Isaiah Chapter 44

                       44^:1“But listen now, Jacob my servant,

                                    Israel my chosen one.

                              ² This is what Yahveh 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 Yahveh”;

                                    that one will wear Jacob’s name;      

                                    others will write on their hand, “Belonging to Yahveh,”

                                          and name Israel’s God with honor.’”                 

Is 44:1-5

The Folly of Idols

                        ⁶ This is what the King of Israel says^Y,

                                    its Redeemer, Yahveh 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 Yahveh made you!

            Make a joyful sound, depths of the earth.

      Break into singing, mountains, forest, and every tree in them;

            Yahveh has redeemed Jacob and taken pride in Israel.         

Is 44:18-23

²⁴ This is what Yahveh 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 will 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