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Isaiah 44-48
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 44-48
New American Standard Bible
The Blessings of Israel
44 “But now listen, Jacob, My (A)servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 This is what the Lord says, He who made you
And (B)formed you from the womb, who (C)will help you:
‘(D)Do not fear, Jacob My servant,
And [a](E)Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For (F)I will pour water on [b]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 [c]among the grass
Like (I)poplars by streams of water.’
5 This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
And that one [d]will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will (J)write [e]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 (K)King of Israel and his (L)Redeemer, the Lord of armies:
‘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;
And, let him confront Me
[f]Beginning with My establishing of the ancient [g]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;
(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 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 (T)put to shame. 10 Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to (U)no benefit? 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 be put to shame together.
12 The (W)craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, [h]fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and [i]his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13 (X)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 (Y)mankind, so that it may sit in a (Z)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 (AA)makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and (AB)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 (AC)makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also (AD)prays to it and says, “Save 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 [j]remembers, 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 [k]I make the rest of it into an (AH)abomination, [l]I bow down before a block of wood!” 20 He [m](AI)feeds on ashes; a (AJ)deceived heart has misled him. And he cannot save [n]himself, nor say, “(AK)Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
God Forgives and Redeems
21 “(AL)Remember these things, Jacob,
And Israel, for you are (AM)My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
Israel, you will (AN)not be forgotten by Me.
22 I have (AO)wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud
And your sins like a [o]heavy mist.
(AP)Return to Me, for I have (AQ)redeemed you.”
23 (AR)Shout for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
(AS)Break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains,
Forest, and every tree in it;
For (AT)the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And in Israel He (AU)shows His glory.
24 This is what the Lord says, He who is 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 [p]alone,
25 (AY)Causing the [q]omens of diviners to fail,
[r]Making fools of fortune-tellers;
(AZ)Causing wise men to turn back
And [s]making their knowledge ridiculous,
26 (BA)Confirming the word of His servant
And [t]carrying out 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 her ruins again.
27 I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Dry up!’
And I will make your rivers (BD)dry up.
28 It is I who says of (BE)Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,
And he will carry out all My desire.’
And [u]he says of Jerusalem, ‘(BF)She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘[v]Your foundation will be laid.’”
God Uses Cyrus
45 This is what the Lord says to (BG)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right (BH)hand,
To (BI)subdue nations before him
And [w]to (BJ)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 (BK)make the [x]rough places smooth;
I will (BL)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (BM)bars.
3 I will give you the [y](BN)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 (BO)calls you by your name.
4 For the sake of (BP)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (BQ)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (BR)not known Me.
5 I am the Lord, and (BS)there is no one else;
(BT)There is no God except Me.
I will (BU)[z]arm you, though you have not known Me,
6 So that (BV)people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (BW)no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else,
7 The One (BX)forming light and (BY)creating darkness,
Causing [aa]well-being and (BZ)creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.
God’s Supreme Power
8 “(CA)Drip down, heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the (CB)earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
(CC)And righteousness sprout with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to the one who (CD)quarrels with [ab]his Maker—
A piece of pottery [ac]among the other earthenware pottery pieces!
Will the (CE)clay say to the [ad]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 [ae]giving birth?’”
11 This is what the (CF)Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and [af]his (CG)Maker:
“[ag](CH)Ask Me about the things to come [ah]concerning My (CI)sons,
And you shall commit to Me (CJ)the work of My hands.
12 It is I who (CK)made the earth, and created mankind upon it.
I (CL)stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I [ai]ordained (CM)all their [aj]lights.
13 I have stirred him in (CN)righteousness,
And I will (CO)make all his ways smooth.
He will (CP)build My city and let My exiles go (CQ)free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of armies.
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The [ak]products of (CR)Egypt and the merchandise of [al](CS)Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will (CT)come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in (CU)chains
And will (CV)bow down to you;
They will plead with you:
‘[am](CW)God certainly is [an]with you, and (CX)there is no one else,
No other God.’”
15 Truly, You are a God who (CY)hides Himself,
God of Israel, (CZ)Savior!
16 They will be (DA)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The (DB)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.
17 Israel has been saved by the Lord
With an (DC)everlasting salvation;
You (DD)will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.
18 For this is what the Lord says, He who (DE)created the heavens (He is the God who (DF)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it [ao]as a (DG)waste place, but formed it to be (DH)inhabited):
“I am the Lord, and (DI)there is no one else.
19 (DJ)I have not spoken in secret,
In [ap]some dark land;
I did not say to the [aq](DK)offspring of Jacob,
‘(DL)Seek Me in [ar]a wasteland’;
I, the Lord, (DM)speak righteousness,
(DN)Declaring things that are right.
20 “(DO)Gather yourselves and come;
Come together, you survivors of the nations!
(DP)They have no knowledge,
Who (DQ)carry around [as]their wooden idol
And (DR)pray to a god who cannot save.
21 (DS)Declare and present your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
(DT)Who has announced this long ago?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is (DU)no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a (DV)Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 (DW)Turn to Me and (DX)be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (DY)I have sworn by Myself;
The (DZ)word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me (EA)every knee will bow, every tongue will (EB)swear allegiance.
24 They will say of Me, ‘Only (EC)in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
People will come to Him,
And (ED)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be (EE)justified and will (EF)boast.”
Babylon’s Idols and the True God
46 (EG)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle.
The things [at]that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary animal.
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But [au]have themselves (EH)gone into captivity.
3 “(EI)Listen to Me, house of Jacob,
And all (EJ)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been (EK)carried by Me from [av]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age (EL)I [aw]will be the same,
And even to your [ax](EM)graying years I will [ay]carry you!
I have [az]done it, and I will bear you;
And I will [ba]carry you and I will save you.
5 “(EN)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal, and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 Those who (EO)lavish gold from the bag
And weigh silver on the scale,
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They (EP)bow down, indeed they worship it.
7 They (EQ)lift it on the shoulder, carry it,
And set it in its place, and it stands there.
(ER)It does not move from its place.
Though one may shout to it, it (ES)cannot answer;
It (ET)cannot save him from his distress.
8 “(EU)Remember this, and be [bb]assured;
(EV)Recall it to [bc]mind, you (EW)wrongdoers.
9 Remember the (EX)former things long past,
For I am God, and there is (EY)no other;
I am God, and there is (EZ)no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘(FA)My plan will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a (FB)bird of prey from the (FC)east,
The man of [bd]My purpose from a distant country.
Truly I have (FD)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, I will certainly do it.
12 “(FE)Listen to Me, you (FF)stubborn-minded,
Who are (FG)far from righteousness.
13 I (FH)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant (FI)salvation in Zion,
And My (FJ)glory for Israel.
Mourning for Babylon
47 “(FK)Come down and sit in the dust,
(FL)Virgin (FM)daughter of Babylon;
Sit on the ground without a throne,
Daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you will no longer be called (FN)tender and delicate.
2 Take the (FO)millstones and (FP)grind flour.
Remove your (FQ)veil, (FR)strip off the skirt,
Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.
3 Your (FS)nakedness will be uncovered,
Your shame will also be exposed;
I will (FT)take vengeance and will not spare anyone.”
4 Our (FU)Redeemer, the Lord of armies is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.
5 “(FV)Sit silently, and go into (FW)darkness,
Daughter of the Chaldeans;
For you will no longer be called
The (FX)queen of (FY)kingdoms.
6 I was angry with My people,
I profaned My heritage
And handed them over to you.
You did not show mercy to them,
On the (FZ)aged you made your yoke very heavy.
7 Yet you said, ‘I will be a (GA)queen forever.’
These things you did not (GB)consider
Nor remember the (GC)outcome of [be]them.
8 “Now, then, hear this, you (GD)luxuriant one,
Who (GE)lives securely,
Who says in her heart,
‘(GF)I am, and there is no one besides me.
I will (GG)not sit as a widow,
Nor know the loss of children.’
9 But these (GH)two things will come on you (GI)suddenly in one day:
Loss of children and widowhood.
They will come on you in full measure
In spite of your many (GJ)sorceries,
In spite of the great power of your spells.
10 You felt (GK)secure in your wickedness and said,
‘(GL)No one sees me,’
Your (GM)wisdom and your knowledge, [bf]they have led you astray;
For you have said in your heart,
‘(GN)I am, and there is no one besides me.’
11 But (GO)evil will come on you
Which you will not know how to charm away;
And disaster will fall on you
For which you cannot atone;
And (GP)destruction about which you do not know
Will come on you (GQ)suddenly.
12 “Persist now in your (GR)spells
And in your many sorceries
With which you have labored from your youth;
Perhaps you will be able to benefit,
Perhaps you may cause trembling.
13 You are (GS)wearied with your many counsels;
Let now the (GT)astrologers,
Those who prophesy by the stars,
Those who predict by the new moons,
Stand up and (GU)save you from what will come upon you.
14 Behold, they have become (GV)like stubble,
(GW)Fire burns them;
They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame;
There will be (GX)no coal to warm by
Nor a fire to sit before!
15 So have those become to you with whom you have labored,
Those who have (GY)done business with you from your youth;
Each has wandered in his own [bg]way;
There is (GZ)no one to save you.
Israel’s Obstinacy
48 “(HA)Hear this, house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came from the (HB)waters of Judah,
Who (HC)swear by the name of the Lord
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in (HD)righteousness.
2 For they name themselves after the (HE)holy city,
And (HF)lean on the God of Israel;
The Lord of armies is His name.
3 I (HG)declared the former things long ago,
And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
(HH)Suddenly I acted, and they (HI)came to pass.
4 Because I know that you are [bh](HJ)obstinate,
And your (HK)neck is an iron tendon
And your (HL)forehead bronze,
5 Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before [bi]they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My (HM)idol has done them,
And my carved image and my cast metal image have commanded them.’
6 You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you (HN)new things from this time,
Hidden things which you have not known.
7 They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 You have not (HO)heard, you have not known.
Even from long ago your ear has not been open,
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a [bj](HP)rebel from [bk]birth.
9 (HQ)For the sake of My name I (HR)delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but (HS)not as silver;
I have tested you in the (HT)furnace of affliction.
11 (HU)For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And I will not give My (HV)glory to another.
Rescue Promised
12 “Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel [bl]whom I called;
(HW)I am He, (HX)I am the first, I am also the last.
13 Assuredly My hand (HY)founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I (HZ)call to them, they stand together.
14 (IA)Assemble, all of you, and listen!
(IB)Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will (IC)carry out His good pleasure against (ID)Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, yes I, have spoken; indeed I have (IE)called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 (IF)Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the beginning I have (IG)not spoken in secret,
(IH)From the time it took place, I was there.
And now (II)the Lord [bm]God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”
17 This is what the Lord says, He who is your (IJ)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to benefit,
Who (IK)leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had (IL)paid attention to My commandments!
Then your [bn](IM)well-being would have been like a river,
And your (IN)righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your [bo](IO)descendants would have been like the sand,
And [bp]your offspring like its grains;
(IP)Their name would never be eliminated or destroyed from My presence.”
20 (IQ)Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of (IR)joyful shouting, proclaim this,
(IS)Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “(IT)The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not (IU)thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He (IV)made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and (IW)the water gushed out.
22 “(IX)There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- 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 46:1 Lit carried by you
- Isaiah 46:2 Or their soul has
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit will be He
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit gray hairs
- Isaiah 46:4 Or support
- Isaiah 46:4 Or made you
- Isaiah 46:4 Or support
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit firm
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit heart
- Isaiah 46:11 Lit His
- Isaiah 47:7 Lit it
- Isaiah 47:10 Lit it has
- Isaiah 47:15 Lit side, region
- Isaiah 48:4 Or harsh
- Isaiah 48:5 Lit it
- Isaiah 48:8 Or transgressor
- Isaiah 48:8 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 48:12 Lit My called one
- Isaiah 48:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 48:18 Or peace
- Isaiah 48:19 Lit seed
- Isaiah 48:19 Lit the offspring of your inward parts
Isaiah 44-48
New International Version
Isaiah 44-48
New International Version
Israel the Chosen
44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,(A)
Israel, whom I have chosen.(B)
2 This is what the Lord says—
he who made(C) you, who formed you in the womb,(D)
and who will help(E) you:
Do not be afraid,(F) Jacob, my servant,(G)
Jeshurun,[a](H) whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water(I) on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;(J)
I will pour out my Spirit(K) on your offspring,
and my blessing(L) on your descendants.(M)
4 They will spring up like grass(N) in a meadow,
like poplar trees(O) by flowing streams.(P)
5 Some will say, ‘I belong(Q) to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,(R) ‘The Lord’s,’(S)
and will take the name Israel.
The Lord, Not Idols
6 “This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King(T) and Redeemer,(U) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(V)
apart from me there is no God.(W)
7 Who then is like me?(X) Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell(Y) what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim(Z) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God(AA) besides me?
No, there is no other Rock;(AB) I know not one.”
9 All who make idols(AC) are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.(AD)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(AE)
they are ignorant, to their own shame.(AF)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(AG)
which can profit nothing?(AH)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(AI)
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.(AJ)
12 The blacksmith(AK) takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.(AL)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.(AM)
13 The carpenter(AN) measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,(AO)
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.(AP)
14 He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine,(AQ) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(AR) for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships(AS) it;
he makes an idol and bows(AT) down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.(AU)”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.(AV)
He prays(AW) to it and says,
“Save(AX) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(AY) nothing;
their eyes(AZ) are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding(BA) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(BB)
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(BC) thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(BD)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(BE) a deluded(BF) heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(BG)”
21 “Remember(BH) these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.(BI)
I have made you, you are my servant;(BJ)
Israel, I will not forget you.(BK)
22 I have swept away(BL) your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return(BM) to me,
for I have redeemed(BN) you.”
23 Sing for joy,(BO) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth(BP) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,(BQ)
you forests and all your trees,(BR)
for the Lord has redeemed(BS) Jacob,
he displays his glory(BT) in Israel.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,(BX)
who spreads out the earth(BY) by myself,
25 who foils(BZ) the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,(CA)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(CB)
and turns it into nonsense,(CC)
26 who carries out the words(CD) of his servants
and fulfills(CE) the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem,(CF) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins,(CG) ‘I will restore them,’(CH)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up(CI) your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus,(CJ) ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(CK) “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple,(CL) “Let its foundations(CM) be laid.”’
45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(CN)
to Cyrus,(CO) whose right hand I take hold(CP) of
to subdue nations(CQ) before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you(CR)
and will level(CS) the mountains[b];
I will break down gates(CT) of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.(CU)
3 I will give you hidden treasures,(CV)
riches stored in secret places,(CW)
so that you may know(CX) that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(CY)
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,(CZ)
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge(DA) me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;(DB)
apart from me there is no God.(DC)
I will strengthen you,(DD)
though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting(DE)
people may know(DF) there is none besides me.(DG)
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,(DH)
I bring prosperity and create disaster;(DI)
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8 “You heavens above, rain(DJ) down my righteousness;(DK)
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation(DL) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to those who quarrel(DM) with their Maker,(DN)
those who are nothing but potsherds(DO)
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(DP)
‘What are you making?’(DQ)
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?(DR)
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’
11 “This is what the Lord says—
the Holy One(DS) of Israel, and its Maker:(DT)
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?(DU)
12 It is I who made the earth(DV)
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(DW)
I marshaled their starry hosts.(DX)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[c](DY) in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.(DZ)
He will rebuild my city(EA)
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(EB)
says the Lord Almighty.”
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The products(EC) of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[d]
and those tall Sabeans(ED)—
they will come over to you(EE)
and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,(EF)
coming over to you in chains.(EG)
They will bow down before you
and plead(EH) with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you,(EI) and there is no other;
there is no other god.(EJ)’”
15 Truly you are a God who has been hiding(EK) himself,
the God and Savior(EL) of Israel.
16 All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;(EM)
they will go off into disgrace together.
17 But Israel will be saved(EN) by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation;(EO)
you will never be put to shame or disgraced,(EP)
to ages everlasting.
18 For this is what the Lord says—
he who created the heavens,
he is God;
he who fashioned and made the earth,(EQ)
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,(ER)
but formed it to be inhabited(ES)—
he says:
“I am the Lord,
and there is no other.(ET)
19 I have not spoken in secret,(EU)
from somewhere in a land of darkness;(EV)
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,(EW)
‘Seek(EX) me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.(EY)
20 “Gather together(EZ) and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant(FA) are those who carry(FB) about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.(FC)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(FD) this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?(FE)
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,(FF)
a righteous God(FG) and a Savior;(FH)
there is none but me.
22 “Turn(FI) to me and be saved,(FJ)
all you ends of the earth;(FK)
for I am God, and there is no other.(FL)
23 By myself I have sworn,(FM)
my mouth has uttered in all integrity(FN)
a word that will not be revoked:(FO)
Before me every knee will bow;(FP)
by me every tongue will swear.(FQ)
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance(FR) and strength.(FS)’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.(FT)
25 But all the descendants(FU) of Israel
will find deliverance(FV) in the Lord
and will make their boast in him.(FW)
Gods of Babylon
46 Bel(FX) bows down, Nebo stoops low;
their idols(FY) are borne by beasts of burden.[e]
The images that are carried(FZ) about are burdensome,
a burden for the weary.
2 They stoop and bow down together;
unable to rescue the burden,
they themselves go off into captivity.(GA)
3 “Listen(GB) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all the remnant(GC) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,(GD)
and have carried(GE) since you were born.(GF)
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs(GG)
I am he,(GH) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain(GI) you and I will rescue you.
5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?(GJ)
6 Some pour out gold from their bags
and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith(GK) to make it into a god,
and they bow down and worship it.(GL)
7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry(GM) it;
they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
From that spot it cannot move.(GN)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;(GO)
it cannot save(GP) them from their troubles.
8 “Remember(GQ) this, keep it in mind,
take it to heart, you rebels.(GR)
9 Remember the former things,(GS) those of long ago;(GT)
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.(GU)
10 I make known the end from the beginning,(GV)
from ancient times,(GW) what is still to come.(GX)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,(GY)
and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon(GZ) a bird of prey;(HA)
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned,(HB) that I will do.(HC)
12 Listen(HD) to me, you stubborn-hearted,(HE)
you who are now far from my righteousness.(HF)
13 I am bringing my righteousness(HG) near,
it is not far away;
and my salvation(HH) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,(HI)
my splendor(HJ) to Israel.
The Fall of Babylon
47 “Go down, sit in the dust,(HK)
Virgin Daughter(HL) Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
queen city of the Babylonians.[f](HM)
No more will you be called
tender or delicate.(HN)
2 Take millstones(HO) and grind(HP) flour;
take off your veil.(HQ)
Lift up your skirts,(HR) bare your legs,
and wade through the streams.
3 Your nakedness(HS) will be exposed
and your shame(HT) uncovered.
I will take vengeance;(HU)
I will spare no one.(HV)”
5 “Sit in silence,(IA) go into darkness,(IB)
queen city of the Babylonians;(IC)
no more will you be called
queen(ID) of kingdoms.(IE)
6 I was angry(IF) with my people
and desecrated my inheritance;(IG)
I gave them into your hand,(IH)
and you showed them no mercy.(II)
Even on the aged
you laid a very heavy yoke.
7 You said, ‘I am forever(IJ)—
the eternal queen!’(IK)
But you did not consider these things
or reflect(IL) on what might happen.(IM)
8 “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
lounging in your security(IN)
and saying to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.(IO)
I will never be a widow(IP)
or suffer the loss of children.’
9 Both of these will overtake you
in a moment,(IQ) on a single day:
loss of children(IR) and widowhood.(IS)
They will come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries(IT)
and all your potent spells.(IU)
10 You have trusted(IV) in your wickedness
and have said, ‘No one sees me.’(IW)
Your wisdom(IX) and knowledge mislead(IY) you
when you say to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
11 Disaster(IZ) will come upon you,
and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
will suddenly(JA) come upon you.
12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
and with your many sorceries,(JB)
which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
perhaps you will cause terror.
13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!(JC)
Let your astrologers(JD) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
let them save(JE) you from what is coming upon you.
14 Surely they are like stubble;(JF)
the fire(JG) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
from the power of the flame.(JH)
These are not coals for warmth;
this is not a fire to sit by.
15 That is all they are to you—
these you have dealt with
and labored(JI) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
there is not one that can save(JJ) you.
Stubborn Israel
48 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel(JK)
and come from the line of Judah,(JL)
you who take oaths(JM) in the name of the Lord(JN)
and invoke(JO) the God of Israel—
but not in truth(JP) or righteousness—
2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city(JQ)
and claim to rely(JR) on the God of Israel—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(JS)
3 I foretold the former things(JT) long ago,
my mouth announced(JU) them and I made them known;
then suddenly(JV) I acted, and they came to pass.
4 For I knew how stubborn(JW) you were;
your neck muscles(JX) were iron,
your forehead(JY) was bronze.
5 Therefore I told you these things long ago;
before they happened I announced(JZ) them to you
so that you could not say,
‘My images brought them about;(KA)
my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
6 You have heard these things; look at them all.
Will you not admit them?
“From now on I will tell you of new things,(KB)
of hidden things unknown to you.
7 They are created(KC) now, and not long ago;(KD)
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
‘Yes, I knew(KE) of them.’
8 You have neither heard nor understood;(KF)
from of old your ears(KG) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous(KH) you are;
you were called a rebel(KI) from birth.
9 For my own name’s sake(KJ) I delay my wrath;(KK)
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to destroy you completely.(KL)
10 See, I have refined(KM) you, though not as silver;
I have tested(KN) you in the furnace(KO) of affliction.
11 For my own sake,(KP) for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?(KQ)
I will not yield my glory to another.(KR)
Israel Freed
12 “Listen(KS) to me, Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:(KT)
I am he;(KU)
I am the first and I am the last.(KV)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(KW)
and my right hand spread out the heavens;(KX)
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.(KY)
14 “Come together,(KZ) all of you, and listen:
Which of the idols has foretold(LA) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(LB)
will carry out his purpose(LC) against Babylon;(LD)
his arm will be against the Babylonians.[g]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
yes, I have called(LE) him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed(LF) in his mission.
16 “Come near(LG) me and listen(LH) to this:
“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(LI)
at the time it happens, I am there.”
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(LM) the Holy One(LN) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches(LO) you what is best for you,
who directs(LP) you in the way(LQ) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention(LR) to my commands,
your peace(LS) would have been like a river,(LT)
your well-being(LU) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants(LV) would have been like the sand,(LW)
your children like its numberless grains;(LX)
their name would never be blotted out(LY)
nor destroyed from before me.”
20 Leave Babylon,
flee(LZ) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy(MA)
and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;(MB)
say, “The Lord has redeemed(MC) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst(MD) when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow(ME) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
and water gushed out.(MF)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.
- Isaiah 45:2 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him
- Isaiah 45:14 That is, the upper Nile region
- Isaiah 46:1 Or are but beasts and cattle
- Isaiah 47:1 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 5
- Isaiah 48:14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.