Israel the Chosen
1“But now listen, Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
2This is what the Lord says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun,44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel. whom I have chosen.
3For I will pour 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.
4They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
5Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and will take the name Israel.
The Lord, Not Idols
6“This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
7Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell what will come.
8Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
9All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.
10Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit nothing?
11People who do that will be put to shame;
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.
12The blacksmith takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.
13The carpenter measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.
14He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
15It is used as fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
17From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
“Save me! You are my god!”
18They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
20Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
21“Remember these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”
23Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
24“This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself,
25who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense,
26who carries out the words of his servants
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
27who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up your streams,’
28who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.” ’
以色列蒙揀選
1「我的僕人雅各，
我所揀選的以色列啊，
現在你要留心聽。
2造你、使你在母胎中成形、
幫助你的耶和華說，
『我的僕人雅各，
我所揀選的耶書崙44·2 「耶書崙」是以色列的暱稱。啊，
不要害怕。
3我要用水澆灌乾渴之地，
使河流滋潤乾旱之土。
我要用我的靈澆灌你的後裔，
使我賜的福臨到你的子孫。
4他們要滋長如青草，
又如溪旁楊柳。』
5這個說，『我屬於耶和華，』
那個說，『我是雅各的子孫，』
還有人手上寫著，『耶和華之民，』
把自己歸在以色列名下。
6「耶和華，以色列的君王和救贖主——
萬軍之耶和華說，
『我是首先的，我是末後的，
除我以外再沒有真神。
7誰能與我相比？讓他公之於眾。
讓他細說自從我設立這古老民族以來的往事，
讓他宣告未來將要發生的事。
8不要恐懼，不要害怕，
我不是從古時告訴過你們嗎？
你們是我的證人。
除我以外還有真神嗎？
沒有，沒有別的磐石，
一個也沒有。』」
9製造偶像的真是無用，他們珍愛的偶像毫無價值。拜神像的人目盲眼瞎，愚昧無知，自找羞辱。 10製造神像、鑄造無益偶像的是誰？ 11看啊，拜偶像的人必羞愧，製造神像的工匠不過是人。讓他們聚在一起來對質吧，他們必恐懼、羞愧。 12鐵匠拿起工具在炭火上工作，用他強壯的臂膀揮動鐵錘打造偶像。他饑餓時就會無力，口渴時就會疲乏。 13木匠拉線測量木料，用筆勾出輪廓，用圓規畫出模樣，用鑿子雕成人的樣子，形態逼真，放在廟宇裡。 14他砍伐香柏木，或從林中選取柏木和橡木。他栽種松樹，雨水使它長大。 15這樹可以用來燒柴，他取一些木料生火取暖、烤餅，又製成神像來祭拜，雕成偶像來叩拜。 16他用一半木頭生火烤肉，飽餐一頓，並用火取暖，說：「啊！我這裡有火，真暖和。」 17他用另一半木頭造了一個神明，作他的偶像，向它俯伏叩拜、禱告說：「你是我的神明，求你拯救我。」 18他們愚昧無知，因為他們的眼睛被封住以致看不見，他們的心竅被塞住以致不明白。 19他們無人思想，無人明白，無人醒悟說：「我用一半木頭生火，在炭上烤餅烤肉吃，我豈能用另一半木頭造可憎的神像？我豈能向一塊木頭叩拜？」 20他們以灰為食，心智迷糊，走入歧途，不能自救，也不會說：「我右手拿的神像豈不是假的嗎？」
耶和華救贖以色列
21「雅各啊，以色列啊，
要記住這些事，
因為你是我的僕人。
我造了你，你是我的僕人；
以色列啊，我必不忘記你。
22我除去了你的過犯和罪惡，
使它們如雲霧消散。
歸向我吧，因為我救贖了你。」
23諸天啊，歌唱吧！
因為耶和華成就了這事。
地的深處啊，歡呼吧！
眾山嶺和林中的樹木啊，
你們都要歌唱！
因為耶和華救贖了雅各，
在以色列彰顯了祂的榮耀。
24在母腹中造你、救贖你的耶和華說：
「我是創造萬物的耶和華，
我獨自鋪展穹蒼，開闢大地。
25我使假先知的預兆無法應驗，
使占卜者醜態百出；
我顛覆智者的知識，
使之愚不可及。
26我使我僕人的話應驗，
使我使者的計劃成就。
我說耶路撒冷必有人居住，
我說猶大的城邑必重建起來，
從廢墟中重建起來。
27我對深海說，『枯乾吧！
我要使你的河流乾涸』；
28我說塞魯士是我的牧人，
他必完成我的旨意，
他會下令重建耶路撒冷，
降旨奠定聖殿的根基。
