Chronological Plan

¹“But now listen, Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen:

²This is what the LORD says, He who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Do not fear, Jacob My servant, And Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

³For I will pour water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, And My blessing on your descendants;

⁴And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.’

⁵This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’S’; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the LORD,’ And will give himself Israel’s name with honor.

⁶“This is what the LORD says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of armies: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.

⁷Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; And, let him confront Me Beginning with My establishing of the ancient nation. Then let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place.

⁸Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’ ”

⁹Those who fashion an idol are all futile, and their treasured things are of no benefit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame.

¹⁰Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no benefit?

¹¹Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them be put to shame together.

¹²The craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.

¹³The craftsman of wood extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a marker. He works it with carving knives and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of mankind, so that it may sit in a house.

¹⁴He will cut cedars for himself, and he takes a holm-oak or another oak and lets it grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow.

¹⁵Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and bows down before it.

¹⁶Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat, he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.”

¹⁷Yet the rest of it he makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

¹⁸They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.

¹⁹No one remembers, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I bow down before a block of wood!”

²⁰He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has misled him. And he cannot save himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

²¹“Remember these things, Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

²²I have wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

²³Shout for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains, Forest, and every tree in it; For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And in Israel He shows His glory.

²⁴This is what the LORD says, He who is your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb: “I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth alone,

²⁵Causing the omens of diviners to fail, Making fools of fortune-tellers; Causing wise men to turn back And making their knowledge ridiculous,

²⁶Confirming the word of His servant And carrying out the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’ And I will raise her ruins again.

²⁷I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Dry up!’ And I will make your rivers dry up.

²⁸It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he will carry out all My desire.’ And he says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’ ”

¹This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

²“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

³I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

⁴For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me.

⁵I am the LORD, and there is no one else; There is no God except Me. I will arm you, though you have not known Me,

⁶So that people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else,

⁷The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things.

⁸“Drip down, heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness sprout with it. I, the LORD, have created it.

⁹“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker— A piece of pottery among the other earthenware pottery pieces! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?

¹⁰Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you fathering?’ Or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’ ”

¹¹This is what the LORD says, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker: “Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.

¹²It is I who made the earth, and created mankind upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I ordained all their lights.

¹³I have stirred him in righteousness, And I will make all his ways smooth. He will build My city and let My exiles go free, Without any payment or reward,” says the LORD of armies.

¹⁴This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains And will bow down to you; They will plead with you: ‘God certainly is with you, and there is no one else, No other God.’ ”

¹⁵Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, God of Israel, Savior!

¹⁶They will be put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.

¹⁷Israel has been saved by the LORD With an everlasting salvation; You will not be put to shame or humiliated To all eternity.

¹⁸For this is what the LORD says, He who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it as a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited): “I am the LORD, and there is no one else.

¹⁹I have not spoken in secret, In some dark land; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a wasteland’; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, Declaring things that are right.

²⁰“Gather yourselves and come; Come together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge, Who carry around their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save.

²¹Declare and present your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.

²²Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.

²³I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

²⁴They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’ People will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

²⁵In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified and will boast.”

¹Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle. The things that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary animal.

²They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.

³“Listen to Me, house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been carried by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb;

⁴Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will carry you! I have done it, and I will bear you; And I will carry you and I will save you.

⁵“To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, That we would be alike?

⁶Those who lavish gold from the bag And weigh silver on the scale, Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it.

⁷They lift it on the shoulder, carry it, And set it in its place, and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may shout to it, it cannot answer; It cannot save him from his distress.

⁸“Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you wrongdoers.

⁹Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,

¹⁰Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

¹¹Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it.

¹²“Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, Who are far from righteousness.

¹³I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel.

¹“Come down and sit in the dust, Virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender and delicate.

²Take the millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

³Your nakedness will be uncovered, Your shame will also be exposed; I will take vengeance and will not spare anyone.”

⁴Our Redeemer, the LORD of armies is His name, The Holy One of Israel.

⁵“Sit silently, and go into darkness, Daughter of the Chaldeans; For you will no longer be called The queen of kingdoms.

⁶I was angry with My people, I profaned My heritage And handed them over to you. You did not show mercy to them, On the aged you made your yoke very heavy.

⁷Yet you said, ‘I will be a queen forever.’ These things you did not consider Nor remember the outcome of them.

⁸“Now, then, hear this, you luxuriant one, Who lives securely, Who says in her heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me. I will not sit as a widow, Nor know the loss of children.’

⁹But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells.

¹⁰You felt secure in your wickedness and said, ‘No one sees me,’ Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have led you astray; For you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me.’

¹¹But evil will come on you Which you will not know how to charm away; And disaster will fall on you For which you cannot atone; And destruction about which you do not know Will come on you suddenly.

¹²“Persist now in your spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to benefit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.

¹³You are wearied with your many counsels; Let now the astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and save you from what will come upon you.

¹⁴Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before!

¹⁵So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Those who have done business with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own way; There is no one to save you.

¹“Hear this, house of Jacob, who are named Israel And who came from the waters of Judah, Who swear by the name of the LORD And invoke the God of Israel, But not in truth nor in righteousness.

²For they name themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The LORD of armies is His name.

³I declared the former things long ago, And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

⁴Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron tendon And your forehead bronze,

⁵Therefore I declared them to you long ago, Before they took place I proclaimed them to you, So that you would not say, ‘My idol has done them, And my carved image and my cast metal image have commanded them.’

⁶You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, Hidden things which you have not known.

⁷They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

⁸You have not heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a rebel from birth.

⁹For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off.

¹⁰Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

¹¹For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.

¹²“Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

¹³Assuredly My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together.

¹⁴Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure against Babylon, And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

¹⁵I, yes I, have spoken; indeed I have called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

¹⁶Come near to Me, listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

¹⁷This is what the LORD says, He who is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to benefit, Who leads you in the way you should go.

¹⁸If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

¹⁹Your descendants would have been like the sand, And your offspring like its grains; Their name would never be eliminated or destroyed from My presence.”

²⁰Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this, Send it out to the end of the earth; Say, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

²¹They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the water gushed out.

²²“There is no peace for the wicked,” says the LORD.