Isaiah 44

Contemporary English Version

The Lord's Promise to Israel

44 People of Israel,
I have chosen you
    as my servant.
²I am your Creator.
You were in my care
    even before you were born.
Israel, don't be terrified!
You are my chosen servant,
    my very favorite.^[a]

³I will bless the thirsty land
    by sending streams of water;
I will bless your descendants
    by giving them my Spirit.
⁴They will spring up like grass^[b]
or like willow trees
    near flowing streams.
⁵They will worship me
    and become my people.
They will write my name
    on the back of their hands.^[c]

⁶^(A) I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the first and the last,
    the one and only God.
Israel, I have rescued you!
    I am your King.
⁷Can anyone compare with me?
If so, let them speak up
    and tell me now.
Let them say what has happened
since I made my nation
    long ago,
and let them tell
    what is going to happen.^[d]
⁸Don't tremble with fear!
Didn't I tell you long ago?
    Didn't you hear me?
I alone am God—
no one else is a mighty rock.^[e]

Idols Can't Do a Thing

The Lord said:

⁹Those people who make idols
    are nothing themselves,
and the idols they treasure
    are just as worthless.
Worshipers of idols are blind,
    stupid, and foolish.
¹⁰Why make an idol or an image
    that can't do a thing?
¹¹Everyone who makes idols
and all who worship them
    are mere humans,
who will end up
    sadly disappointed.
Let them face me in court
    and be terrified.

Idols and Firewood

¹²A metalworker shapes an idol
by using a hammer^[f]
    and heat from the fire.
In his powerful hand
    he holds a hammer,
as he pounds the metal
    into the proper shape.
But he gets hungry and thirsty
    and loses his strength.

¹³Some woodcarver measures
a piece of wood,
    then draws an outline.
The idol is carefully carved
    with each detail exact.
At last it looks like a person
    and is placed in a temple.
¹⁴Either cedar, cypress, oak,
or any tree from the forest
    may be chosen.
Or even a pine tree planted
by the woodcarver
    and watered by the rain.

¹⁵^(B) Some of the wood is used
to make a fire for heating
    or for cooking.
One piece is made into an idol,
then the woodcarver bows down
    and worships it.
¹⁶He enjoys the warm fire
and the meat that was roasted
    over the burning coals.
¹⁷Afterwards, he bows down
    to worship the wooden idol.
“Protect me!” he says.
    “You are my god.”

¹⁸Those who worship idols are stupid and blind! ¹⁹They don't have enough sense to say to themselves, “I made a fire with half of the wood and cooked my bread and meat on it. Then I made something worthless with the other half. Why worship a block of wood?”

²⁰How can anyone be stupid enough to trust something that can be burned to ashes?^[g] No one can save themselves like that. Don't they realize that the idols they hold in their hands are not really gods?

The Lord Won't Forget His People

²¹People of Israel,
you are my servant,
    so remember all of this.
Israel, I created you,
and you are my servant.
    I won't forget you.^[h]
²²Turn back to me!
    I have rescued you
and swept away your sins
    as though they were clouds.

Sing Praises to the Lord

²³Tell the heavens and the earth
    to start singing!
Tell the mountains
and every tree in the forest
    to join in the song!
The Lord has rescued his people;
    now they will worship him.

The Lord Created Everything

²⁴Israel, I am your Lord,
the source of your life,
and I have rescued you.
I created everything
from the sky above
to the earth below.

²⁵^(C) I make liars of false prophets
    and fools of fortunetellers.
I take human wisdom
    and turn it into nonsense.
²⁶I will make the message
    of my prophets come true.
They are saying, “Jerusalem
    will be filled with people,
and the Lord will rebuild
    the towns of Judah.”

²⁷I am the one who commands
the sea and its streams
    to run dry.
²⁸^(D) I am also the one who says,
“Cyrus will lead my people
    and obey my orders.
Jerusalem and the temple
    will be rebuilt.”

Footnotes

44.2 my very favorite: Or “Jeshurun.”
44.4 like grass: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
44.5 write … hands: To show that they belong to the Lord and to Israel.
44.7 Let them say … happen: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
44.8 mighty rock: See the note at 17.10.
44.12 by using a hammer: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
44.20 How … ashes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
44.21 I won't forget you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.