Isaiah 44

1Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, who I have chosen:

1But now listen, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.

2Thus saith Jehovah that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

2This is what the LORD says—the one who made you, who formed you in the womb and will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, and Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

3For I will pour water on the thirsty land and flowing streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your children.

4and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.

4They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like willow trees beside streams of water.

5One shall say, I am Jehovah’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto Jehovah, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

5One person will say, 'I belong to the LORD'; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; and another will write on his hand, 'The LORD’s,' and take the name of Israel for himself.

6Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.

6This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: I am the First and I am the Last; there is no God but me.

7And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass, let them declare.

7Who is like me? Let him stand up and speak. Let him announce what has happened since I established my ancient people and tell what is yet to come. Let them tell us what will happen in the future.

8Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not declared unto thee of old, and showed it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no Rock; I know not any.

8Do not tremble or be afraid. Haven't I told you and predicted this long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I do not know of any.

9They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know: that they may be put to shame.

9Those who make idols are all nothing. The things they value so much are worthless. Their own witnesses are blind and ignorant, which brings them to shame.

10Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?

10Who would shape a god or cast a metal image that can't help at all?

11Behold, all his fellows shall be put to shame; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together.

11All who worship it will be put to shame. The craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all stand together in court; they will be terrified and disgraced.

12The smithmakethan axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint.

12The blacksmith takes a tool and works it over the coals. He shapes the metal with hammers, working with his strong arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows tired.

13The carpenter stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with a pencil; he shapeth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasses, and shapeth it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.

13The carpenter measures with a line and marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He makes it into the shape of a man, with human beauty, so it can sit in a shrine.

14He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the holm-tree and the oak, and strengtheneth for himself one among the trees of the forest: he planteth a fir-tree, and the rain doth nourish it.

14He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress or an oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest, or plants a cedar and the rain makes it grow.

15Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread: yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

15Then it becomes fuel for a person to burn. He takes some of it to keep himself warm; he starts a fire to bake bread. But he also takes part of it to make a god and worships it; he makes it into an idol and bows down to it.

16He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied; yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.

16He burns half of the wood in the fire to roast meat. He eats the roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, 'Ah! I am warm; I can see the fire.'

17And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image; he falleth down unto it and worshippeth, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.

17From the rest of the wood he makes a god, his carved idol. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, 'Save me, for you are my god.'

18They know not, neither do they consider: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

18Such people know nothing and understand nothing. Their eyes are closed so they cannot see, and their minds are shut so they cannot understand.

19And none calleth to mind, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?

19No one stops to think; no one has the knowledge or sense to say, 'I burned half of this in the fire and baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and ate it. Should I make the rest of it into something disgusting? Should I bow down to a block of wood?'

20He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

20He is feeding on ashes. A confused mind has led him off the path. He cannot save himself or say, 'Isn't this thing in my right hand a lie?'

21Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

21Remember these things, Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant. I made you to be my servant; Israel, I will never forget you.

22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

22I have swept away your offenses like a thick cloud and your sins like the morning mist. Come back to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.

23Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.

23Sing for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done this! Shout aloud, you depths of the earth! Burst into song, you mountains and forests with all your trees! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob; he shows his glory in Israel.

24Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah, that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth (who is with me?);

24This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who made everything. I alone stretched out the heavens; I spread out the earth by myself.

25that frustrateth the signs of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

25I frustrate the omens of false prophets and make fools of those who practice magic. I trap the wise in their own logic and turn their knowledge into nonsense.

26that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof;

26I carry out the predictions of my servants and fulfill the plans of my messengers. I say of Jerusalem, 'People will live there again,' and of the towns of Judah, 'They will be rebuilt and I will restore their ruins.'

27that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers;

27I am the one who says to the deep ocean, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers.'

28That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

28I am the one who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will do everything I want.' He will say of Jerusalem, 'Let it be rebuilt,' and of the Temple, 'Let its foundations be laid.'