Yeshayah/Isaiah  43:21 - 44:23

Chapter 43

²¹ I fashioned this people for Myself that it might declare My praise.  ²² But you did not call to Me, O Jacob, for you grew weary of Me, O Israel.  ²³ You did not bring Me sheep for your olah-offerings, nor did you honor Me with your peaceofferings; I did not burden you with a meal-offering, nor did I weary you with frankincense.  ²⁴ You bought Me no cinnamon with silver, nor did you satisfy Me with the fat of your offerings — but you burdened Me with your sins, you wearied Me with your iniquities.  ²⁵ I, only I, am the One Who wipes away your willful sins for My sake, and I shall not recall your sins.  ²⁶ Remind Me! — let us contest one another; tell your side first that you may be vindicated.  ²⁷ Your first patriarch erred, and your advocates betrayed Me.  ²⁸ So I have profaned the holy princes; I handed Jacob to devastation and Israel to rebukes.

Chapter 44

¹ And now, listen, Jacob My servant; and Israel whom I have chosen.  ² So says Hashem Who made you and fashioned you from the womb — He will help you; fear not, My servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen.  ³ Just as I pour water upon the thirsty land and streams upon the dry ground, so shall I pour My spirit upon your offspring and My blessing upon your children.  ⁴ They will flourish among the grass like willows by streams of water.  ⁵ This one will say - "I am Hashem's," and the other one will call in the name of Jacob; one will sign his allegiance to Hashem, and another will adopt the name Israel.

⁶ So said Hashem, King of Israel and its Redeemer, Hashem, Master of Legions - "I am the first and I am the last, and aside from Me there is no God.  ⁷ Who can declare that he, like Me, can proclaim and order events since I emplaced the people of antiquity? And let them tell us miracles that will yet come.  ⁸ Be not afraid and be not terrified! Did I not let you hear and tell you of yore? And you are My witnesses — is there a god beside Me? There is no rock I do not know.  ⁹ All who fashion statues are empty, and their treasures will not avail; they bear witness on themselves for they see not and know not, let their worshipers be shamed.  ¹⁰ Who would fashion a god or a molten statue that has no purpose?  ¹¹ Behold! all who join it will be shamed, and the artisans — they are but human! Let them all gather and stand, they shall be frightened and shamed together

¹² The ironsmith makes his tool and works with charcoal, and fashions [an idol] with hammers; he crafts it with all his strength, though he may be hungry and without strength, he drinks no water and grows faint.  ¹³ The woodworker stretches a line and marks his shape with a chalk, he works on [an idol] with planes and marks it with a compass; he makes it like a human form, like human splendor, only to be deposited in a house.  ¹⁴ He cuts himself cedar trees; he takes shade trees and oak trees and strengthens them with trees of the forest; he plants a fir tree and the rain makes it grow.  ¹⁵ It will be fuel for man, he will take some of them and warm himself and even make a fire and bake bread — and he will even make of it a god and prostrate himself, he will make a graven image and worship it.

¹⁶ He burns half of it in the fire, with half he prepares meat to eat, roasting it and sating himself; he will even warm himself and say, "Ah, I have warmed myself, I enjoy the fire."  ¹⁷ And with the rest he makes a god as his graven image; he will bow to it, prostrate himself and pray to it; he will say, "Save me, for you are my god!"  ¹⁸ They do not know, they do not understand; a coating prevents their eyes from seeing and their hearts from comprehending.  ¹⁹ He does not rebuke his heart; there is no wisdom or insight to say - "I burned half of it in the fire and I baked bread on its coals, I roasted meat and ate it — could I make an abomination of the rest, could I bow to the branch of a tree?"

²⁰ His "shepherd" is but ashes, his mocking heart deceived him; he cannot even save himself, yet he does not say - "There is falsehood in my right hand."

²¹ Remember this, O Jacob and Israel, for you are My servant — I fashioned you to be My servant — O Israel, do not forget Me.  ²² I will have wiped away your willful sins like a cloud and your errors like a wisp — return to Me, for I will have redeemed you.  ²³ Sing glad song, O heaven, for what Hashem has done; call out, O core of the earth; break out, O mountains, in glad song, O forest and every tree within it; for Hashem will have redeemed Jacob, and He will glorify Himself in Israel.