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2 This is what the Lord says—
The One who made you,
who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you,
‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your offspring,
and My blessing on your descendants.
4 They will spring up as among the grass,
like willows by flowing streams’.
5 One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’,
another will call himself by the name of Jacob,
still another will write on his hand,
‘The Lord’s’,
and name himself by the name of Israel.”
6 “This is what the Lord, the King of Israel, says,
and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts:
‘I am the first and I am the last;
besides Me there is no God.
7 Who is like Me?
Let him proclaim and declare it,
let him lay it out before Me,
from the time I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare the future,
and what will take place.
8 Do not fear, nor be afraid;
have I not told you and declared it long ago?
You are My witnesses!
Is there any God but Me?
There is no other Rock;
I know of none’.”
9 Those who make idols are nothing,
and what they treasure does not profit;
even their witnesses do not see or know,
so that they will be put to shame.
10 Who would fashion a god,
or cast an idol that profits him nothing?
11 Look, all its worshippers will be put to shame;
and the craftsmen are only men.
Let them all be gathered together,
let them stand up;
they will all be terrified and put to shame.
12 The blacksmith takes a tool,
and works one over the coals,
shaping it with hammers,
and forging it with his strong arm.
He becomes hungry and his strength fails;
he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter stretches out a measuring line,
he makes an outline with a marker,
and he shapes it with chisels.
He makes it in the likeness of man,
according to the glory of man,
to be set up in a temple.
14 He cuts down cedars for his use,
and selects the cyprus or the oak.
He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain makes it grow.
15 It serves as fuel for burning.
He takes some of it and warms himself;
he kindles a fire and bakes bread;
he even makes it into a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16 He burns half of it in the fire;
he roasts his meat over it;
he eats his meat and is satisfied.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah, I am warm, I see the fire.”
17 The rest of it he makes into a god, his idol.
He bows down to it and worships it;
he prays to it and says,
“Save me, for you are my god!”
18 They do not know, nor do they understand;
their eyes are shut, so they cannot see;
their minds are closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one considers,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“I have burned half of it in the fire;
I also baked bread on its coals;
I have roasted meat and eaten it.
Now will I make the rest of it into a detestable thing?
will I bow down to a block of wood?”
20 He feeds on ashes;
a deceived heart has led him astray,
and he cannot deliver himself or say,
“Isn’t this thing in my right hand a lie?”
21 “Remember these things, O Jacob,
for you are My servant O Israel;
I have formed you,
you are My servant;
you will never be forgotten by Me.
22 I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud,
and your sins like mist.
Return to Me,
for I have redeemed you.”
23 Sing for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done this!
Shout aloud, O depths of the earth.
Break into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
and glorifies Himself through Israel.
24 This is what the Lord your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb, says:
“I am the Lord, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by Myself;
25 who frustrates the omens of the false prophets,
and makes fools of diviners;
who overthrows the wise,
and makes their knowledge foolishness;
26 who confirms the words of His servant,
and fulfills the predictions of His messengers;
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It will be inhabited’,
and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,
and I will restore her ruins’;
27 who says to the watery depths of the sea,
‘Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers’;
28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,
and he will perform all that I please;
he will say to Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid” ’.”