bi12_E

ISAIAH 44:15–45:1 Absurdity of man-made idols 938
among the trees of the forest. a He
planted the laurel tree, and the
pouring rain itself keeps making
it get big. 15 And it has become
something for man to keep
a fire burning. So he takes part of
it that he may warm himself. In
fact he builds a fire and actually
bakes bread. He also works on a
god to which he may bow down. b
He has made it into a carved image,
c and he prostrates himself
to it. 16 Half of it he actually
burns up in a fire. Upon half of
it he roasts well the flesh that he
eats, and he becomes satisfied.
He also warms himself and says:
“Aha! I have warmed myself. I
have seen the firelight.” 17 But
the remainder of it he actually
makes into a god itself, into
his carved image. He prostrates
himself to it and bows down and
prays to it and says: “Deliver me,
for you are my god.” d
18 They have not come to
know, e nor do they understand, f
because their eyes have been besmeared
so as not to see, g their
heartsoastohavenoinsight. h
19 And no one recalls to his
heart i or has knowledge or understanding,
j saying: “The half of
it I have burned up in a fire, and
upon its coals I have also baked
bread; I roast flesh and eat. But
the rest of it shall I make into
a mere detestable thing? k To the
dried-out wood of a tree shall
I prostrate myself?” 20 He is
feeding on ashes. l His own heart
that has been trifled with has led
him astray. m And he does not deliver
his soul, nor does he say: “Is
there not a falsehood in my right
hand?” n
21 “Remember these things,
OJacob, o andyou,OIsrael,because
you are my servant. p Ihave
formed you. q You are a servant
belonging to me. O Israel, you
will not be forgotten on my part. r
22 I will wipe out your transgressions
just as with a cloud, s
andyoursinsjustaswithacloud
CHAP. 44
a Isa 40:20
Jer 10:3
b Ex 20:5
De 5:9
Jg 2:19
2Ch 25:14
Hab 2:19
Re 9:20
c Le 26:1
Jg 17:3
Jg 18:30
2Ki 21:7
Na 1:14
Hab 2:18
d Isa 36:19
Isa 37:38
Isa 45:20
Isa 46:7
e Jer 10:14
f Jer 10:8
Ro 1:21
g Jer 5:21
h Ps 81:12
Isa 6:10
Mt 13:15
Ro 1:28
i De 32:46
Eze 40:4
Ho 7:11
j Pr 1:4
Pr 2:9
k De 7:26
De 27:15
1Ki 11:5
l Ps 102:9
m Jer 17:9
Ro 1:28
Jas 1:14
n Jer 16:19
Hab 2:18
o De 4:9
p Isa 44:1
q Isa 43:1
r Isa 49:15
s Ps 51:1
Ps 103:12
Isa 1:18
Isa 43:25
Jer 33:8
Ac 3:19
Second Col.
a Jer 3:12
Ho 14:1
Ac 2:38
Jas 4:8
b Isa 1:27
Isa 48:20
Isa 59:20
1Co 6:20
c Ps 69:34
Ps 96:11
d Isa 43:13
e Ps 100:1
Isa 49:13
f Ps 98:4
Isa 41:9
Isa 42:10
g Isa 55:12
h Isa 60:21
i Isa 44:6
j Job 26:7
Ps 104:2
Isa 40:22
Isa 45:12
Isa 51:13
k Ge 1:1
Isa 42:5
Isa 48:13
Re 10:6
l Job 12:17
Ho 9:7
mass. Do return to me, a for I will
repurchase you. b
23 “Joyfully cry out, YOU heavens,
c for Jehovah has taken action!
d Shout in triumph, e YOU
lowest parts of the earth! f Become
cheerful, YOU mountains, g
with joyful outcry, you forest and
all YOU trees in it! For Jehovah
has repurchased Jacob, and on
Israel he shows his beauty.” h
24 This is what Jehovah has
said, your Repurchaser i and the
Former of you from the belly:
“I, Jehovah, am doing everything,
stretching out the heavens
j by myself, laying out the
earth. k Who was with me? 25 I
am frustrating the signs of the
empty talkers, and I am the One
that makes diviners themselves
act crazily; l the One turning
wise men backwards, and the
One that turns even their knowledge
into foolishness; m 26 the
One making the word of his servant
come true, and the One
that carries out completely the
counsel of his own messengers;
n the One saying of Jerusalem,
‘She will be inhabited,’ o and
of the cities of Judah, ‘They will
be rebuilt, p and her desolated
places I shall raise up’; q 27 the
One saying to the watery deep,
‘Be evaporated; and all your rivers
I shall dry up’; r 28 the One
saying of Cyrus, s ‘He is my shepherd,
and all that I delight in he
will completely carry out’; t even
in my saying of Jerusalem, ‘She
will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple,
‘You will have your foundation
laid.’ ” u
45
This is what Jehovah has
said to his anointed one, v
to Cyrus, whose right hand I
have taken hold of, w to subm
2Sa 15:31; Isa 29:14; 1Co 1:19; n Jos 21:45; Jos
23:14; Isa 55:11; Zec 1:6; o Ps 147:2; p Isa 60:10;
q Isa 61:4; r Ps 74:15; Isa 42:15; Jer 50:38; Re
16:12; s Ezr 1:1; Isa 41:25; Isa 45:1; Isa 46:11; Da
10:1; t 2Ch 36:22; Isa 48:14; u 2Ch 36:23; Ezr 1:2;
Ezr 6:3; Isa 45:13; CHAP. 45 v 1Ki 19:16; Isa
44:28; w Ezr 1:1; Ps 73:23; Isa 45:4.