Isaiah Chapter 44
Ayo, check it out, Jacob my dude; Israel, you’re the chosen one, fr.
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
So God was like, “I crafted you, shaped you since day one, and I got your back; don’t trip, Jacob, my guy; and you, Jesurun, you’re my pick.”
Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, {which} will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
I’m about to shower blessings like water for the thirsty and floods for the dry; my spirit’s rolling through your fam, and my blessings are on your kids, no cap.
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
They’re gonna sprout like grass growing wild, like willows chilling by the stream, vibes.
And they shall spring up {as} among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
One’s gonna be like, “I’m with the Lord,” another’s gonna flex the name Jacob, and someone else will rep the Lord with the name Israel, lit.
One shall say, I {am} the LORD'S; and another shall call {himself} by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe {with} his hand unto the LORD, and surname {himself} by the name of Israel.
God, the King of Israel, says, “I’m the OG and the last; there’s no other God, periodt.”
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I {am} the first, and I {am} the last; and beside me {there is} no God.
Who’s gonna call or set it straight like I do? I picked the ancient squad; let ‘em see what’s on the horizon.
And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
Don’t be shook or scared; haven’t I told you all this before? You’re my witnesses. Is there any other God? Nah, I don’t know any.
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared {it}? ye {are} even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, {there is} no God; I know not {any}. {God; I: Heb. rock, etc}
Those who craft idols are just squandering their time; their stuff ain’t bringing in the dough, and they can’t even see or peep what’s real, so they should be embarrassed.
They that make a graven image {are} all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they {are} their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. {delectable: Heb. desirable}
Who’s out here making a god or melting down an idol that’s completely useless?
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image {that} is profitable for nothing?
Ayo, all his homies gonna be shook; the workers are just regular dudes. Gather ‘em up, let’s see them stand tall; they gonna be scared and lowkey embarrassed together.
Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they {are} of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; {yet} they shall fear, {and} they shall be ashamed together.
The smith is grinding with tongs in the coals, hammering away like a boss, but he’s hungry and feeling weak. No water, feeling faint, fr.
The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. {with the tongs: or, with an axe}
The carpenter pulls out his ruler, marks it with a line, shapes it up with planes, and sketches it out with a compass, making it look like a dude, all about that aesthetic for the crib.
The carpenter stretcheth out {his} rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
He’s chopping down cedars, grabbing cypress and oak, making them strong for himself in the forest; plants an ash tree, and the rain's got it covered.
He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish {it}. {strengtheneth: or, taketh courage}
Then it’s lit for a dude to burn; he uses it to warm up, lights it up, bakes bread, and even makes a god to worship, crafting a dope image and bowing down to it.
Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth {it}, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth {it}; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
He burns part of it in the fire; with the rest, he’s munching on meat, roasting it up, feeling satisfied; he warms himself and goes, “Aha, I’m cozy, I see the fire!”
He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth {himself}, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
With the leftovers, he makes a god, his graven image; he bows down and worships, praying, “Save me; you’re my god.”
And the residue thereof he maketh a god, {even} his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth {it}, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou {art} my god.
They don’t get it or comprehend; God’s shut their eyes so they can’t see, and their hearts so they can’t understand, no cap.
They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; {and} their hearts, that they cannot understand. {shut: Heb. daubed}
Nobody’s thinking about it, no knowledge or understanding to say, “I burned part of it in the fire; I also baked bread on those coals; I roasted meat and ate it—should I seriously make the rest an abomination? Am I really gonna bow down to a tree trunk?”
And none considereth in his heart, neither {is there} knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten {it}: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? {considereth...: Heb. setteth to his heart} {the stock...: Heb. that which comes of a tree?}
He’s munching on ashes; a tricked heart led him astray, can’t save his soul or even say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, {Is there} not a lie in my right hand?
Ayo, Jacob and Israel, remember this: you’re my ride or die. I got you, fam; you ain’t forgotten, no cap.
Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou {art} my servant: I have formed thee; thou {art} my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
I’ve wiped your wrongs clean like a thick cloud; return to me, 'cause I’ve got your back, fr.
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Sing it, heavens! The Lord just popped off! Shout out, earth! Mountains and trees, let’s get it, 'cause the Lord's redeemed Jacob and flexed on Israel.
Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done {it}: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
The Lord, your redeemer, formed you from the start. I’m the one who makes it all happen; I stretch the skies solo and spread the earth by myself, periodt.
Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I {am} the LORD that maketh all {things}; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
I’m out here messing with the fakes and driving the diviners wild; I flip wise guys backwards and make their smarts look sus.
That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise {men} backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
I back my servants' words and make my messengers’ plans pop off; I’m telling Jerusalem, you’re gonna be lit, and the cities of Judah, I’m rebuilding you, for real.
That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: {decayed...: Heb. wastes}
I told the deep, “Get dry,” and I’ll dry up your rivers, no cap.
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
I’m talking about Cyrus, my shepherd; he’s gonna do my thing, even telling Jerusalem, “You’re getting built up,” and to the temple, “Your foundation’s coming in hot.”
That saith of Cyrus, {He is} my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.