44
1 Yet now hear, O Ya'akov Avdi;
and Yisroel, whom I have chosen;
2 Thus saith Hashem that made thee,
and formed thee from the beten (womb), Who will help thee;
Fear not, O Ya'akov, Avdi;
and thou, Yeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour mayim upon him that is thirsty,
and flowing streams upon the yabashah;*
I will pour out My Ruach† upon thy zera,
and My brocha upon thine offspring;
4 V'tzamechu (and they shall spring up; Tzemach) as among khatzir,
as willows by the streams of mayim.
5 One shall say, I belong to Hashem;
and another shall call himself by the shem of Ya'akov;
and another shall write‡ with his yad, Hashemʼs,
and surname himself by the shem Yisroel.
6 Thus saith Hashem Melech Yisroel,
and His Go'el, Hashem Tzva'os;
I am the Rishon, and I am the Acharon;
and apart from Me there is no Elohim.
7 And who is like Me, who can preach as I do?
Let him make it known and set it out in order before Me,
since I appointed the Am Olam
and the otiyyot (things to come, future things) and what is approaching,
let them expound and make known in support of themselves.
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid;
have not I proclaimed to thee long ago,
and have made it known?
Ye are even My edim.
Is there Eloah apart from Me?
And there is no Tzur, I know of none.
9 They that make a pesel are all of them tohu; and their chamudim (favorite [idols]) are worthless; and they§ are their own edim; they* see not, nor know; so that they† are put to shame. 10 Who hath formed el (g-d), or molded a pesel to no profit? 11 Behold, all its chaverim shall be ashamed; and the charashim (craftsmen), they are only adam; let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12 The charash barzel (ironsmith) with his ma'atzad (chizel) both worketh in the red-hot coals, and formeth it with hammers, and forgeth it with his zero'a ko'ach and also, he is hungry, and his ko'ach faileth; he drinketh no mayim, and grows faint. 13 The charash etzim (carpenter) stretcheth out his [measuring line]; he marketh it out with sered (red chalk); he worketh it with planes, and he marketh it out with a compass, and maketh it after the tavnit ish (pattern of a man), according to the tiferet adam; that it may stay inside the bais (idolatrous cult shrine). 14 He heweth down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he secureth for himself among the atzei ya'ar (trees of the forest); he planteth a pine, and geshem doth nourish it. 15 Then shall it be for an adam to burn; for he will take thereof, and warm himself; and also, he kindleth it, and baketh lechem; and also he maketh el (g-d), and boweth down in worship to it; he maketh it a pesel, and falleth down unto it. 16 He burneth half thereof in the eish; with the other half thereof he eateth basar; he roasteth roast meat, and is satisfied; and also, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I perceive ur (flame)! 17 And the shererit thereof he maketh el, even his pesel; he falleth down unto it, and boweth down in worship to it, and davens unto it, and saith, Save me; for thou art Eli!
18 They have no da'as nor binah; for their eyes‡ are smeared over, that they cannot see; and their levavot, that they cannot understand. 19 And none considereth in his lev, neither is there da'as nor tevunah (understanding, intelligence) to say, I have burned half of it in the eish; and, also I have baked lechem upon the hot coals thereof; I have roasted basar, and eaten it; and shall I make the rest thereof to'evah? Shall I bow down to the bul etz (product of a tree, i.e., a block of wood)? 20 He feedeth on efer (ash); a lev hutal (a heart deceived, a deluded mind) hath led him astray, that he cannot save his nefesh, nor say: Is there not sheker (a lie, a fraud) in my yamin (right hand)?
21 Remember these things, O Ya'akov and Yisroel;
for thou art avdi;
I have formed thee; thou art an eved to Me;
O Yisroel, do not forget Me!
22 I have swept away thy peysha'im like a cloud,
and like an anan, thy chattot;
Shuva elai ki gealticha (return, turn back to Me, for I have redeemed thee).
23 Sing for joy, O ye Shomayim; for Hashem hath done it;
shout, ye depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, ye harim,
O ya'ar (forest), and kol etz therein;
for Hashem hath redeemed Ya'akov,
and He will glorify Himself in Yisroel.
24 Thus saith Hashem, thy Go'el,
and He that formed thee from the beten (womb),
I am Hashem Oseh kol (the Maker of All);
that stretcheth out Shomayim alone;
that spreadeth out ha'aretz (the earth) by Myself;
25 That annuls the otot of the baddim (liars, false prophets),
and maketh kosemim (diviners, soothsayers) into madmen;
that turneth back chachamim,
and maketh their da'as (knowledge, science) foolishness;
26 That confirmeth the davar of His eved,
and fulfilleth the etza (prediction) of His malachim; that saith to Yerushalayim,
Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the towns of Yehudah,
Ye shall be rebuilt,
and I will raise up the ruins thereof:
27 That saith to the deep, Be dry,
and I will dry up thy naharot;
28 That saith of Koresh (Cyrus), He is Ro'i (My Shepherd),
and shall accomplish all My pleasure;
even saying to Yerushalayim: Thou shalt be rebuilt;
and to the Heikhal: Thy foundation shall be laid.
* 44:3 Gn 1:9 † 44:3 Hakodesh ‡ 44:5 in witness § 44:9 the idols * 44:9 the idols † 44:9 the idol people ‡ 44:18 the eyes of the idol people