44:1 But now hear, Jacob my servant; and
Israel, whom I have chosen.
44:2 Thus saith Yehovah Elohim that made thee, and he that formed thee from
the womb; Thou shalt yet be helped: fear not, my servant Jacob; and beloved
Israel, whom I have chosen.
44:3 For I will give water to the thirsty that walk in a dry land: I will
put my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessings upon thy children:
44:4 and they shall spring up as grass between brooks, and as willows on
[the banks of] running water.
44:5 One shall say, I am Elohim's; and another shall call himself by the name
of Jacob; and another shall write with his hand, I am Elohim's, and shall call
himself by the name of Israel.
44:6 Thus saith Elohim the King of Israel, and the Elohim of hosts that delivered
him; I am the first, and I am hereafter: beside me there is no Elohim.
44:7 Who is like me? let him stand, and call, and declare, and prepare for
me from the time that I made man for ever; and let them tell you the things
that are coming before they arrive.
44:8 Hide not yourselves, nor go astray: have ye not heard from the
beginning, and [have not] I told you? ye are witnesses if there is a Elohim
beside me.
44:9 But they that framed [false gods] did not then hearken; and they that
graved [images] are all vain, performing their own desires, which shall not
profit them, but they shall be ashamed
44:10 that form a god, and all that grave worthless things:
44:11 and all by whom they were made are withered: yea, let all the deaf be
gathered from [among] men, and let them stand together; and let them be
ashamed and confounded together:
44:12 For the artificer sharpens the iron; he fashions [the idol] with an
axe, and fixes it with an awl, and fashions it with the strength of his arm:
and he will be hungry and weak, and will drink no water.
44:13 The artificer having chosen a piece of wood, marks it out with a rule,
and fits it with glue, and makes it as the form of a man, and as the beauty
of a man, to set it up in the house.
44:14 He cuts wood out of the forest, which Yehovah planted, [even] a pine
tree, and the rain made it grow,
44:15 that it might be for men to burn: and having taken part of it he warms
himself; yea, they burn part of it, and bake loaves thereon; and [of] the
rest they make for themselves gods, and they worship them.
44:16 Half thereof he burns in the fire, and with half of it he bakes loaves
on the coals; and having roasted flesh on it he eats, and is satisfied, and
having warmed himself he says, I am comfortable, for I have warmed myself,
and have seen the fire.
44:17 And the rest he makes a graven god, and worships, and prays, saying,
Deliver me; for thou art my Elohim.
44:18 They have no understanding to perceive; for they have been blinded so
that they should not see with their eyes, nor perceive with their heart.
44:19 And one has not considered in his mind, nor known in his
understanding, that he has burnt up half of it in the fire, and baked loaves
on the coals thereof and has roasted and eaten flesh, and of the rest of it
he has made an abomination, and they worship it.
44:20 Know thou that their heart is ashes, and they err, and no one is able
to deliver his soul: see, ye will not say, [There is a] lie in my right
hand.
44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant; I
have formed thee [to be] my servant: and do thou, Israel, not forget me.
44:22 For behold, I have blotted out as a cloud thy transgressions, and thy
sin as darkness: turn to me, and I will redeem thee.
44:23 Rejoice, ye heavens; for Elohim has had mercy upon Israel: sound the
trumpet, ye foundations of the earth: ye mountains, shout [with] joy, ye
hills, and all the trees therein: for Elohim has redeemed Jacob, and Israel
shall be glorified.
44:24 Thus saith Yehovah that redeems thee, and who formed thee from the
womb, I am Yehovah that performs all things: I stretched out the heaven
alone, and established the earth.
44:25 Who else will frustrate the tokens of those that have divining
spirits, and prophecies from the heart of [man]? turning the wise back, and
making their counsel foolishness;
44:26 and confirming the word of his servant, and verifying the counsel of
his messengers: who says to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the
cities of Idumea, Ye shall be built, and her desert places shall spring
forth.
44:27 Who says to the deep, Thou shalt be dried up, and I will dry up the
rivers.
44:28 Who bids Cyrus be wise, and he shall perform all my will: who says to
Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and I will lay the foundation of my holy
house. |
44:1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and
Israel, whom I have chosen:
44:2 Thus saith Yehovah that made thee, and formed thee from the womb,
which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom
I have chosen.
44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry
ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine
offspring:
44:4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water
courses.
44:5 One shall say, I am Yehovah's; and another shall call himself by the
name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto Yehovah, and
surname himself by the name of Israel.
44:6 Thus saith Yehovah the King of Israel, and his redeemer Yehovah of
hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no Elohim.
44:7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall 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 shew unto them.
44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time,
and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a Elohim beside me?
yea, there is no Elohim; I know not any.
44:9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their
delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they
see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
44:10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for
nothing?
44:11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of
men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall
fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
44:12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it
with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is
hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
44:13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line;
he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and
maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that
it may remain in the house.
44:14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which
he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an
ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
44:15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm
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.
44:16 He 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:
44:17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he
falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith,
Deliver me; for thou art my god.
44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that
they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
44:19 And none considereth in his heart, 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?
44:20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he
cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
44:21 Remember these, 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.
44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a
cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
44:23 Sing, O ye heavens; for Yehovah hath done it: shout, ye lower parts
of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every
tree therein: for Yehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in
Israel.
44:24 Thus saith Yehovah, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the
womb, I am Yehovah that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the
heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
44:25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad;
that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
44:26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of
his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the
cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places
thereof:
44:27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my
pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple,
Thy foundation shall be laid. |