Isaiah 44 - International Standard Version (ISV)

God’s Blessing on Israel

44 “But now listen, Jacob my servant
and Israel whom I have chosen:
² This what the Lord says, the one who made you,
formed you from the womb,
and who will help^[a] you:
“Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant,
and Jeshurun,^[b] whom I have chosen.
³ For I’ll pour water upon thirsty ground
and streams on parched land.
So^[c] will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
⁴ They’ll^[d] spring up as among^[e] the green grass,
like willows by flowing streams.
⁵ One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will have written on his hand, ‘the Lord’s,’
and will adopt the name of Israel.”

I am the First and the Last

⁶ This is what the Lord says, the King of Israel
and its Redeemer—
the Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name—^[f]
“I am the first and I am the last,
and apart from me there is no God.
⁷ Who is like me? Let him proclaim
and declare it, and lay it out for himself—^[g]
since he made^[h] an ancient people.
And let him speak^[i] future events;
let them tell him what^[j] will happen.
⁸ Don’t tremble, and don’t be afraid.^[k]
Didn’t I tell you and announce it long ago?
You are my witnesses.
Is there any God besides me?
There is no other Rock—
I don’t know of any.”

A Rebuke to Idol Worship

⁹ Now,^[l] all the forming of^[m] images means nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their own witnesses cannot see, and they^[n] know nothing. So they will be put to shame.

¹⁰ Who would shape a god or cast an image that profits nothing? ¹¹ To be sure, all who associate with it will be put to shame; and as for the craftsmen, they are only human. Let them all gather together and^[o] take their stand. Then^[p] let them be terrified—they will be humiliated together.

¹² The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then^[q] fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.

¹³ The carpenter measures it^[r] with a line; he traces its shape with a stylus, then fashions it with planes and shapes it with a compass. He makes the idol like a human figure, with human beauty, to be at home^[s] in a shrine. ¹⁴ He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. Or he plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow. ¹⁵ He divides it up^[t] for people to burn. Taking part of it, he warms himself, makes a fire, and bakes bread. Or perhaps^[u] he constructs a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows down to it. ¹⁶ Half the wood he burns in the fire, and^[v] over^[w] that half he places^[x] meat so he can eat. He sits by its coals, warms himself,^[y] and says, “Ah! I am warm in front of^[z] the fire.” ¹⁷ And the rest of it he makes into a god. To blocks^[aa] of wood he bows down, worships, prays, and says, “Save me, since you are my god.”

¹⁸ They don’t realize; they don’t understand, because their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds, too, so they cannot understand. ¹⁹ No one stops to think. No one has the knowledge or understanding to think—yes to think!—^[ab]“Half of it I burned in the fire. I even baked bread on its coals, and^[ac] I roasted meat and ate it. And^[ad] am I about to make detestable things^[ae] from what is left? Am I about to bow down to blocks^[af] of wood?” ²⁰ He tends ashes. A deceived mind has lead him astray. It cannot be his life,^[ag] nor can he say, “There’s a lie in my right hand.”^[ah]

A Call to Remembrance and Joy

²¹ “Remember these things, Jacob,
Israel,^[ai] for you are my servant.
I have formed you;
you are a servant to me.
Israel,^[aj] you must not mislead me.^[ak]
22 I’ve wiped away your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist.
Return to me;
because I’ve redeemed you.

²³ “Shout for joy, you heavens,
for the Lord has done it!
Shout aloud, you depths of the earth!
Burst out with singing, you mountains,
you forest, and all your trees!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and will display his glory in Israel.

²⁴ “This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer
and the one who formed you in the womb:
‘I am the Lord, who has made everything,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth—
Who was with me at that time?—^[al]
25 who frustrates the omens of idle talkers,
and drives diviners mad,
who turns back the wise,
and makes their knowledge foolish;^[am]
26 who carries out the words of his servants,
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited,”
and of Judah’s cities, “They will be rebuilt,”
and of her ruins, “I’ll raise them up”;
²⁷ who says to the watery deep, “Be dry—
I will dry up your rivers;”
²⁸ who says about Cyrus, “He’s my shepherd,
and he’ll carry out everything that I please:
He’ll say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’
and of my^[an] Temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid again.’”’”

Footnotes

1. Isaiah 44:2 So 1QIsa^a; MT reads he will help
2. Isaiah 44:2 I.e. a poetic term for national Israel; the Heb. name means Upright One; cf. Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26
3. Isaiah 44:3 So 1QIsa^a; MT lacks So
4. Isaiah 44:4 So 1QIsa^a; MT LXX read And they
5. Isaiah 44:4 So 1QIsa^a MT^mss LXX Targ; MT reads up among
6. Isaiah 44:6 So 1QIsa^a; MT LXX lack is his name
7. Isaiah 44:7 So 1QIsa^a; MT LXX read me
8. Isaiah 44:7 Or himself, making him; so 1QIsa^a; MT LXX read since I made
9. Isaiah 44:7 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^c MT LXX lack let him speak
10. Isaiah 44:7 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^c MT read and what
11. Isaiah 44:8 So 1QIsa^a MT; LXX lacks and do not be afraid
12. Isaiah 44:9 So 1QIsa^a; MT LXX lack Now
13. Isaiah 44:9 So 1QIsa^a; MT LXX read those who form
14. Isaiah 44:9 So MT LXX; 1QIsa^a reads They
15. Isaiah 44:11 So 1QIsa^a LXX; MT lacks and
16. Isaiah 44:11 So 1QIsa^a; MT LXX lack Then
17. Isaiah 44:12 So 1QIsa^a; MT LXX lack then
18. Isaiah 44:13 I.e. the idol; so 1QIsa^a LXX; MT lacks it
19. Isaiah 44:13 Lit. to rest
20. Isaiah 44:15 So 1QIsa^a; MT reads It is; LXX reads so that it is
21. Isaiah 44:15 So 1QIsa^a; MT reads Also
22. Isaiah 44:16 So 1QIsa^a LXX; MT lacks and
23. Isaiah 44:16 1QIsa^a lacks over, but inserts it above the line
24. Isaiah 44:16 Lit. half is
25. Isaiah 44:16 So 1QIsa^a; MT LXX read eats meat he roasted as a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself
26. Isaiah 44:16 So 1QIsa^a; MT reads I see; LXX reads and I have seen
27. Isaiah 44:17 Or to his Baals (i.e. to Canaanite deities); so 1QIsa^a copyist error; MT LXX read god, for his idol
28. Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsa^a; MT lacks —yes to think!—
29. Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsa^a; MT lacks and
30. Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsa^a MT; 4QIsa^b lacks And
31. Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^b MT LXX read make a detestable thing
32. Isaiah 44:19 So 1QIsa^a; MT reads to a block
33. Isaiah 44:20 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^b MT LXX read He does not save his life
34. Isaiah 44:20 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^b MT LXX read “There’s no lie in my right hand, is there?”
35. Isaiah 44:21 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^b MT LXX read and Israel
36. Isaiah 44:21 So 1QIsa^a MT; 4QIsa^b LXX read and Israel
37. Isaiah 44:21 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^b MT read you won’t be forgotten by me; LXX reads don’t forget me
38. Isaiah 44:24 1QIsa^a 4QIsa^b MT LXX lack at that time
39. Isaiah 44:25 So 1QIsa^a 1QIsa^b 4QIsa^b LXX; MT reads wise
40. Isaiah 44:28 So 1QIsa^a LXX; 4QIsa^b MT read the