Yeshayah 44:6-48:11
Orthodox Jewish Bible
6 Thus saith Hashem Melech Yisroel, and His Go’el, Hashem Tzva’os; I am the Rishon, and I am the Acharon; and apart from Me there is no Elohim.
7 And who is like Me, who can preach as I do? Let him make it known and set it out in order before Me, since I appointed the Am Olam and the otiyyot (things to come, future things) and what is approaching, let them expound and make known in support of themselves.
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid; have not I proclaimed to thee long ago, and have made it known? Ye are even My edim. Is there Eloah apart from Me? And there is no Tzur. I know of none.
9 They that make a pesel are all of them tohu; and their chamudim (favorite [idols]) are worthless; and they [the idols] are their own edim; they [the idols] see not, nor know; so that they [the idol people] are put to shame.
10 Who hath formed el (g-d), or molded a pesel to no profit?
11 Behold, all its chaverim shall be ashamed; and the charashim (craftsmen), they are only adam; let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12 The charash barzel (ironsmith) with his ma’atzad (chizel) both worketh in the red-hot coals, and formeth it with hammers, and forgeth it with his zero’a ko’ach and also, he is hungry, and his ko’ach faileth; he drinketh no mayim, and grows faint.
13 The charash etzim (carpenter) stretcheth out his [measuring line]; he marketh it out with sered (red chalk); he worketh it with planes, and he marketh it out with a compass, and maketh it after the tavnit ish (pattern of a man), according to the tiferet adam; that it may stay inside the bais (idolatrous cult shrine).
14 He heweth down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he secureth for himself among the atzei ya’ar (trees of the forest); he planteth a pine, and geshem doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for an adam to burn; for he will take thereof, and warm himself; and also, he kindleth it, and baketh lechem; and also he maketh el (g-d), and boweth down in worship to it; he maketh it a pesel, and falleth down unto it.
16 He burneth half thereof in the eish; with the other half thereof he eateth basar; he roasteth roast meat, and is satisfied; and also, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I perceive ur (flame)!
17 And the shererit thereof he maketh el, even his pesel; he falleth down unto it, and boweth down in worship to it, and davens unto it, and saith, Save me; for thou art Eli!
18 They have no da’as nor binah; for their eyes [the eyes of the idol people] are smeared over, that they cannot see; and their levavot, that they cannot understand.
19 And none considereth in his lev, neither is there da’as nor tevunah (understanding, intelligence) to say, I have burned half of it in the eish; and, also I have baked lechem upon the hot coals thereof; I have roasted basar, and eaten it; and shall I make the rest thereof to’evah? Shall I bow down to the bul etz (product of a tree, i.e., a block of wood)?
20 He feedeth on efer (ash); a lev hutal (a heart deceived, a deluded mind) hath led him astray, that he cannot save his nefesh, nor say, Is there not sheker (a lie, a fraud) in my yamin (right hand)?
21 Remember these things, O Ya’akov and Yisroel; for thou art avdi; I have formed thee; thou art an eved to Me; O Yisroel, do not forget Me!
22 I have swept away thy peysha’im like a cloud, and like an anan, thy chattot; Shuva elai ki gealticha (return, turn back to Me, for I have redeemed thee).
23 Sing for joy, O ye Shomayim; for Hashem hath done it; shout, ye depths of the earth; break forth into singing, ye harim, O ya’ar (forest), and kol etz therein; for Hashem hath redeemed Ya’akov, and He will glorify Himself in Yisroel.
24 Thus saith Hashem, thy Go’el, and He that formed thee from the beten (womb), I am Hashem Oseh kol (the Maker of All); that stretcheth out Shomayim alone; that spreadeth out ha’aretz (the earth) by Myself;
25 That annuls the otot of the baddim (liars, false prophets), and maketh kosemim (diviners, soothsayers) into madmen; that turneth back chachamim, and maketh their da’as (knowledge, science) foolishness;
26 That confirmeth the davar of His eved, and fulfilleth the etza (prediction) of His malachim; that saith to Yerushalayim, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the towns of Yehudah, Ye shall be rebuilt, and I will raise up the ruins thereof:
27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy naharot;
28 That saith of Koresh (Cyrus), He is Ro’i (My Shepherd), and shall accomplish all My pleasure; even saying to Yerushalayim, Thou shalt be rebuilt; and to the Heikhal, Thy foundation shall be laid.
45 Thus saith Hashem to His Moshiach, to Koresh (Cyrus), whose yamin (right hand) I have taken hold of, to subdue Goyim before him; and the loins of melachim I ungird, to open before him the double doors and the she’arim (gates), that they may not continue shut;
2 I will go before thee, and make straight the crooked paths; I will break down the delatot nechoshet, and cut through their barzel (iron) bars;
3 And I will give thee the otzarot choshech, and hidden riches of mistarim (secret places) that thou mayest know that I, Hashem, Who call thee by thy shem (name), am Elohei Yisroel.
4 For the sake of avdi Ya’akov, and Yisroel My Bachir, I have even called thee by thy shem (name); I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me.
5 I am Hashem, and there is none other, there is no Elohim besides Me; I equipped thee, though thou hast not known Me;
6 That they may know from the rising of the shemesh, even to the ma’arav (west, setting place of the sun), that there is none apart from Me. I am Hashem, and there is no other [Elohim].
7 I form ohr, and create choshech; I make shalom, and create rah; I Hashem worketh all these things.
8 Cause [the rain] to trickle down, ye Shomayim, from above, and let the blue sky pour down tzedek; let eretz open, and let Yesha (salvation) blossom, and let tzedakah (righteousness) tatzmiach (spring up; Tzemach) together; I Hashem have created it.
9 Woe unto him that quarreleth with his Yotzera potsherd among the potsherds of adamah. Shall the chomer (clay) say to the Yotzer of it, What art Thou making? Or Thy po’al (work) hath no handles?
10 Woe unto him that saith unto his Av, What begettest thou? Or to the isha, What hast thou given birth to?
11 Thus saith Hashem, Kadosh Yisroel, and its Yotzer, Will ye ask Me of otiyyot (things to come, future things) concerning My banim, and will ye command Me regarding the po’al of My hands?
12 I made Eretz, and I created adam upon it; I, even My hands, have stretched out Shomayim, and all their tzeva have I commanded.
13 I have aroused him [Cyrus] in tzedek, and I will make straight all the darkhei of him; he shall rebuild my city, and he shall release of the Golus of Mine, not for price nor reward, saith Hashem Tzva’os.
14 Thus saith Hashem, The toil of Mitzrayim, and merchandise of Kush and of the Seva’im (Sabeans, those from Seba in Arabia), men of tall 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 cast themselves down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely El (G-d) is with thee; and there is none other, no other Elohim.
15 Verily Thou art El (G-d) that hidest Thyself, O Elohei Yisroel, Moshi’a.
16 They shall be put to shame, and also confounded, all of them; they shall go to confusion together that are charashei tzirim (crafters of images, idols).
17 But Yisroel shall be saved in Hashem with a Teshuat Olamim (an everlasting salvation); ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded ad olemei ad (for all eternity).
18 For thus saith Hashem Borei HaShomayim hu HaElohim Yotzer ha’aretz and its Maker; He hath established it, He created it not tohu (chaos), He formed it to be inhabited; I am Hashem; and there is no other [G-d].
19 I have not spoken baseter (in secret), in a makom eretz choshech; I said not unto the zera Ya’akov, Seek ye Me tohu (in chaos); I am Hashem, the One speaking tzedek, proclaiming meisharim (upright things).
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are fugitives escaped of the Goyim; they have no da’as (knowledge, rationality) that burden themselves with their etz pesel (wooden idol), the ones davening to an el lo yoshia (g-d who cannot save).
21 Declare ye, and approach; yes, let them take counsel together. Who hath made this known from mikedem (from olden time)? Who hath preached it from long ago? Have not I, Hashem? And there is no other Elohim besides Me: El Tzaddik and Moshi’a; there is none besides Me.
22 Turn unto Me, and be ye saved, kol afsei Eretz (all the ends of the Earth); I am El (G-d), and there is no other [G-d].
23 I have sworn by Myself, the Word has gone out of My mouth of tzedakah (righteousness), and shall not yashuv (return, be revoked), that unto Me kol berekh (every knee) shall bow, kol lashon (every tongue) shall swear.
24 Only in Hashem, it shall be said of Me, is tzedakot and oz; even to Him shall men come; and all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed.
25 Kol zera Yisroel shall yitzdeku (be justified, become righteous) and shall glory in Hashem.
46 Bel boweth down, Nevo stoopeth low, their atzabim (idols) were upon the beasts, and upon the behemah; your litters were heavy laden; they are a massa (burden) to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together; they [Bel and Nevo, g-ds of Babylon] could not save the massa (burden), but their own selves are gone into shevi (captivity, Golus).
3 Pay heed unto Me, O Bais Ya’akov, and kol She’erit Bais Yisroel, who are borne by Me from birth, who are carried from the rechem (womb);
4 And even to your ziknah (old age) I am He; and even to [your] gray hair will I carry you; I have made, and I will carry; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5 Lemi (to whom) will ye compare Me, and make Me equal, and liken Me, that we may be comparable?
6 They lavish zahav out of the bag, and weigh kesef on the scale, and hire a tzoref (goldsmith); and he maketh it El (G-d); they fall down, yes, they bow down in worship.
7 They bear him upon the katef (shoulder), they carry him, and set him up in his place, and he standeth; from his makom shall he not move; yes, though one shall cry out unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his tzoros.
8 Remember this, and stand firm; bring it again to lev (heart, mind), O ye poshe’im (rebelling, transgressing ones).
9 Remember the rishonot (former things) me’olam (of old); for I am El (G-d), and there is not another [G-d]; Elohim, and there is none like Me.
10 Making known acharim (end-times things) from reshit (the beginning), and mikedem (from ancient times) the things that have not yet happened, saying, My etza (counsel, purpose, plan) shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the mizrach (east), the ish that executeth My etza (counsel, purpose, plan) from a far country; yes, I have spoken it, I will indeed bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
12 Pay heed unto Me, ye abirei lev (stubborn of heart), that are far from tzedakah;
13 I bring near My tzedakah; it shall not be far off, and My Teshuah (Salvation) shall not tarry; and I will place Teshuah in Tziyon for Yisroel Tife’arti (My Glory).
47 Go down, and sit in the aphar, O Betulat Bat Bavel, sit on the ground; there is no kisse, O Bat Kasdim (Chaldeans); for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.
2 Take the millstones, and grind meal; uncover thy tzammah (hair, tresses) lift up thy shohvel (train, skirt), bare the thigh, pass over the neharot.
3 Thy ervat (nakedness) shall be exposed, yes, thy cherpah (shame, reproach) shall be seen; I will take nakam (vengeance) and I will not be as adam when I meet thee.
4 Go’aleinu, Hashem Tzva’os Shmo, Kadosh Yisroel.
5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into choshech, O Bat Kasdim (Chaldeans); for thou shalt no more be called, Geveret Mamlachot (The Lady of Kingdoms).
6 I was angry with My people, I have profaned Mine nachalah, and given them into thine yad; thou didst show them no rachamim (mercy); upon the zaken (ancient, old) hast thou very heavily laid thy ol (yoke).
7 And thou saidst, I shall be a Geveret ad l’olahm (Lady forever): so that thou didst not lay these things to thy lev, neither didst remember her [Babylon’s] acharit (latter end, i.e. future destruction).
8 Therefore hear now this, O adinah (voluptuous, wanton one) that dwellest lavetach (carelessly, in security), that sayest in her lev, I am, and none else besides me; I shall not live as an almanah, neither shall I know shechol (the loss of children, bereavement);
9 But these two things shall overtake thee in a rega (moment), in yom echad, shechol (the loss of children), and almon (widowhood); they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy kashefanut (sorceries, witchcraft) and for the otzmah (great abundance) of thine khavarim (spells, magic, enchantments).
10 For thou hast trusted in thy ra’ah (wickedness); thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy chochmah and thy da’as, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine lev, I am, and none else beside me.
11 Therefore shall ra’ah come upon thee; thou shalt not know its shachar (dawn, from whence it riseth); and tragedy will befall thee; thou shalt not be able to make kofer (ransom) to ward it off; and sho’ah (catastrophe) shall come upon thee pitom (suddenly), which thou shalt not foresee or know.
12 Stand now with thine khavarim (spells, magic, enchantments), and with the multitude of thy kashefanut (sorceries, witchcraft) wherein thou hast toiled from thy neurim; perhaps thou shalt be able to succeed, perhaps thou mayest cause terror.
13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy etzot (counsels). Let now stand up the hovrev Shomayim (the dissectors of the heavens, astrologers), the chozim bakochavim (stargazers), the ones that predict the future by Rosh Chodesh, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
14 Hinei, they shall be as kash (stubble, straw); the eish shall burn them; they shall not save their nefesh from the power of the flame; there shall not be a hot coal to warm them, nor eish to sit before.
15 Thus unto thee are they with whom thou hast toiled, who have been thy socharim (traffickers, i.e., religious practitioners) from thy neurim (youth); they shall wander about in their random exits; none shall act as Moshi’a to thee.
48 Hear ye this, O Bais Ya’akov, which are called b’shem Yisroel, and are come forth out of the waters of Yehudah, which take oaths b’Shem Hashem, and invoke Elohei Yisroel, but not in emes, nor in tzedakah.
2 For they call themselves of the Ir HaKodesh, and lean themselves upon Elohei Yisroel; Hashem Tzva’os Shmo.
3 I have declared the rishonot (former things) from long ago; and they went forth out of My mouth, and I made them known; I acted pitom (suddenly), and they came to pass.
4 Because I knew that thou art kesheh (obstinate, stubborn) and thy oref (neck) is sinew of barzel (iron), and thy metzach (brow, forehead) bronze;
5 I have even from long ago preached it to thee; before it came to pass I caused thee to hear it; lest thou shouldest say, Mine atzav (idol) hath done them, and my pesel, and my nesech (molten idol, metal image) hath commanded them.
6 Thou hast heard, look at all this; and will not ye preach it? I have caused thee to hear chadashot (new things) from this time, even netzurot (hidden things) and thou didst not know them.
7 Now they are created, and not from long ago; before today thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Hinei, I knew them.
8 Thou heardest not; thou had no da’as; from of old, thine ozen (ear) was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldest deal as a boged (treacherous betrayer), and thou wast called a poshei’a (rebel, transgressor) from the beten (womb, i.e., birth; See Ps 51:5).
9 Lema’an Shmi (for the sake of My Name) will I defer Mine anger, and for My tehillah (praise) will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
10 Hinei, I have refined thee, but not as kesef; I have chosen thee in the furnace of oni (affliction).
11 For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake will I do it; for how can I allow Chillul Hashem? And I will not give My kavod unto another.
Isaiah 44:6-48:11
New International Version
The Lord, Not Idols
6 “This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King(A) and Redeemer,(B) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(C)
apart from me there is no God.(D)
7 Who then is like me?(E) 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(F) what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim(G) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God(H) besides me?
No, there is no other Rock;(I) I know not one.”
9 All who make idols(J) are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.(K)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(L)
they are ignorant, to their own shame.(M)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(N)
which can profit nothing?(O)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(P)
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.(Q)
12 The blacksmith(R) 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.(S)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.(T)
13 The carpenter(U) 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,(V)
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.(W)
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,(X) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(Y) 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(Z) it;
he makes an idol and bows(AA) 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.(AB)”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.(AC)
He prays(AD) to it and says,
“Save(AE) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(AF) nothing;
their eyes(AG) 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(AH) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(AI)
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(AJ) thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(AK)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(AL) a deluded(AM) heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(AN)”
21 “Remember(AO) these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.(AP)
I have made you, you are my servant;(AQ)
Israel, I will not forget you.(AR)
22 I have swept away(AS) your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return(AT) to me,
for I have redeemed(AU) you.”
23 Sing for joy,(AV) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth(AW) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,(AX)
you forests and all your trees,(AY)
for the Lord has redeemed(AZ) Jacob,
he displays his glory(BA) in Israel.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,(BE)
who spreads out the earth(BF) by myself,
25 who foils(BG) the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,(BH)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(BI)
and turns it into nonsense,(BJ)
26 who carries out the words(BK) of his servants
and fulfills(BL) the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem,(BM) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins,(BN) ‘I will restore them,’(BO)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up(BP) your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus,(BQ) ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(BR) “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple,(BS) “Let its foundations(BT) be laid.”’
45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(BU)
to Cyrus,(BV) whose right hand I take hold(BW) of
to subdue nations(BX) 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(BY)
and will level(BZ) the mountains[a];
I will break down gates(CA) of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.(CB)
3 I will give you hidden treasures,(CC)
riches stored in secret places,(CD)
so that you may know(CE) that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(CF)
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,(CG)
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge(CH) me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;(CI)
apart from me there is no God.(CJ)
I will strengthen you,(CK)
though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting(CL)
people may know(CM) there is none besides me.(CN)
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,(CO)
I bring prosperity and create disaster;(CP)
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8 “You heavens above, rain(CQ) down my righteousness;(CR)
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation(CS) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to those who quarrel(CT) with their Maker,(CU)
those who are nothing but potsherds(CV)
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(CW)
‘What are you making?’(CX)
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?(CY)
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(CZ) of Israel, and its Maker:(DA)
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?(DB)
12 It is I who made the earth(DC)
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(DD)
I marshaled their starry hosts.(DE)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[b](DF) in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.(DG)
He will rebuild my city(DH)
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(DI)
says the Lord Almighty.”
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The products(DJ) of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[c]
and those tall Sabeans(DK)—
they will come over to you(DL)
and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,(DM)
coming over to you in chains.(DN)
They will bow down before you
and plead(DO) with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you,(DP) and there is no other;
there is no other god.(DQ)’”
15 Truly you are a God who has been hiding(DR) himself,
the God and Savior(DS) of Israel.
16 All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;(DT)
they will go off into disgrace together.
17 But Israel will be saved(DU) by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation;(DV)
you will never be put to shame or disgraced,(DW)
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,(DX)
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,(DY)
but formed it to be inhabited(DZ)—
he says:
“I am the Lord,
and there is no other.(EA)
19 I have not spoken in secret,(EB)
from somewhere in a land of darkness;(EC)
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,(ED)
‘Seek(EE) me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.(EF)
20 “Gather together(EG) and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant(EH) are those who carry(EI) about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.(EJ)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(EK) this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?(EL)
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,(EM)
a righteous God(EN) and a Savior;(EO)
there is none but me.
22 “Turn(EP) to me and be saved,(EQ)
all you ends of the earth;(ER)
for I am God, and there is no other.(ES)
23 By myself I have sworn,(ET)
my mouth has uttered in all integrity(EU)
a word that will not be revoked:(EV)
Before me every knee will bow;(EW)
by me every tongue will swear.(EX)
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance(EY) and strength.(EZ)’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.(FA)
25 But all the descendants(FB) of Israel
will find deliverance(FC) in the Lord
and will make their boast in him.(FD)
Gods of Babylon
46 Bel(FE) bows down, Nebo stoops low;
their idols(FF) are borne by beasts of burden.[d]
The images that are carried(FG) 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.(FH)
3 “Listen(FI) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all the remnant(FJ) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,(FK)
and have carried(FL) since you were born.(FM)
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs(FN)
I am he,(FO) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain(FP) 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?(FQ)
6 Some pour out gold from their bags
and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith(FR) to make it into a god,
and they bow down and worship it.(FS)
7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry(FT) it;
they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
From that spot it cannot move.(FU)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;(FV)
it cannot save(FW) them from their troubles.
8 “Remember(FX) this, keep it in mind,
take it to heart, you rebels.(FY)
9 Remember the former things,(FZ) those of long ago;(GA)
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.(GB)
10 I make known the end from the beginning,(GC)
from ancient times,(GD) what is still to come.(GE)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,(GF)
and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon(GG) a bird of prey;(GH)
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned,(GI) that I will do.(GJ)
12 Listen(GK) to me, you stubborn-hearted,(GL)
you who are now far from my righteousness.(GM)
13 I am bringing my righteousness(GN) near,
it is not far away;
and my salvation(GO) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,(GP)
my splendor(GQ) to Israel.
The Fall of Babylon
47 “Go down, sit in the dust,(GR)
Virgin Daughter(GS) Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
queen city of the Babylonians.[e](GT)
No more will you be called
tender or delicate.(GU)
2 Take millstones(GV) and grind(GW) flour;
take off your veil.(GX)
Lift up your skirts,(GY) bare your legs,
and wade through the streams.
3 Your nakedness(GZ) will be exposed
and your shame(HA) uncovered.
I will take vengeance;(HB)
I will spare no one.(HC)”
5 “Sit in silence,(HH) go into darkness,(HI)
queen city of the Babylonians;(HJ)
no more will you be called
queen(HK) of kingdoms.(HL)
6 I was angry(HM) with my people
and desecrated my inheritance;(HN)
I gave them into your hand,(HO)
and you showed them no mercy.(HP)
Even on the aged
you laid a very heavy yoke.
7 You said, ‘I am forever(HQ)—
the eternal queen!’(HR)
But you did not consider these things
or reflect(HS) on what might happen.(HT)
8 “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
lounging in your security(HU)
and saying to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.(HV)
I will never be a widow(HW)
or suffer the loss of children.’
9 Both of these will overtake you
in a moment,(HX) on a single day:
loss of children(HY) and widowhood.(HZ)
They will come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries(IA)
and all your potent spells.(IB)
10 You have trusted(IC) in your wickedness
and have said, ‘No one sees me.’(ID)
Your wisdom(IE) and knowledge mislead(IF) you
when you say to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
11 Disaster(IG) 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(IH) come upon you.
12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
and with your many sorceries,(II)
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!(IJ)
Let your astrologers(IK) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
let them save(IL) you from what is coming upon you.
14 Surely they are like stubble;(IM)
the fire(IN) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
from the power of the flame.(IO)
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(IP) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
there is not one that can save(IQ) you.
Stubborn Israel
48 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel(IR)
and come from the line of Judah,(IS)
you who take oaths(IT) in the name of the Lord(IU)
and invoke(IV) the God of Israel—
but not in truth(IW) or righteousness—
2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city(IX)
and claim to rely(IY) on the God of Israel—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(IZ)
3 I foretold the former things(JA) long ago,
my mouth announced(JB) them and I made them known;
then suddenly(JC) I acted, and they came to pass.
4 For I knew how stubborn(JD) you were;
your neck muscles(JE) were iron,
your forehead(JF) was bronze.
5 Therefore I told you these things long ago;
before they happened I announced(JG) them to you
so that you could not say,
‘My images brought them about;(JH)
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,(JI)
of hidden things unknown to you.
7 They are created(JJ) now, and not long ago;(JK)
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
‘Yes, I knew(JL) of them.’
8 You have neither heard nor understood;(JM)
from of old your ears(JN) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous(JO) you are;
you were called a rebel(JP) from birth.
9 For my own name’s sake(JQ) I delay my wrath;(JR)
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to destroy you completely.(JS)
10 See, I have refined(JT) you, though not as silver;
I have tested(JU) you in the furnace(JV) of affliction.
11 For my own sake,(JW) for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?(JX)
I will not yield my glory to another.(JY)
Footnotes
- 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
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