Isaiah 43:8-45:13

New International Version

⁸ Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,^(A)
    who have ears but are deaf.^(B)
9 All the nations gather together^(C)
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold^(D) 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,^(E)” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant^(F) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know^(G) and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god^(H) was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.^(I)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,^(J)
    and apart from me there is no savior.^(K)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god^(L) among you.
You are my witnesses,^(M)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
¹³     Yes, and from ancient days^(N) I am he.^(O)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”^(P)

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,^(X)
17 who drew out^(Y) the chariots and horses,^(Z)
    the army and reinforcements together,^(AA)
and they lay^(AB) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:^(AC)
18 “Forget the former things;^(AD)
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!^(AE)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness^(AF)
    and streams in the wasteland.^(AG)
20 The wild animals^(AH) honor me,
    the jackals^(AI) and the owls,
because I provide water^(AJ) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
²¹     the people I formed^(AK) for myself^(AL)
    that they may proclaim my praise.^(AM)

²² “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied^(AN) yourselves for^[b] me, Israel.^(AO)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,^(AP)
    nor honored^(AQ) me with your sacrifices.^(AR)
I have not burdened^(AS) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands^(AT) for incense.^(AU)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus^(AV) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat^(AW) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied^(AX) me with your offenses.^(AY)

²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,^(AZ) for my own sake,^(BA)
    and remembers your sins^(BB) no more.^(BC)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;^(BD)
    state the case^(BE) for your innocence.
²⁷ Your first father^(BF) sinned;
    those I sent to teach^(BG) you rebelled^(BH) against me.
²⁸ So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction^[c](BI)
    and Israel to scorn.^(BJ)

⁹ All who make idols^(CM) are nothing,
    and the things they treasure are worthless.^(CN)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;^(CO)
    they are ignorant, to their own shame.^(CP)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,^(CQ)
    which can profit nothing?^(CR)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;^(CS)
    such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
    they will be brought down to terror and shame.^(CT)

¹² The blacksmith^(CU) 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.^(CV)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.^(CW)
13 The carpenter^(CX) 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,^(CY)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.^(CZ)
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,^(DA) and the rain made it grow.
¹⁵ It is used as fuel^(DB) 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^(DC) it;
    he makes an idol and bows^(DD) 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.^(DE)”
¹⁷ From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.^(DF)
He prays^(DG) to it and says,
    “Save^(DH) me! You are my god!”
¹⁸ They know nothing, they understand^(DI) nothing;
    their eyes^(DJ) 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^(DK) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;^(DL)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable^(DM) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”^(DN)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;^(DO) a deluded^(DP) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?^(DQ)”

²¹ “Remember^(DR) these things, Jacob,
    for you, Israel, are my servant.^(DS)
I have made you, you are my servant;^(DT)
    Israel, I will not forget you.^(DU)
22 I have swept away^(DV) your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return^(DW) to me,
    for I have redeemed^(DX) you.”

²³ Sing for joy,^(DY) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth^(DZ) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,^(EA)
    you forests and all your trees,^(EB)
for the Lord has redeemed^(EC) Jacob,
    he displays his glory^(ED) in Israel.

I am the Lord,
    the Maker of all things,
    who stretches out the heavens,^(EH)
    who spreads out the earth^(EI) by myself,
²⁵ who foils^(EJ) the signs of false prophets
    and makes fools of diviners,^(EK)
who overthrows the learning of the wise^(EL)
    and turns it into nonsense,^(EM)
26 who carries out the words^(EN) of his servants
    and fulfills^(EO) the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,^(EP) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
    of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
    and of their ruins,^(EQ) ‘I will restore them,’^(ER)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
    and I will dry up^(ES) your streams,’
²⁸ who says of Cyrus,^(ET) ‘He is my shepherd
    and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,^(EU) “Let it be rebuilt,”
    and of the temple,^(EV) “Let its foundations^(EW) be laid.”’

45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,^(EX)
    to Cyrus,^(EY) whose right hand I take hold^(EZ) of
to subdue nations^(FA) 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^(FB)
    and will level^(FC) the mountains^[e];
I will break down gates^(FD) of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.^(FE)
3 I will give you hidden treasures,^(FF)
    riches stored in secret places,^(FG)
so that you may know^(FH) that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.^(FI)
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,^(FJ)
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge^(FK) me.
⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other;^(FL)
    apart from me there is no God.^(FM)
I will strengthen you,^(FN)
    though you have not acknowledged me,
⁶ so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its setting^(FO)
people may know^(FP) there is none besides me.^(FQ)
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
⁷ I form the light and create darkness,^(FR)
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;^(FS)
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

⁸ “You heavens above, rain^(FT) down my righteousness;^(FU)
    let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
    let salvation^(FV) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
    I, the Lord, have created it.

⁹ “Woe to those who quarrel^(FW) with their Maker,^(FX)
    those who are nothing but potsherds^(FY)
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,^(FZ)
    ‘What are you making?’^(GA)
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?^(GB)
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^(GC) of Israel, and its Maker:^(GD)
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?^(GE)
12 It is I who made the earth^(GF)
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;^(GG)
    I marshaled their starry hosts.^(GH)
13 I will raise up Cyrus^[f](GI) in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.^(GJ)
He will rebuild my city^(GK)
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,^(GL)
    says the Lord Almighty.”