The LORD the Only God

441 "But now listen , O Jacob , My servant , And Israel , whom I have chosen : 2 Thus says the Lord 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 . 3 'For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground ; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants ; 4 And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water .' 5 "This one will say , 'I am the Lord'S '; And that one will call on the name of Jacob ; And another will write on his hand , 'Belonging to the Lord ,' And will name Israel's name with honor . 6 "Thus says the Lord , the King of Israel and his Redeemer , the Lord of hosts : 'I am the first and I am the last , And there is no God besides e Me. 7 'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order , From the time that I established the ancient nation . And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place . 8 'Do not tremble and do not be afraid ; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses . Is there any God besides e Me, Or is there any other Rock ? I know of none .' "

The Folly of Idolatry

9 Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile , and their precious things are of no profit ; even their own witnesses fail to see or know , so that they will be put to shame . 10 Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit ? 11 Behold , all his companions will be put to shame , for the craftsmen themselves are mere men . Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble , let them together be put to shame . 12 The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals , fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm . He also gets hungry and his strength fails ; he drinks no water and becomes weary . 13 Another shapes wood , he extends a measuring line ; he outlines it with red chalk . He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass , and makes it like the form of a man , like the beauty of man , so that it may sit in a house . 14 Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest . He plants a fir , and the rain makes it grow . 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn , so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread . He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. 16 Half 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 ." 17 But 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 ." 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 cannot comprehend . 19 No one recalls e e , 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 I make the rest of it into an abomination , I fall down before a block of wood !" 20 He feeds on ashes ; a deceived heart has turned him aside . And he cannot deliver himself , nor say , " Is there not a lie in my right hand ?"

The LORD the Redeemer of Israel

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. 22 "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist . Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." 23 Shout for joy , O heavens , for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully , you lower parts of the earth ; Break forth into a shout of joy , you mountains , O forest , and every tree in it; For the Lord has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory . 24 Thus says the Lord , your Redeemer , and the one who formed you from the womb , "I, the Lord , am the maker of all things , Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all e alone e , 25 Causing the omens of boasters to fail , Making fools out of diviners , Causing wise men to draw back And turning their knowledge into foolishness , 26 Confirming the word of His servant And performing the purpose of His messengers . It is I who says of Jerusalem , 'She shall be inhabited !' And of the cities of Judah , ' They shall be built .' And I will raise up her ruins again. 27 "It is I who says to the depth of the sea , 'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers dry . 28 "It is I who says of Cyrus , 'He is My shepherd ! And he will perform all My desire .' And he declares of Jerusalem , ' She will be built ,' And of the temple , 'Your foundation will be laid .' "