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[1] NOW hearken to me, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen;
[2] Thus says the LORD that made you and formed you from the womb and helped you: Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and you, Israel, whom I have chosen.
[3] For I will give water in a parched ground and streams on the dry land; I will pour my spirit upon your descendants and my blessings upon your offspring;
[4] And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the running streams.
[5] 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 to the LORD and surname himself by the name of Israel.
[6] Thus says the LORD the King of Israel, and his Saviour, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
[7] And who is like me? Let him announce it and set it in order and declare it, since I placed the people on the earth for ever. And let them show the wonders that are coming.
[8] Fear not, neither be alarmed; have not I announced to you from former time, and have declared it? You are my witnesses, that there is no God besides me, and no mighty one whom I do not know
[9] The makers of images are all of them vanity; and there is no profit in the works which they desire to make; the craftsmen who make them are witnesses, for they see not, nor hear, nor know.
[10] Therefore let them be ashamed, those who make gods or graven and molten images that are profitable for nothing.
[11] Behold, all their craftsmen are dumb men; let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall be ashamed and confounded together;
[12] The carpenter sharpens an iron instrument, he shapes the image with a plane and fashions it with a chisel and works it with the strength of his arm; yea, he becomes hungry and also thirsty, he drinks no water and is faint.
[13] The carpenter selects a piece of wood, and stretches out his rule; he marks it out with a line; he fashions it with planes and makes it into the likeness of a man, according to the beauty of a man;
[14] Then he makes it to stand in the house, a piece of wood which was cut down out of the forest, something which the rain has nourished,
[15] A thing for men to use as fuel; they take some of it and heat the oven and bake bread; yea, they also make a god of it and worship it; yea, they make it a graven image and worship it.
[16] Half of it they burn in the fire; and on its coals they roast meat, and they eat and are satisfied; they also warm themselves and say, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire;
[17] And of the rest they make a god, even a graven image; and they worship it and pray to it and say, Deliver us; for thou art our god.
[18] They have not known nor understood; for the vision of their eyes is shut that they cannot see, and the understanding of their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
[19] And they considered not in their heart, neither did they know nor did they reason, saying, Half of it we burned in the fire; yea, also we have baked bread on its coals; we have roasted meat and eaten it; and from the rest of it we have made for ourselves an idol of wood and worshipped it.
[20] Their imagination is dull; they are surely gone astray, and cannot deliver themselves, nor say, Our right hand has wrought falsehood
[21] Remember these things, O Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant; I have formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, from henceforth forget me not.
[22] I have blotted out your iniquities as a thick mist, and your sins as a cloud; return to me, for I have saved you.
[23] Sing, O you heavens; for the LORD has done it; shout, O you foundations of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree therein! For the LORD has saved Jacob and glorified himself in Israel.
[24] Thus says the LORD, who saved you and who formed you from the womb and helped you: I am the LORD who made all things; who stretched out the heavens alone; who spread out the earth by myself;
[25] Who makes void the signs of the diviners and despises their divinations; who turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish;
[26] Who confirms the word of his servant and performs the counsel of his messengers: who said to Jerusalem, You shall be inhabited, and to the cities of Judah, You shall be built and I will raise up the ruins thereof;
[27] Who said to the deep, Be dry, and who dried up the rivers;
[28] Who said of Cyrus, He is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundations shall be laid
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