1
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, who I have chosen:
2
Thus saith Jehovah that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant;
and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
4
and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
5
One shall say, I am Jehovah’s;
and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob;
and another shall subscribe with his hand unto Jehovah, and surname [himself] by the name of Israel.
6
Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last;
and besides 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 established the ancient people?
and the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass, let them declare.
8
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not declared unto thee of old, and showed it?
and ye are my witnesses.
Is there a God besides me?
yea, there is no Rock;
I know not any.
9
They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity;
and the things that they delight in shall not profit;
and their own witnesses see not, nor know: that they may be put to shame.
10
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
11
Behold, all his fellows shall be put to shame;
and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up;
they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together.
12
The smith [maketh] an axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth;
he drinketh no water, and is faint.
13
The carpenter stretcheth out a line;
he marketh it out with a pencil;
he shapeth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasses, and shapeth it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.
14
He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the holm-tree and the oak, and strengtheneth for himself one among the trees of the forest: he planteth a fir-tree, and the rain doth nourish it.
15
Then shall it be for a man to burn;
and he taketh thereof, and warmeth 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, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me;
for thou art my god.
18
They know not, neither do they consider: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see;
and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19
And none calleth to mind, 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;
and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
21
Remember these things, 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 Jehovah hath done it;
shout, ye lower parts of the earth;
break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
24
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah, that maketh all things;
that stretcheth forth the heavens alone;
that spreadeth abroad the earth (who is with me?);
25
that frustrateth the signs 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 of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited;
and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste 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 of Jerusalem, She shall be built;
and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.