Isaiah

Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

1But now listen, Jacob. You are my servant. Listen, Israel. You are the people I chose.

2Thus 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.

2This is what the LORD says, the one who made you and shaped you before you were born, and who will help you: "Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant. Do not be afraid, Jesurun, the people I chose.

NoteJesurun is another name for the people of Israel. It comes from a word meaning upright.

3For 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:

3I will pour water on thirsty ground, and streams on dry land. I will pour my Spirit on your children, and my blessing on the children after them.

4And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

4They will spring up like grass in a wet field, like willow trees beside running streams.

5One 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.

5One person will say, 'I belong to the LORD.' Another will call himself by the name Jacob. Another will write on his hand, 'The LORD's,' and take the name Israel."

6Thus 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.

6This is what the LORD says, the King of Israel, the one who sets Israel free, the LORD who commands the armies of heaven: "I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but me.

7And 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.

7Who is like me? Let him speak up. Let him lay out his case before me, going back to when I made my people long ago. Let him tell what is coming and what will happen next.

8Fear 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.

8Do not shake with fear. Did I not tell you this long ago and make it clear? You are my witnesses. Is there any God but me? There is no other. I know of none."

9They 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.

9Everyone who makes a carved god is nothing, and the idols they treasure are worth nothing. The people who speak up for them cannot see and do not know. They will end up ashamed.

10Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

10Who would shape a god or pour a metal idol that does him no good at all?

11Behold, 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.

11Look: everyone who joins in this will be ashamed. The workers who made it are only human. Let them all gather and stand together. They will be terrified and ashamed.

12The 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.

12The blacksmith takes his tongs and works over hot coals. He beats the idol into shape with hammers, using his strong arms. Then he gets hungry and weak. He does not drink water and he grows faint.

13The 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.

13The woodworker stretches out his measuring line and marks the wood. He shapes it with tools and draws the outline with a compass. He carves it to look like a handsome man, so it can sit in a shrine.

NoteHere a compass is not a tool for finding north. It is the two-legged tool used to draw circles and curved lines.

14He 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.

14He cuts down cedar trees. He takes a cypress or an oak, letting it grow strong among the forest trees. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow.

15Then 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.

15People use this wood for fuel. A man takes some of it and warms himself. He lights a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god out of it, and bows down and worships it.

16He 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:

16He burns half of the wood in the fire. Over that half he roasts meat, and he eats until he is full. He warms himself and says, "Ah, I am warm. I can see the fire."

17And 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.

17Out of what is left he makes a god, his own carved idol. He bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Save me, for you are my god."

18They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

18They know nothing and understand nothing. God has shut their eyes so they cannot see, and shut their minds so they cannot understand.

19And 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?

19No one stops to think it through. No one has the sense to say, "I burned half of it in the fire. I baked bread on the coals and roasted meat and ate it. Should I make the rest into something disgusting? Should I bow down to a block of wood?"

20He 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?

20He is feeding on ashes. His fooled heart has led him off the path. He cannot save himself, and he cannot say, "This thing in my hand is a lie."

21Remember 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.

21Remember all this, Jacob. Remember, Israel, for you are my servant. I made you, and you are my servant. Israel, I will not forget you.

22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

22I have wiped away the wrong things you did, the way wind clears a thick cloud. I have swept your sins away like mist. Come back to me, for I have set you free.

23Sing, 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.

23Sing, you heavens, for the LORD has done this. Shout, you depths of the earth. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests, and every tree in them. The LORD has set Jacob free, and shown his glory in Israel.

24Thus 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;

24This is what the LORD says, the one who set you free and shaped you before you were born: "I am the LORD, who made everything. I alone spread out the sky. I spread out the earth by myself.

25That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

25I ruin the signs that false prophets give. I make fools of people who claim to tell the future. I turn wise men back and make their knowledge look silly.

26That 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:

26I make my servant's message come true. I carry out what my messengers say. I tell Jerusalem, 'People will live in you again,' and I tell the towns of Judah, 'You will be rebuilt. I will raise your ruins up again.'

27That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

27I say to the deep waters, 'Dry up,' and I dry up your rivers.

28That 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.

28I say of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he will do everything I want.' He will say of Jerusalem, 'It will be rebuilt,' and of the temple, 'Its foundation will be laid.'"

NoteCyrus was the king of Persia. Long after Isaiah's time, he let the people of Judah return home from exile and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.