Isaiah 44
The LORD the Only God |
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Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and
Israel, whom I have chosen:
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thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will
help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesh'urun, whom
I have chosen.
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For I will pour water upon him that is
thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon
thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
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and they shall spring up as among
the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
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One shall say, I am the LORD's; and another shall call himself by the
name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto
the LORD, and surname himself by the
name of Israel.
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Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; Is. 48.12 · Rev. 1.17 ; 22.13 and besides me there is no God.
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And who, as I, shall call, and shall
declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the
ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let
them show unto them.
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Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not
I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
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The Folly of
Idolatry |
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They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not
profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor
know; that they may be ashamed.
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Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven
image that is profitable for nothing?
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Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed;
and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered
together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
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The smith with the tongs both worketh
in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with
the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength
faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
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The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and
he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure
of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in
the house.
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He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the
cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the
trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
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Then shall it be for a man to burn: for
he will take thereof, and warm 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.
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He 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:
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and the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and
worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me;
for thou art my god.
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They have not known nor understood: for
he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their
hearts, that they cannot understand.
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And none considereth in his heart,
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?
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He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart
hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
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The LORD the Redeemer of Israel |
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Remember these, 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.
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I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I
have redeemed thee.
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Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the
earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every
tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob,
and glorified himself in Israel.
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Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the
womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that
spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
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that frustrateth the tokens of the liars,
and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and
maketh their knowledge foolish; 1 Cor. 1.20
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that confirmeth the word of his servant,
and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to
Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye
shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places
thereof:
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that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I
will dry up thy rivers:
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that saith of Cyrus, He is my
shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: 2 Chr. 36.23 · Ezra 1.2 even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the
temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
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