2
Thussays the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, 'Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3
'For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dryground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;
5
"Thisone will say, 'I am the LORD'S '; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write on his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' And will nameIsrael'sname with honor.
7
'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancientnation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to takeplace.
8
'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not longsinceannounced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is thereanyGodbesides* Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.' "
9
Those who fashion a gravenimage are all of them futile, and their preciousthings are of noprofit; even their own witnessesfail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame.
10
Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to noprofit?
lyi[w{h yiT.lib.l .$'s'n l,s,p.W lea r;c'y -yim
11
Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmenthemselves are meremen. Let them allassemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.
12
The man shapesiron into a cuttingtool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strongarm. He alsogetshungry and his strengthfails; he drinksnowater and becomesweary.
13
Another shapeswood, he extends a measuringline; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house.
14
Surely he cutscedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rainmakes it grow.
15
Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he alsomakes a fire to bakebread. He alsomakes a god and worships it; he makes it a gravenimage and fallsdown before it.
16
Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eatsmeat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He alsowarms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire."
17
But the rest of it he makes into a god, his gravenimage. He fallsdown before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god."
19
No one recalls**, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, "I have burnedhalf of it in the fire and also have bakedbreadover its coals. I roastmeat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I falldown before a block of wood!"
21
"Rememberthesethings, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.
23
Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shoutjoyfully, you lowerparts of the earth; Breakforth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and everytree in it; For the LORD has redeemedJacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory.
24
Thussays the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of allthings, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earthall*alone*,
26
Confirming the word of His servant And performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built.' And I will raise up her ruins again.
27
"It is I who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried up!' And I will make your riversdry.
vyibw{a .$Iy;t{r]h;n.w yib'r\x h'l.WC;l rem{a'h
28
"It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will performall My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.' "