1»Listen, O Jacob, my servant, Listen Israel, whom I have chosen. 2»‘This is what Jehovah says, the one who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: ‘Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3»‘I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring. I will give blessing to your descendants. 4»‘They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. 5»‘»One person will say: »I belong to Jehovah.« Another person will call himself by the name of Jacob. Still another will write on his hand: »Jehovah’s.« And he will take the name Israel.’ 6»This is what Jehovah, Israel’s King and Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts says: ‘I AM THE FIRST AND I AM THE LAST- APART FROM ME THERE IS NO GOD! 7»‘Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come— yes, let him foretell what will come. 8»‘Do not tremble. Do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses! Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock. There is not one!’« 9All who make idols are nothing. The things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind. They are shamefully ignorant. 10Who shapes a god and casts a useless and good for nothing idol. 11He and his kind will be put to shame. Craftsmen are merely men. Let them all come together and take their stand for they will be brought down to terror and infamy. 12The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals. He shapes an idol with hammers; he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength. He drinks no water and grows faint. 13The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a red chalk marker. He roughs it out with chisels and marks it with a compass. He shapes it in the form of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine. 14He cut down cedars, or cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. 15It is man’s fuel for burning so he takes some to warm himself. He kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it. Yes he makes an idol and bows down to it. 16Half of the wood they burn in the fire. Over this half they roast meat that they can eat until they are full. They also warm themselves and say: We are warm. We can see the fire! 17But the rest of the wood they make into gods, carved statues. They bow to them and worship them. They pray to them and say: »Rescue us, because you are our gods.« 18They do not know or understand anything. Their eyes are plastered shut and cannot see. Their minds are closed and therefore they cannot understand. 19No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding to say: »I burned half of the wood in the fire. I also baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Now I am making the rest of the wood into a disgusting thing and bowing to a block of wood.« 20They eat ashes because they are deceived. Their own misguided minds lead them astray. They cannot rescue themselves or ask themselves: »Is what I hold in my right hand a false god?« 21Jehovah says: »Israel, remember this! Remember that you are my servant. I created you to be my servant, and I will never forget you. 22»I have swept your sins away like a cloud. Come back to me! I am the one who saves you. 23»Shout for joy, you heavens! Shout, deep places of the earth! Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest! Jehovah has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.« 24»I am Jehovah, your savior. I am the one who created you. I am Jehovah, the Creator of all things. I alone stretched out the heavens! No one helped me when I made the earth I was by myselfWho was with me?. 25»I make fools of fortunetellers and frustrate the predictions of astrologers. The words of the wise I refute and show that their wisdom is foolishness. 26»‘I make the word of my servant come true. I accomplish the purpose of my messengers. I say of Jerusalem, 'She will be inhabited!’ And I say to the cities of Judah, 'You will be rebuilt! I will make your ruins raise up.’ 27»‘I say to the watery deep: ‘Be a waste and I will dry up your rivers!’ 28»‘I say of Cyrus: ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please. He will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the Temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’«