1But now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen.
2Thus says Yahweh, the one who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3For I will pour water on the thirsty and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants.
4And they will sprout up among the grass, like willows by streams of water.
5This one will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh,’ and that one will call himself by the name of Jacob; and another will write on his hand, ‘Yahweh’s,’ and will take the name of Israel as his surname.
6Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and apart from me there is no God.
7And who is like me? Let him call out and declare it and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people. Let them declare to them the things to come, and what will happen.
8Do not dread and do not be afraid. Have I not from of old made you hear and declared it? And you are my witnesses. Is there a God apart from me? There is no Rock; I know of none.
9The shapers of an idol are all of them nothing, and their treasured things do not profit; and they are their own witnesses—they neither see nor know, so that they will be put to shame.
10Who would form a god or cast an idol that profits nothing?
11Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, and the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all gather, let them take their stand; they will dread, they will be put to shame together.
12The ironsmith with a tool works over the coals and shapes it with hammers; he works it with his strong arm. Yet he grows hungry and has no strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
13The carpenter of wood stretches out a line, marks it out with a stylus, works it with chisels, and marks it out with a compass. He makes it in the form of a man, according to the beauty of a human, to dwell in a house.
14He cuts down cedars for himself, or takes a holm oak or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest; he plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow.
15Then it becomes fuel for a man; he takes some of it and warms himself; indeed he kindles a fire and bakes bread. He also fashions a god and bows down; he makes it into an idol and prostrates himself before it.
16Half of it he burns in the fire; over that half he eats meat, he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, ‘Aha, I am warm; I have seen the fire!’
17And the rest of it he makes into a god, into his idol; he bows down to it and prostrates himself and prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’
18They do not know and do not understand, for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, and their hearts so they cannot comprehend.
19No one takes it to heart; there is no knowledge or understanding to say, ‘Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and ate. And shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?’
20He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, ‘Is there not a lie in my right hand?’
21Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant. I formed you; you are a servant to me. O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22I have wiped away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23Sing, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Shout, O depths of the earth! Break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest and every tree in it! For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob, and in Israel he will show his glory.
24Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: I am Yahweh, who made all things, who stretched out the heavens alone, who spread out the earth—who was with me?
25who frustrates the signs of the babblers and makes fools of diviners, who turns back the wise and makes their knowledge foolish;
26who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’ and ‘I will raise up her ruins’;
27who says to the deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers’;
28who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd, and he will fulfill all my purpose,’ saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Its foundation shall be laid.’
Open in the interactive reader →Where this passage connects across Scripture — each link typed and reasoned, part of the AIT Bible Nexus Chart.