Through the Bible – Day 284

₁People of Israel,

I have chosen you

as my servant.

₂I am your Creator.

You were in my care

even before you were born.

Israel, don't be terrified!

You are my chosen servant,

my very favourite.

₃I will bless the thirsty land

by sending streams of water;

I will bless your descendants

by giving them my Spirit.

₄They will spring up like grass

or like willow trees

near flowing streams.

₅They will worship me

and become my people.

They will write my name

on the back of their hands.

₆I am the LORD All-Powerful,

the first and the last,

the one and only God.

Israel, I have rescued you!

I am your King.

₇Can anyone compare with me?

If so, let them speak up

and tell me now.

Let them say what has happened

since I made my nation

long ago,

and let them tell

what is going to happen.

₈Don't tremble with fear!

Didn't I tell you long ago?

Didn't you hear me?

I alone am God—

no one else is a mighty rock.

₉Those people who make idols

are nothing themselves,

and the idols they treasure

are just as worthless.

Worshippers of idols are blind,

stupid, and foolish.

₁₀Why make an idol or an image

that can't do a thing?

₁₁Everyone who makes idols

and all who worship them

are mere humans,

who will end up

sadly disappointed.

Let them face me in court

and be terrified.

₁₂A metalworker shapes an idol

by using a hammer

and heat from the fire.

In his powerful hand

he holds a hammer,

as he pounds the metal

into the proper shape.

But he gets hungry and thirsty

and loses his strength.

₁₃Some woodcarver measures

a piece of wood,

then draws an outline.

The idol is carefully carved

with each detail exact.

At last it looks like a person

and is placed in a temple.

₁₄Cedar, cypress, oak,

or any tree from the forest

may be chosen.

Or even a pine tree planted

by the woodcarver

and watered by the rain.

₁₅Some of the wood is used

to make a fire for heating

or for cooking.

One piece is made into an idol,

then the woodcarver bows down

and worships it.

₁₆He enjoys the warm fire

and the meat that was roasted

over the burning coals.

₁₇Afterwards, he bows down

to worship the wooden idol.

“Protect me!” he says.

“You are my god.”

₂₁People of Israel,

you are my servant,

so remember all of this.

Israel, I created you,

and you are my servant.

I won't forget you.

₂₂Turn back to me!

I have rescued you

and swept away your sins

as though they were clouds.

₂₃Tell the heavens and the earth

to start singing!

Tell the mountains

and every tree in the forest

to join in the song!

The LORD has rescued his people;

now they will worship him.

₂₄Israel, I am your LORD.

I am your source of life,

and I have rescued you.

I created everything

from the sky above

to the earth below.

₂₅I make liars of false prophets

and fools of fortune-tellers.

I take human wisdom

and turn it into nonsense.

₂₆I will make the message

of my prophets come true.

They are saying, “Jerusalem

will be filled with people,

and the LORD will rebuild

the towns of Judah.”

₂₇I am the one who commands

the sea and its streams

to run dry.

₂₈I am also the one who says,

“Cyrus will lead my people

and obey my orders.

Jerusalem and the temple

will be rebuilt.”

I have taken hold

of your right hand

to help you capture nations

and remove kings from power.

City gates will open for you;

not one will stay closed.

₂As I lead you,

I will level mountains

and break the iron bars

on bronze gates of cities.

₃I will give you treasures

hidden in dark

and secret places.

Then you will know that I,

the LORD God of Israel,

have called you by name.

₄Cyrus, you don't even know me!

But I have called you by name

and highly honoured you

because of Israel,

my chosen servant.

₅Only I am the LORD!

There are no other gods.

I have made you strong,

though you don't know me.

₆Now everyone from east to west

will learn that I am the LORD.

No other gods are real.

₇I create light and darkness,

happiness and sorrow.

I, the LORD, do all of this.

₈Tell the heavens

to send down justice

like showers of rain.

Prepare the earth

for my saving power

to sprout and produce justice

that I, the LORD, create.

₉Israel, you have no right

to argue with your Creator.

You are merely a clay pot

shaped by a potter.

The clay doesn't ask,

“Why did you make me this way?

Where are the handles?”

₁₀Children don't have the right

to demand of their parents,

“What have you done

to make us what we are?”

₁₁I am the LORD, the Creator,

the holy God of Israel.

Do you dare question me

about my own nation

or about what I have done?

₁₂I created the world

and covered it with people;

I stretched out the sky

and filled it with stars.

₁₃I have done the right thing

by placing Cyrus in power,

and I will make the roads easy

for him to follow.

I am the LORD All-Powerful!

Cyrus will rebuild my city

and set my people free

without being paid a thing.

I, the LORD, have spoken.

₁₄My people, I, the LORD, promise

that the riches of Egypt

and the treasures of Ethiopia

will belong to you.

You will force into slavery

those tall people of Seba.

They will bow down and say,

“The only true God is with you;

there are no other gods.”

₁₅People of Israel,

your God is a mystery,

though he alone can save.

₁₆Anyone who makes idols

will be confused

and terribly disgraced.

₁₇But Israel, I, the LORD,

will always keep you safe

and free from shame.

₁₈The LORD alone is God!

He created the heavens

and made a world

where people can live,

instead of creating

an empty desert.

The LORD alone is God;

there are no others.

₁₉The LORD did not speak

in a dark secret place

or command Jacob's descendants

to search for him in vain.

The LORD speaks the truth,

and this is what he says

₂₀to every survivor

from every nation:

“Gather around me!

Learn how senseless it is

to worship wooden idols

or pray to helpless gods.

₂₁“Why don't you get together

and meet me in court?

Didn't I tell you long ago

what would happen?

I am the only God!

There are no others.

I bring about justice,

and have the power to save.

₂₂“I invite the whole world

to turn to me and be saved.

I alone am God!

No others are real.

₂₃I have made a solemn promise,

one that won't be broken:

everyone will bow down

and worship me.

₂₄They will admit that I alone

can bring about justice.

Everyone who is angry with me

will be terribly ashamed

and will turn to me.

₂₅I, the LORD, will give

victory and great honour

to the people of Israel.”