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42 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the [a]Gentiles. He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street. A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth. He will not [b]fail nor be [c]discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.

Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad 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: I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will [d]keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images. 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 Jehovah 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 Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12 Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands. 13 Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man; he will stir up his zeal like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout aloud; he will do mightily against his enemies.

14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will [e]gasp and pant together. 15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools. 16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, [f]and I will not forsake them. 17 They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, that trust in graven images, that say unto 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 send? who is blind as he that is [g]at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah’s servant? 20 Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not. 21 It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness’ sake, to [h]magnify the law, and make it honorable. 22 But this is a people robbed and plundered; 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 is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come? 24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not Jehovah? he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto his [i]law. 25 Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it 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 Jehovah 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. 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. For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead. Since thou hast been precious in my sight, [j]and honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life. Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 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 end of the earth; every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.

Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. [k]Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; [l]or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, 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 Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and I have saved, and I have showed; and there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God. 13 Yea, [m]since the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who can hinder it?

14 Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring down [n]all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing. 15 I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. 16 Thus saith Jehovah, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 17 [o]who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick): 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 20 The beasts of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people which I formed for myself, [p]that they might set forth my praise.

22 Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. 23 Thou hast not brought me of thy sheep for burnt-offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with [q]offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense. 24 Thou hast bought me no [r]sweet cane with money, neither hast thou [s]filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened me 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 I will not remember thy sins. 26 Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: set thou forth thy cause, that thou mayest be justified. 27 Thy first father sinned, and thy [t]teachers have transgressed against me. 28 Therefore I [u]will profane the [v]princes of the sanctuary; and I [w]will make Jacob a [x]curse, and Israel a reviling.

44 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, who I have chosen: 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. For I will pour water upon [y]him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses. One shall say, I am Jehovah’s; and another shall [z]call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall [aa]subscribe with his hand unto Jehovah, and [ab]surname himself by the name of Israel.

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. [ac]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 [ad]declare. 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.

They that fashion a graven image are all of them [ae]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, [af]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 [ag]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 [ah]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 [ai]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 [aj]part thereof in the fire; with [ak]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 [al]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 [am](who is with me?); 25 that frustrateth the signs of the [an]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 [ao]Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; [ap]and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

45 Thus saith Jehovah 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 the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron; and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me; that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.

Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, that [aq]it may [ar]bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up together; I, Jehovah, have created it.

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! a potsherd among 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 a father, What begettest thou? or to a woman, With what travailest thou?

11 Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are 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 make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.

14 Thus saith Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall go 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 put to shame, yea, confounded, all of them; they shall go into confusion together that are makers of idols. 17 But Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be put to shame nor confounded world without end.

18 For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not [as]a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else. 19 I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me [at]in vain: I, Jehovah, 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 carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. 21 Declare ye, and [au]bring it forth; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath showed this from ancient time? who hath declared it of old? have not I, Jehovah? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides 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 By myself have I sworn, [av]the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24 Only in Jehovah, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all they that were incensed against him shall be put to shame. 25 In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

46 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; their idols are upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: the things that ye carried about are made a load, a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.

Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, that have been borne by me from their birth, that have been carried from the womb; and even to old age I am he, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear; yea, I will carry, and will deliver. To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? Such as lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, they hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god; they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear it upon the shoulder, they carry it, and set it in its place, and it standeth, from its place shall it not remove: yea, one may cry unto it, yet can it not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

Remember this, and [aw]show yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old: [ax]for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me; 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure; 11 calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man of [ay]my counsel from a far country; yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it.

12 Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness: 13 I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry; and I will [az]place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 42:1 Or, nations (and elsewhere)
  2. Isaiah 42:4 Or, burn dimly
  3. Isaiah 42:4 Or, bruised
  4. Isaiah 42:6 Or, form
  5. Isaiah 42:14 Or, destroy and devour
  6. Isaiah 42:16 Or, and will not forbear
  7. Isaiah 42:19 Or, made perfect. Or, recompensed
  8. Isaiah 42:21 Or, make the teaching great and glorious
  9. Isaiah 42:24 Or, teaching
  10. Isaiah 43:4 Or, thou hast been honorable etc.
  11. Isaiah 43:9 Or, Gather yourselves together, all ye nations
  12. Isaiah 43:9 Or, and that they may hear
  13. Isaiah 43:13 Or, from this day forth I etc.
  14. Isaiah 43:14 Or, as otherwise read, all their nobles, even etc.
  15. Isaiah 43:17 Or, who . . . the power: They shall lie etc.
  16. Isaiah 43:21 Or, they shall set forth
  17. Isaiah 43:23 Or, a meal-offering
  18. Isaiah 43:24 Or, calamus
  19. Isaiah 43:24 Or, satiated
  20. Isaiah 43:27 Hebrew interpreters.
  21. Isaiah 43:28 Or, have profaned
  22. Isaiah 43:28 Or, holy princes
  23. Isaiah 43:28 Or, have made
  24. Isaiah 43:28 Or, devoted thing
  25. Isaiah 44:3 Or, the thirsty land
  26. Isaiah 44:5 Or, proclaim the name
  27. Isaiah 44:5 Or, write on his hand, Unto Jehovah
  28. Isaiah 44:5 Or, give for a title the name of Israel
  29. Isaiah 44:7 Or, And who, as I, can proclaim? let him declare it etc.
  30. Isaiah 44:7 Or, declare unto them
  31. Isaiah 44:9 Or, confusion
  32. Isaiah 44:11 Or, all that join themselves thereto
  33. Isaiah 44:12 Or, sharpeneth a tool
  34. Isaiah 44:13 Or, red ochre
  35. Isaiah 44:14 Or, an ash
  36. Isaiah 44:16 Or, the half
  37. Isaiah 44:16 Or, the half
  38. Isaiah 44:18 Hebrew daubed.
  39. Isaiah 44:24 Another reading is, by myself
  40. Isaiah 44:25 Or, boasters
  41. Isaiah 44:28 Hebrew Coresh.
  42. Isaiah 44:28 Or, and the foundation of the temple shall be laid
  43. Isaiah 45:8 Hebrew they.
  44. Isaiah 45:8 Or, be fruitful in salvation
  45. Isaiah 45:18 Or, in vain
  46. Isaiah 45:19 Or, as in a waste
  47. Isaiah 45:21 Or, bring them near
  48. Isaiah 45:23 Or, righteousness is gone forth from my mouth, a word which shall not return. Or, the word is gone forth from a mouth of righteousness, and shall not return
  49. Isaiah 46:8 Or, stand fast
  50. Isaiah 46:9 Or, that
  51. Isaiah 46:11 Another reading is, his.
  52. Isaiah 46:13 Or, give salvation in Zion, and my glory unto Israel

The Servant of the Lord

42 “Here is my servant,(A) whom I uphold,
    my chosen one(B) in whom I delight;(C)
I will put my Spirit(D) on him,
    and he will bring justice(E) to the nations.(F)
He will not shout or cry out,(G)
    or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed(H) he will not break,(I)
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(J)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(K)
    he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(L) on earth.
    In his teaching(M) the islands(N) will put their hope.”(O)

This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(P) who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth(Q) with all that springs from it,(R)
    who gives breath(S) to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it:
“I, the Lord, have called(T) you in righteousness;(U)
    I will take hold of your hand.(V)
I will keep(W) you and will make you
    to be a covenant(X) for the people
    and a light(Y) for the Gentiles,(Z)
to open eyes that are blind,(AA)
    to free(AB) captives from prison(AC)
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(AD)

“I am the Lord;(AE) that is my name!(AF)
    I will not yield my glory to another(AG)
    or my praise to idols.(AH)
See, the former things(AI) have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce(AJ) them to you.”

Song of Praise to the Lord

10 Sing(AK) to the Lord a new song,(AL)
    his praise(AM) from the ends of the earth,(AN)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(AO)
    you islands,(AP) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(AQ) and its towns raise their voices;
    let the settlements where Kedar(AR) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(AS) sing for joy;
    let them shout from the mountaintops.(AT)
12 Let them give glory(AU) to the Lord
    and proclaim his praise(AV) in the islands.(AW)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(AX)
    like a warrior(AY) he will stir up his zeal;(AZ)
with a shout(BA) he will raise the battle cry
    and will triumph over his enemies.(BB)

14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(BC)
    I have been quiet and held myself back.(BD)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
    I cry out, I gasp and pant.(BE)
15 I will lay waste(BF) the mountains(BG) and hills
    and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
    and dry up(BH) the pools.
16 I will lead(BI) the blind(BJ) by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(BK) before them
    and make the rough places smooth.(BL)
These are the things I will do;
    I will not forsake(BM) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
    who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(BN)
    will be turned back in utter shame.(BO)

Israel Blind and Deaf

18 “Hear, you deaf;(BP)
    look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(BQ) but my servant,(BR)
    and deaf like the messenger(BS) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(BT) 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.”(BU)
21 It pleased the Lord
    for the sake(BV) of his righteousness
    to make his law(BW) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(BX) and looted,
    all of them trapped in pits(BY)
    or hidden away in prisons.(BZ)
They have become plunder,
    with no one to rescue them;(CA)
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(CB) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
    and Israel to the plunderers?(CC)
Was it not the Lord,(CD)
    against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(CE) his ways;
    they did not obey his law.(CF)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(CG)
    the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(CH) yet they did not understand;(CI)
    it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(CJ)

Israel’s Only Savior

43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created(CK) you, Jacob,
    he who formed(CL) you, Israel:(CM)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed(CN) you;
    I have summoned you by name;(CO) you are mine.(CP)
When you pass through the waters,(CQ)
    I will be with you;(CR)
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,(CS)
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.(CT)
For I am the Lord your God,(CU)
    the Holy One(CV) of Israel, your Savior;(CW)
I give Egypt(CX) for your ransom,
    Cush[a](CY) and Seba(CZ) in your stead.(DA)
Since you are precious and honored(DB) in my sight,
    and because I love(DC) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid,(DD) for I am with you;(DE)
    I will bring your children(DF) from the east
    and gather(DG) you from the west.(DH)
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south,(DI) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters(DJ) from the ends of the earth(DK)
everyone who is called by my name,(DL)
    whom I created(DM) for my glory,(DN)
    whom I formed and made.(DO)

Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,(DP)
    who have ears but are deaf.(DQ)
All the nations gather together(DR)
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold(DS) 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,(DT)” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant(DU) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know(DV) and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god(DW) was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.(DX)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,(DY)
    and apart from me there is no savior.(DZ)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god(EA) among you.
You are my witnesses,(EB)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13     Yes, and from ancient days(EC) I am he.(ED)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”(EE)

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

14 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(EF) the Holy One(EG) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives(EH) all the Babylonians,[b](EI)
    in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(EJ) your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator,(EK) your King.(EL)

16 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,(EM)
17 who drew out(EN) the chariots and horses,(EO)
    the army and reinforcements together,(EP)
and they lay(EQ) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(ER)
18 “Forget the former things;(ES)
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(ET)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(EU)
    and streams in the wasteland.(EV)
20 The wild animals(EW) honor me,
    the jackals(EX) and the owls,
because I provide water(EY) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed(EZ) for myself(FA)
    that they may proclaim my praise.(FB)

22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied(FC) yourselves for[c] me, Israel.(FD)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(FE)
    nor honored(FF) me with your sacrifices.(FG)
I have not burdened(FH) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands(FI) for incense.(FJ)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(FK) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat(FL) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied(FM) me with your offenses.(FN)

25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,(FO) for my own sake,(FP)
    and remembers your sins(FQ) no more.(FR)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;(FS)
    state the case(FT) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(FU) sinned;
    those I sent to teach(FV) you rebelled(FW) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction[d](FX)
    and Israel to scorn.(FY)

Israel the Chosen

44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,(FZ)
    Israel, whom I have chosen.(GA)
This is what the Lord says—
    he who made(GB) you, who formed you in the womb,(GC)
    and who will help(GD) you:
Do not be afraid,(GE) Jacob, my servant,(GF)
    Jeshurun,[e](GG) whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water(GH) on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;(GI)
I will pour out my Spirit(GJ) on your offspring,
    and my blessing(GK) on your descendants.(GL)
They will spring up like grass(GM) in a meadow,
    like poplar trees(GN) by flowing streams.(GO)
Some will say, ‘I belong(GP) to the Lord’;
    others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,(GQ) ‘The Lord’s,’(GR)
    and will take the name Israel.

The Lord, Not Idols

“This is what the Lord says—
    Israel’s King(GS) and Redeemer,(GT) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(GU)
    apart from me there is no God.(GV)
Who then is like me?(GW) 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(GX) what will come.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
    Did I not proclaim(GY) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God(GZ) besides me?
    No, there is no other Rock;(HA) I know not one.”

All who make idols(HB) are nothing,
    and the things they treasure are worthless.(HC)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(HD)
    they are ignorant, to their own shame.(HE)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(HF)
    which can profit nothing?(HG)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(HH)
    such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
    they will be brought down to terror and shame.(HI)

12 The blacksmith(HJ) 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.(HK)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.(HL)
13 The carpenter(HM) 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,(HN)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.(HO)
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,(HP) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(HQ) 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(HR) it;
    he makes an idol and bows(HS) 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.(HT)
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.(HU)
He prays(HV) to it and says,
    “Save(HW) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(HX) nothing;
    their eyes(HY) 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(HZ) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(IA)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(IB) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(IC)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(ID) a deluded(IE) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(IF)

21 “Remember(IG) these things, Jacob,
    for you, Israel, are my servant.(IH)
I have made you, you are my servant;(II)
    Israel, I will not forget you.(IJ)
22 I have swept away(IK) your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return(IL) to me,
    for I have redeemed(IM) you.”

23 Sing for joy,(IN) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth(IO) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,(IP)
    you forests and all your trees,(IQ)
for the Lord has redeemed(IR) Jacob,
    he displays his glory(IS) in Israel.

Jerusalem to Be Inhabited

24 “This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(IT) who formed(IU) you in the womb:(IV)

I am the Lord,
    the Maker of all things,
    who stretches out the heavens,(IW)
    who spreads out the earth(IX) by myself,
25 who foils(IY) the signs of false prophets
    and makes fools of diviners,(IZ)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(JA)
    and turns it into nonsense,(JB)
26 who carries out the words(JC) of his servants
    and fulfills(JD) the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,(JE) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
    of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
    and of their ruins,(JF) ‘I will restore them,’(JG)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
    and I will dry up(JH) your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus,(JI) ‘He is my shepherd
    and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(JJ) “Let it be rebuilt,”
    and of the temple,(JK) “Let its foundations(JL) be laid.”’

45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(JM)
    to Cyrus,(JN) whose right hand I take hold(JO) of
to subdue nations(JP) before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you(JQ)
    and will level(JR) the mountains[f];
I will break down gates(JS) of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.(JT)
I will give you hidden treasures,(JU)
    riches stored in secret places,(JV)
so that you may know(JW) that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(JX)
For the sake of Jacob my servant,(JY)
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge(JZ) me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;(KA)
    apart from me there is no God.(KB)
I will strengthen you,(KC)
    though you have not acknowledged me,
so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its setting(KD)
people may know(KE) there is none besides me.(KF)
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form the light and create darkness,(KG)
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;(KH)
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

“You heavens above, rain(KI) down my righteousness;(KJ)
    let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
    let salvation(KK) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
    I, the Lord, have created it.

“Woe to those who quarrel(KL) with their Maker,(KM)
    those who are nothing but potsherds(KN)
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(KO)
    ‘What are you making?’(KP)
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?(KQ)
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(KR) of Israel, and its Maker:(KS)
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?(KT)
12 It is I who made the earth(KU)
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(KV)
    I marshaled their starry hosts.(KW)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[g](KX) in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.(KY)
He will rebuild my city(KZ)
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(LA)
    says the Lord Almighty.”

14 This is what the Lord says:

“The products(LB) of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[h]
    and those tall Sabeans(LC)
they will come over to you(LD)
    and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,(LE)
    coming over to you in chains.(LF)
They will bow down before you
    and plead(LG) with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you,(LH) and there is no other;
    there is no other god.(LI)’”

15 Truly you are a God who has been hiding(LJ) himself,
    the God and Savior(LK) of Israel.
16 All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;(LL)
    they will go off into disgrace together.
17 But Israel will be saved(LM) by the Lord
    with an everlasting salvation;(LN)
you will never be put to shame or disgraced,(LO)
    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,(LP)
    he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,(LQ)
    but formed it to be inhabited(LR)
he says:
“I am the Lord,
    and there is no other.(LS)
19 I have not spoken in secret,(LT)
    from somewhere in a land of darkness;(LU)
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,(LV)
    ‘Seek(LW) me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
    I declare what is right.(LX)

20 “Gather together(LY) and come;
    assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant(LZ) are those who carry(MA) about idols of wood,
    who pray to gods that cannot save.(MB)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
    let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(MC) this long ago,
    who declared it from the distant past?(MD)
Was it not I, the Lord?
    And there is no God apart from me,(ME)
a righteous God(MF) and a Savior;(MG)
    there is none but me.

22 “Turn(MH) to me and be saved,(MI)
    all you ends of the earth;(MJ)
    for I am God, and there is no other.(MK)
23 By myself I have sworn,(ML)
    my mouth has uttered in all integrity(MM)
    a word that will not be revoked:(MN)
Before me every knee will bow;(MO)
    by me every tongue will swear.(MP)
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
    are deliverance(MQ) and strength.(MR)’”
All who have raged against him
    will come to him and be put to shame.(MS)
25 But all the descendants(MT) of Israel
    will find deliverance(MU) in the Lord
    and will make their boast in him.(MV)

Gods of Babylon

46 Bel(MW) bows down, Nebo stoops low;
    their idols(MX) are borne by beasts of burden.[i]
The images that are carried(MY) about are burdensome,
    a burden for the weary.
They stoop and bow down together;
    unable to rescue the burden,
    they themselves go off into captivity.(MZ)

“Listen(NA) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
    all the remnant(NB) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,(NC)
    and have carried(ND) since you were born.(NE)
Even to your old age and gray hairs(NF)
    I am he,(NG) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain(NH) you and I will rescue you.

“With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
    To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?(NI)
Some pour out gold from their bags
    and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith(NJ) to make it into a god,
    and they bow down and worship it.(NK)
They lift it to their shoulders and carry(NL) it;
    they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
    From that spot it cannot move.(NM)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;(NN)
    it cannot save(NO) them from their troubles.

“Remember(NP) this, keep it in mind,
    take it to heart, you rebels.(NQ)
Remember the former things,(NR) those of long ago;(NS)
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.(NT)
10 I make known the end from the beginning,(NU)
    from ancient times,(NV) what is still to come.(NW)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,(NX)
    and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon(NY) a bird of prey;(NZ)
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned,(OA) that I will do.(OB)
12 Listen(OC) to me, you stubborn-hearted,(OD)
    you who are now far from my righteousness.(OE)
13 I am bringing my righteousness(OF) near,
    it is not far away;
    and my salvation(OG) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,(OH)
    my splendor(OI) to Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
  3. Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
  4. Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  5. Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.
  6. Isaiah 45:2 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
  7. Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him
  8. Isaiah 45:14 That is, the upper Nile region
  9. Isaiah 46:1 Or are but beasts and cattle