44:1 “Now, listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!”
44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, 1 whom I have chosen!
44:3 For I will pour water on the parched ground 2
and cause streams to flow 3 on the dry land.
I will pour my spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your children.
44:4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass, 4
like poplars beside channels of water.
44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use 5 the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’” 6
44:6 This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says,
their protector, 7 the Lord who commands armies:
“I am the first and I am the last,
there is no God but me.
44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! 8
Let him announce it and explain it to me –
since I established an ancient people – 9
let them announce future events! 10
44:8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid! 11
Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?
You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?
There is no other sheltering rock; 12 I know of none.
44:9 All who form idols are nothing;
the things in which they delight are worthless.
Their witnesses cannot see;
they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.
44:10 Who forms a god and casts an idol
that will prove worthless? 13
44:11 Look, all his associates 14 will be put to shame;
the craftsmen are mere humans. 15
Let them all assemble and take their stand!
They will panic and be put to shame.
44:12 A blacksmith works with his tool 16
and forges metal over the coals.
He forms it 17 with hammers;
he makes it with his strong arm.
He gets hungry and loses his energy; 18
he drinks no water and gets tired.
44:13 A carpenter takes measurements; 19
he marks out an outline of its form; 20
he scrapes 21 it with chisels,
and marks it with a compass.
He patterns it after the human form, 22
like a well-built human being,
and puts it in a shrine. 23
44:14 He cuts down cedars
and acquires a cypress 24 or an oak.
He gets 25 trees from the forest;
he plants a cedar 26 and the rain makes it grow.
44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; 27
he takes some of it and warms himself.
Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Then he makes a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it. 28
44:16 Half of it he burns in the fire –
over that half he cooks 29 meat;
he roasts a meal and fills himself.
Yes, he warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’
44:17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it, saying,
‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’