1“But now listen, Jacob, My servant,

And Israel, whom I have chosen:

2This is what the LORD says, He who made you

And formed you from the womb, who will help you:

‘Do not fear, Jacob My servant,

And [a]Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3‘For I will pour water on [b]the thirsty land

And streams on the dry ground;

I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring,

And My blessing on your descendants;

4And they will spring up [c]among the grass

Like poplars by streams of water.’

5“This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’S’;

And that one [d]will call on the name of Jacob;

And another will write [e]on his hand, ‘Belonging to the LORD,’

And will give himself Israel’s name with honor.

6“This is what the LORD says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of armies:

‘I am the first and I am the last,

And there is no God besides Me.

7‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it;

And, let him confront Me

[f]Beginning with My establishing of the ancient [g]nation.

Then 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 Me,

Or is there any other Rock?

I know of none.’”

The Foolishness of Idolatry

9Those who fashion an idol are all futile, and their treasured things are of no benefit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. 10Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no benefit? 11Behold, 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 be put to shame together.

12The craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, [h]fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and [i]his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13The craftsman of wood extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a marker. He works it with carving knives and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of mankind, so that it may sit in a house. 14He will cut cedars for himself, and he takes a holm-oak or another oak and lets it grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow. 15Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and bows down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat, he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17Yet the rest of it he makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

18They 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. 19No one [j]remembers, 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 [k]I make the rest of it into an abomination, [l]I bow down before a block of wood!” 20He [m]feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has misled him. And he cannot save [n]himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

God Forgives and Redeems