1Yet now hear , O Jacob my servant , and Israel , who I have chosen: 2Thus saith Jehovah that made thee , and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee : Fear not , O Jacob my servant ; and thou , Jeshurun , whom I have chosen. 3For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty , and streams upon the dry ground ; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed , and my blessing upon thine offspring : 4and they shall spring up among the grass , as willows by the watercourses. 5One shall say , I am Jehovah ’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob ; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto Jehovah , and surname himself by the name of Israel .
The Promise of Restoration
6Thus saith Jehovah , the King of Israel , and his Redeemer , Jehovah of hosts : I am the first , and I am the last; and besides me there is no God . 7And who , as I , shall call , and shall declare it , and set it in order for me , since I established the ancient people ? and the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass , let them declare . 8Fear ye not , neither be afraid : have I not declared unto thee of old, and showed it ? and ye are my witnesses . Is there a God besides me ? yea, there is no Rock ; I know not any .
The Futility of Idolatry
9They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity ; and the things that they delight in shall not profit ; and their own witnesses see not , nor know : that they may be put to shame. 10Who hath fashioned a god , or molten an image that is profitable for nothing ? 11Behold , all his fellows shall be put to shame; and the workmen , they are of men : let them all be gathered together , let them stand up ; they shall fear , they shall be put to shame together . 12The smith maketh an axe , and worketh in the coals , and fashioneth it with hammers , and worketh it with his strong arm : yea , he is hungry , and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water , and is faint . 13The carpenter stretcheth out a line ; he marketh it out with a pencil; he shapeth it with planes , and he marketh it out with the compasses, and shapeth it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house . 14He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the holm-tree and the oak, and strengtheneth for himself one among the trees of the forest : he planteth a fir-tree, and the rain doth nourish it . 15Then shall it be for a man to burn ; and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself ; yea, he kindleth it , and baketh bread : yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it ; he maketh it a graven image , and falleth down thereto. 16He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh ; he roasteth roast , and is satisfied ; yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha , I am warm , I have seen the fire. 17And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image ; he falleth down unto it and worshippeth , and prayeth unto it , and saith, Deliver me ; for thou art my god. 18They know not , neither do they consider : for he hath shut their eyes , that they cannot see ; and their hearts , that they cannot understand . 19And none calleth to mind , neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say , I have burned part of it in the fire ; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof ; I have roasted flesh and eaten it : and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination ? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree ? 20He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him aside ; and he cannot deliver his soul , nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand ?
God's Redemption and Forgiveness
21Remember these things , O Jacob , and Israel ; for thou art my servant : I have formed thee; thou art my servant : O Israel , thou shalt not be forgotten of me . 22I have blotted out , as a thick cloud , thy transgressions , and , as a cloud , thy sins : return unto me ; for I have redeemed thee . 23Sing , O ye heavens , for Jehovah hath done it ; shout , ye lower parts of the earth ; break forth into singing , ye mountains , O forest , and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob , and will glorify himself in Israel . 24Thus saith Jehovah , thy Redeemer , and he that formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah , that maketh all things ; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone ; that spreadeth abroad the earth ( who is with me ?); 25that frustrateth the signs of the liars, and maketh diviners mad ; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish ; 26that confirmeth the word of his servant , and performeth the counsel of his messengers ; that saith of Jerusalem , She shall be inhabited ; and of the cities of Judah , They shall be built , and I will raise up the waste places thereof ; 27that saith to the deep , Be dry , and I will dry up thy rivers ; 28That saith of Cyrus , He is my shepherd , and shall perform all my pleasure , even saying of Jerusalem , She shall be built ; and of the temple , Thy foundation shall be laid .