1 Y et now hear, O Jacob, My servant and Israel, whom I have chosen.

“But now listen, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen:

2 T hus says the Lord, Who made you and formed you from the womb, Who will help you: Fear not, O Jacob, My servant, and you Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, ‘ Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

3 F or I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit upon your offspring, and My blessing upon your descendants.

‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;

4 A nd they shall spring up among the grass like willows or poplars by the watercourses.

And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.’

5 O ne will say, I am the Lord’s; and another will call himself by the name of Jacob; and another will write upon his hand, I am the Lord’s, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

“This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s ’; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the Lord,’ And will name Israel’s name with honor.

6 T hus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.

7 W ho is like Me? Let him proclaim it, declare it, and set in order before Me, since I made and established the people of antiquity. the things that are coming? Then let them declare yet future things.

‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place.

8 F ear not, nor be afraid; have I not told it to you from of old and declared it? And you are My witnesses! Is there a God besides Me? There is no Rock; I know not any.

‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it ? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’” The Folly of Idolatry

9 A ll who make graven idols are confusion, chaos, and worthlessness. Their objects (idols) in which they delight do not profit them, and their own witnesses (worshipers) do not see or know, so that they are put to shame.

Those who fashion 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 put to shame.

10 W ho is to fashion a god or cast a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit?

11 B ehold, all his fellows shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen, they are but men. Let them all be gathered together, let them stand forth; they shall be terrified, they shall be put to shame together.

Behold, all his companions will be 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 T he ironsmith sharpens and uses a chisel and works it over the coals; he shapes with hammers and forges it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.

The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

13 T he carpenter stretches out a line, he marks it out with a pencil or red ocher; he fashions with planes and marks it out with the compasses; and he shapes it to have the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, that it may dwell in a house.

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 man, so that it may sit in a house.

14 H e hews for himself cedars, and takes the holm tree and the oak and lets them grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest; he plants a fir tree or an ash, and the rain nourishes it.

Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow.

15 T hen it becomes fuel for a man to burn; a part of it he takes and warms himself, yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. he also makes a god and worships it! He makes it into a graven image and falls down and worships it!

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 makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it.

16 H e burns part of the wood in the fire; with part of it he eats flesh, he roasts meat and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire!

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 A nd from what is left he makes a god, his graven idol. He falls down to it, he worships it and prays to it and says, Deliver me, for you are my god!

But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”

18 T hey do not know or understand, for their eyes God has let become besmeared so that they cannot see, and their minds as well so that they cannot understand.

They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.

19 A nd no one considers in his mind, nor has he knowledge and understanding to say, I have burned part of this log in the fire, and also I have baked bread on its coals and have roasted meat and eaten it. And shall I make the remainder of it into an abomination ? Shall I fall down and worship the stock of a tree ?

No one recalls, nor is there 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 I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!”

20 T hat kind of man feeds on ashes! A deluded mind has led him astray, so that he cannot release and save himself, or ask, Is not in my right hand a lie?

He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “ Is there not a lie in my right hand?” God Forgives and Redeems

21 R emember these things, O Jacob, O Israel, for you are My servant! I formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you shall not be forgotten by Me.

“ Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

22 I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions, and like a cloud your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

“I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

23 S ing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, you depths of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and He glorifies Himself in Israel.

Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the Lord has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory.

24 T hus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He Who formed you from the womb: I am the Lord, Who made all things, Who alone stretched out the heavens, Who spread out the earth by Myself ?—

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,

25 W ho frustrates the signs and confounds the omens of the liars and makes fools of diviners, Who turns the wise backward and makes their knowledge foolishness,

Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

26 W ho confirms the word of His servant and performs the counsel of His messengers, Who says of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited, and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins,

Confirming the word of His servant And performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘ They shall be built.’ And I will raise up her ruins again.

27 W ho says to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers,

“ It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’ And I will make your rivers dry.

28 W ho says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd (ruler), and he shall perform all My pleasure and fulfill all My purpose—even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built, and of the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.

“ It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘ He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘ She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘ Your foundation will be laid.’”