Isaiah 44

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

1Now listen, Jacob. You are my servant. 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.

2The LORD made you. He formed you before you were born. He will help you. He says, "Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant. Do not be afraid, Jeshurun. I chose you."

NoteJeshurun is another name for the people of Israel. The KJV spells it "Jesurun."

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. I will pour streams on dry land. I will pour my Spirit on your children. I will pour my blessing on their children too.

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

4They will grow up like grass in a field. They will grow like willow trees beside 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 use the name Jacob. Another will write on his hand, "I am the LORD's." He will 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.

6The LORD is the King of Israel. He is the one who buys his people back. He is the LORD of Hosts, the leader of heaven's armies. He says: I am the first. 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 that one speak up. Let him tell what will happen, and put it in order. I made my people long ago. Let anyone say what is coming 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. Do not be afraid. I told you long ago what would happen. You heard it, so you can tell others. Is there any God but me? No. There is no Rock but me. I do not know of one.

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.

9People who make idols are nothing. An idol is a statue people bow to. The statues they love cannot help them. The statues cannot see or know anything. So the people who made them end up ashamed.

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

10Who would shape a god? Who would pour metal into a statue that helps no one?

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 does this will be ashamed. The workers who make them are only people. Let them all come and stand together. They will be afraid and ashamed together.

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 metal worker holds his tool and works over hot coals. He beats the metal with hammers and shapes it with strong arms. But he gets hungry and grows weak. He drinks no water and feels 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 wood worker stretches out a measuring line. He marks the wood and shapes it with sharp tools. He draws a curve with a compass. He carves it to look like a fine, handsome man. Then he sets it in a little house of its own.

NoteThe old wording says the statue stays "in the house." It means a small building made just for the statue.

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. He lets it grow strong among the forest trees. He plants a young 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.

15The wood is fuel for a person to burn. He takes some and warms himself. He lights a fire and bakes bread. He also carves a god from it and bows to it. He makes a statue and lies down in front of 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 the wood in the fire. Over that half he roasts meat and eats it. 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.

17From the wood that is left he makes a god, a carved statue. He bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Save me. 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 do not know and they do not understand. God has shut their eyes so they cannot see. He has closed 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?

19Nobody stops to think it over. Nobody has the sense to say, "I burned half this wood in the fire. I baked bread on the hot coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Should I make the rest into something awful? 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 living on ashes. His fooled heart has led him the wrong way. He cannot save himself. He cannot even ask, "Is this thing in my hand 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 this, Jacob. Remember, Israel. You are my servant. I made you, and you are my servant. Israel, I will never 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 wiped away the wrong things you did, the way wind clears a thick cloud. I wiped away your sins like mist. Come back to me. I have bought you back.

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! The LORD has done this. Shout, you deep places of the earth. Sing out, you mountains. Sing, forest, and every tree in it. The LORD has bought Jacob back. He has shown how great he is through 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;

24The LORD bought you back. He formed you before you were born. He says: I am the LORD. I made everything there is. I spread out the heavens by myself. I spread out the earth all alone.

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 liars give. I make fortune tellers look foolish. I turn clever people around. I make their smart ideas 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 words come true. I do what my messengers said I would do. I say about Jerusalem, "People will live there again." I say about the towns of Judah, "They will be built again. I will fix the broken places."

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

27I say to the deep water, "Dry up. I will 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 about Cyrus, "He is my shepherd. He will do everything I want." He will say about Jerusalem, "It will be built again." He will say about the temple, "Lay its foundation."

NoteCyrus was a king of Persia. Isaiah names him long before he ruled.