Isaiah 44

1And now, give ear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have taken for myself:

1And now, hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have fixed on:

2The Lord who made you, forming you in your mother's body, the Lord, your helper, says, Have no fear, O Jacob my servant, and you, Jeshurun, whom I have taken for myself.

2Thus said Jehovah, thy Maker, and thy Former, From the womb He doth help thee; Fear not, my servant Jacob, And Jeshurun, whom I have fixed on.

3For I will send water on the land needing it, and streams on the dry earth: I will let my spirit come down on your seed, and my blessing on your offspring.

3For I pour waters on a thirsty one, And floods on a dry land, I pour My Spirit on thy seed, And My blessing on thine offspring.

4And they will come up like grass in a well-watered field, like water-plants by the streams.

4And they have sprung up as among grass, As willows by streams of water.

5One will say, I am the Lord's; and another will give himself the name, Jacob; another will put a mark on his hand, I am the Lord's, and another will take the name of Israel for himself.

5This <FI>one<Fi> saith, For Jehovah I <FI>am<Fi> , And this calleth <FI>himself<Fi> by the name of Jacob, And this <FI>one<Fi> writeth <FI>with<Fi> his hand, `For Jehovah,' and by the name of Israel surnameth himself.

6The Lord, the King of Israel, even the Lord of armies who has taken up his cause, says, I am the first and the last, and there is no God but me.

6Thus said Jehovah, king of Israel, And his Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts: `I <FI>am<Fi> the first, and I the last, And besides Me there is no God.

7If there is one like me, let him come forward and say it, let him make it clear and put it in order before me: who has made clear in the past the things to come? let him make clear the future to me.

7And who as I, doth call and declare it, And arrange it for Me, Since My placing the people of antiquity, And things that are coming, And those that do come, declare they to them?

8Have no fear, be strong in heart; have I not made it clear to you in the past, and let you see it? and you are my witnesses. Is there any God but me, or a Rock of whom I have no knowledge?

8Fear not, nor be afraid, Have I not from that time caused thee to hear, and declared? And ye <FI>are<Fi> My witnesses, Is there a God besides Me? yea, there is none, A Rock I have not known.

9Those who make a pictured image are all of them as nothing, and the things of their desire will be of no profit to them: and their servants see not, and have no knowledge; so they will be put to shame.

9Framers of a graven image <FI>are<Fi> all of them emptiness, And their desirable things do not profit, And their own witnesses they <FI>are<Fi> , They see not, nor know, that they may be ashamed.

10Whoever makes a god, makes nothing but a metal image in which there is no profit.

10Who hath formed a god, And a molten image poured out--not profitable?

11Truly, all those who make use of secret arts will be put to shame, and their words of power are only words of men: let them all come forward together; they will all be in fear and be put to shame.

11Lo, all his companions are ashamed, As to artisans--they <FI>are<Fi> of men, All of them gather together, they stand up, They fear, they are ashamed together.

12The iron-worker is heating the metal in the fire, giving it form with his hammers, and working on it with his strong arm: then for need of food his strength gives way, and for need of water he becomes feeble.

12He hath wrought iron <FI>with<Fi> an axe, And hath wrought with coals, And with hammers doth form it, And doth work it by his powerful arm, Yea, he is hungry, and there is no power, He doth not drink water, and he is wearied.

13The woodworker is measuring out the wood with his line, marking it out with his pencil: after smoothing it with his plane, and making circles on it with his instrument, he gives it the form and glory of a man, so that it may be placed in the house.

13He hath wrought <FI>with<Fi> wood, He hath stretched out a rule, He doth mark it out with a line, He maketh it with carving tools, And with a compass he marketh it out, And maketh it according to the form of a man, According to the beauty of a man, To remain in the house.

14He has cedars cut down for himself, he takes an oak and lets it get strong among the trees of the wood; he has an ash-tree planted, and the rain gives it growth.

14Cutting down to himself cedars, He taketh also a cypress, and an oak, And he strengtheneth <FI>it<Fi> for himself Among the trees of a forest, He hath planted an ash, and the shower doth nourish <FI>it<Fi> .

15Then it will be used to make a fire, so that a man may get warm; he has the oven heated with it and makes bread: he makes a god with it, to which he gives worship: he makes a pictured image out of it, and goes down on his face before it.

15And it hath been for man to burn, And he taketh of them, and becometh warm, Yea, he kindleth <FI>it<Fi> , and hath baked bread, Yea, he maketh a god, and boweth himself, He hath made it a graven image, And he falleth down to it.

16With part of it he makes a fire, and on the fire he gets meat cooked and takes a full meal: he makes himself warm, and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire:

16Half of it he hath burnt in the fire, By <FI>this<Fi> half of it he eateth flesh, He roasteth a roasting, and is satisfied, Yea, he is warm, and saith: `Aha, I have become warm, I have enjoyed the light.

17And the rest of it he makes into a god, even his pictured image: he goes down on his face before it, giving worship to it, and making prayer to it, saying, Be my saviour; for you are my god.

17And its remnant for a god he hath made--For his graven image, He falleth down to it, and worshippeth, And prayeth unto it, and he saith, `Deliver me, for my god thou <FI>art<Fi> .'

18They have no knowledge or wisdom; for he has put a veil over their eyes, so that they may not see; and on their hearts, so that they may not give attention.

18They have not known, nor do they understand, For He hath daubed their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely.

19And no one takes note, no one has enough knowledge or wisdom to say, I have put part of it in the fire, and made bread on it; I have had a meal of the flesh cooked with it: and am I now to make the rest of it into a false god? am I to go down on my face before a bit of wood?

19And none doth turn <FI>it<Fi> back unto his heart, Nor hath knowledge nor understanding to say, `Half of it I have burned in the fire, Yea, also, I have baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And its remnant for an abomination I make, To the stock of a tree I fall down.'

20As for him whose food is the dust of a dead fire, he has been turned from the way by a twisted mind, so that he is unable to keep himself safe by saying, What I have here in my hand is false.

20Feeding on ashes, the heart is deceived, It hath turned him aside, And he delivereth not his soul, nor saith: `Is there not a lie in my right hand?'

21Keep these things in mind, O Jacob; and you Israel, for you are my servant: I have made you; you are my servant; O Israel, I will not let you go out of my memory.

21Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, For My servant thou <FI>art<Fi> , I formed thee, a servant to Me thou <FI>art<Fi> , O Israel, thou dost not forget Me.

22I have put your evil doings out of my mind like a thick cloud, and your sins like a mist: come back to me; for I have taken up your cause.

22I have blotted out, as <FI>by<Fi> a thick cloud, Thy transgressions, And as <FI>by<Fi> a cloud thy sins, Return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee.

23Make a song, O heavens, for the Lord has done it: give a loud cry, you deep parts of the earth: let your voices be loud in song, you mountains, and you woods with all your trees: for the Lord has taken up the cause of Jacob, and will let his glory be seen in Israel.

23Sing, O heavens, for Jehovah hath wrought, Shout, O lower parts of earth, Break forth, O mountains, with singing, Forest, and every tree in it, For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, And in Israel He doth beautify Himself.

24The Lord, who has taken up your cause, and who gave you life in your mother's body, says, I am the Lord who makes all things; stretching out the heavens by myself, and giving the earth its limits; who was with me?

24Thus said Jehovah, thy redeemer, And thy framer from the womb: `I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah, doing all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, Spreading out the earth--who <FI>is<Fi> with Me?

25Who makes the signs of those who give word of the future come to nothing, so that those who have knowledge of secret arts go off their heads; turning the wise men back, and making their knowledge foolish:

25Making void the tokens of devisers, And diviners it maketh mad, Turning the wise backward, And their knowledge it maketh foolish.

26Who makes the word of his servants certain, and gives effect to the purposes of his representatives; who says of Jerusalem, Her people will come back to her; and of the towns of Judah, I will give orders for their building, and will make her waste places fertile again:

26Confirming the word of His servant, The counsel of His messengers it perfecteth, Who is saying of Jerusalem, She is inhabited, And of cities of Judah, They shall be built, and her wastes I raise up,

27Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will make your rivers dry:

27Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and thy rivers I cause to dry up,

28Who says of Cyrus, He will take care of my sheep, and will do all my pleasure: who says of Jerusalem, I will give the word for your building; and of the Temple, Your bases will be put in place.

28Who is saying of Cyrus, My shepherd, And all my delight He doth perfect, So as to say of Jerusalem, Thou art built, And of the temple, Thou art founded.