¹Yet listen now , Jacob my servant ,

and Israel , whom I have chosen.

²This is what the LORD who made you ,

and formed you from the womb,

who will help you says :

“Don’t be afraid , Jacob my servant ;

and you , Jeshurun , whom I have chosen.

³For I will pour water on him who is thirsty ,

and streams on the dry ground .

I will pour my Spirit on your descendants ,

and my blessing on your offspring ;

⁴and they will spring up amongst the grass ,

as willows by the watercourses.

⁵One will say , ‘I am the LORD ’s.’

Another will be called by the name of Jacob ;

and another will write with his hand ‘to the LORD ,’

and honour the name of Israel .”

⁶This is what the LORD , the King of Israel ,

and his Redeemer , the LORD of Armies , says :

“I am the first , and I am the last;

and besides me there is no God .

⁷Who is like me ?

Who will call ,

and will declare it ,

and set it in order for me ,

since I established the ancient people ?

Let them declare the things that are coming,

and that will happen.

⁸Don’t fear ,

neither be afraid .

Haven’t I declared it to you long ago,

and shown it ?

You are my witnesses .

Is there a God besides me ?

Indeed , there is not .

I don’t know any other Rock .”

⁹Everyone who makes a carved image is vain .

The things that they delight in will not profit .

Their own witnesses don’t see , nor know , that they may be disappointed.

¹⁰Who has fashioned a god ,

or moulds an image that is profitable for nothing ?

¹¹Behold , all his fellows will be disappointed;

and the workmen are mere men .

Let them all be gathered together .

Let them stand up .

They will fear .

They will be put to shame together .

¹²The blacksmith takes an axe ,

works in the coals ,

fashions it with hammers ,

and works it with his strong arm .

He is hungry ,

and his strength fails;

he drinks no water ,

and is faint .

¹³The carpenter stretches out a line .

He marks it out with a pencil.

He shapes it with planes .

He marks it out with compasses,

and shapes it like the figure of a man,

with the beauty of a man,

to reside in a house .

¹⁴He cuts down cedars for himself ,

and takes the cypress and the oak,

and strengthens for himself one amongst the trees of the forest .

He plants a cypress tree ,

and the rain nourishes it .

¹⁵Then it will be for a man to burn ;

and he takes some of it and warms himself .

Yes, he burns it and bakes bread .

Yes, he makes a god and worships it ;

he makes it a carved image , and falls down to it .

¹⁶He burns part of it in the fire.

With part of it , he eats meat .

He roasts a roast and is satisfied .

Yes , he warms himself

and says, “Aha ! I am warm . I have seen the fire.”

¹⁷The rest of it he makes into a god,

even his engraved image .

He bows down to it and worships ,

and prays to it , and says, “Deliver me , for you are my god!”

¹⁸They don’t know , neither do they consider ,

for he has shut their eyes , that they can ’t see ,

and their hearts , that they can ’t understand .

¹⁹No one thinks,

neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say ,

“I have burnt part of it in the fire .

Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals .

I have roasted meat and eaten it .

Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination ?

Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”

²⁰He feeds on ashes.

A deceived heart has turned him aside ;

and he can ’t deliver his soul ,

nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand ?”

²¹Remember these things , Jacob and Israel ,

for you are my servant .

I have formed you .

You are my servant .

Israel , you will not be forgotten by me .

²²I have blotted out , as a thick cloud , your transgressions ,

and , as a cloud , your sins .

Return to me , for I have redeemed you .

²³Sing , you heavens , for the LORD has done it !

Shout , you lower parts of the earth !

Break out into singing , you mountains , O forest , all of your trees ,

for the LORD has redeemed Jacob ,

and will glorify himself in Israel .

²⁴The LORD , your Redeemer ,

and he who formed you from the womb says :

“I am the LORD , who makes all things ;

who alone stretches out the heavens ;

who spreads out the earth by myself;

²⁵who frustrates the signs of the liars,

and makes diviners mad ;

who turns wise men backward,

and makes their knowledge foolish ;

²⁶who confirms the word of his servant ,

and performs the counsel of his messengers ;

who says of Jerusalem , ‘She will be inhabited ;’

and of the cities of Judah , ‘They will be built ,’

and ‘I will raise up its waste places ;’

²⁷who says to the deep , ‘Be dry ,’

and ‘I will dry up your rivers ,’

²⁸who says of Cyrus , ‘He is my shepherd , and shall perform all my pleasure ,’

even saying of Jerusalem , ‘She will be built ;’

and of the temple , ‘Your foundation will be laid .’”