Isaiah 44 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

No God Besides Yahweh

1 “But now ^H6258 hear ^H8085, O Jacob ^H3290, My servant ^H5650,

And Israel ^H3478, whom I have chosen ^H977:

2 Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 who made ^H6213 you

And formed ^H3335 you from the womb ^H990, who will help ^H5826 you,

‘Do not fear ^H3372, O Jacob ^H3290 My servant ^H5650,

And you Jeshurun ^H3484 whom I have chosen ^H977.

3 ‘For I will pour ^H3332 out ^H3332 water ^H4325 on [fn]the thirsty ^H6771 ground

And streams ^H5140 on the dry ^H3004 land ^H3004;

I will pour ^H3332 out ^H3332 My Spirit ^H7307 on your seed ^H2233

And My blessing ^H1293 on your offspring ^H6631;

4 And they will spring ^H6779 up ^H6779 [fn]among ^H996 the grass ^H2682

Like poplars ^H6155 by streams ^H2988 of water ^H4325.’

5 “This ^H2088 one ^H2088 will say ^H559, ‘I am Yahweh’s ^H3068’;

And this ^H2088 one ^H2088 [fn]will call ^H7121 on the name ^H8034 of Jacob ^H3290;

And this ^H2088 one ^H2088 will write ^H3789 [fn]on his hand ^H3027, ‘Belonging to Yahweh ^H3068,’

And will name ^H3655 Israel’s ^H3478 name ^H8034 with ^H3655 honor ^H3655.

6 “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, the King ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 and his Redeemer ^H1350, Yahweh ^H3068 of hosts ^H6635:

‘I am the first ^H7223, and I am the last ^H314,

And there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 God ^H430 besides ^H4480 H1107 Me.

7 ‘Who ^H4310 is like ^H3644 Me? Let him call ^H7121 out ^H7121 and declare ^H5046 it;

And let him tell ^H6186 it to Me in ^H6186 order ^H6186,

[fn]From the time that I established ^H7760 the ancient ^H5769 [fn]people ^H5971.

And let them declare ^H5046 to them the things ^H857 that are to come ^H857

And the events that are going to take ^H935 place ^H935.

8 ‘Do not be in dread ^H6342 and do not be ^H7297 afraid ^H7297;

Have I not long ^H227 since ^H227 caused ^H8085 it to ^H8085 be ^H8085 heard ^H8085 to you and declared ^H5046 it?

And you are My witnesses ^H5707.

Is ^H3426 there ^H3426 any ^H3426 God ^H433 besides ^H4480 H1107 Me,

Or is there any other Rock ^H6697?

I know ^H3045 of none ^H1077.’”

The Futility of Idolatry

9 Those who form ^H3335 [fn]a graven ^H6459 image ^H6459 are all ^H3605 of them [fn]futile ^H8414, and their desirable ^H2530 things ^H2530 are of no ^H1077 profit ^H3276; even their own witnesses ^H5707 fail ^H1077 to see ^H7200 or know ^H3045, so ^H4616 that they will be put ^H954 to ^H954 shame ^H954.

10 Who ^H4310 has formed ^H3335 a god ^H410 or cast ^H5258 a graven ^H6459 image ^H6459 to no ^H1115 profit ^H3276? 11 Behold ^H2005, all ^H3605 his companions ^H2270 will be put ^H954 to ^H954 shame ^H954. The craftsmen ^H2796 themselves ^H1992 are mere ^H4480 men ^H120. Let them all ^H3605 assemble ^H6908 themselves, let them stand ^H5975 up, let them be in dread ^H6342, let them together ^H3162 be put ^H954 to ^H954 shame ^H954.

12 The man crafts ^H2796 iron ^H1270 into a cutting ^H4621 tool ^H4621 and does ^H6466 his work ^H6466 over the coals ^H6352, [fn]forming ^H3335 it with hammers ^H4717 and working ^H6466 it with his powerful ^H3581 arm ^H2220. He also ^H1571 gets ^H7456 hungry ^H7456 and has ^H369 no ^H369 power ^H3581; he drinks ^H8354 no ^H3808 water ^H4325 and becomes ^H3286 weary ^H3286. 13 Another crafts ^H2796 wood ^H6086, he extends ^H5186 a measuring ^H6957 line ^H6957; he outlines ^H8388 it with [fn]a stylus ^H8279. He makes ^H6213 it with planes ^H4741 and outlines ^H8388 it with a compass ^H4230 and makes ^H6213 it like the form ^H8403 of a man ^H376, like the glory ^H8597 of man ^H120, so that it may sit ^H3427 in a house ^H1004. 14 In order to cut ^H3772 cedars ^H730 for himself, he takes ^H3947 a [fn]cypress ^H8645 or an oak ^H437 and [fn]raises ^H553 it for himself among the trees ^H6086 of the forest ^H3293. He plants ^H5193 a fir ^H766, and the rain ^H1653 makes ^H1431 it grow ^H1431. 15 Then it becomes ^H1961 something for a man ^H120 to burn ^H1197, so he takes ^H3947 one of them and warms ^H2552 himself; he also ^H637 kindles ^H5400 a ^H5400 fire ^H5400 to bake ^H644 bread ^H3899. He also ^H637 works ^H6466 to produce a god ^H410 and worships ^H2331 it; he makes ^H6213 it a graven ^H6459 image ^H6459 and falls ^H5456 down ^H5456 before it. 16 Half ^H2677 of it he burns ^H8313 in the fire ^H784; over ^H5921 this half ^H2677 he eats ^H398 meat ^H1320 as he roasts ^H6740 a roast ^H6748 and is ^H7646 satisfied ^H7646. He also ^H637 warms ^H2552 himself and says ^H559, “Aha ^H1889! I am ^H2252 warm ^H2552; I have seen ^H7200 the fire ^H217.” 17 But the rest ^H7611 of it he makes ^H6213 into a god ^H410, his graven ^H6459 image ^H6459. He falls ^H5456 down ^H5456 before it and worships ^H2331; he also prays ^H6419 to it and says ^H559, “Deliver ^H5337 me, for you are my god ^H410.”

18 They do not know ^H3045, nor ^H3808 do they understand ^H995, for He has smeared ^H2902 over ^H2902 their eyes ^H5869 so ^H4480 that ^H4480 they cannot ^H4480 see ^H7200 and their hearts ^H3820 so ^H4480 that ^H4480 they will have no ^H4480 insight ^H7919. 19 No ^H3808 one causes this to return ^H7725 to his heart ^H413 H3820, nor ^H3808 is there knowledge ^H1847 or understanding ^H8394 to say ^H559, “I have burned ^H8313 half ^H2677 of it in the fire ^H784 and also ^H637 have baked ^H644 bread ^H3899 over ^H5921 its coals ^H1513. I roast ^H6740 meat ^H1320 and eat ^H398 it. Then [fn]I make ^H6213 the rest ^H3499 of it into an abomination ^H8441; [fn]I fall ^H5456 down ^H5456 before a block ^H944 of wood ^H6086!” 20 He [fn]feeds ^H7462 on ashes ^H665; a deceived ^H8524 heart ^H3820 has turned ^H5186 him aside ^H5186. And he cannot ^H3808 deliver ^H5337 his soul ^H5315, and he cannot ^H3808 say ^H559, “Is there not a lie ^H8267 in my right ^H3225 hand ^H3225?”

Yahweh Forgives and Redeems

21 “Remember ^H2142 these ^H428 things ^H428, O Jacob ^H3290,

And Israel ^H3478, for you are My servant ^H5650;

I have formed ^H3335 you, you are My servant ^H5650;

O Israel ^H3478, you will not be forgotten ^H5382 by Me.

22 “I have wiped ^H4229 out ^H4229 your transgressions ^H6588 like a thick ^H5645 cloud ^H5645

And your sins ^H2403 like a cloud ^H6051.

Return ^H7725 to Me, for I have redeemed ^H1350 you.”

23 Shout ^H7442 for ^H7442 joy ^H7442, O heavens ^H8064, for Yahweh ^H3068 has done ^H6213 it!

Make ^H7321 a ^H7321 loud ^H7321 shout ^H7321, you lower ^H8482 parts ^H8482 of the earth ^H776;

Break ^H6476 forth ^H6476 into a shout ^H7440 of ^H7440 joy ^H7440, you mountains ^H2022,

O forest ^H3293, and every ^H3605 tree ^H6086 in it;

For Yahweh ^H3068 has redeemed ^H1350 Jacob ^H3290

And in Israel ^H3478 He shows ^H6286 forth His beautiful ^H6286 glory ^H6286.

24 Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, your Redeemer ^H1350, and the one who formed ^H3335 you from the womb ^H990,

“I, Yahweh ^H3068, am the maker ^H6213 of all ^H3605 things ^H3605,

Stretching ^H5186 out ^H5186 the heavens ^H8064 by Myself ^H905

And spreading ^H7554 out ^H7554 the earth ^H776 [fn]all ^H4480 H854 alone ^H4480 H854,

25 Causing ^H6565 the [fn]omens ^H226 of boasters ^H907 to be annulled ^H6565,

And [fn]making ^H1984 fools ^H1984 out of diviners ^H7080,

Causing wise ^H2450 men ^H2450 to turn ^H7725 back ^H268,

And [fn]making ^H5528 foolishness ^H5528 out of their knowledge ^H1847,

26 Confirming ^H6965 the word ^H1697 of His servant ^H5650—

And the counsel ^H6098 of His messengers ^H4397 He will complete ^H7999—

And being the One who says ^H559 of Jerusalem ^H3389, ‘She shall be inhabited ^H3427!’

And of the cities ^H5892 of Judah ^H3063, ‘They shall be built ^H1129.’

And I will raise ^H6965 up ^H6965 her waste ^H2723 places ^H2723 again.

27 “It is I who says ^H559 to the depth ^H6683 of ^H6683 the ^H6683 sea ^H6683, ‘Be dried ^H2717 up ^H2717!’

And I will make ^H3001 your rivers ^H5104 dry ^H3001.

28 “It is I who says ^H559 of Cyrus ^H3566, ‘He is My shepherd ^H7462!

And all ^H3605 My good ^H2656 pleasure ^H2656 he will complete ^H7999.’

And saying ^H559 of Jerusalem ^H3389, ‘She will be built ^H1129,’

And of the temple ^H1964, ‘[fn]Your foundation ^H3245 will be laid ^H3245.’”