9. The makers of idols, they are all desolation, and their bosom children worthless; and those who bear witness for them see nothing and know nothing, that they may be put to shame. 10. Who hath formed the god, and cast the idol to no profit? 11. Behold, all its followers will be put to shame; and the workmen are men; let them all assemble together, draw near, be alarmed, be all put to shame together.
12. The iron-smith[3] has a chisel, and works with red-hot coals, and shapes it with hammers, and works it with his powerful arm. He gets hungry thereby, and his strength fails; if he drink no water he becomes exhausted. 13. The carpenter draws the line, marks it with the pencil, carries it out with planes, and makes a drawing of it with the compass, and carries it out like the figure of a man, like the beauty of a man, which may dwell in the house.
14. One[4] prepares to cut down cedars, and takes holm and oak-tree, and chooses for himself among the trees of the forest. He planteth a fig, and the rain draws it up. 15. And it serves the man for firing; he takes thereof, and warms himself; he also heats, and bakes bread; he also works it into a god, and prostrates himself; makes an idol of it, and falls down before it. 16. The half of it he has burned in the fire! over the half of it he eats flesh, roasts a roast, and is satisfied; he also warms himself, and says, Hurrah! I am getting warm, I feel the heat. 17. And the rest of it he makes into a god, into his idol, and says, Save me, for thou art my god!
18. They perceive not, and do not understand: for their eyes are smeared over, so that they do not see; their hearts that they do not understand. 19. And men take it not to heart, no perception and no understanding, that men should say, The half of it I have burned in the fire, and also baked bread upon the coals thereof; roasted flesh, and eaten: and ought I to make the rest of it into an abomination, to fall down before the produce of a tree? 20. He who striveth after ashes, a befooled heart has led him astray, and he does not deliver his soul, and does not think, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
21. Remember this, Jacob and Israel; for thou art My servant: I have formed thee, thou art servant to Me, O Israel: thou art not forgotten by Me. 22.[5] I have blotted out thy transgressions as a mist, and thy sins as clouds: return to Me; for I have redeemed thee.
23. Exult, O heavens; for Jehovah hath accomplished it: shout, ye depths of the earth; break out, ye mountains, into exulting; thou forest, and all the wood therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and He showeth Himself glorious unto Israel.
sixth prophecy.—chaps. xliv. 24–xlv.
Cyrus, the Anointed of Jehovah, and Deliverer of Israel.
24. Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I Jehovah am He that accomplisheth all; who stretched out the heavens alone, spread out the earth by Himself; 25. who bringeth to nought the signs of the prophets of lies, and exposeth the soothsayers as raging mad; who turneth back the wise men, and maketh their science folly; 26. who realiseth the word of His servant, and accomplisheth the prediction of His messengers; who saith to Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited, and their ruins I raise up again! 27. who saith to the whirlpool, Dry up; and I dry its streams; 28. who saith to Koresh, My shepherd, and he will perform all my will; and will say to Jerusalem, She shall be built, and the temple founded!