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Isaiah 38-45
New International Version
Isaiah 38-45
New International Version
Hezekiah’s Illness(A)
38 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz(B) went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order,(C) because you are going to die; you will not recover.”(D)
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked(E) before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion(F) and have done what is good in your eyes.(G)” And Hezekiah wept(H) bitterly.
4 Then the word(I) of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David,(J) says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears;(K) I will add fifteen years(L) to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend(M) this city.
7 “‘This is the Lord’s sign(N) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.(O)
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life(P)
must I go through the gates of death(Q)
and be robbed of the rest of my years?(R)”
11 I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself(S)
in the land of the living;(T)
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent(U) my house
has been pulled down(V) and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled(W) up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;(X)
day and night(Y) you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently(Z) till dawn,
but like a lion he broke(AA) all my bones;(AB)
day and night(AC) you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.(AD)
My eyes grew weak(AE) as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”(AF)
15 But what can I say?(AG)
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.(AH)
I will walk humbly(AI) all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.(AJ)
16 Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.(AK)
17 Surely it was for my benefit(AL)
that I suffered such anguish.(AM)
In your love you kept me
from the pit(AN) of destruction;
you have put all my sins(AO)
behind your back.(AP)
18 For the grave(AQ) cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;(AR)
those who go down to the pit(AS)
cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise(AT) you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children(AU)
about your faithfulness.
20 The Lord will save me,
and we will sing(AV) with stringed instruments(AW)
all the days of our lives(AX)
in the temple(AY) of the Lord.
21 Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”
22 Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign(AZ) that I will go up to the temple of the Lord?”
Envoys From Babylon(BA)
39 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon(BB) sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. 2 Hezekiah received the envoys(BC) gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold,(BD) the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures.(BE) There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”
“From a distant land,(BF)” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”
4 The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”
“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word(BG) of the Lord Almighty: 6 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.(BH) Nothing will be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.(BI)”
8 “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,(BJ)” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.(BK)”
Comfort for God’s People
40 Comfort, comfort(BL) my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly(BM) to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service(BN) has been completed,(BO)
that her sin has been paid for,(BP)
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double(BQ) for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way(BR) for the Lord[a];
make straight(BS) in the desert
a highway for our God.[b](BT)
4 Every valley shall be raised up,(BU)
every mountain and hill(BV) made low;
the rough ground shall become level,(BW)
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory(BX) of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.(BY)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(BZ)
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,(CA)
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers(CB) and the flowers fall,
because the breath(CC) of the Lord blows(CD) on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers(CE) fall,
but the word(CF) of our God endures(CG) forever.(CH)”
9 You who bring good news(CI) to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c](CJ)
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”(CK)
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes(CL) with power,(CM)
and he rules(CN) with a mighty arm.(CO)
See, his reward(CP) is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:(CQ)
He gathers the lambs in his arms(CR)
and carries them close to his heart;(CS)
he gently leads(CT) those that have young.(CU)
12 Who has measured the waters(CV) in the hollow of his hand,(CW)
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?(CX)
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?(CY)
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[d](CZ) of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?(DA)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(DB)
or showed him the path of understanding?(DC)
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;(DD)
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(DE)
16 Lebanon(DF) is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals(DG) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(DH) are as nothing;(DI)
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.(DJ)
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(DK)
To what image(DL) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(DM) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(DN) overlays it with gold(DO)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(DP) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(DQ) that will not topple.(DR)
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(DS)
Has it not been told(DT) you from the beginning?(DU)
Have you not understood(DV) since the earth was founded?(DW)
22 He sits enthroned(DX) above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.(DY)
He stretches out the heavens(DZ) like a canopy,(EA)
and spreads them out like a tent(EB) to live in.(EC)
23 He brings princes(ED) to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(EE)
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root(EF) in the ground,
than he blows(EG) on them and they wither,(EH)
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(EI)
25 “To whom will you compare me?(EJ)
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.(EK)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:(EL)
Who created(EM) all these?
He who brings out the starry host(EN) one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,(EO)
not one of them is missing.(EP)
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?(EQ)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(ER)
The Lord is the everlasting(ES) God,
the Creator(ET) of the ends of the earth.(EU)
He will not grow tired or weary,(EV)
and his understanding no one can fathom.(EW)
29 He gives strength(EX) to the weary(EY)
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men(EZ) stumble and fall;(FA)
31 but those who hope(FB) in the Lord
will renew their strength.(FC)
They will soar on wings like eagles;(FD)
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.(FE)
The Helper of Israel
41 “Be silent(FF) before me, you islands!(FG)
Let the nations renew their strength!(FH)
Let them come forward(FI) and speak;
let us meet together(FJ) at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred(FK) up one from the east,(FL)
calling him in righteousness(FM) to his service[e]?(FN)
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust(FO) with his sword,
to windblown chaff(FP) with his bow.(FQ)
3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed,(FR)
by a path his feet have not traveled before.
4 Who has done this and carried it through,
calling(FS) forth the generations from the beginning?(FT)
I, the Lord—with the first of them
and with the last(FU)—I am he.(FV)”
5 The islands(FW) have seen it and fear;
the ends of the earth(FX) tremble.
They approach and come forward;
6 they help each other
and say to their companions, “Be strong!(FY)”
7 The metalworker(FZ) encourages the goldsmith,(GA)
and the one who smooths with the hammer
spurs on the one who strikes the anvil.
One says of the welding, “It is good.”
The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.(GB)
8 “But you, Israel, my servant,(GC)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(GD)
you descendants of Abraham(GE) my friend,(GF)
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,(GG)
from its farthest corners I called(GH) you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;(GI)
I have chosen(GJ) you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear,(GK) for I am with you;(GL)
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen(GM) you and help(GN) you;
I will uphold you(GO) with my righteous right hand.(GP)
11 “All who rage(GQ) against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;(GR)
those who oppose(GS) you
will be as nothing and perish.(GT)
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.(GU)
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing(GV) at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand(GW)
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help(GX) you.
14 Do not be afraid,(GY) you worm(GZ) Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help(HA) you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer,(HB) the Holy One(HC) of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,(HD)
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains(HE) and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.(HF)
16 You will winnow(HG) them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale(HH) will blow them away.(HI)
But you will rejoice(HJ) in the Lord
and glory(HK) in the Holy One(HL) of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water,(HM)
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.(HN)
But I the Lord will answer(HO) them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake(HP) them.
18 I will make rivers flow(HQ) on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert(HR) into pools of water,(HS)
and the parched ground into springs.(HT)
19 I will put in the desert(HU)
the cedar and the acacia,(HV) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers(HW) in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress(HX) together,(HY)
20 so that people may see and know,(HZ)
may consider and understand,(IA)
that the hand(IB) of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One(IC) of Israel has created(ID) it.
21 “Present your case,(IE)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(IF)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(IG)
Tell us what the former things(IH) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(II)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(IJ) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(IK)
so that we will be dismayed(IL) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(IM)
and your works are utterly worthless;(IN)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(IO)
25 “I have stirred(IP) up one from the north,(IQ) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(IR) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(IS) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(IT) it,
no one heard any words(IU) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(IV) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(IW)
28 I look but there is no one(IX)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(IY)
no one to give answer(IZ) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(JA)
their images(JB) are but wind(JC) and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant,(JD) whom I uphold,
my chosen one(JE) in whom I delight;(JF)
I will put my Spirit(JG) on him,
and he will bring justice(JH) to the nations.(JI)
2 He will not shout or cry out,(JJ)
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed(JK) he will not break,(JL)
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(JM)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(JN)
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(JO) on earth.
In his teaching(JP) the islands(JQ) will put their hope.”(JR)
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(JS) who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth(JT) with all that springs from it,(JU)
who gives breath(JV) to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called(JW) you in righteousness;(JX)
I will take hold of your hand.(JY)
I will keep(JZ) you and will make you
to be a covenant(KA) for the people
and a light(KB) for the Gentiles,(KC)
7 to open eyes that are blind,(KD)
to free(KE) captives from prison(KF)
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(KG)
8 “I am the Lord;(KH) that is my name!(KI)
I will not yield my glory to another(KJ)
or my praise to idols.(KK)
9 See, the former things(KL) have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce(KM) them to you.”
Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing(KN) to the Lord a new song,(KO)
his praise(KP) from the ends of the earth,(KQ)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(KR)
you islands,(KS) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(KT) and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar(KU) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(KV) sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.(KW)
12 Let them give glory(KX) to the Lord
and proclaim his praise(KY) in the islands.(KZ)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(LA)
like a warrior(LB) he will stir up his zeal;(LC)
with a shout(LD) he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.(LE)
14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(LF)
I have been quiet and held myself back.(LG)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.(LH)
15 I will lay waste(LI) the mountains(LJ) and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up(LK) the pools.
16 I will lead(LL) the blind(LM) by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(LN) before them
and make the rough places smooth.(LO)
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake(LP) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(LQ)
will be turned back in utter shame.(LR)
Israel Blind and Deaf
18 “Hear, you deaf;(LS)
look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(LT) but my servant,(LU)
and deaf like the messenger(LV) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(LW) with me,
blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
your ears are open, but you do not listen.”(LX)
21 It pleased the Lord
for the sake(LY) of his righteousness
to make his law(LZ) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(MA) and looted,
all of them trapped in pits(MB)
or hidden away in prisons.(MC)
They have become plunder,
with no one to rescue them;(MD)
they have been made loot,
with no one to say, “Send them back.”
23 Which of you will listen to this
or pay close attention(ME) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?(MF)
Was it not the Lord,(MG)
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(MH) his ways;
they did not obey his law.(MI)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(MJ)
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(MK) yet they did not understand;(ML)
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(MM)
Israel’s Only Savior
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created(MN) you, Jacob,
he who formed(MO) you, Israel:(MP)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed(MQ) you;
I have summoned you by name;(MR) you are mine.(MS)
2 When you pass through the waters,(MT)
I will be with you;(MU)
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,(MV)
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.(MW)
3 For I am the Lord your God,(MX)
the Holy One(MY) of Israel, your Savior;(MZ)
I give Egypt(NA) for your ransom,
Cush[f](NB) and Seba(NC) in your stead.(ND)
4 Since you are precious and honored(NE) in my sight,
and because I love(NF) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid,(NG) for I am with you;(NH)
I will bring your children(NI) from the east
and gather(NJ) you from the west.(NK)
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south,(NL) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters(NM) from the ends of the earth(NN)—
7 everyone who is called by my name,(NO)
whom I created(NP) for my glory,(NQ)
whom I formed and made.(NR)”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,(NS)
who have ears but are deaf.(NT)
9 All the nations gather together(NU)
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold(NV) this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,(NW)” declares the Lord,
“and my servant(NX) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know(NY) and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god(NZ) was formed,
nor will there be one after me.(OA)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,(OB)
and apart from me there is no savior.(OC)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god(OD) among you.
You are my witnesses,(OE)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days(OF) I am he.(OG)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”(OH)
God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness
14 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(OI) the Holy One(OJ) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives(OK) all the Babylonians,[g](OL)
in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(OM) your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator,(ON) your King.(OO)”
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,(OP)
17 who drew out(OQ) the chariots and horses,(OR)
the army and reinforcements together,(OS)
and they lay(OT) there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(OU)
18 “Forget the former things;(OV)
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(OW)
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(OX)
and streams in the wasteland.(OY)
20 The wild animals(OZ) honor me,
the jackals(PA) and the owls,
because I provide water(PB) in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed(PC) for myself(PD)
that they may proclaim my praise.(PE)
22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
you have not wearied(PF) yourselves for[h] me, Israel.(PG)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(PH)
nor honored(PI) me with your sacrifices.(PJ)
I have not burdened(PK) you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands(PL) for incense.(PM)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(PN) for me,
or lavished on me the fat(PO) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied(PP) me with your offenses.(PQ)
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions,(PR) for my own sake,(PS)
and remembers your sins(PT) no more.(PU)
26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;(PV)
state the case(PW) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(PX) sinned;
those I sent to teach(PY) you rebelled(PZ) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction[i](QA)
and Israel to scorn.(QB)
Israel the Chosen
44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,(QC)
Israel, whom I have chosen.(QD)
2 This is what the Lord says—
he who made(QE) you, who formed you in the womb,(QF)
and who will help(QG) you:
Do not be afraid,(QH) Jacob, my servant,(QI)
Jeshurun,[j](QJ) whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water(QK) on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;(QL)
I will pour out my Spirit(QM) on your offspring,
and my blessing(QN) on your descendants.(QO)
4 They will spring up like grass(QP) in a meadow,
like poplar trees(QQ) by flowing streams.(QR)
5 Some will say, ‘I belong(QS) to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,(QT) ‘The Lord’s,’(QU)
and will take the name Israel.
The Lord, Not Idols
6 “This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King(QV) and Redeemer,(QW) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(QX)
apart from me there is no God.(QY)
7 Who then is like me?(QZ) Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell(RA) what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim(RB) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God(RC) besides me?
No, there is no other Rock;(RD) I know not one.”
9 All who make idols(RE) are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.(RF)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(RG)
they are ignorant, to their own shame.(RH)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(RI)
which can profit nothing?(RJ)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(RK)
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.(RL)
12 The blacksmith(RM) takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.(RN)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.(RO)
13 The carpenter(RP) measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,(RQ)
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.(RR)
14 He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine,(RS) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(RT) for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships(RU) it;
he makes an idol and bows(RV) down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.(RW)”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.(RX)
He prays(RY) to it and says,
“Save(RZ) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(SA) nothing;
their eyes(SB) are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding(SC) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(SD)
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(SE) thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(SF)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(SG) a deluded(SH) heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(SI)”
21 “Remember(SJ) these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.(SK)
I have made you, you are my servant;(SL)
Israel, I will not forget you.(SM)
22 I have swept away(SN) your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return(SO) to me,
for I have redeemed(SP) you.”
23 Sing for joy,(SQ) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth(SR) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,(SS)
you forests and all your trees,(ST)
for the Lord has redeemed(SU) Jacob,
he displays his glory(SV) in Israel.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,(SZ)
who spreads out the earth(TA) by myself,
25 who foils(TB) the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,(TC)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(TD)
and turns it into nonsense,(TE)
26 who carries out the words(TF) of his servants
and fulfills(TG) the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem,(TH) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins,(TI) ‘I will restore them,’(TJ)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up(TK) your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus,(TL) ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(TM) “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple,(TN) “Let its foundations(TO) be laid.”’
45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(TP)
to Cyrus,(TQ) whose right hand I take hold(TR) of
to subdue nations(TS) before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you(TT)
and will level(TU) the mountains[k];
I will break down gates(TV) of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.(TW)
3 I will give you hidden treasures,(TX)
riches stored in secret places,(TY)
so that you may know(TZ) that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(UA)
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,(UB)
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge(UC) me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;(UD)
apart from me there is no God.(UE)
I will strengthen you,(UF)
though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting(UG)
people may know(UH) there is none besides me.(UI)
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,(UJ)
I bring prosperity and create disaster;(UK)
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8 “You heavens above, rain(UL) down my righteousness;(UM)
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation(UN) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to those who quarrel(UO) with their Maker,(UP)
those who are nothing but potsherds(UQ)
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(UR)
‘What are you making?’(US)
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?(UT)
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’
11 “This is what the Lord says—
the Holy One(UU) of Israel, and its Maker:(UV)
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?(UW)
12 It is I who made the earth(UX)
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(UY)
I marshaled their starry hosts.(UZ)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[l](VA) in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.(VB)
He will rebuild my city(VC)
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(VD)
says the Lord Almighty.”
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The products(VE) of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[m]
and those tall Sabeans(VF)—
they will come over to you(VG)
and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,(VH)
coming over to you in chains.(VI)
They will bow down before you
and plead(VJ) with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you,(VK) and there is no other;
there is no other god.(VL)’”
15 Truly you are a God who has been hiding(VM) himself,
the God and Savior(VN) of Israel.
16 All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;(VO)
they will go off into disgrace together.
17 But Israel will be saved(VP) by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation;(VQ)
you will never be put to shame or disgraced,(VR)
to ages everlasting.
18 For this is what the Lord says—
he who created the heavens,
he is God;
he who fashioned and made the earth,(VS)
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,(VT)
but formed it to be inhabited(VU)—
he says:
“I am the Lord,
and there is no other.(VV)
19 I have not spoken in secret,(VW)
from somewhere in a land of darkness;(VX)
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,(VY)
‘Seek(VZ) me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.(WA)
20 “Gather together(WB) and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant(WC) are those who carry(WD) about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.(WE)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(WF) this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?(WG)
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,(WH)
a righteous God(WI) and a Savior;(WJ)
there is none but me.
22 “Turn(WK) to me and be saved,(WL)
all you ends of the earth;(WM)
for I am God, and there is no other.(WN)
23 By myself I have sworn,(WO)
my mouth has uttered in all integrity(WP)
a word that will not be revoked:(WQ)
Before me every knee will bow;(WR)
by me every tongue will swear.(WS)
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance(WT) and strength.(WU)’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.(WV)
25 But all the descendants(WW) of Israel
will find deliverance(WX) in the Lord
and will make their boast in him.(WY)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
- Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
- Isaiah 40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
- Isaiah 40:13 Or mind
- Isaiah 41:2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every step
- Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
- Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
- Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
- Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
- Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.
- Isaiah 45:2 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him
- Isaiah 45:14 That is, the upper Nile region
Isaiah 38-45
King James Version
Isaiah 38-45
King James Version
38 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,
3 And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.
6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
7 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;
8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:
10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.
17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
20 The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.
21 For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.
22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?
39 At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
2 And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
3 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
4 Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts:
6 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.
40 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
41 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
2 Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
3 He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.
5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
21 Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.
25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
26 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
28 For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
42 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
8 I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
10 Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.
14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
18 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's servant?
20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
23 Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.
25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
14 Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
44 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
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 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 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
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 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 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 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.
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.
10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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 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 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
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?
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?
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 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
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.
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 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
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:
27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
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.
45 Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.
9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
11 Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.
14 Thus saith the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
24 Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
New International Version (NIV) 
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