Isaiah 43-44

New International Version

⁸ Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,^(AF)
    who have ears but are deaf.^(AG)
9 All the nations gather together^(AH)
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold^(AI) 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,^(AJ)” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant^(AK) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know^(AL) and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god^(AM) was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.^(AN)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,^(AO)
    and apart from me there is no savior.^(AP)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god^(AQ) among you.
You are my witnesses,^(AR)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
¹³     Yes, and from ancient days^(AS) I am he.^(AT)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”^(AU)

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,^(BC)
17 who drew out^(BD) the chariots and horses,^(BE)
    the army and reinforcements together,^(BF)
and they lay^(BG) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:^(BH)
18 “Forget the former things;^(BI)
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!^(BJ)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness^(BK)
    and streams in the wasteland.^(BL)
20 The wild animals^(BM) honor me,
    the jackals^(BN) and the owls,
because I provide water^(BO) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
²¹     the people I formed^(BP) for myself^(BQ)
    that they may proclaim my praise.^(BR)

²² “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied^(BS) yourselves for^[c] me, Israel.^(BT)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,^(BU)
    nor honored^(BV) me with your sacrifices.^(BW)
I have not burdened^(BX) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands^(BY) for incense.^(BZ)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus^(CA) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat^(CB) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied^(CC) me with your offenses.^(CD)

²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,^(CE) for my own sake,^(CF)
    and remembers your sins^(CG) no more.^(CH)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;^(CI)
    state the case^(CJ) for your innocence.
²⁷ Your first father^(CK) sinned;
    those I sent to teach^(CL) you rebelled^(CM) against me.
²⁸ So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction^[d](CN)
    and Israel to scorn.^(CO)

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

¹² The blacksmith^(DZ) 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.^(EA)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.^(EB)
13 The carpenter^(EC) 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,^(ED)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.^(EE)
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,^(EF) and the rain made it grow.
¹⁵ It is used as fuel^(EG) 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^(EH) it;
    he makes an idol and bows^(EI) 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.^(EJ)”
¹⁷ From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.^(EK)
He prays^(EL) to it and says,
    “Save^(EM) me! You are my god!”
¹⁸ They know nothing, they understand^(EN) nothing;
    their eyes^(EO) 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^(EP) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;^(EQ)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable^(ER) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”^(ES)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;^(ET) a deluded^(EU) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?^(EV)”

²¹ “Remember^(EW) these things, Jacob,
    for you, Israel, are my servant.^(EX)
I have made you, you are my servant;^(EY)
    Israel, I will not forget you.^(EZ)
22 I have swept away^(FA) your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return^(FB) to me,
    for I have redeemed^(FC) you.”

²³ Sing for joy,^(FD) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth^(FE) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,^(FF)
    you forests and all your trees,^(FG)
for the Lord has redeemed^(FH) Jacob,
    he displays his glory^(FI) in Israel.

I am the Lord,
    the Maker of all things,
    who stretches out the heavens,^(FM)
    who spreads out the earth^(FN) by myself,
²⁵ who foils^(FO) the signs of false prophets
    and makes fools of diviners,^(FP)
who overthrows the learning of the wise^(FQ)
    and turns it into nonsense,^(FR)
26 who carries out the words^(FS) of his servants
    and fulfills^(FT) the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,^(FU) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
    of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
    and of their ruins,^(FV) ‘I will restore them,’^(FW)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
    and I will dry up^(FX) your streams,’
²⁸ who says of Cyrus,^(FY) ‘He is my shepherd
    and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,^(FZ) “Let it be rebuilt,”
    and of the temple,^(GA) “Let its foundations^(GB) be laid.”’