XLIV. 1 And 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, that will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, and (thou) Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and flowing streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon them that go forth of thee.
4 And they shall spring up in the midst of the grass, as willows by the water courses.
5 This one shall say, I am the ’s; and this shall call on the name of Jacob; and this shall write with his hand, The Lord's and entitle, In 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 tell it, and state it in order for me? since I set up the people of old time? and things which are coming, and things which shall come, let them tell it to them.
8 Shudder not, and fear not: have I not caused thee to hear, from that time, and told it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? and there is no Rock: I know not (any).
9 They that form a graven image are all of them waste; and their desirable things shall not profit; and their witnesses, they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
10 Who hath formed a god, and molten a graven, image, to no profit?
11 Behold, all his company shall be ashamed; and the craftsmen, they are of men; they shall all be gathered together, they shall stand up; they shall fear, they shall be ashamed together.
12 The craftsman in iron (hath) an adze, and worketh in the coals, and formeth it with hammers, with the arm of his strehgth moreover he is hungry, and there is no strength: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
13 The craftsman in wood stretcheth out a line, he marketh it with a pencil; he shapeth it with planes, and marketh it out with the compass; and maketh it like the figure of a man, like the beauty of mankind: to dwell in a house.
14 He will hew him down cedars, and taketh ilex and oak, and strengtheneth for himself (one) among the trees of the forest: he planteth a pine, and the rain maketh it great.
15 And it shall be for man for burning: and he taketh of them, and warmeth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he fashioneth a god, and boweth himself; he maketh it a grav image, and falleth down thereto.
16 He burneth half thereof in the fire: with half thereof he eateth flesh: he roasteth roast, and is satisfied; yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen fire:
17 And the remainder thereof he maketh to be a god, to be his (graven) image 3 he falleth down unto it, and boweth himself, and prayeth unto it, saith, Deliver me 3 for thou (art) my god.
18 They know not, and they discern not; for one hath daubed their eyes, that they see not, and their hearts, that they consider not.
19 And he recalleth it not to his heart, and there is no knowledge, and no discernment to say, I have burned half of it in the fire, and 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 bow myself to the produce of a tree?
20 He is a feeder on ashes; a deluded heart hath turned him aside, and he delivereth not his soul, nor saith, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
21 Remember these things, O Jacob; and Israel, for thou art my servant; I have formed thee, thou art my servant: Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
22 I have blotted out, as a mist, thy rebellions, 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 lowest parts of the earth; break forth, ye mountains, into singing; the forest, and every tree therein; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and will beautify 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 forth the earth: who was with me?
25 That shattereth the signs of the praters, and diviners he will madden; that tumeth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish:
26 That setteth up the word of his servant, and fulfilleth the counsel of his messengers: that saith to Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited, and to the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will set up the wastes thereof:
27 That saith to the deep, Be wasted, I will dry up thy rivers:
28 That saith to Cyrus, My shepherd, and all my pleasure shall he fulfil; 3 and saying to Jerusalem, She shall be built, and a temple shall be founded.
Isaias. . ed. Richard Rusden Ottley. Germany. 2016.
Sponsored by University of Leipzig.
Funding provided by European Social Fund Saxony.