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
Contemporary English Version
The Lord's Promise to Israel
44 People of Israel,
I have chosen you
as my servant.
2 I am your Creator.
You were in my care
even before you were born.
Israel, don't be terrified!
You are my chosen servant,
my very favorite.[a]
3 I will bless the thirsty land
by sending streams of water;
I will bless your descendants
by giving them my Spirit.
4 They will spring up like grass[b]
or like willow trees
near flowing streams.
5 They will worship me
and become my people.
They will write my name
on the back of their hands.[c]
6 (A) I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the first and the last,
the one and only God.
Israel, I have rescued you!
I am your King.
7 Can anyone compare with me?
If so, let them speak up
and tell me now.
Let them say what has happened
since I made my nation
long ago,
and let them tell
what is going to happen.[d]
8 Don't tremble with fear!
Didn't I tell you long ago?
Didn't you hear me?
I alone am God—
no one else is a mighty rock.[e]
Idols Can't Do a Thing
The Lord said:
9 Those people who make idols
are nothing themselves,
and the idols they treasure
are just as worthless.
Worshipers of idols are blind,
stupid, and foolish.
10 Why make an idol or an image
that can't do a thing?
11 Everyone who makes idols
and all who worship them
are mere humans,
who will end up
sadly disappointed.
Let them face me in court
and be terrified.
Idols and Firewood
12 A metalworker shapes an idol
by using a hammer[f]
and heat from the fire.
In his powerful hand
he holds a hammer,
as he pounds the metal
into the proper shape.
But he gets hungry and thirsty
and loses his strength.
13 Some woodcarver measures
a piece of wood,
then draws an outline.
The idol is carefully carved
with each detail exact.
At last it looks like a person
and is placed in a temple.
14 Either cedar, cypress, oak,
or any tree from the forest
may be chosen.
Or even a pine tree planted
by the woodcarver
and watered by the rain.
15 (B) Some of the wood is used
to make a fire for heating
or for cooking.
One piece is made into an idol,
then the woodcarver bows down
and worships it.
16 He enjoys the warm fire
and the meat that was roasted
over the burning coals.
17 Afterwards, he bows down
to worship the wooden idol.
“Protect me!” he says.
“You are my god.”
18 Those who worship idols are stupid and blind! 19 They don't have enough sense to say to themselves, “I made a fire with half of the wood and cooked my bread and meat on it. Then I made something worthless with the other half. Why worship a block of wood?”
20 How can anyone be stupid enough to trust something that can be burned to ashes?[g] No one can save themselves like that. Don't they realize that the idols they hold in their hands are not really gods?
The Lord Won't Forget His People
21 People of Israel,
you are my servant,
so remember all of this.
Israel, I created you,
and you are my servant.
I won't forget you.[h]
22 Turn back to me!
I have rescued you
and swept away your sins
as though they were clouds.
Sing Praises to the Lord
23 Tell the heavens and the earth
to start singing!
Tell the mountains
and every tree in the forest
to join in the song!
The Lord has rescued his people;
now they will worship him.
The Lord Created Everything
24 Israel, I am your Lord,
the source of your life,
and I have rescued you.
I created everything
from the sky above
to the earth below.
25 (C) I make liars of false prophets
and fools of fortunetellers.
I take human wisdom
and turn it into nonsense.
26 I will make the message
of my prophets come true.
They are saying, “Jerusalem
will be filled with people,
and the Lord will rebuild
the towns of Judah.”
27 I am the one who commands
the sea and its streams
to run dry.
28 (D) I am also the one who says,
“Cyrus will lead my people
and obey my orders.
Jerusalem and the temple
will be rebuilt.”
Footnotes
- 44.2 my very favorite: Or “Jeshurun.”
- 44.4 like grass: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 44.5 write … hands: To show that they belong to the Lord and to Israel.
- 44.7 Let them say … happen: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 44.8 mighty rock: See the note at 17.10.
- 44.12 by using a hammer: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 44.20 How … ashes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 44.21 I won't forget you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 44
New American Standard Bible 1995
The Blessings of Israel
44 “But now listen, O Jacob, My (A)servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus says the Lord who made you
And (B)formed you from the womb, who (C)will help you,
‘(D)Do not fear, O Jacob My servant;
And you (E)Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 ‘For (F)I will pour out water on [a]the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will (G)pour out My Spirit on your (H)offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;
4 And they will spring up [b]among the grass
Like (I)poplars by streams of water.’
5 “This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
And that one [c]will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will (J)write [d]on his hand, ‘Belonging to the Lord,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.
6 “Thus says the Lord, the (K)King of Israel and his (L)Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
‘I am the (M)first and I am the last,
And there is no God (N)besides Me.
7 ‘Who is like Me? (O)Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
[e]From the time that I established the ancient [f]nation.
And 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;
(P)Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And (Q)you are My witnesses.
Is there any God (R)besides Me,
Or is there any other (S)Rock?
I know of none.’”
The Folly of Idolatry
9 Those who fashion [g]a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be (T)put to shame. 10 Who has fashioned a god or cast [h]an idol to (U)no profit? 11 Behold, all his companions will be (V)put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.
12 The (W)man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, [i]fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and [j]his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13 (X)Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of (Y)man, so that it may sit in a (Z)house. 14 Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a [k]cypress or an oak and [l]raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also (AA)makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and (AB)falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17 But the rest of it he (AC)makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also (AD)prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”
18 They do not (AE)know, nor do they understand, for He has (AF)smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19 No one [m]recalls, nor is there (AG)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 [n]I make the rest of it into an (AH)abomination, [o]I fall down before a block of wood!” 20 He [p](AI)feeds on ashes; a (AJ)deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver [q]himself, nor say, “(AK)Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
God Forgives and Redeems
21 “(AL)Remember these things, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are (AM)My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
O Israel, you will (AN)not be forgotten by Me.
22 “I have (AO)wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud
And your sins like a [r]heavy mist.
(AP)Return to Me, for I have (AQ)redeemed you.”
23 (AR)Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
(AS)Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it;
For (AT)the Lord has redeemed Jacob
And in Israel He (AU)shows forth His glory.
24 Thus says the Lord, your (AV)Redeemer, and the one who (AW)formed you from the womb,
“I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
(AX)Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth [s]all alone,
25 (AY)Causing the [t]omens of boasters to fail,
[u]Making fools out of diviners,
(AZ)Causing wise men to draw back
And [v]turning their knowledge into foolishness,
26 (BA)Confirming the word of His servant
And [w]performing the purpose of His messengers.
It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’
And of the (BB)cities of Judah, ‘(BC)They shall be built.’
And I will raise up her ruins again.
27 “It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’
And I will make your rivers (BD)dry.
28 “It is I who says of (BE)Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd!
And he will perform all My desire.’
And [x]he declares of Jerusalem, ‘(BF)She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘[y]Your foundation will be laid.’”
Footnotes
- 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 44:9 Or an idol
- Isaiah 44:10 Or a graven image
- Isaiah 44:12 Lit and fashions
- Isaiah 44:12 Lit there is no strength
- Isaiah 44:14 Or holm-oak
- Isaiah 44:14 Lit makes strong
- Isaiah 44:19 Lit returns to his heart
- Isaiah 44:19 Or shall I make?
- Isaiah 44:19 Or shall I fall...?
- 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
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