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Isaiah 44-48
New King James Version
Isaiah 44-48
New King James Version
God’s Blessing on Israel
44 “Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant,
And Israel whom I have chosen.
2 Thus says the Lord who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you:
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant;
And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring;
4 They will spring up among the grass
Like willows by the watercourses.’
5 One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
Another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
And name himself by the name of Israel.
There Is No Other God
6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
(A)‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
7 And (B)who can proclaim as I do?
Then let him 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 show these to them.
8 Do not fear, nor be afraid;
(C)Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?
(D)You are My witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed (E)there is no other Rock;
I know not one.’ ”
Idolatry Is Foolishness
9 (F)Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
(G)They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who would form a god or mold an image
(H)That profits him nothing?
11 Surely all his companions would be (I)ashamed;
And the workmen, they are mere men.
Let them all be gathered together,
Let them stand up;
Yet they shall fear,
They shall be ashamed together.
12 (J)The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals,
Fashions it with hammers,
And works it with the strength of his arms.
Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails;
He drinks no water and is faint.
13 The craftsman stretches out his rule,
He marks one out with chalk;
He fashions it with a plane,
He marks it out with the compass,
And makes it like the figure of a man,
According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He [a]secures it for himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
15 Then it shall be for a man to burn,
For he will take some of it and warm himself;
Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread;
Indeed he makes a god and worships it;
He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
“Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 (K)They do not know nor understand;
For (L)He has [b]shut their eyes, so that they cannot see,
And their hearts, so that they cannot (M)understand.
19 And no one (N)considers in his heart,
Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
“I have burned half of it in the fire,
Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals;
I have roasted meat and eaten it;
And shall I make the rest of it an abomination?
Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”
20 He feeds on ashes;
(O)A deceived heart has turned him aside;
And he cannot deliver his soul,
Nor say, “Is there not a (P)lie in my right hand?”
Israel Is Not Forgotten
21 “Remember these, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant;
O Israel, you will not be (Q)forgotten by Me!
22 (R)I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions,
And like a cloud, your sins.
Return to Me, for (S)I have redeemed you.”
23 (T)Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And (U)glorified Himself in Israel.
Judah Will Be Restored
24 Thus says the Lord, (V)your Redeemer,
And (W)He who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who makes all things,
(X)Who stretches out the heavens [c]all alone,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
25 Who (Y)frustrates the signs (Z)of the babblers,
And drives diviners mad;
Who turns wise men backward,
(AA)And makes their knowledge foolishness;
26 (AB)Who confirms the word of His servant,
And performs the counsel of His messengers;
Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’
To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’
And I will raise up her waste places;
27 (AC)Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry!
And I will dry up your rivers’;
28 Who says of (AD)Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, (AE)“You shall be built,”
And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’
Cyrus, God’s Instrument
45 “Thus says the Lord to His anointed,
To (AF)Cyrus, whose (AG)right hand I have [d]held—
(AH)To subdue nations before him
And (AI)loose the armor of kings,
To open before him the double doors,
So that the gates will not be shut:
2 ‘I will go before you
(AJ)And[e] make the [f]crooked places straight;
(AK)I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
(AL)That you may know that I, the Lord,
Who (AM)call you by your name,
Am the God of Israel.
4 For (AN)Jacob My servant’s sake,
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.
5 I (AO)am the Lord, and (AP)there is no other;
There is no God besides Me.
(AQ)I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
6 (AR)That they may (AS)know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
7 I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and (AT)create calamity;
I, the Lord, do all these things.’
8 “Rain(AU) down, you heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,
And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to him who strives with (AV)his Maker!
Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!
(AW)Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ”
11 Thus says the Lord,
The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
(AX)“Ask Me of things to come concerning (AY)My sons;
And concerning (AZ)the work of My hands, you command Me.
12 (BA)I have made the earth,
And (BB)created man on it.
I—My hands—stretched out the heavens,
And (BC)all their host I have commanded.
13 (BD)I have raised him up in righteousness,
And I will [g]direct all his ways;
He shall (BE)build My city
And let My exiles go free,
(BF)Not for price nor reward,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
The Lord, the Only Savior
14 Thus says the Lord:
(BG)“The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Cush
And of the Sabeans, men of stature,
Shall come over to you, and they shall be yours;
They shall walk behind you,
They shall come over (BH)in chains;
And they shall bow down to you.
They will make supplication to you, saying, (BI)‘Surely God is in you,
And there is no other;
(BJ)There is no other God.’ ”
15 Truly You are God, (BK)who hide Yourself,
O God of Israel, the Savior!
16 They shall be (BL)ashamed
And also disgraced, all of them;
They shall go in confusion together,
Who are makers of idols.
17 (BM)But Israel shall be saved by the Lord
With an (BN)everlasting salvation;
You shall not be ashamed or (BO)disgraced
Forever and ever.
18 For thus says the Lord,
(BP)Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it [h]in vain,
Who formed it to be (BQ)inhabited:
(BR)“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in (BS)secret,
In a dark place of the earth;
I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
‘Seek Me [i]in vain’;
(BT)I, the Lord, speak righteousness,
I declare things that are right.
20 “Assemble yourselves and come;
Draw near together,
You who have escaped from the nations.
(BU)They have no knowledge,
Who carry the wood of their carved image,
And pray to a god that cannot save.
21 Tell and bring forth your case;
Yes, let them take counsel together.
(BV)Who has declared this from ancient time?
Who has told it from that time?
Have not I, the Lord?
(BW)And there is no other God besides Me,
A just God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me.
22 “Look to Me, and be saved,
(BX)All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (BY)I have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,
And shall not return,
That to Me every (BZ)knee shall bow,
(CA)Every tongue shall take an oath.
24 He shall say,
[j]‘Surely in the Lord I have (CB)righteousness and strength.
To Him men shall come,
And (CC)all shall be ashamed
Who are incensed against Him.
25 (CD)In the Lord all the descendants of Israel
Shall be justified, and (CE)shall glory.’ ”
Dead Idols and the Living God
46 Bel (CF)bows down, Nebo stoops;
Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle.
Your carriages were heavily loaded,
(CG)A burden to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together;
They could not deliver the burden,
(CH)But have themselves gone into captivity.
3 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
(CI)Who have been upheld by Me from [k]birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
4 Even to your old age, (CJ)I am He,
And even to gray hairs (CK)I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5 “To(CL) whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
And compare Me, that we should be alike?
6 (CM)They lavish gold out of the bag,
And weigh silver on the scales;
They hire a (CN)goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
7 (CO)They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it
And set it in its place, and it stands;
From its place it shall not move.
Though (CP)one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
Nor save him out of his trouble.
8 “Remember this, and [l]show yourselves men;
(CQ)Recall to mind, O you transgressors.
9 (CR)Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and (CS)there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 (CT)Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, (CU)‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
11 Calling a bird of prey (CV)from the east,
The man (CW)who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed (CX)I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it.
12 “Listen to Me, you (CY)stubborn-hearted,
(CZ)Who are far from righteousness:
13 (DA)I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off;
My salvation (DB)shall not [m]linger.
And I will place (DC)salvation in Zion,
For Israel My glory.
The Humiliation of Babylon
47 “Come (DD)down and (DE)sit in the dust,
O virgin daughter of (DF)Babylon;
Sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no more be called
Tender and [n]delicate.
2 (DG)Take the millstones and grind meal.
Remove your veil,
Take off the skirt,
Uncover the thigh,
Pass through the rivers.
3 (DH)Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
Yes, your shame will be seen;
(DI)I will take vengeance,
And I will not arbitrate with a man.”
4 As for (DJ)our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.
5 “Sit in (DK)silence, and go into darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans;
(DL)For you shall no longer be called
The Lady of Kingdoms.
6 (DM)I was angry with My people;
(DN)I have profaned My inheritance,
And given them into your hand.
You showed them no mercy;
(DO)On the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily.
7 And you said, ‘I shall be (DP)a lady forever,’
So that you did not (DQ)take these things to heart,
(DR)Nor remember the latter end of them.
8 “Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures,
Who dwell securely,
Who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me;
I shall not sit as a widow,
Nor shall I know the loss of children’;
9 But these two things shall come to you
(DS)In a moment, in one day:
The loss of children, and widowhood.
They shall come upon you in their fullness
Because of the multitude of your sorceries,
For the great abundance of your enchantments.
10 “For you have trusted in your wickedness;
You have said, ‘No one (DT)sees me’;
Your wisdom and your knowledge have [o]warped you;
And you have said in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’
11 Therefore evil shall come upon you;
You shall not know from where it arises.
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able [p]to put it off.
And (DU)desolation shall come upon you (DV)suddenly,
Which you shall not know.
12 “Stand now with your enchantments
And the multitude of your sorceries,
In which you have labored from your youth—
Perhaps you will be able to profit,
Perhaps you will prevail.
13 (DW)You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
Let now (DX)the[q] astrologers, the stargazers,
And [r]the monthly prognosticators
Stand up and save you
From what shall come upon you.
14 Behold, they shall be (DY)as stubble,
The fire shall (DZ)burn them;
They shall not deliver themselves
From the power of the flame;
It shall not be a coal to be warmed by,
Nor a fire to sit before!
15 Thus shall they be to you
With whom you have labored,
(EA)Your merchants from your youth;
They shall wander each one to his [s]quarter.
No one shall save you.
Israel Refined for God’s Glory
48 “Hear this, O house of Jacob,
Who are called by the name of Israel,
And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah;
Who swear by the name of the Lord,
And make mention of the God of Israel,
But (EB)not in truth or in righteousness;
2 For they call themselves (EC)after the holy city,
And (ED)lean on the God of Israel;
The Lord of hosts is His name:
3 “I have (EE)declared the former things from the beginning;
They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it.
Suddenly I did them, (EF)and they came to pass.
4 Because I knew that you were [t]obstinate,
And (EG)your neck was an iron sinew,
And your brow bronze,
5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you;
Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you,
Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them,
And my carved image and my molded image
Have commanded them.’
6 “You have heard;
See all this.
And will you not declare it?
I have made you hear new things from this time,
Even hidden things, and you did not know them.
7 They are created now and not from the beginning;
And before this day you have not heard them,
Lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.’
8 Surely you did not hear,
Surely you did not know;
Surely from long ago your ear was not opened.
For I knew that you would deal very treacherously,
And were called (EH)a transgressor from the womb.
9 “For(EI) My name’s sake (EJ)I will [u]defer My anger,
And for My praise I will restrain it from you,
So that I do not cut you off.
10 Behold, (EK)I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the (EL)furnace of affliction.
11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it;
For (EM)how should My name be profaned?
And (EN)I will not give My glory to another.
God’s Ancient Plan to Redeem Israel
12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob,
And Israel, My called:
I am He, (EO)I am the (EP)First,
I am also the Last.
13 Indeed (EQ)My hand has laid the foundation of the earth,
And My right hand has stretched out the heavens;
When (ER)I call to them,
They stand up together.
14 “All of you, assemble yourselves, and hear!
Who among them has declared these things?
(ES)The Lord loves him;
(ET)He shall do His pleasure on Babylon,
And His arm shall be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, even I, have spoken;
Yes, (EU)I have called him,
I have brought him, and his way will prosper.
16 “Come near to Me, hear this:
(EV)I have not spoken in secret from the beginning;
From the time that it was, I was there.
And now (EW)the Lord God and His Spirit
[v]Have sent Me.”
17 Thus says (EX)the Lord, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
Who teaches you to profit,
(EY)Who leads you by the way you should go.
18 (EZ)Oh, that you had heeded My commandments!
(FA)Then your peace would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 (FB)Your descendants also would have been like the sand,
And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand;
His name would not have been cut off
Nor destroyed from before Me.”
20 (FC)Go forth from Babylon!
Flee from the Chaldeans!
With a voice of singing,
Declare, proclaim this,
Utter it to the end of the earth;
Say, “The Lord has (FD)redeemed
His servant Jacob!”
21 And they (FE)did not thirst
When He led them through the deserts;
He (FF)caused the waters to flow from the rock for them;
He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.
22 “There(FG) is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 44:14 Lit. appropriates
- Isaiah 44:18 Lit. smeared over
- Isaiah 44:24 By Himself
- Isaiah 45:1 strengthened or sustained
- Isaiah 45:2 Tg. I will trample down the walls; Vg. I will humble the great ones of the earth
- Isaiah 45:2 DSS, LXX mountains
- Isaiah 45:13 Or make all his ways straight
- Isaiah 45:18 Or empty, a waste
- Isaiah 45:19 Or in a waste place
- Isaiah 45:24 Or Only in the Lord are all righteousness and strength
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit. the belly
- Isaiah 46:8 be men, take courage
- Isaiah 46:13 delay
- Isaiah 47:1 dainty
- Isaiah 47:10 led you astray
- Isaiah 47:11 Lit. to cover it or atone for it
- Isaiah 47:13 Lit. viewers of the heavens
- Isaiah 47:13 Lit. those giving knowledge for new moons
- Isaiah 47:15 own side or way
- Isaiah 48:4 Heb. hard
- Isaiah 48:9 delay
- Isaiah 48:16 Heb. verb is sing.; or Has sent Me and His Spirit
Isaiah 44-48
New International Version
Isaiah 44-48
New International Version
Israel the Chosen
44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,(A)
Israel, whom I have chosen.(B)
2 This is what the Lord says—
he who made(C) you, who formed you in the womb,(D)
and who will help(E) you:
Do not be afraid,(F) Jacob, my servant,(G)
Jeshurun,[a](H) whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water(I) on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;(J)
I will pour out my Spirit(K) on your offspring,
and my blessing(L) on your descendants.(M)
4 They will spring up like grass(N) in a meadow,
like poplar trees(O) by flowing streams.(P)
5 Some will say, ‘I belong(Q) to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,(R) ‘The Lord’s,’(S)
and will take the name Israel.
The Lord, Not Idols
6 “This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King(T) and Redeemer,(U) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(V)
apart from me there is no God.(W)
7 Who then is like me?(X) 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(Y) what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim(Z) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God(AA) besides me?
No, there is no other Rock;(AB) I know not one.”
9 All who make idols(AC) are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.(AD)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(AE)
they are ignorant, to their own shame.(AF)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(AG)
which can profit nothing?(AH)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(AI)
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.(AJ)
12 The blacksmith(AK) 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.(AL)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.(AM)
13 The carpenter(AN) 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,(AO)
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.(AP)
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,(AQ) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(AR) 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(AS) it;
he makes an idol and bows(AT) 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.(AU)”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.(AV)
He prays(AW) to it and says,
“Save(AX) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(AY) nothing;
their eyes(AZ) 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(BA) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(BB)
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(BC) thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(BD)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(BE) a deluded(BF) heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(BG)”
21 “Remember(BH) these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.(BI)
I have made you, you are my servant;(BJ)
Israel, I will not forget you.(BK)
22 I have swept away(BL) your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return(BM) to me,
for I have redeemed(BN) you.”
23 Sing for joy,(BO) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth(BP) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,(BQ)
you forests and all your trees,(BR)
for the Lord has redeemed(BS) Jacob,
he displays his glory(BT) in Israel.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,(BX)
who spreads out the earth(BY) by myself,
25 who foils(BZ) the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,(CA)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(CB)
and turns it into nonsense,(CC)
26 who carries out the words(CD) of his servants
and fulfills(CE) the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem,(CF) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins,(CG) ‘I will restore them,’(CH)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up(CI) your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus,(CJ) ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(CK) “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple,(CL) “Let its foundations(CM) be laid.”’
45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(CN)
to Cyrus,(CO) whose right hand I take hold(CP) of
to subdue nations(CQ) before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you(CR)
and will level(CS) the mountains[b];
I will break down gates(CT) of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.(CU)
3 I will give you hidden treasures,(CV)
riches stored in secret places,(CW)
so that you may know(CX) that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(CY)
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,(CZ)
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge(DA) me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;(DB)
apart from me there is no God.(DC)
I will strengthen you,(DD)
though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting(DE)
people may know(DF) there is none besides me.(DG)
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,(DH)
I bring prosperity and create disaster;(DI)
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8 “You heavens above, rain(DJ) down my righteousness;(DK)
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation(DL) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to those who quarrel(DM) with their Maker,(DN)
those who are nothing but potsherds(DO)
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(DP)
‘What are you making?’(DQ)
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?(DR)
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(DS) of Israel, and its Maker:(DT)
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?(DU)
12 It is I who made the earth(DV)
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(DW)
I marshaled their starry hosts.(DX)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[c](DY) in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.(DZ)
He will rebuild my city(EA)
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(EB)
says the Lord Almighty.”
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The products(EC) of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[d]
and those tall Sabeans(ED)—
they will come over to you(EE)
and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,(EF)
coming over to you in chains.(EG)
They will bow down before you
and plead(EH) with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you,(EI) and there is no other;
there is no other god.(EJ)’”
15 Truly you are a God who has been hiding(EK) himself,
the God and Savior(EL) of Israel.
16 All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;(EM)
they will go off into disgrace together.
17 But Israel will be saved(EN) by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation;(EO)
you will never be put to shame or disgraced,(EP)
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,(EQ)
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,(ER)
but formed it to be inhabited(ES)—
he says:
“I am the Lord,
and there is no other.(ET)
19 I have not spoken in secret,(EU)
from somewhere in a land of darkness;(EV)
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,(EW)
‘Seek(EX) me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.(EY)
20 “Gather together(EZ) and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant(FA) are those who carry(FB) about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.(FC)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(FD) this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?(FE)
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,(FF)
a righteous God(FG) and a Savior;(FH)
there is none but me.
22 “Turn(FI) to me and be saved,(FJ)
all you ends of the earth;(FK)
for I am God, and there is no other.(FL)
23 By myself I have sworn,(FM)
my mouth has uttered in all integrity(FN)
a word that will not be revoked:(FO)
Before me every knee will bow;(FP)
by me every tongue will swear.(FQ)
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance(FR) and strength.(FS)’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.(FT)
25 But all the descendants(FU) of Israel
will find deliverance(FV) in the Lord
and will make their boast in him.(FW)
Gods of Babylon
46 Bel(FX) bows down, Nebo stoops low;
their idols(FY) are borne by beasts of burden.[e]
The images that are carried(FZ) about are burdensome,
a burden for the weary.
2 They stoop and bow down together;
unable to rescue the burden,
they themselves go off into captivity.(GA)
3 “Listen(GB) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all the remnant(GC) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,(GD)
and have carried(GE) since you were born.(GF)
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs(GG)
I am he,(GH) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain(GI) you and I will rescue you.
5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?(GJ)
6 Some pour out gold from their bags
and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith(GK) to make it into a god,
and they bow down and worship it.(GL)
7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry(GM) it;
they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
From that spot it cannot move.(GN)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;(GO)
it cannot save(GP) them from their troubles.
8 “Remember(GQ) this, keep it in mind,
take it to heart, you rebels.(GR)
9 Remember the former things,(GS) those of long ago;(GT)
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.(GU)
10 I make known the end from the beginning,(GV)
from ancient times,(GW) what is still to come.(GX)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,(GY)
and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon(GZ) a bird of prey;(HA)
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned,(HB) that I will do.(HC)
12 Listen(HD) to me, you stubborn-hearted,(HE)
you who are now far from my righteousness.(HF)
13 I am bringing my righteousness(HG) near,
it is not far away;
and my salvation(HH) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,(HI)
my splendor(HJ) to Israel.
The Fall of Babylon
47 “Go down, sit in the dust,(HK)
Virgin Daughter(HL) Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
queen city of the Babylonians.[f](HM)
No more will you be called
tender or delicate.(HN)
2 Take millstones(HO) and grind(HP) flour;
take off your veil.(HQ)
Lift up your skirts,(HR) bare your legs,
and wade through the streams.
3 Your nakedness(HS) will be exposed
and your shame(HT) uncovered.
I will take vengeance;(HU)
I will spare no one.(HV)”
5 “Sit in silence,(IA) go into darkness,(IB)
queen city of the Babylonians;(IC)
no more will you be called
queen(ID) of kingdoms.(IE)
6 I was angry(IF) with my people
and desecrated my inheritance;(IG)
I gave them into your hand,(IH)
and you showed them no mercy.(II)
Even on the aged
you laid a very heavy yoke.
7 You said, ‘I am forever(IJ)—
the eternal queen!’(IK)
But you did not consider these things
or reflect(IL) on what might happen.(IM)
8 “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
lounging in your security(IN)
and saying to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.(IO)
I will never be a widow(IP)
or suffer the loss of children.’
9 Both of these will overtake you
in a moment,(IQ) on a single day:
loss of children(IR) and widowhood.(IS)
They will come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries(IT)
and all your potent spells.(IU)
10 You have trusted(IV) in your wickedness
and have said, ‘No one sees me.’(IW)
Your wisdom(IX) and knowledge mislead(IY) you
when you say to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
11 Disaster(IZ) will come upon you,
and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
will suddenly(JA) come upon you.
12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
and with your many sorceries,(JB)
which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
perhaps you will cause terror.
13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!(JC)
Let your astrologers(JD) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
let them save(JE) you from what is coming upon you.
14 Surely they are like stubble;(JF)
the fire(JG) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
from the power of the flame.(JH)
These are not coals for warmth;
this is not a fire to sit by.
15 That is all they are to you—
these you have dealt with
and labored(JI) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
there is not one that can save(JJ) you.
Stubborn Israel
48 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel(JK)
and come from the line of Judah,(JL)
you who take oaths(JM) in the name of the Lord(JN)
and invoke(JO) the God of Israel—
but not in truth(JP) or righteousness—
2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city(JQ)
and claim to rely(JR) on the God of Israel—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(JS)
3 I foretold the former things(JT) long ago,
my mouth announced(JU) them and I made them known;
then suddenly(JV) I acted, and they came to pass.
4 For I knew how stubborn(JW) you were;
your neck muscles(JX) were iron,
your forehead(JY) was bronze.
5 Therefore I told you these things long ago;
before they happened I announced(JZ) them to you
so that you could not say,
‘My images brought them about;(KA)
my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
6 You have heard these things; look at them all.
Will you not admit them?
“From now on I will tell you of new things,(KB)
of hidden things unknown to you.
7 They are created(KC) now, and not long ago;(KD)
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
‘Yes, I knew(KE) of them.’
8 You have neither heard nor understood;(KF)
from of old your ears(KG) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous(KH) you are;
you were called a rebel(KI) from birth.
9 For my own name’s sake(KJ) I delay my wrath;(KK)
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to destroy you completely.(KL)
10 See, I have refined(KM) you, though not as silver;
I have tested(KN) you in the furnace(KO) of affliction.
11 For my own sake,(KP) for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?(KQ)
I will not yield my glory to another.(KR)
Israel Freed
12 “Listen(KS) to me, Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:(KT)
I am he;(KU)
I am the first and I am the last.(KV)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(KW)
and my right hand spread out the heavens;(KX)
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.(KY)
14 “Come together,(KZ) all of you, and listen:
Which of the idols has foretold(LA) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(LB)
will carry out his purpose(LC) against Babylon;(LD)
his arm will be against the Babylonians.[g]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
yes, I have called(LE) him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed(LF) in his mission.
16 “Come near(LG) me and listen(LH) to this:
“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(LI)
at the time it happens, I am there.”
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(LM) the Holy One(LN) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches(LO) you what is best for you,
who directs(LP) you in the way(LQ) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention(LR) to my commands,
your peace(LS) would have been like a river,(LT)
your well-being(LU) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants(LV) would have been like the sand,(LW)
your children like its numberless grains;(LX)
their name would never be blotted out(LY)
nor destroyed from before me.”
20 Leave Babylon,
flee(LZ) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy(MA)
and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;(MB)
say, “The Lord has redeemed(MC) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst(MD) when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow(ME) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
and water gushed out.(MF)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.
- Isaiah 45:2 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him
- Isaiah 45:14 That is, the upper Nile region
- Isaiah 46:1 Or are but beasts and cattle
- Isaiah 47:1 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 5
- Isaiah 48:14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.