21 This people whom I formed for myself, who will recount my praise.
22 But you didn’t call out to me, Jacob; you were tired of me, Israel.
23 You
didn’t bring me lambs for your entirely burned offering;
you didn’t honor me with your sacrifices.
I didn’t make you worship with offerings;
I didn’t weary you with frankincense.
24 You
didn’t buy spices for me with your money,
or satisfy me with the fat of your sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your evil actions.
25 I,
I am the one who wipes out your rebellious behavior for my sake. I won’t
remember your sin.
26 Summon
me, and let’s go to trial together;
you tell your story so that you may be vindicated!
27 Your
first ancestor sinned,
and your officials rebelled against me.
28 So
I made the holy officials impure,
handed over Jacob to destruction and Israel to abuse.
1 But
now hear this, Jacob my servant,
and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 The Lord your
maker,
who formed you in the womb and will help you, says:
Don’t fear, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 I will pour out water upon thirsty ground
and streams upon dry land.
I will pour out my spirit upon your descendants
and my blessing upon your offspring.
4 They will spring up from among the reeds
like willows by flowing streams.
5 This one will say, “I am the Lord’s,”
and that one will be named
after Jacob.
Another will write on his hand, “The Lord’s”
and will take the name Israel.
6 The Lord, Israel’s
king and redeemer,
the Lord of
heavenly forces, says:
I am the first, and I am the last,
and besides me there are no gods.
7 Who is like me?
Let them speak up, explain it, and lay it out for me.
Who announced long ago what is to be?
Let them tell us what is to come.
8 Don’t tremble; have no fear!
Didn’t I proclaim it?
Didn’t I inform you long ago?
You are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no other rock; I know of none.
9 Idol-makers are all as nothing;
their playthings do no good.
Their promoters neither see nor know anything,
so they ought to be ashamed.
10 Who would form a god or cast an idol
that does no good?
11 All its worshippers will be ashamed,
and its artisans, who are only human.
They will all gather and stand,
tremble and be ashamed together.
12 A blacksmith with his tools
works it over coals,
and shapes it with hammers,
and works it with his strong arm.
He even becomes hungry and weak.
If he didn’t drink water, he’d pass out.
13 A carpenter stretches out a string,
marks it out with a stylus,
fashions it with carving tools,
and marks it with a compass.
He makes it into a human form,
like a splendid human,
to live in a temple.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
or chooses a cypress or oak,
selecting from all the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain makes it grow.
15 It becomes suitable to burn
for humans,
so he takes some of the wood
and warms himself.
He kindles fire and bakes bread.
He fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16 Half of it he burns in the fire;
on that half he roasts and eats meat, and he is
satisfied.
He warms himself and says,
“Ah, I’m warm, watching the fire!”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
into his idol, and he bows down, worships, and prays to it, saying,
“Save me, for you are my god!”
18 They don’t know or comprehend,
for their eyes can’t see
and their minds can’t comprehend.
19 He doesn’t think,
and has no knowledge or understanding to think:
Half of it I burned in the fire,
and I baked bread on its coals,
and roasted meat and ate.
Should I make the rest into something detestable?
Should I bow down to a block of wood?
20 He’s feeding on ashes;
his deluded mind has led him astray.
He can’t save himself and say,
“Isn’t this thing in my hand a lie?”
21 Remember these things, Jacob;
Israel, for you are my servant.
I formed you; you are my servant!
I won’t forget you, Israel.
22 I swept away your rebellions like a cloud,
and your sins like fog.
Return to me,
because I have redeemed you.
23 Sing, heavens, for the Lord has
acted;
shout, depths of the earth!
Burst out with a ringing cry,
you mountains, forest, and every tree in it.
The Lord has redeemed
Jacob,
and will glorify himself through Israel.
Scripture taken from the Common English Bible®, CEB® Copyright © 2010, 2011 by Common English Bible.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The "CEB" and "Common English Bible" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Common English Bible. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Common English Bible.