_The ridiculous Gods of the Nations; and the God
of Israel, Who Makes His People to Rejoice._
6. Thus saith Jehovah the King of Israel, and its Redeemer, Jehovah
of hosts; I am first, and I last; and beside Me there is no God.
7.[2] And who preaches as I do? Let him make it known, and show it to
Me; since I founded the people of ancient time! And future things,
and what is approaching, let them only make known. 8. Despair ye not,
neither tremble: have I not told thee long ago, and made it known,
and ye are My witnesses: is there a God beside Me? And nowhere a
Rock; I know of none.
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.