Isaiah 44

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 And now listen, Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen.	1 And now, listen, Jacob, my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 Thus says Yahweh who made you, who formed you in the womb; he will help you. Do not be afraid,Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.	2 Thus says the Lord, who made and formed you, your Helper from the womb: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant and my most righteous, whom I have chosen.
3 For I shal pour out water on the thirsty soil and streams on the dry ground. I shal pour out my spirit onyour descendants, my blessing on your offspring,	3 For I will pour out waters upon the thirsty ground, and rivers upon the dry land. I will pour out my Spirit upon your offspring, and my benediction upon your stock.
4 and they wil spring up among the grass, like wil ows on the banks of a stream.	4 And they will spring up among the plants, like willows beside running waters.
5 One person wil say, 'I belong to Yahweh,' another wil cal himself by Jacob's name. On his handanother wil write 'Yahweh's' and be surnamed 'Israel'.	5 This one will say, “I am the Lord’s,” and that one will call himself by the name of Jacob, and yet another will write with his hand, “For the Lord,” and he will take the name Israel.
6 Thus says Yahweh, Israel's king, Yahweh Sabaoth, his redeemer: I am the first and I am the last; thereis no God except me.	6 Thus says the Lord, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the Lord of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last, and there is no God apart from me.
7 Who is like me? Let him cal out, let him affirm it and convince me it is so; let him say what has beenhappening since I instituted an eternal people, and predict to them what will happen next!	7 Who is like me? Let him call out and announce it. And let him explain to me the order of things, since it is I who appointed the ancient people. The things of the near and the distant future, let him announce them.
8 Have no fear, do not be afraid: have I not told you and revealed it long ago? You are my witnesses. Isthere any God except me? There is no Rock; I know of none.	8 Do not be afraid, and do not be disturbed. From the time when I caused you to listen, I also announced it. You are my witnesses. Is there another God beside me, also a Maker, whom I have not known?
9 The makers of idols are all nothingness; the works they delight in serve no purpose. And these are thewitness against them: they see nothing, they know nothing; and so they wil be put to shame.	9 All of those who create idols are nothing, and their most beloved things will not benefit them. These are their witnesses, for they do not see, and they do not understand, so that they might be confounded.
10 Who ever fashioned a god or cast an image without hope of gain?	10 Who has formed a god or cast a molten image, which is useful for nothing?
11 Watch how al its devotees wil be put to shame, and the men who made it too, who are only human.Let them al assemble, let them stand forward and feel both fear and shame!	11 Behold, all those who partake in this will be confounded. For these makers are men. They will all assemble together. They will stand and be terrified. And they will be confounded together.
12 The blacksmith makes an axe over the charcoal, beats it into shape with a hammer, works on it withhis strong arm. Then he feels hungry and his strength deserts him; having drunk no water, he is exhausted.	12 The maker of iron has wrought with his file. With coals and hammers, he has formed it, and he has wrought with the strength of his arm. He will hunger and grow faint. He will not drink water, and he will become weary.
13 The wood carver takes his measurements, outlines the image with chalk, executes it with the chisel,fol owing the outline with a compass. He makes it look like a human being, with human standards of beauty, sothat it can reside in a house.	13 The maker of wood has extended his ruler. He has formed it with a plane. He has made it with corners, and he has smoothed its curves. And he has made the image of a man, a seemingly beautiful man, dwelling in a house.
14 He has cut down cedars, has selected an oak and a terebinth which he has grown for himself amongthe trees in the forest and has planted a pine tree which the rain has nourished.	14 He has cut down cedars; he has taken the evergreen oak, and the oak that stood among the trees of the forest. He has planted the pine tree, which the rain has nourished.
15 Once it is suitable to burn, he takes some of it to warm himself; having kindled it, he bakes bread. Buthe also makes a god and worships it; he makes an idol from it and bows down before it.	15 And it is used by men for fuel. He took from it and warmed himself. And he set it on fire and baked bread. But from the remainder, he made a god, and he adored it. He made an idol, and he bowed down before it.
16 Half of it he burns on the fire, over this half he roasts meat, eats it and is replete; at the same time hewarms himself and says, 'Ah, how warm I am, watching the flames!'	16 Part of it, he burned with fire, and with part of it, he cooked meat; he boiled food and was filled. And he was warmed, and so he said: “Ah, I am warm. I have gazed at the fire.”
17 With the remainder he makes a god, his idol, bows down before it, worships it and prays to it. 'Save me,' he says, 'for you are my god.'	17 But from its remainder, he made a god and a graven image for himself. He bowed down before it, and he adored it, and he prayed to it, saying: “Free me! For you are my god.”
18 They know nothing, they understand nothing, since their eyes are incapable of seeing and their heartsof reflecting.	18 They have neither known nor understood. For their eyes are obscured, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart.
19 Not one of them looks into his heart, not one of them has the knowledge and wit to think, 'I burned halfof it on the fire and cooked food over the embers. Am I right to make something disgusting out of what is left?Am I right to bow down before a block of wood?'	19 They do not consider in their mind, nor do they know, nor do they think to say: “I have burned part of it in the fire, and I have baked bread upon its coals. I have cooked flesh and I have eaten. And from its remainder, should I make an idol? Should I fall prostrate before the trunk of a tree?”
20 He hankers after ashes, his deluded heart has led him astray; he wil not save himself, he will notthink, 'What I have in my hand is nothing but a lie!'	20 Part of it is ashes. His foolish heart adores it. And he will not liberate his soul, and he will not say, “Perhaps there is a lie in my right hand.”
21 Remember these things, Jacob, and Israel, since you are my servant. I formed you, you are myservant; Israel, I shall not forget you.	21 Remember these things, O Jacob, O Israel. For you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant, Israel. Do not forget me.
22 I have dispel ed your acts of revolt like a cloud and your sins like a mist. Come back to me, for I haveredeemed you.	22 I have wiped away your iniquities like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to me, because I have redeemed you.
23 Heavens, shout for joy, for Yahweh has acted! Underworld, shout aloud! Shout for joy, you mountains,forests and al your trees! For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob and displayed his glory in Israel.	23 Give praise, O heavens! For the Lord has shown mercy. Shout with joy, O ends of the earth! Let the mountains resound with praise, with the forest and all its trees. For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and Israel will be glorified.
24 Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, he who formed you in the womb: I, Yahweh, have made althings, I alone spread out the heavens. When I hammered the earth into shape, who was with me?	24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and your Maker from the womb: I am the Lord, who makes all things, who alone extends the heavens, who makes the earth firm. And there is no one with me.
25 I, who foil the omens of soothsayers and make fools of diviners, who confound sages turning theirknowledge into folly,	25 I make the signs of the diviners useless, and I turn the seers to madness. I turn the wise backwards, and make their knowledge into foolishness.
26 who confirm the word of my servant and make the plans of my envoys succeed; who say toJerusalem, 'You wil be inhabited,' and to the towns of Judah, 'You wil be rebuilt and I shall restore the ruins ofJerusalem';	26 I lift up the word of my servant, and I fulfill the counsel of my messengers. I say to Jerusalem, “You shall be inhabited,” and to the cities of Judah, “You shall be rebuilt,” and I will lift up its deserts.
27 who say to the ocean, 'Dry up! I shal make your rivers run dry';	27 I say to the depths, “Be desolate,” and, “I will dry up your rivers.”
28 who say to Cyrus, 'My shepherd.' He wil perform my entire wil by saying to Jerusalem, 'You wil berebuilt,' and to the Temple, 'You wil be refounded.'	28 I say to Cyrus, “You are my shepherd, and you will accomplish all that I will.” I say to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the Temple, “Your foundations shall be laid.”