1. The Lord says,“Listen now, Israel, my servant,my chosen people, the descendants of Jacob.
2. I am the Lord who created you;from the time you were born, I have helped you.Do not be afraid; you are my servant,my chosen people whom I love.
3. “I will give water to the thirsty landand make streams flow on the dry ground.I will pour out my spirit on your childrenand my blessing on your descendants.
4. They will thrive like well-watered grass,like willows by streams of running water.
5. “One by one, people will say, ‘I am the Lord's.’They will come to join the people of Israel.They will each mark the name of the Lord on their armsand call themselves members of God's people.”
6. The Lord, who rules and protects Israel,the Lord Almighty, has this to say:“I am the first, the last, the only God;there is no other god but me.
7. Could anyone else have done what I did?Who could have predicted all that would happenfrom the very beginning to the end of time?
8. Do not be afraid, my people!You know that from ancient times until nowI have predicted all that would happen,and you are my witnesses.Is there any other god?Is there some powerful god I never heard of?”
9. All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant — and they will be disgraced.
10. It's no good making a metal image to worship as a god!
11. Everyone who worships it will be humiliated. The people who make idols are human beings and nothing more. Let them come and stand trial — they will be terrified and will suffer disgrace.
12. The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired.
13. The carpenter measures the wood. He outlines a figure with chalk, carves it out with his tools, and makes it in the form of a man, a handsome human figure, to be placed in his house.
14. He might cut down cedars to use, or choose oak or cypress wood from the forest. Or he might plant a laurel-tree and wait for the rain to make it grow.