow you;
they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.
They will plead with you, saying:
‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other,
no god besides him.’”
15 (DM)Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
O God of Israel, the Savior.
16 (DN)All of them are put to shame and confounded;
the makers of idols go in confusion together.
17 But Israel is saved by the Lord
with everlasting salvation;
(DO)you shall not be put to shame or confounded
to all eternity.
18 (DP)For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he (DQ)did not create it empty,
(DR)he formed it to be inhabited!):
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 (DS)I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
(DT)‘Seek me in vain.’[f]
I the Lord speak (DU)the truth;
I declare what is right.
20 (DV)“Assemble yourselves and come;
draw near together,
you survivors of the nations!
(DW)They have no knowledge
who (DX)carry about their wooden idols,
(DY)and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
21 (DZ)Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God (EA)and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
(EB)all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (EC)By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in (ED)righteousness
a word that shall not return:
(EE)‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’[g]
24 (EF)“Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and (EG)strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
(EH)all who were incensed against him.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall be justified and shall glory.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 44:7 Or Who like me can proclaim it?
- Isaiah 44:13 Hebrew stylus
- Isaiah 44:23 Or will display his beauty
- Isaiah 45:2 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint level the mountains
- Isaiah 45:11 A slight emendation yields will you question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my hands?
- Isaiah 45:19 Hebrew in emptiness
- Isaiah 45:23 Septuagint every tongue shall confess to God
Isaiah 43-45
New American Standard Bible
Israel Redeemed
43 But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your (A)Creator, Jacob,
And He who (B)formed you, Israel:
“Do not (C)fear, for I have (D)redeemed you;
I have (E)called you by name; you are (F)Mine!
2 When you (G)pass through the waters, (H)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you (I)walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 For (J)I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your (K)Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
[a](L)Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Since you are (M)precious in My sight,
Since you are (N)honored and I (O)love you,
I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for (P)I am with you;
I will bring (Q)your offspring from the east,
And (R)gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the (S)north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My (T)sons from afar
And My daughters from the (U)ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is (V)called by My name,
And whom I have (W)created for My (X)glory,
(Y)Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
Israel Is God’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who are (Z)blind, even though they have eyes,
And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have (AA)gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can (AB)declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present (AC)their witnesses so (AD)that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are (AE)My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And (AF)My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that (AG)I am He.
(AH)Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11 I, only I, am the Lord,
And there is no (AI)savior (AJ)besides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no (AK)strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And I am God.
13 Even [b](AL)from eternity (AM)I am He,
And there is (AN)no one who can rescue from My hand;
(AO)I act, and who can reverse it?”
Babylon to Be Destroyed
14 This is what the Lord your (AP)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:
“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring them all down as fugitives,
[c]Even the (AQ)Chaldeans, into the (AR)ships [d]over which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
(AS)The Creator of Israel, your (AT)King.”
16 This is what the Lord says,
He who (AU)makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings out the (AV)chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty man
(They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been (AW)extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):
18 “(AX)Do not call to mind the former things,
Or consider things of the past.
19 Behold, I am going to do something (AY)new,
Now it will spring up;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even (AZ)make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
20 The animals of the field will glorify Me,
The (BA)jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have (BB)given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people.
21 The people whom (BC)I formed for Myself
(BD)Will declare My praise.
The Shortcomings of Israel
22 “Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob;
But you have become (BE)weary of Me, Israel.
23 You have (BF)not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you (BG)honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not (BH)burdened you with [e]offerings,
Nor wearied you with (BI)incense.
24 You have not bought Me [f](BJ)sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather, you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have (BK)wearied Me with your wrongdoings.
25 “I, I alone, am the one who (BL)wipes out your wrongdoings (BM)for My own sake,
And I will (BN)not remember your sins.
26 [g]Meet Me in court, (BO)let’s argue our case together;
State your cause, (BP)so that you may be proved right.
27 Your (BQ)first [h]forefather sinned,
And your [i](BR)spokesmen have rebelled against Me.
28 So I will profane the [j]officials of the sanctuary,
And I will turn Jacob over to (BS)destruction and Israel to (BT)abuse.
The Blessings of Israel
44 “But now listen, Jacob, My (BU)servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 This is what the Lord says, He who made you
And (BV)formed you from the womb, who (BW)will help you:
‘(BX)Do not fear, Jacob My servant,
And [k](BY)Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For (BZ)I will pour water on [l]the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will (CA)pour out My Spirit on your (CB)offspring,
And My blessing on your descendants;
4 And they will spring up [m]among the grass
Like (CC)poplars by streams of water.’
5 This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
And that one [n]will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will (CD)write [o]on his hand, ‘Belonging to the Lord,’
And will give himself Israel’s name with honor.
6 “This is what the Lord says, He who is the (CE)King of Israel and his (CF)Redeemer, the Lord of armies:
‘I am the (CG)first and I am the last,
And there is no God (CH)besides Me.
7 Who is like Me? (CI)Let him proclaim and declare it;
And, let him confront Me
[p]Beginning with My establishing of the ancient [q]nation.
Then let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place.
8 Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
(CJ)Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And (CK)you are My witnesses.
Is there any God (CL)besides Me,
Or is there any other (CM)Rock?
I know of none.’”
The Foolishness of Idolatry
9 Those who fashion an idol are all futile, and their treasured things are of no benefit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be (CN)put to shame. 10 Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to (CO)no benefit? 11 Behold, all his companions will be (CP)put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them be put to shame together.
12 The (CQ)craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, [r]fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and [s]his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13 (CR)The craftsman of wood extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a marker. He works it with carving knives and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of (CS)mankind, so that it may sit in a (CT)house. 14 He will cut cedars for himself, and he takes a holm-oak or another oak and lets it grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also (CU)makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and (CV)bows down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat, he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17 Yet the rest of it he (CW)makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also (CX)prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”
18 They do not (CY)know, nor do they understand, for He has (CZ)smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19 No one [t]remembers, nor is there (DA)knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then [u]I make the rest of it into an (DB)abomination, [v]I bow down before a block of wood!” 20 He [w](DC)feeds on ashes; a (DD)deceived heart has misled him. And he cannot save [x]himself, nor say, “(DE)Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
God Forgives and Redeems
21 “(DF)Remember these things, Jacob,
And Israel, for you are (DG)My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
Israel, you will (DH)not be forgotten by Me.
22 I have (DI)wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud
And your sins like a [y]heavy mist.
(DJ)Return to Me, for I have (DK)redeemed you.”
23 (DL)Shout for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
(DM)Break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains,
Forest, and every tree in it;
For (DN)the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And in Israel He (DO)shows His glory.
24 This is what the Lord says, He who is your (DP)Redeemer, and the one who (DQ)formed you from the womb:
“I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
(DR)Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth [z]alone,
25 (DS)Causing the [aa]omens of diviners to fail,
[ab]Making fools of fortune-tellers;
(DT)Causing wise men to turn back
And [ac]making their knowledge ridiculous,
26 (DU)Confirming the word of His servant
And [ad]carrying out the purpose of His messengers.
It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’
And of the (DV)cities of Judah, ‘(DW)They shall be built.’
And I will raise her ruins again.
27 I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Dry up!’
And I will make your rivers (DX)dry up.
28 It is I who says of (DY)Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,
And he will carry out all My desire.’
And [ae]he says of Jerusalem, ‘(DZ)She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘[af]Your foundation will be laid.’”
God Uses Cyrus
45 This is what the Lord says to (EA)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right (EB)hand,
To (EC)subdue nations before him
And [ag]to (ED)undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you and (EE)make the [ah]rough places smooth;
I will (EF)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (EG)bars.
3 I will give you the [ai](EH)treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The Lord, the God of Israel, who (EI)calls you by your name.
4 For the sake of (EJ)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (EK)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (EL)not known Me.
5 I am the Lord, and (EM)there is no one else;
(EN)There is no God except Me.
I will (EO)[aj]arm you, though you have not known Me,
6 So that (EP)people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (EQ)no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else,
7 The One (ER)forming light and (ES)creating darkness,
Causing [ak]well-being and (ET)creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.
God’s Supreme Power
8 “(EU)Drip down, heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the (EV)earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
(EW)And righteousness sprout with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to the one who (EX)quarrels with [al]his Maker—
A piece of pottery [am]among the other earthenware pottery pieces!
Will the (EY)clay say to the [an]potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you fathering?’
Or to a woman, ‘To what are you [ao]giving birth?’”
11 This is what the (EZ)Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and [ap]his (FA)Maker:
“[aq](FB)Ask Me about the things to come [ar]concerning My (FC)sons,
And you shall commit to Me (FD)the work of My hands.
12 It is I who (FE)made the earth, and created mankind upon it.
I (FF)stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I [as]ordained (FG)all their [at]lights.
13 I have stirred him in (FH)righteousness,
And I will (FI)make all his ways smooth.
He will (FJ)build My city and let My exiles go (FK)free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of armies.
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The [au]products of (FL)Egypt and the merchandise of [av](FM)Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will (FN)come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in (FO)chains
And will (FP)bow down to you;
They will plead with you:
‘[aw](FQ)God certainly is [ax]with you, and (FR)there is no one else,
No other God.’”
15 Truly, You are a God who (FS)hides Himself,
God of Israel, (FT)Savior!
16 They will be (FU)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The (FV)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.
17 Israel has been saved by the Lord
With an (FW)everlasting salvation;
You (FX)will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.
18 For this is what the Lord says, He who (FY)created the heavens (He is the God who (FZ)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it [ay]as a (GA)waste place, but formed it to be (GB)inhabited):
“I am the Lord, and (GC)there is no one else.
19 (GD)I have not spoken in secret,
In [az]some dark land;
I did not say to the [ba](GE)offspring of Jacob,
‘(GF)Seek Me in [bb]a wasteland’;
I, the Lord, (GG)speak righteousness,
(GH)Declaring things that are right.
20 “(GI)Gather yourselves and come;
Come together, you survivors of the nations!
(GJ)They have no knowledge,
Who (GK)carry around [bc]their wooden idol
And (GL)pray to a god who cannot save.
21 (GM)Declare and present your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
(GN)Who has announced this long ago?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is (GO)no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a (GP)Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 (GQ)Turn to Me and (GR)be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (GS)I have sworn by Myself;
The (GT)word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me (GU)every knee will bow, every tongue will (GV)swear allegiance.
24 They will say of Me, ‘Only (GW)in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
People will come to Him,
And (GX)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be (GY)justified and will (GZ)boast.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:3 Or Ethiopia
- Isaiah 43:13 As in LXX; MT from the day
- Isaiah 43:14 Another reading is As for the Chaldeans, their rejoicing is turned into mourning
- Isaiah 43:14 Lit of their rejoicing
- Isaiah 43:23 Or a meal offering
- Isaiah 43:24 Or calamus
- Isaiah 43:26 Or Report to Me
- Isaiah 43:27 Lit father
- Isaiah 43:27 Or interpreters
- Isaiah 43:28 Or holy princes
- Isaiah 44:2 I.e., Israel
- Isaiah 44:3 Or him who is thirsty
- Isaiah 44:4 Another reading is like grass among the waters
- Isaiah 44:5 Another reading is will be called by the name of Jacob
- Isaiah 44:5 Or with
- Isaiah 44:7 Lit From My establishing of
- Isaiah 44:7 Or people
- Isaiah 44:12 Lit and fashions
- Isaiah 44:12 Lit there is no strength
- Isaiah 44:19 Lit returns to his heart
- Isaiah 44:19 Or shall I make?
- Isaiah 44:19 Or shall I bow...?
- Isaiah 44:20 Or is a companion of ashes
- Isaiah 44:20 Lit his soul
- Isaiah 44:22 Or cloud
- Isaiah 44:24 Or who was with Me?
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit signs
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit He makes
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit He turns
- Isaiah 44:26 Lit He performs
- Isaiah 44:28 Lit to say
- Isaiah 44:28 Lit You will be founded
- Isaiah 45:1 Lit I will loose
- Isaiah 45:2 Another reading is mountains
- Isaiah 45:3 Or hoarded treasures
- Isaiah 45:5 Or embrace
- Isaiah 45:7 Or peace
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit He who formed him
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit with
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit he who formed him
- Isaiah 45:10 Lit in labor pains with
- Isaiah 45:11 Lit He who formed him
- Isaiah 45:11 Or Will you ask
- Isaiah 45:11 Or upon
- Isaiah 45:12 Or commanded
- Isaiah 45:12 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
- Isaiah 45:14 Lit labor
- Isaiah 45:14 Or Ethiopia
- Isaiah 45:14 Or God is with you alone
- Isaiah 45:14 Or in
- Isaiah 45:18 LXX in vain
- Isaiah 45:19 Lit a place of a land of darkness
- Isaiah 45:19 Lit seed
- Isaiah 45:19 Or vain
- Isaiah 45:20 Lit the wood of their carved image
Isaiah 43-45
New English Translation
The Lord Will Rescue His People
43 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect[a] you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass[b] through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm[c] you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,[d] your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba[e] in place of you.
4 Since you are precious and special in my sight,[f]
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
7 everyone who belongs to me,[g]
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed—yes, whom I made.
The Lord Declares His Sovereignty
8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us?[h]
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, “It is true.”
10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider[i] and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me.[j]
11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power;[k]
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
The Lord Will Do Something New
14 This is what the Lord says,
your Protector,[l] the Holy One of Israel:[m]
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives,[n]
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs.[o]
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,[p]
the one who created Israel, your king.”
16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction,[q]
together with a mighty army.
They fell down,[r] never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
18 “Don’t remember these earlier events;[s]
don’t recall these former events.
19 Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen![t] Do you not recognize[u] it?
Yes, I will make a road in the wilderness
and paths[v] in the wastelands.
20 The wild animals[w] honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the wilderness
and streams in the wastelands,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.[x]
The Lord Rebukes His People
22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long[y] for me, O Israel.
23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding[z] incense.
24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds;[aa]
you did not present to me[ab] the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds.[ac]
25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
26 Remind me of what happened. Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right![ad]
27 The father of your nation[ae] sinned;
your spokesmen[af] rebelled against me.
28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected[ag] Israel to humiliating abuse.
The Lord Will Renew Israel
44 “Now, listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!”
2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says—
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun,[ah] whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the parched ground[ai]
and cause streams to flow[aj] on the dry land.
I will pour my Spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your children.
4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass,[ak]
like poplars beside channels of water.
5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use[al] the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’”[am]
The Absurdity of Idolatry
6 This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says,
their Protector,[an] the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:
“I am the first and I am the last,
there is no God but me.
7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim![ao]
Let him announce it and explain it to me—
since I established an ancient people[ap]—
let them announce future events.[aq]
8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid![ar]
Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?
You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?
There is no other sheltering rock;[as] I know of none.
9 All who form idols are nothing;
the things in which they delight are worthless.
Their witnesses cannot see;
they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.
10 Who forms a god and casts an idol
that will prove worthless?[at]
11 Look, all his associates[au] will be put to shame;
the craftsmen are mere humans.[av]
Let them all assemble and take their stand.
They will panic and be put to shame.
12 A blacksmith works with his tool[aw]
and forges metal over the coals.
He forms it[ax] with hammers;
he makes it with his strong arm.
He gets hungry and loses his energy;[ay]
he drinks no water and gets tired.
13 A carpenter takes measurements;[az]
he marks out an outline of its form;[ba]
he scrapes[bb] it with chisels,
and marks it with a compass.
He patterns it after the human form,[bc]
like a well-built human being,
and puts it in a shrine.[bd]
14 He cuts down cedars
and acquires a cypress[be] or an oak.
He gets[bf] trees from the forest;
he plants a cedar[bg] and the rain makes it grow.
15 A man uses it to make a fire;[bh]
he takes some of it and warms himself.
Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Then he makes a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.[bi]
16 Half of it he burns in the fire—
over that half he cooks[bj] meat;
he roasts a meal and fills himself.
Yes, he warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’
17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it, saying,
‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’
18 They do not comprehend or understand,
for their eyes are blind and cannot see;
their minds do not discern.[bk]
19 No one thinks to himself,
nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:
‘I burned half of it in the fire—
yes, I baked bread over the coals;
I roasted meat and ate it.
With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?
Should I bow down to dry wood?’[bl]
20 He feeds on ashes;[bm]
his deceived mind misleads him.
He cannot rescue himself,
nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’[bn]
21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
O Israel, for you are my servant.
I formed you to be my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you![bo]
22 I remove the guilt of your rebellious deeds as if they were a cloud,
the guilt of your sins as if they were a cloud.[bp]
Come back to me, for I protect[bq] you.”
23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes;[br]
shout out, you subterranean regions[bs] of the earth.
O mountains, give a joyful shout;
you too, O forest and all your trees![bt]
For the Lord protects[bu] Jacob;
he reveals his splendor through Israel.[bv]
The Lord Empowers Cyrus
24 This is what the Lord, your Protector,[bw] says,
the one who formed you in the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made everything,
who alone stretched out the sky,
who fashioned the earth all by myself,[bx]
25 who frustrates the omens of the empty talkers[by]
and humiliates[bz] the omen readers,
who overturns the counsel of the wise men[ca]
and makes their advice[cb] seem foolish,
26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants[cc]
and brings to pass the announcements[cd] of his messengers,
who says about Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’
and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,
her ruins I will raise up,’
27 who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry!
I will dry up your sea currents,’
28 who commissions[ce] Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd[cf]
to carry out all my wishes[cg]
and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’
and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’[ch]
45 “This is what the Lord says to his chosen one,[ci]
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold[cj]
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings,[ck]
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
2 ‘I will go before you
and level mountains.[cl]
Bronze doors I will shatter
and iron bars[cm] I will hack through.
3 I will give you hidden treasures,[cn]
riches stashed away in secret places,
so you may recognize that I am the Lord,
the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
Israel, my chosen one,
I call you by name
and give you a title of respect, even though you do not submit[co] to me.
5 I am the Lord, I have no peer,[cp]
there is no God but me.
I arm you for battle,[cq] even though you do not recognize[cr] me.
6 I do this[cs] so people[ct] will recognize from east to west
that there is no God but me;
I am the Lord, I have no peer.
7 I am[cu] the one who forms light
and creates darkness;[cv]
the one who brings about peace
and creates calamity.[cw]
I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.
8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers[cx] of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it[cy] so salvation may grow,[cz]
and deliverance may sprout up[da] along with it.
I, the Lord, create it.’”[db]
The Lord Gives a Warning
9 One who argues with his Creator is in grave danger,[dc]
one who is like a mere[dd] shard among the other shards on the ground!
The clay should not say to the potter,[de]
“What in the world[df] are you doing?
Your work lacks skill!”[dg]
10 Danger awaits one who says[dh] to his father,
“What in the world[di] are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?”[dj]
11 This is what the Lord says,
the Holy One of Israel,[dk] the one who formed him,
concerning things to come:[dl]
“How dare you question me[dm] about my children!
How dare you tell me what to do with[dn] the work of my own hands!
12 I made the earth;
I created the people who live[do] on it.
It was me—my hands[dp] stretched out the sky.[dq]
I give orders to all the heavenly lights.[dr]
13 It is me—I stir him up and commission him;[ds]
I will make all his ways level.
He will rebuild my city;
he will send my exiled people home,
but not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
The Lord is the Nations’ Only Hope
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The profit[dt] of Egypt and the revenue[du] of Ethiopia,
along with the Sabeans, those tall men,
will be brought to you[dv] and become yours.
They will walk behind you, coming along in chains.[dw]
They will bow down to you
and pray to you:[dx]
‘Truly God is with[dy] you; he has no peer;[dz]
there is no other God!’”
15 Yes, you are a God who keeps hidden,
O God of Israel, deliverer!
16 They will all be ashamed and embarrassed;
those who fashion idols will all be humiliated.[ea]
17 Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord;[eb]
you will never again be ashamed or humiliated.[ec]
18 For this is what the Lord says,
the one who created the sky—
he is the true God,[ed]
the one who formed the earth and made it;
he established it,
he did not create it without order,[ee]
he formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the Lord, I have no peer.
19 I have not spoken in secret,
in some hidden place.[ef]
I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain!’[eg]
I am the Lord,
the one who speaks honestly,
who makes reliable announcements.[eh]
20 Gather together and come!
Approach together, you refugees from the nations.
Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,
those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.
21 Tell me! Present the evidence![ei]
Let them consult with one another.
Who predicted this in the past?
Who announced it beforehand?
Was it not I, the Lord?
I have no peer, there is no God but me,
a God who vindicates and delivers;[ej]
there is none but me.
22 Turn to me so you can be delivered,[ek]
all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!
For I am God, and I have no peer.
23 I solemnly make this oath[el]—
what I say is true and reliable:[em]
‘Surely every knee will bow to me,
every tongue will solemnly affirm;[en]
24 they will say about me,
“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’”[eo]
All who are angry at him will cower before him.[ep]
25 All the descendants of Israel will be vindicated by the Lord
and will boast in him.[eq]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:1 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
- Isaiah 43:2 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 43:2 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
- Isaiah 43:3 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:3 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
- Isaiah 43:4 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
- Isaiah 43:7 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 43:9 tn Heb “and the former things he was causing us to hear?”
- Isaiah 43:10 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 43:10 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
- Isaiah 43:13 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
- Isaiah 43:14 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 43:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:14 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
- Isaiah 43:14 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
- Isaiah 43:15 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
- Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
- Isaiah 43:18 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn The Hebrew text has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
- Isaiah 43:20 tn Heb “animals of the field.”
- Isaiah 43:21 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
- Isaiah 43:22 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
- Isaiah 43:23 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 43:24 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
- Isaiah 43:24 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
- Isaiah 43:24 sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5; 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
- Isaiah 43:26 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
- Isaiah 43:27 tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
- Isaiah 43:27 tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
- Isaiah 43:28 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 44:2 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
- Isaiah 44:3 tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
- Isaiah 44:3 tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 44:4 tn The Hebrew term בֵין (ven) is usually taken as a preposition, in which case one might translate, “among the grass.” But בֵין is probably the name of a tree (cf. C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 133). If one alters the preposition bet (בְּ) to kaf (כְּ), one can then read, “like a binu-tree.” (The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supports this reading.) This forms a nice parallel to “like poplars” in the next line. חָצִיר (khatsir) is functioning as an adverbial accusative of location.
- Isaiah 44:5 tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
- Isaiah 44:5 tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
- Isaiah 44:6 tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 44:7 tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”
- Isaiah 44:7 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmiʿim meʿolam ʾotiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.
- Isaiah 44:7 tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
- Isaiah 44:8 tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form likely needs to be emended to תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
- Isaiah 44:8 tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
- Isaiah 44:10 tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”
- Isaiah 44:11 tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.
- Isaiah 44:11 sn The point seems to be this: if the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”
- Isaiah 44:12 tn The noun מַעֲצָד (maʿatsad), which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד.
- Isaiah 44:12 tn Some English versions take the pronoun “it” to refer to an idol being fashioned by the blacksmith (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV). NLT understands the referent to be “a sharp tool,” which is then used by the carpenter in the following verse to carve an idol from wood.
- Isaiah 44:12 tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “stretches out a line” (ASV similar); NIV “measures with a line.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “he makes an outline with the [?].” The noun שֶׂרֶד (shered) occurs only here; it apparently refers to some type of tool or marker. Cf. KJV “with a line”; ASV “with a pencil”; NAB, NRSV “with a stylus”; NASB “with red chalk”; NIV “with a marker.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “works” (so NASB) or “fashions” (so NRSV); NIV “he roughs it out.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “he makes it like the pattern of a man”; NAB “like a man in appearance.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “like the glory of man to sit [in] a house”; NIV “that it may dwell in a shrine.”
- Isaiah 44:14 tn It is not certain what type of tree this otherwise unattested noun refers to. Cf. ASV “a holm-tree” (NRSV similar).
- Isaiah 44:14 tn Heb “strengthens for himself,” i.e., “secures for himself” (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמֵץ Pi.2).
- Isaiah 44:14 tn Some prefer to emend אֹרֶן (ʾoren) to אֶרֶז (ʾerez, “cedar”), but the otherwise unattested noun appears to have an Akkadian cognate, meaning “cedar.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 44-45. HALOT 90 s.v. I אֹרֶן offers the meaning “laurel.”
- Isaiah 44:15 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
- Isaiah 44:15 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
- Isaiah 44:16 tn Heb “eats” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “roasts.”
- Isaiah 44:18 tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”
- Isaiah 44:19 tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.
- Isaiah 44:20 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
- Isaiah 44:20 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
- Isaiah 44:21 tc The verb in the Hebrew text is a Niphal imperfect with a pronominal suffix. Although the Niphal ordinarily has the passive sense, it can have a reflexive nuance as well (see above translation). Some have suggested an emendation to a Qal form: “Do not forget me” (all the ancient versions, NEB, REB; see GKC 369 §117.x). “Do not forget me” would make a good parallel with “remember these things” in the first line. Since the MT is the harder reading and fits with Israel’s complaint that God had forgotten her (Isa 40:27), the MT reading should be retained (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, ESV). The passive has been rendered as an active in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style (so also NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
- Isaiah 44:22 tn Heb “I blot out like a cloud your rebellious deeds, and like a cloud your sins.” “Rebellious deeds” and “sins” stand by metonymy for the guilt they produce. Both עָב (ʿav) and עָנָן (ʿanan) refer to the clouds in the sky. It is tempting for stylistic purposes to translate the second with “fog” or “mist” (cf. NAB, NRSV “cloud…mist”; NIV “cloud…morning mist”; NLT “morning mists…clouds”), but this distinction between the synonyms is unwarranted here. The point of the simile seems to be this: The Lord forgives their sins, causing them to vanish just as clouds disappear from the sky (see Job 7:9; 30:15).
- Isaiah 44:22 tn Heb “redeem.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”
- Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.
- Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”
- Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 44:23 tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”
- Isaiah 44:24 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 44:24 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “Who [was] with me?” The marginal reading (Qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB 87 s.v. II אֵת 4.c.
- Isaiah 44:25 tc The Hebrew text has בַּדִּים (baddim), perhaps meaning “empty talkers” (BDB 95 s.v. III בַּד). In the four other occurrences of this word (Job 11:3; Isa 16:6; Jer 48:30; 50:36) the context does not make the meaning of the term very clear. Its primary point appears to be that the words spoken are meaningless or false. In light of its parallelism with “omen readers,” some have proposed an emendation to בָּרִים (barim, “seers”). The Mesopotamian baru-priests were divination specialists who played an important role in court life. See R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 93-98. Rather than supporting an emendation, J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:189, n. 79) suggests that Isaiah used בַּדִּים purposively as a derisive wordplay on the Akkadian word baru (in light of the close similarity of the d and r consonants).
- Isaiah 44:25 tn Or “makes fools of” (NIV, NRSV); NAB and NASB both similar.
- Isaiah 44:25 tn Heb “who turns back the wise” (so NRSV); NIV “overthrows the learning of the wise”; TEV “The words of the wise I refute.”
- Isaiah 44:25 tn Heb “their knowledge” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 44:26 tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
- Isaiah 44:26 tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (ʿetsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.
- Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “says to.” It is possible that the sentence is not completed, as the description of Cyrus and his God-given role is developed in the rest of the verse. 45:1 picks up where 44:28a leaves off with the Lord’s actual words to Cyrus finally being quoted in 45:2.
- Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “my shepherd.” The shepherd motif is sometimes applied, as here, to a royal figure who is responsible for the well-being of the people whom he rules.
- Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”
- Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “and [concerning the] temple, you will be founded.” The preposition -לְ (le) is understood by ellipsis at the beginning of the second line. The verb תִּוָּסֵד (tivvased, “you will be founded”) is second masculine singular and is probably addressed to the personified temple (הֵיכָל [hekhal, “temple”] is masculine).
- Isaiah 45:1 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
- Isaiah 45:1 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
- Isaiah 45:1 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
- Isaiah 45:2 tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) is difficult. It may need to be emended to an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”). 1QIsaa and the LXX support an unambiguous text of “mountains.”
- Isaiah 45:2 tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”
- Isaiah 45:3 tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”
- Isaiah 45:4 tn Or “know” (NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT); NIV “acknowledge.” The common verb יָדַע (yadaʿ) means “to know.” Among homophonous roots DCH includes יָדַע II meaning “be submissive, humbled; be quiet, at rest” (cf. Job 21:19; Prov 5:6; Jer 14:18; Hos 9:7).
- Isaiah 45:5 tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (ʿod) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.
- Isaiah 45:5 tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).
- Isaiah 45:5 tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”
- Isaiah 45:6 tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 45:6 tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”
- Isaiah 45:7 tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.
- Isaiah 45:7 tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”
- Isaiah 45:7 sn This verse affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).
- Isaiah 45:8 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
- Isaiah 45:8 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
- Isaiah 45:8 tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
- Isaiah 45:8 tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).
- Isaiah 45:8 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yashaʿ, “salvation”).
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”
- Isaiah 45:9 tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it,…?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”
- Isaiah 45:9 tn The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”
- Isaiah 45:10 tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”
- Isaiah 45:10 tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.
- Isaiah 45:10 sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.
- Isaiah 45:11 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 45:11 tc The Hebrew text reads “the one who formed him, the coming things.” Among various suggestions, some have proposed an emendation of יֹצְרוֹ (yotsero, “the one who formed him”) to יֹצֵר (yotser, “the one who forms”; the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative): “the one who brings the future into being.”
- Isaiah 45:11 tn Heb “Ask me.” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
- Isaiah 45:11 tn Heb “Do you command me about…?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
- Isaiah 45:13 tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”
- Isaiah 45:14 sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.
- Isaiah 45:14 sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.
- Isaiah 45:16 tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”
- Isaiah 45:17 tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”
- Isaiah 45:17 tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”
- Isaiah 45:18 tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.
- Isaiah 45:18 tn Or “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (תֹהוּ, tohu) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.
- Isaiah 45:19 tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”
- Isaiah 45:19 tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”
- Isaiah 45:19 tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”
- Isaiah 45:21 tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.
- Isaiah 45:21 tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”
- Isaiah 45:22 tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”
- Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”
- Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”
- Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”
- Isaiah 45:24 tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”
- Isaiah 45:24 tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”
- Isaiah 45:25 tn Heb “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be vindicated and boast.”
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