Previous Chapter Full Page Full Page Next Chapter

Isaiah 44 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

No God Besides Yahweh

Isa 44:1

“But now hear, O Jacob, My servant,

And Israel, whom I have chosen:

Isa 44:2

Thus says Yahweh 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.

Isa 44:3

‘For I will pour out water on [fn]the thirsty ground

And streams on the dry land;

I will pour out My Spirit on your seed

And My blessing on your offspring;

Isa 44:4

And they will spring up [fn]among the grass

Like poplars by streams of water.’

Isa 44:5

“This one will say, ‘I am Yahweh’s’;

And this one [fn]will call on the name of Jacob;

And this one will write [fn]on his hand, ‘Belonging to Yahweh,’

And will name Israel’s name with honor.

Isa 44:6

“Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts:

‘I am the first, and I am the last,

And there is no God besides Me.

Isa 44:7

‘Who is like Me? Let him call out and declare it;

And let him tell it to Me in order,

[fn]From the time that I established the ancient [fn]people.

And let them declare to them the things that are to come

And the events that are going to take place.

Isa 44:8

‘Do not be in dread and do not be afraid;

Have I not long since caused it to be heard to you and declared it?

And you are My witnesses.

Is there any God besides Me,

Or is there any other Rock?

I know of none.’”

The Futility of Idolatry

Isa 44:9

Those who form [fn]a graven image are all of them [fn]futile, and their desirable things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame.

Isa 44:10Who has formed a god or cast a graven image to no profit?
Isa 44:11Behold, all his companions will be put to shame. The craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them be in dread, let them together be put to shame.
Isa 44:12

The man crafts iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, [fn]forming it with hammers and working it with his powerful arm. He also gets hungry and has no power; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

Isa 44:13Another crafts wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with [fn]a stylus. He makes it with planes and outlines it with a compass and makes it like the form of a man, like the glory of man, so that it may sit in a house.
Isa 44:14In order to cut cedars for himself, he takes a [fn]cypress or an oak and [fn]raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow.
Isa 44:15Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also kindles a fire to bake bread. He also works to produce a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it.
Isa 44:16Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm; I have seen the fire.”
Isa 44:17But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”
Isa 44:18

They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they will have no insight.

Isa 44:19No one causes this to return to his heart, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then [fn]I make the rest of it into an abomination; [fn]I fall down before a block of wood!”
Isa 44:20He [fn]feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver his soul, and he cannot say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

Yahweh Forgives and Redeems

Isa 44:21

“Remember these things, 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.

Isa 44:22

“I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud

And your sins like a cloud.

Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Isa 44:23

Shout for joy, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it!

Make a loud shout, you lower parts of the earth;

Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,

O forest, and every tree in it;

For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob

And in Israel He shows forth His beautiful glory.

Isa 44:24

Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,

“I, Yahweh, am the maker of all things,

Stretching out the heavens by Myself

And spreading out the earth [fn]all alone,

Isa 44:25

Causing the [fn]omens of boasters to be annulled,

And [fn]making fools out of diviners,

Causing wise men to turn back,

And [fn]making foolishness out of their knowledge,

Isa 44:26

Confirming the word of His servant

And the counsel of His messengers He will complete

And being the One who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’

And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’

And I will raise up her waste places again.

Isa 44:27

It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’

And I will make your rivers dry.

Isa 44:28

It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd!

And all My good pleasure he will complete.’

And saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’

And of the temple, ‘[fn]Your foundation will be laid.’”

LSB Footnotes
Or him who is thirsty
Or like grass among the waters
Or will be called by the name of Jacob
Or with
Lit From My establishing of
Or nation
Or an idol
Lit formless
Lit and forms
Or red chalk
Or holm-oak
Lit makes strong
Or shall I make...?
Or shall I fall...?
Or is a companion of ashes
Or who was with Me?
Lit signs
Lit He makes
Lit He makes
Lit You will be founded
Translation Copyright Logo

Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation

All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc.

LSBible.org

For more information on this translation, see the LSB Preface.

Isaiah Chapter 44 — Additional Translations: