God’s Blessing on Israel
1 “Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant,
And Israel whom I have chosen.
2 Thus says theLordwho made you
And formed you from the womb,whowill help you:
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant;
And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring;
4 They will spring up among the grass
Like willows by the watercourses.’
5 One will say, ‘IamtheLord’s’;
Another will callhimselfby the name of Jacob;
Another will writewithhis hand, ‘TheLord’s,’
And namehimselfby the name of Israel.
There Is No Other God
6 “Thus says theLord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, theLordof hosts:
# ‘Iamthe First and Iamthe Last;
Besides Methereisno God.
7 Andwho can proclaim as I do?
Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me,
Since I appointed the ancient people.
And the things that are coming and shall come,
Let them show these to them.
8 Do not fear, nor be afraid;
# Have I not told you from that time, and declaredit?
# YouareMy witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
# Indeedthereisno other Rock;
I know notone.’ ”
Idolatry Is Foolishness
9 Those who make an image, all of themareuseless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
Theyaretheir own witnesses;
# They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who would form a god or mold an image
# Thatprofits him nothing?
11 Surely all his companions would beashamed;
And the workmen, theyaremere men.
Let them all be gathered together,
Let them stand up;
Yet they shall fear,
They shall be ashamed together.
12 The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals,
Fashions it with hammers,
And works it with the strength of his arms.
Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails;
He drinks no water and is faint.
13 The craftsman stretches outhisrule,
He marks one out with chalk;
He fashions it with a plane,
He marks it out with the compass,
And makes it like the figure of a man,
According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He securesitfor himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishesit.
15 Then it shall be for a man to burn,
For he will take some of it and warm himself;
Yes, he kindlesitand bakes bread;
Indeed he makes a god and worshipsit;
He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warmshimselfand says,
“Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worshipsit,
Prays to it and says,
“Deliver me, for youaremy god!”
18 They do not know nor understand;
# ForHe has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see,
# Andtheir hearts, so that they cannotunderstand.
19 And no oneconsiders in his heart,
Noristhereknowledge nor understanding to say,
“I have burned half of it in the fire,
Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals;
I have roasted meat and eatenit;
And shall I make the rest of it an abomination?
Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”
20 He feeds on ashes;
# A deceived heart has turned him aside;
And he cannot deliver his soul,
# Nor say, “Istherenot alie in my right hand?”
Israel Is Not Forgotten
21 “Remember these, O Jacob,
And Israel, for youareMy servant;
I have formed you, youareMy servant;
# O Israel, you will not beforgotten by Me!
22 I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions,
And like a cloud, your sins.
# Return to Me, forI have redeemed you.”
23 Sing, O heavens, for theLordhas doneit!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For theLordhas redeemed Jacob,
# Andglorified Himself in Israel.
Judah Will Be Restored
24 Thus says theLord,your Redeemer,
# AndHe who formed you from the womb:
“IamtheLord, who makes allthings,
# Who stretches out the heavens all alone,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
25 Whofrustrates the signsof the babblers,
And drives diviners mad;
Who turns wise men backward,
# And makes their knowledge foolishness;
26 Who confirms the word of His servant,
And performs the counsel of His messengers;
Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’
To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’
And I will raise up her waste places;
27 Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry!
And I will dry up your rivers’;
28 Who says ofCyrus, ‘HeisMy shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
# Saying to Jerusalem,“You shall be built,”
And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’