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Isaiah 44

Isaiah :Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

44 The Lord's Promise to Israel
1 People of Israel,
I have chosen you
as my servant.
44 Chapter recording
List of all recordings of KJV
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 I am your Creator.
You were in my care
even before you were born.
Israel, don't be terrified!
You are my chosen servant,
my very favorite.
r 44.2 my very favorite: Or “Jeshurun.”
2 Thus saith the LORD 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.

3 I will bless the thirsty land
by sending streams of water;
I will bless your descendants
by giving them my Spirit.
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:
4 They will spring up like grass
s 44.4 like grass: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
or like willow trees
near flowing streams.
4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
5 They will worship me
and become my people.
They will write my name
on the back of their hands.
t 44.5 write ... hands: To show that they belong to the Lord and to Israel.
5 One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

6 I am the Lord All-Powerful,
44.6 Is 48.12; Rev 1.17; 2.8; 22.13.
the first and the last,
the one and only God.
Israel, I have rescued you!
I am your King.
6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
7 Can anyone compare with me?
If so, let them speak up
and tell me now.
Let them say what has happened
since I made my nation
long ago,
and let them tell
what is going to happen.
u 44.7 Let them say ... happen: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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.
8 Don't tremble with fear!
Didn't I tell you long ago?
Didn't you hear me?
I alone am God—
no one else is a mighty rock.
v 44.8 mighty rock: See the note at 17.10.
Idols Can't Do a Thing
The Lord said:
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 God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
God; I: Heb. rock, etc

9 Those people who make idols
are nothing themselves,
and the idols they treasure
are just as worthless.
Worshipers of idols are blind,
stupid, and foolish.
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.
delectable: Heb. desirable
10 Why make an idol or an image
that can't do a thing?
10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Everyone who makes idols
and all who worship them
are mere humans,
who will end up
sadly disappointed.
Let them face me in court
and be terrified.
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.
Idols and Firewood
12 A metalworker shapes an idol
by using a hammer
w 44.12 by using a hammer: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
and heat from the fire.
In his powerful hand
he holds a hammer,
as he pounds the metal
into the proper shape.
But he gets hungry and thirsty
and loses his strength.
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.
with the tongs: or, with an axe

13 Some woodcarver measures
a piece of wood,
then draws an outline.
The idol is carefully carved
with each detail exact.
At last it looks like a person
and is placed in a temple.
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.
14 Either cedar, cypress, oak,
or any tree from the forest
may be chosen.
Or even a pine tree planted
by the woodcarver
and watered by the rain.
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.
strengtheneth: or, taketh courage

15 Some of the wood is used
44.15 Ws 13.11
to make a fire for heating
or for cooking.
One piece is made into an idol,
then the woodcarver bows down
and worships it.
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.
16 He enjoys the warm fire
and the meat that was roasted
over the burning coals.
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:
17 Afterwards, he bows down
to worship the wooden idol.
“Protect me!” he says.
“You are my god.”
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.

18 Those who worship idols are stupid and blind!
18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
shut: Heb. daubed
19 They don't have enough sense to say to themselves, “I made a fire with half of the wood and cooked my bread and meat on it. Then I made something worthless with the other half. Why worship a block of wood?” 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?
considereth...: Heb. setteth to his heart
the stock...: Heb. that which comes of a tree?
20 How can anyone be stupid enough to trust something that can be burned to ashes?
x 44.20 How ... ashes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
No one can save themselves like that. Don't they realize that the idols they hold in their hands are not really gods?
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?
The Lord Won't Forget His People
21 People of Israel,
you are my servant,
so remember all of this.
Israel, I created you,
and you are my servant.
I won't forget you.
y 44.21 I won't forget you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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.
22 Turn back to me!
I have rescued you
and swept away your sins
as though they were clouds.
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.
Sing Praises to the Lord
23 Tell the heavens and the earth
to start singing!
Tell the mountains
and every tree in the forest
to join in the song!
The Lord has rescued his people;
now they will worship him.
23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
The Lord Created Everything
24 Israel, I am your Lord.
I am your source of life,
and I have rescued you.
I created everything
from the sky above
to the earth below.
24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

25 I make liars of false prophets
44.25 1Co 1.20.
and fools of fortunetellers.
I take human wisdom
and turn it into nonsense.
25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
26 I will make the message
of my prophets come true.
They are saying, “Jerusalem
will be filled with people,
and the Lord will rebuild
the towns of Judah.”
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:
decayed...: Heb. wastes

27 I am the one who commands
the sea and its streams
to run dry.
27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
28 I am also the one who says,
44.28 2Ch 36.23; Ezra 1.2
“Cyrus will lead my people
and obey my orders.
Jerusalem and the temple
will be rebuilt.”
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.

© 1999 American Bible Society
 



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