Yeshayahu 44 ישעיהו מ״ד

Yet now hear, O Ya῾aqov my servant; and Yisra᾽el whom I have chosen:

thus says the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee; Fear not, O Ya῾aqov, my servant; and thou, Yeshurun, whom I have chosen.

For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring:

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

One shall say, I am the Lord’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Ya῾aqov; and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Yisra᾽el.

Thus says the Lord the King of Yisra᾽el, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

And who is like me? let him proclaim it, let him declare it, and set it in order for me, from when I appointed the eternal people; let them relate for themselves the things that will come, and are to be.

Fear not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? for you are my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? indeed there is no Rock; I know not any.

They that make a carved idol are all of them vanity; and the things they delight in, do not profit; and their witnesses see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.

Who has fashioned a god, or cast an idol? it is profitable for nothing.

Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are but men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be ashamed together.

The ironsmith makes an axe, and works in the coals, and fashions it with hammers, works it with the strength of his arms: if he is hungry, his strength fails: if he drinks no water, he is faint.

The carpenter stretches out his rule; he marks it out with a pencil; he fits it with chisels, and he marks it out with the compass, and makes it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

He hews him down cedars, and takes the pine and the oak, which he strengthens for himself among the trees of the forest: he plants a forest tree and the rain nourishes it.

Then shall it be for a man for fuel: for he will take of it to warm himself; indeed, he kindles it, and bakes bread! or else he makes a god, and prostrates himself to it; he makes of it a carved idol, and bows himself down before it.

Half of it he burns in the fire; with this half of it he eats meat; he roasts the roast, and is satisfied: indeed, he warms himself, and says, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:

and of the rest of it he makes a god, his carved idol: he falls down to it, and worships it, and prays to it, and says, Deliver me; for thou art my god.

They have not known nor understood: for he has shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

And none considers in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned half of it in the fire; I have even baked bread upon its embers; I have roasted meat, and eaten it: and shall I make the rest of it an abomination? shall I fall down to worship the stock of a tree?

He feeds on ashes: a deceived heart has turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Remember these, O Ya῾aqov and Yisra᾽el; thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my own servant: O Yisra᾽el thou shalt not be forgotten by me.

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return to me; for I have redeemed thee.

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 Ya῾aqov, and glorified himself in Yisra᾽el.

Thus says the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that makes all things; that stretches the heavens, alone; that spreads abroad the earth by myself;

that frustrates the omens of imposters, and makes diviners mad; that turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;

that confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; that says to Yerushalayim, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Yehuda, They shall be rebuilt, and their ruins I shall raise up.

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

that says of Koresh, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: and saying to Yerushalayim, Thou shalt be rebuilt; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.