Parallel Bible results for "isaiah 44"

Isaiah 44

New Living Translation NLT

1 “But now, listen to me, Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.

2 The LORD who made you and helps you says: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, O dear Israel, my chosen one.

3 For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.

4 They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank.

5 Some will proudly claim, ‘I belong to the LORD .’ Others will say, ‘I am a descendant of Jacob.’ Some will write the LORD ’s name on their hands and will take the name of Israel as their own.”

6 This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God.

7 Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future.

8 Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!”

9 How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame.

10 Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit?

11 All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen—mere humans— who claim they can make a god. They may all stand together, but they will stand in terror and shame.

12 The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint.

13 Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine.

14 He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain.

15 Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it!

16 He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”

17 Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god!”

18 Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.

19 The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, “Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”

20 The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”

21 “Pay attention, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I, the LORD, made you, and I will not forget you.

22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.”

23 Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done this wondrous thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the earth! Break into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel.

24 This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer and Creator: “I am the LORD, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth?

25 I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools.

26 But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! By them I say to Jerusalem, ‘People will live here again,’ and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt; I will restore all your ruins!’

27 When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up!’ they will be dry.

28 When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”

Common English Bible CEB

1 But now hear this, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.

2 The LORD your maker, who formed you in the womb and will help you, says: Don't fear, my servant Jacob, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3 I will pour out water upon thirsty ground and streams upon dry land. I will pour out my spirit upon your descendants and my blessing upon your offspring.

4 They will spring up from among the reeds like willows by flowing streams.

5 This one will say, "I am the LORD's," and that one will be named after Jacob. Another will write on his hand, "The LORD's" and will take the name Israel.

6 The LORD, Israel's king and redeemer, the LORD of heavenly forces, says: I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there are no gods.

7 Who is like me? Let them speak up, explain it, and lay it out for me. Who announced long ago what is to be? Let them tell us what is to come.

8 Don't tremble; have no fear! Didn't I proclaim it? Didn't I inform you long ago? You are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no other rock; I know of none.

9 Idol-makers are all as nothing; their playthings do no good. Their promoters neither see nor know anything, so they ought to be ashamed.

10 Who would form a god or cast an idol that does no good?

11 All its worshippers will be ashamed, and its artisans, who are only human. They will all gather and stand, tremble and be ashamed together.

12 A blacksmith with his tools works it over coals, and shapes it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He even becomes hungry and weak. If he didn't drink water, he'd pass out.

13 A carpenter stretches out a string, marks it out with a stylus, fashions it with carving tools, and marks it with a compass. He makes it into a human form, like a splendid human, to live in a temple.

14 He cuts down cedars for himself, or chooses a cypress or oak, selecting from all the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain makes it grow.

15 It becomes suitable to burn for humans, so he takes some of the wood and warms himself. He kindles fire and bakes bread. He fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

16 Half of it he burns in the fire; on that half he roasts and eats meat, and he is satisfied. He warms himself and says, "Ah, I'm warm, watching the fire!"

17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, into his idol, and he bows down, worships, and prays to it, saying, "Save me, for you are my god!"

18 They don't know or comprehend, for their eyes can't see and their minds can't comprehend.

19 He doesn't think, and has no knowledge or understanding to think: Half of it I burned in the fire, and I baked bread on its coals, and roasted meat and ate. Should I make the rest into something detestable? Should I bow down to a block of wood?

20 He's feeding on ashes; his deluded mind has led him astray. He can't save himself and say, "Isn't this thing in my hand a lie?"

21 Remember these things, Jacob; Israel, for you are my servant. I formed you; you are my servant! I won't forget you, Israel.

22 I swept away your rebellions like a cloud, and your sins like fog. Return to me, because I have redeemed you.

23 Sing, heavens, for the LORD has acted; shout, depths of the earth! Burst out with a ringing cry, you mountains, forest, and every tree in it. The LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself through Israel.

24 The LORD your redeemer who formed you in the womb says: I am the LORD, the maker of all, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,

25 who frustrates the omens of diviners and makes a mockery of magicians, who turns back the wise and turns their knowledge into folly.

26 But who confirms the word of my servant, and fulfills the predictions of my messengers; who says about Jerusalem, "It will be resettled"; and who says about the cities of Judah, "They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins";

27 who says to the ocean depths, "Dry up; I will dry your streams";

28 who says about Cyrus, "My shepherd— he will do all that I want"; who says about Jerusalem, "She will be rebuilt"; and who says about the temple, "You will be founded once again."