Study Desk

"But now listen, Jacob, My ^(C1)servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen:

This is what the LORD says, He who made you And ^(C1)formed you from the womb, who ^(C2)will help you: '^(C3)Do not fear, Jacob My servant, And ^(F1)(C4)Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

-'For ^(C1)I will pour water on ^(F1)the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will ^(C2)pour out My Spirit on your ^(C3)offspring, And My blessing on your descendants;

And they will spring up ^(F1)among the grass Like ^(C1)poplars by streams of water.'

-"This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S'; And that one ^(F1)will call on the name of Jacob; And another will ^(C1)write ^(F2)on his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' And will give himself Israel's name with honor.

"This is what the LORD says, He who is the ^(C1)King of Israel and his ^(C2)Redeemer, the LORD of armies: 'I am the ^(C3)first and I am the last, And there is no God ^(C4)besides Me.

-'Who is like Me? ^(C1)Let him proclaim and declare it; And, let him confront Me ^(F1)Beginning with My establishing of the ancient ^(F2)nation. Then let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place.

-'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; ^(C1)Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And ^(C2)you are My witnesses. Is there any God ^(C3)besides Me, Or is there any other ^(C4)Rock? I know of none.'"

Those 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 ^(C1)put to shame.

Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to ^(C1)no benefit?

Behold, all his companions will be ^(C1)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.

The ^(C1)craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, ^(F1)fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and ^(F2)his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

^(C1)The 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 ^(C2)mankind, so that it may sit in a ^(C3)house.

He 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.

Then 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 ^(C1)makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and ^(C2)bows down before it.

Half 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."

Yet the rest of it he ^(C1)makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also ^(C2)prays to it and says, "Save me, for you are my god."

They do not ^(C1)know, nor do they understand, for He has ^(C2)smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.

No one ^(F1)remembers, nor is there ^(C1)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 ^(F2)I make the rest of it into an ^(C2)abomination, ^(F3)I bow down before a block of wood!"

He ^(F1)(C1)feeds on ashes; a ^(C2)deceived heart has misled him. And he cannot save ^(F2)himself, nor say, "^(C3)Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

"^(C1)Remember these things, Jacob, And Israel, for you are ^(C2)My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, Israel, you will ^(C3)not be forgotten by Me.

-"I have ^(C1)wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud And your sins like a ^(F1)heavy mist. ^(C2)Return to Me, for I have ^(C3)redeemed you."

^(C1)Shout for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; ^(C2)Break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains, Forest, and every tree in it; For ^(C3)the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And in Israel He ^(C4)shows His glory.

This is what the LORD says, He who is your ^(C1)Redeemer, and the One who ^(C2)formed you from the womb: "I, the LORD, am the Maker of all things, ^(C3)Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth ^(F1)alone,

^(C1)Causing the ^(F1)omens of diviners to fail, ^(F2)Making fools of fortune-tellers; ^(C2)Causing wise men to turn back And ^(F3)making their knowledge ridiculous,

^(C1)Confirming the word of His servant And ^(F1)carrying out the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the ^(C2)cities of Judah, '^(C3)They shall be built.' And I will raise her ruins again.

-"I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, 'Dry up!' And I will make your rivers ^(C1)dry up.

-"It is I who says of ^(C1)Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, And he will carry out all My desire.' And ^(F1)he says of Jerusalem, '^(C2)She will be built,' And of the temple, '^(F2)Your foundation will be laid.'"