Isaiah 43:14-45:10

New International Version

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,^(H)
17 who drew out^(I) the chariots and horses,^(J)
    the army and reinforcements together,^(K)
and they lay^(L) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:^(M)
18 “Forget the former things;^(N)
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!^(O)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness^(P)
    and streams in the wasteland.^(Q)
20 The wild animals^(R) honor me,
    the jackals^(S) and the owls,
because I provide water^(T) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
²¹     the people I formed^(U) for myself^(V)
    that they may proclaim my praise.^(W)

²² “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied^(X) yourselves for^[b] me, Israel.^(Y)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,^(Z)
    nor honored^(AA) me with your sacrifices.^(AB)
I have not burdened^(AC) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands^(AD) for incense.^(AE)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus^(AF) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat^(AG) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied^(AH) me with your offenses.^(AI)

²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,^(AJ) for my own sake,^(AK)
    and remembers your sins^(AL) no more.^(AM)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;^(AN)
    state the case^(AO) for your innocence.
²⁷ Your first father^(AP) sinned;
    those I sent to teach^(AQ) you rebelled^(AR) against me.
²⁸ So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction^[c](AS)
    and Israel to scorn.^(AT)

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

¹² The blacksmith^(CE) 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.^(CF)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.^(CG)
13 The carpenter^(CH) 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,^(CI)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.^(CJ)
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,^(CK) and the rain made it grow.
¹⁵ It is used as fuel^(CL) 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^(CM) it;
    he makes an idol and bows^(CN) 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.^(CO)”
¹⁷ From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.^(CP)
He prays^(CQ) to it and says,
    “Save^(CR) me! You are my god!”
¹⁸ They know nothing, they understand^(CS) nothing;
    their eyes^(CT) 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^(CU) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;^(CV)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable^(CW) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”^(CX)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;^(CY) a deluded^(CZ) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?^(DA)”

²¹ “Remember^(DB) these things, Jacob,
    for you, Israel, are my servant.^(DC)
I have made you, you are my servant;^(DD)
    Israel, I will not forget you.^(DE)
22 I have swept away^(DF) your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return^(DG) to me,
    for I have redeemed^(DH) you.”

²³ Sing for joy,^(DI) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth^(DJ) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,^(DK)
    you forests and all your trees,^(DL)
for the Lord has redeemed^(DM) Jacob,
    he displays his glory^(DN) in Israel.

I am the Lord,
    the Maker of all things,
    who stretches out the heavens,^(DR)
    who spreads out the earth^(DS) by myself,
²⁵ who foils^(DT) the signs of false prophets
    and makes fools of diviners,^(DU)
who overthrows the learning of the wise^(DV)
    and turns it into nonsense,^(DW)
26 who carries out the words^(DX) of his servants
    and fulfills^(DY) the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,^(DZ) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
    of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
    and of their ruins,^(EA) ‘I will restore them,’^(EB)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
    and I will dry up^(EC) your streams,’
²⁸ who says of Cyrus,^(ED) ‘He is my shepherd
    and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,^(EE) “Let it be rebuilt,”
    and of the temple,^(EF) “Let its foundations^(EG) be laid.”’

45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,^(EH)
    to Cyrus,^(EI) whose right hand I take hold^(EJ) of
to subdue nations^(EK) 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^(EL)
    and will level^(EM) the mountains^[e];
I will break down gates^(EN) of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.^(EO)
3 I will give you hidden treasures,^(EP)
    riches stored in secret places,^(EQ)
so that you may know^(ER) that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.^(ES)
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,^(ET)
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge^(EU) me.
⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other;^(EV)
    apart from me there is no God.^(EW)
I will strengthen you,^(EX)
    though you have not acknowledged me,
⁶ so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its setting^(EY)
people may know^(EZ) there is none besides me.^(FA)
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
⁷ I form the light and create darkness,^(FB)
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;^(FC)
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

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

⁹ “Woe to those who quarrel^(FG) with their Maker,^(FH)
    those who are nothing but potsherds^(FI)
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,^(FJ)
    ‘What are you making?’^(FK)
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?^(FL)
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
    ‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
    ‘What have you brought to birth?’