| Chapter
44 |
| 1 | Yet
now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: |
| 2 | Thus 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. |
| 3 | For 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: |
| 4
| And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water
courses. |
| 5 | One 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. |
| 6 | Thus
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. |
| 7 | And 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. |
| 8 | Fear 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. |
| 9 | They 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. |
| 10 | Who hath
formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? |
| 11 | Behold, 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. |
| 12 | The 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. |
| 13 | The 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. |
| 14 | He 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. |
|
15 | Then 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. |
| 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 it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for
thou art my god. |
| 18 | They
have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot
see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. |
|
19 | And 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? |
| 20
| He 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? |
| 21 | Remember 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 24 | Thus 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; |
| 25 | That
frustrateth the tokens 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 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: |
| 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 to Jerusalem, Thou
shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. |
