1Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and
Israel, whom I have chosen:
2Thus 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.
3For 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:
4And they shall spring up as among
the grass, as willows by the water courses.
5One 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.
6Thus 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.
7And 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.
8Fear 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.
9They 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.
10Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven
image that is
profitable for nothing?
11Behold, 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.
12The 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.
13The 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.
14He 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.
15Then 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.
16He 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:
17And 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.
18They have not known nor understood: for he
hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their
hearts, that they cannot understand.
19And 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?
20He 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?
21Remember 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.
22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return
unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
23Sing, 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.
24Thus 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;
25That frustrateth the tokens of the liars,
and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward,
and maketh their knowledge foolish;
26That 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:
27That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will
dry up thy rivers:
28That 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.