New English Translation

Isaiah 44:14-28 New English Translation (NET)

14. He cuts down cedarsand acquires a cypress or an oak.He gets trees from the forest;he plants a cedar and the rain makes it grow.

15. A man uses it to make a fire;he takes some of it and warms himself.Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.Then he makes a god and worships it;he makes an idol and bows down to it.

16. Half of it he burns in the fire – over that half he cooks meat;he roasts a meal and fills himself.Yes, he warms himself and says,‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’

17. With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;he bows down to it and worships it.He prays to it, saying,‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’

18. They do not comprehend or understand,for their eyes are blind and cannot see;their minds do not discern.

19. No one thinks to himself,nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:‘I burned half of it in the fire – yes, I baked bread over the coals;I roasted meat and ate it.With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?Should I bow down to dry wood?’

20. He feeds on ashes;his deceived mind misleads him.He cannot rescue himself,nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’

21. Remember these things, O Jacob,O Israel, for you are my servant.I formed you to be my servant;O Israel, I will not forget you!

22. I remove the guilt of your rebellious deeds as if they were a cloud,the guilt of your sins as if they were a cloud. Come back to me, for I protect you.”

23. Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes;shout out, you subterranean regions of the earth.O mountains, give a joyful shout;you too, O forest and all your trees!For the Lord protects Jacob;he reveals his splendor through Israel.

24. This is what the Lord, your protector, says,the one who formed you in the womb:“I am the Lord, who made everything,who alone stretched out the sky,who fashioned the earth all by myself,

25. who frustrates the omens of the empty talkersand humiliates the omen readers,who overturns the counsel of the wise menand makes their advice seem foolish,

26. who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servantsand brings to pass the announcements of his messengers,who says about Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,her ruins I will raise up,’

27. who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry!I will dry up your sea currents,’

28. who commissions Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherdto carry out all my wishesand to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’”