1 ARST But now, you people of Israel whom Yahweh has chosen to serve him, listen to me. BSB BSB: But now listen, O Jacob My servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 ARST Yahweh, the one who created you, watched over you while you were being born, and helps you, says this:“You dear people of Israel whom I have chosen, you who serve me, do not be afraid. BSB BSB: This is the word of the LORD, your Maker, who formed you from the womb and who will help you: “Do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 ARST I will pour water on your dry land and cause streams to flow. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and greatly bless them. BSB BSB: For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
4 ARST They will grow up like grass grows along the water, like willow trees grow well along a riverbank. BSB BSB: They will sprout among the grass like willows by flowing streams.
5 ARST Some of them will say,‘I belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say,‘We are descendants of Jacob,’ and others will write on their hands,‘We belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say,‘We are Israelites, and we belong to Yahweh.’” BSB BSB: One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD,’ another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name of Israel.”
7 ARST If there is anyone like me, he should proclaim it! He should speak and tell me now! He should tell what has happened since I caused my people of Israel to become a nation long ago; he should also explain why events in the past happened the way they did, and he should predict what will happen in the future. BSB BSB: Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take place.
8 ARST My people, do not be afraid. Long ago I told you things that would happen; you know that I predicted them, and you can testify that I did that. There certainly is not any other God. There is no other God who is able to protect you.” BSB BSB: Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”
9 ARST All those who make idols are foolish, and the idols that they think highly of are worthless. And the people who worship those idols— it is as though they were blind, and they will be ashamed for having worshiped those idols. BSB BSB: All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.
10 ARST Only foolish people would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all. BSB BSB: Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?
11 ARST Those who make idols and those who worship them will be ashamed. Those who make idols are only human beings, but they claim that they are making gods! They should stand in front of God in a courtroom, and when they hear what he says, they will be terrified, and they will all be disgraced. BSB BSB: Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame.
12 ARST Metalworkers stand in front of hot coals in order to make idols. They pound them with hammers and shape them. Because they work very hard, they become hungry and weak; they become very thirsty and feel exhausted. BSB BSB: The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint.
13 ARST Then a woodcarver takes a big block of wood and he measures it; then he marks it to show where he will cut it. He uses a chisel and other tools to carve it to resemble a human. He causes it to become a very beautiful idol, and then he puts it in a special house, where he will bow down to it. BSB BSB: The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.
14 ARST Before he carves an idol from that block of wood, he has already cut down a cedar tree, or he has selected a cypress tree or an oak tree and allowed it to grow tall in the forest. Or he has planted a pine tree, and the rain has watered it and caused it to grow tall. BSB BSB: He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.
15 ARST After he uses part of the tree to make an idol, he uses the other part to make a fire, either to warm himself or to bake bread. But he uses part of the same tree to make for himself an idol to worship! He makes an idol, and then he bows down to worship it. BSB BSB: It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread. He also fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16 ARST He burns part of the wood of that tree to cook his meat and eats it and becomes full, and he burns part of it to warm himself, and he says,“I feel warm while I am watching the flames in the fire.” BSB BSB: He burns half of it in the fire, and he roasts meat on that half. He eats the roast and is satisfied. Indeed, he warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
17 ARST Then he takes the rest of the wood and makes an idol which is to be his god. He bows down to it and honors it, and prays to it and says,“You are my god, so save me!” BSB BSB: From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”
18 ARST Those people are very stupid and ignorant. It is as though they were blind and unable to see, as though their minds were closed and unable to think well. BSB BSB: They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
19 ARST They do not think about what they are doing, that they are taking a block of wood and burning half of it to warm themselves and using some of the rest to bake bread and roast some meat! They do not say to themselves,“It is stupid to take the rest of the wood to make a detestable idol! It does not make sense to bow down to a block of wood!” BSB BSB: And no one considers in his heart, no one has the knowledge or insight to say, “I burned half of it in the fire, and I baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make something detestable with the rest of it? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
20 ARST They might as well be eating the ashes from a fire! They trust in something that cannot save them; they do not admit,“In my hand I hold something that is not really a god!“ BSB BSB: He feeds on ashes. His deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
21 ARST Yahweh says,“You descendants of Jacob, you people of Israel who should be serving me, I created you, and I will not forget you. BSB BSB: Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are My servant, O Israel. I have made you, and you are My servant; O Israel, I will never forget you.
22 ARST I have gotten rid of your sins like the wind blows away a cloud. It is as though your transgressions were a morning mist that I have blown away. Return to me because I have rescued you.” BSB BSB: I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
23 ARST The sun and moon and stars in the sky, should sing, and the very deepest places of the earth will should joyfully! All the mountains and forests, and all you trees, should sing loudly, because Yahweh has rescued the descendants of Jacob, and the people of Israel will praise him. BSB BSB: Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O depths of the earth. Break forth in song, O mountains, you forests and all your trees. For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and revealed His glory in Israel.
24 ARST Yahweh, who saved you and created you, says this:“I am Yahweh, the one who created everything. I am the only one who stretched out the sky. There was no one who was with me when I created the earth. BSB BSB: Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,
25 ARST I show that the false prophets are liars, and I show that those who perform rituals to predict the future are fools. Some people who falsely think that they are wise say that they know much, but I show that they are foolish. BSB BSB: who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,
26 ARST But I always cause to happen what my prophets predict. I tell them to say to the people of Jerusalem,‘Some day people will live here again.’ And I tell them to say to the people in other towns in Judah that I, Yahweh, say,‘Your towns will be rebuilt; I will cause the places that are only ruins to be rebuilt.’ BSB BSB: who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins,’
27 ARST When I say to the rivers,‘Dry up!’ they will become dry. BSB BSB: who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’
28 ARST When I say about King Cyrus,‘He will take care of my people like a shepherd takes care of his sheep, he will do all that I want him to do,’ he will say about Jerusalem,‘We must rebuild it!’ and he will also say,‘We must rebuild the temple!’” BSB BSB: who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’” Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.