“1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 2
Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb,
[which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun,
whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty,
and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and
my blessing upon thine offspring: 4 And they shall spring up [as] among
the grass, as willows by the water courses. 5 One shall say, I [am] the
LORD’S; and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and
another shall subscribe [with] his hand unto the LORD, and surname
[himself] by the name of Israel. 6 Thus saith the LORD the King of
Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am]
the last; and beside me [there is] no God. 7 And who, as I, shall call,
and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the
ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them
shew unto them. 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee
from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is
there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any].”
“9 They that make a graven image [are] all of them vanity; and their
delectable things shall not profit; and they [are] their own witnesses;
they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. 10 Who hath formed a
god, or molten a graven image [that] is profitable for nothing? 11
Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they [are] of
men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; [yet] they
shall fear, [and] they shall be ashamed together. 12 The smith with the
tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and
worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his
strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13 The carpenter
stretcheth out [his] rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it
with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after
the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may
remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the
cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees
of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish [it]. 15
Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm
himself; yea, he kindleth [it], and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god,
and worshippeth [it]; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down
thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he
eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth
[himself], and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And the
residue thereof he maketh a god, [even] his graven image: he falleth
down unto it, and worshippeth [it], and prayeth unto it, and saith,
Deliver me; for thou [art] my god. 18 They have not known nor
understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; [and]
their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 And none considereth in
his heart, neither [is there] knowledge nor understanding to say, I have
burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the
coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten [it]: and shall I make
the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a
tree? 20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside,
that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, [Is there] not a lie in my
right hand?”
“21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou [art] my servant: I
have formed thee; thou [art] my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be
forgotten of me. 22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have
redeemed thee. 23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done [it]:
shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye
mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed
Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. 24 Thus saith the LORD, thy
redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that
maketh all [things]; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that
spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; 25 That frustrateth the tokens of
the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise [men] backward,
and maketh their knowledge foolish; 26 That confirmeth the word of his
servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to
Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall
be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: 27 That saith
to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: 28 That saith of
Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even
saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy
foundation shall be laid.” (Isaiah 44:1-28 AV)