Isaiah Chapter 44
1 “But listen now, Jacob my servant,
Israel my chosen one.
2 This is what the LORD says who created you
and formed you from the womb,
who will help you:
‘Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun my chosen one.
3 As I’ll pour out water on thirsty ground
to make streams on desert land,
I’ll also pour out my Spirit on your offspring
and bless your descendants;
4 they’ll thrive like well-watered grass,
like poplars beside streams.
5 This one will say, “I belong to the LORD”;
that one will wear Jacob’s name;
others will write on their hand, “Belonging to the LORD,”
and name Israel’s God with honor.’”
Is 44:1-5
The Folly of Idols
6 This is what the King of Israel says,
its Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts,
“I’m the first and last;
there’s no God but me.
7 Who is like me? Speak up;
recount things to me in sequence
from the time I created this ancient nation;
then tell that nation what’s going to happen to them.
8 Don’t tremble in fear;
haven’t I announced it to you long ago?
You’re my witnesses.
Is there any God but me?
Is there any other Rock?
I don’t know of a one.”
Is 44:6-8
9 Those who carve idols don’t accomplish anything because their precious objects can’t do anything. Their worshippers don’t know that; so they’ll be put to shame. 10 Who but fools make their own gods and then worship them? 11 The craftsmen are mere mortals. They’ll all gather with the worshipers, take their stand, and go down in terror and infamy.
12 A blacksmith shapes iron into a cutting tool over coals in his forge. He beats it with hammers till he gets hungry and weak, thirsty and tired. 13 Then a carver shapes a block of wood, stretches out a measuring line on it, and draws a pattern on it with red chalk. He works it with chisels and planes to look like a beautiful human figure to set in a little shrine in somebody’s house. 14 He cuts down a cedar, takes a cypress or oak, and plants a fir tree in the woods, and the rain makes it grow. 15-16 It becomes something he can burn. So he burns half of it to warm himself up and say “Ah, I’m warm; the heat feels good.” Or he bakes bread and eats a roast and is satisfied. 17 He carves the other half into an image, his god. He falls down to it, worships it, and prays to it, “Deliver me, my god.”
Is 44:9-17
18 They don’t understand because God has glazed over their eyes so they can’t see, and closed their minds so they can’t think. 19 The one that made it doesn’t stop to reflect,
“I burned half of it to bake bread and roast meat;
I worshiped the other half!”
20 He eats ashes and trusts something that can’t help him. He doesn’t ask, “Am I holding something fake in my hand?”
Restoration for Jerusalem
21 “Remember, Jacob and Israel; you’re my servant;
I made you; I won’t forget you.
22 I’ve wiped out your transgressions like a dark cloud,
your sins like a heavy morning fog;
come back to me; I’ve redeemed you.”
23 Shout for joy, sky, because the LORD made you!
Make a joyful sound, depths of the earth.
Break into singing, mountains, forest, and every tree in them;
the LORD has redeemed Jacob and taken pride in Israel.
Is 44:18-23
24 This is what the LORD your Redeemer says
who formed you in the womb,
“I’m the One that made everything:
I stretched out the sky by myself
and spread out the earth.
Who helped me?
25 I expose false prophets’ omens
and make fools out of fortunetellers;
I force the wise to eat their words
and turn their “knowledge” into nonsense.
Is 44:24-25
26 I carry out my prophets’ predictions
and perform my messengers’ advice;
I’m the One that says Jerusalem will be inhabited
and the towns in Judah will be rebuilt!
27 I’m the One that tells the deep ocean to dry up
and its currents to be dry.
28 I say about Cyrus, ‘He’s my shepherd!
He’ll do everything I tell him’;
he’ll decree that Jerusalem will be rebuilt
and the Temple foundations will be laid again.”
Is 44:26-28