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
Isaiah 45
New American Standard Bible 1995
God Uses Cyrus
45 Thus says the Lord to (A)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right (B)hand,
To (C)subdue nations before him
And [a]to (D)loose the loins of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you and (E)make the [b]rough places smooth;
I will (F)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (G)bars.
3 “I will give you the [c](H)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 (I)calls you by your name.
4 “For the sake of (J)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (K)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (L)not known Me.
5 “I am the Lord, and (M)there is no other;
(N)Besides Me there is no God.
I will [d](O)gird you, though you have not known Me;
6 That [e](P)men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (Q)no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other,
7 The One (R)forming light and (S)creating darkness,
Causing [f]well-being and (T)creating calamity;
I am the Lord who does all these.
God’s Supreme Power
8 “(U)Drip down, O heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the (V)earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
(W)And righteousness spring up with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to the one who (X)quarrels with his [g]Maker—
An earthenware vessel [h]among the vessels of earth!
Will the (Y)clay say to the [i]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 begetting?’
Or to a woman, ‘To what are you [j]giving birth?’”
11 Thus says the (Z)Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his [k](AA)Maker:
“[l](AB)Ask Me about the things to come [m]concerning My (AC)sons,
And you shall commit to Me (AD)the work of My hands.
12 “It is I who (AE)made the earth, and created man upon it.
I (AF)stretched out the heavens with My hands
And I [n]ordained (AG)all their host.
13 “I have aroused him in (AH)righteousness
And I will (AI)make all his ways smooth;
He will (AJ)build My city and will let My exiles go (AK)free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of hosts.
14 Thus says the Lord,
“The [o]products of (AL)Egypt and the merchandise of [p](AM)Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will (AN)come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in (AO)chains
And will (AP)bow down to you;
They will make supplication to you:
‘[q]Surely, (AQ)God is [r]with you, and (AR)there is none else,
No other God.’”
15 Truly, You are a God who (AS)hides Himself,
O God of Israel, (AT)Savior!
16 They will be (AU)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The (AV)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.
17 Israel has been saved by the Lord
With an (AW)everlasting salvation;
You (AX)will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.
18 For thus says the Lord, who (AY)created the heavens (He is the God who (AZ)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it [s]a (BA)waste place, but formed it to be (BB)inhabited),
“I am the Lord, and (BC)there is none else.
19 “(BD)I have not spoken in secret,
In [t]some dark land;
I did not say to the [u](BE)offspring of Jacob,
‘(BF)Seek Me in [v]a waste place’;
I, the Lord, (BG)speak righteousness,
(BH)Declaring things that are upright.
20 “(BI)Gather yourselves and come;
Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations;
(BJ)They have no knowledge,
Who (BK)carry about [w]their wooden idol
And (BL)pray to a god who cannot save.
21 “(BM)Declare and set forth your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
(BN)Who has announced this from of old?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is (BO)no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a (BP)Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 “(BQ)Turn to Me and (BR)be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 “(BS)I have sworn by Myself,
The (BT)word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me (BU)every knee will bow, every tongue will (BV)swear allegiance.
24 “They will say of Me, ‘Only (BW)in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
Men will come to Him,
And (BX)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be (BY)justified and will (BZ)glory.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 45:1 Lit I will loose
- Isaiah 45:2 Another reading is mountains
- Isaiah 45:3 Or hoarded treasures
- Isaiah 45:5 Or arm
- Isaiah 45:6 Lit they
- Isaiah 45:7 Or peace
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit with
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:10 Lit in labor pains with
- Isaiah 45:11 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:11 Or Will you ask
- Isaiah 45:11 Or upon
- Isaiah 45:12 Or commanded
- 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 Or 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 graven image
Isaiah 46
New American Standard Bible 1995
Babylon’s Idols and the True God
46 (A)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.
The things [a]that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But [b]have themselves (B)gone into captivity.
3 “(C)Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all (D)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been (E)borne by Me from [c]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age (F)I [d]will be the same,
And even to your [e](G)graying years I will bear you!
I have [f]done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.
5 “(H)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 “Those who (I)lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They (J)bow down, indeed they worship it.
7 “They (K)lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
(L)It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it (M)cannot answer;
It (N)cannot deliver him from his distress.
8 “(O)Remember this, and be [g]assured;
(P)Recall it to [h]mind, you (Q)transgressors.
9 “Remember the (R)former things long past,
For I am God, and there is (S)no other;
I am God, and there is (T)no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘(U)My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a (V)bird of prey from the (W)east,
The man of [i]My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have (X)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.
12 “(Y)Listen to Me, you (Z)stubborn-minded,
Who are (AA)far from righteousness.
13 “I (AB)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant (AC)salvation in Zion,
And My (AD)glory for Israel.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 Lit carried by you
- Isaiah 46:2 Or their soul has
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit I am He
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit gray hairs
- Isaiah 46:4 Or made you
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit firm
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit heart
- Isaiah 46:11 Lit His
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
