Bilingual reading

Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.

This is what the LORD who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring;

and they will spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.

One will say, ‘I am the LORD’s.’ Another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand ‘to the LORD,’ and honor the name of Israel.”

This is what the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of Armies, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.

Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen.

Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.”

Everyone who makes a carved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.

Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?

Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.

The blacksmith takes an ax, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.

The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.

He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a cypress tree, and the rain nourishes it.

Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he burns it and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.

He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.”

The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”

They don’t know, neither do they consider, for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see, and their hearts, that they can’t understand.

No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”

He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”

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.

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Sing, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.

The LORD, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: “I am the LORD, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;

who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;

who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited;’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be built,’ and ‘I will raise up its waste places;’

who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your rivers,’

who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,’ even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”

والآنَ ٱسمَعْ يا يَعْقوبُ عَبْدي ويا إِسْرائيلُ الَّذي ٱختَرتُه

هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبُّ صانِعُكَ وجابِلُكَ مِنَ البَطنِ والَّذي يُعينُكَ: لا تَخَفْ يا يَعْقوبُ عَبْدي ويا يَشورونُ الَّذي ٱختَرتُه

فإِنِّي أُفيضُ المِياهَ على العَطْشان والسُّيولَ على اليَبَس. أُفيضُ روحي على ذُرِّيَّتِكَ وبَرَكَتي على سُلالَتِكَ

فيَنبُتونَ كما بَينَ العُشْب كالصَّفْصافِ على مَجاري المِياه

هٰذا يَقولُ: أَنا لِلرَّبّ وهٰذا يَتَسَمَّى بِٱسمِ يَعْقوب وهٰذا يَكتُبُ على يَدِه: لِلرَّبّ ويَتَلَقَّبُ بِٱسمِ إِسْرائيل

هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبُّ مَلِكُ إسْرائيل وفاديه رَبُّ القُوَّات: أَنا الأَوَّلُ وأَنا الآخِر ولا إِلٰهَ غَيري

ومَن مِثْلي؟ فلْيُنادِ ويُخبِرْ بِالأَمرِ ويَعرِضْه علَيَّ مُنذُ أَنشأتُ شَعبًا عريقًا في القِدَم وأَحْداثًا آتِيَة، فلْيُخبِروه بِها

لا تَرْتاعوا ولا تَضطَرِبوا أَلَم أُسمِعْكم مِن ذٰلك الوَقتِ وأُخبِرْكم؟ أَنتُم شُهودي، فهَل مِن إِلٰهٍ غَيري؟ ما مِن صَخرٍ ولا عِلمَ لي بِه

صُنَّاعُ التَّماثيلِ كُلُّهم باطِل، ومُشتَهَياتُهم لا فائِدَةَ فيها، وشُهودُها لا يُبصِرونَ ولا يَفهَمون فيَخزَون

مَن الَّذي يُكَوِّنُ إِلٰهًا أَو يَسبِكُ تِمْثالًا لِغَيرِ فائِدة؟

إِنَّ جَميعَ أَتْباعِه يَخزَونَ لِأَنَّ الصُّنَّاعَ بَشَر. لِيَجتَمِعوا كُلُّهم ولْيَمْثُلوا. إِنَّهم يَرْتاعونَ ويَخزَونَ جَميعًا

الحَدَّادُ يَصنَعُ قَدومًا على الجَمْرِ ويُهَيِّئُها بِالمَطارِق ويَصوغُها بِقُوَّةِ ذِراعِه، ثُمَّ يَجوع فلا تَبْقى لَه قُوَّة، ولا يَشرَبُ ماءً وقد تَعِب

وحَفَّارُ الخَشَبِ يَمُدُّ الخَيط ويَرسُمُ الصُّورَةَ بِالطَّبْشورة ويُسَوِّيها بِالمِنحَت ويَرسُمُها بِالبِرْكار ويَصنَعُها على شكلِ إِنْسانٍ وجَمالِ بَشَرٍ لِتُقيمَ في البَيت

قَطَعَ لَه أَرْزًا وأَخَذَ سِندِيانةً وبُطمَةً تَرَكَهما تَنميانِ لَه بَينَ أَشْجارِ الغاب، وغَرَسَ صَنَوبَرَةً فأَنْماها المَطَر

ثُمَّ يَكونُ ذٰلك لِلإِنْسانِ وَقودًا يأخُذُ مِنه لِيَستَدفِئ، أَو يوقِدُه لِكَي يَخبِزَ خُبزًا، أَو يَعمَلُ مِنه إِلٰهًا يَرتَمي أَمامَه ويَصنَعُ مِنه تِمْثالًا ويَسجُدُ لَه

يُحرِقُ نِصفَه بِالنَّار، وعلى نِصفِه يَشْوي لَحْمًا، ثُمَّ يأكُلُ ما شُوِيَ ويَشبَعُ ويَستَدفِئُ ويَقول: «آه! قدِ ٱستَدفَأتُ ورَأَيتُ نارًا»

ويَصنَعُ بَقِيَّتَه إِلٰهًا تِمْثالًا يَسجُدُ لَه ويَرتَمي فيُصَلِّي إِلَيه ويقول: «أَنقِذْني، فإِنَّما أَنتَ إِلٰهي»

لا يَعلَمونَ ولا يَفهَمون، لِأَنَّه قد غُشِّيَ على عُيونِهِم لِئَلَّا يُبصِروا وعلى قُلوبِهم لِئَلَّا يَفهَموا

لا يَرجِعُ إِلى قَلبِه، ولا عِلمَ لَه ولا فَهْمَ لِيَقول: «إِنِّي قد أَحرَقتُ نِصفَه بِالنَّار، وخَبَزتُ خُبزًا على جَمرِه وشَوَيتُ لَحمًا وأَكَلتُ، أَفَأَضَعُ مِن بَقِيَّتِه قَبيحةً؟ أَفأَسجُدُ لِقِطْعَةِ خَشَب؟»

إِنَّه يَتَعَلَّقُ بِالرَّماد، فقَد أَزاغَه قَلبُه المَغْرور، فلا يُنقِذُ نَفْسَه ولا يَقول: «أَما في يَميني كَذِب؟»

أُذكُرْ هٰذه يا يَعْقوب ويا إِسْرائيلُ، فإِنَّكَ عَبْدي قد جَبَلتُكَ فأَنتَ عَبْدي يا إِسْرائيلُ، لن أَنْساكَ

مَحَوتُ كالسَّحابِ مَعاصِيَكَ وكالغَمامِ خَطاياكَ. إِرجِعْ إِلَيَّ فقَدِ ٱفتَدَيتُكَ

إِهتِفي أَيَّتُها السَّمٰوات لِأَنَّ الرَّبَّ قد فَعَل. أُصرُخي يا أَعْمَاقَ الأَرض إِندَفِعي بِالهُتافِ أَيَّتُها الجِبال والغاباتُ وكُلُّ شَجَرٍ فيها لِأَنَّ الرَّبَّ قدِ ٱفتَدى يَعْقوب وتَمَجَّدَ بِإِسْرائيل

هٰكذا قالَ الرَّبُّ فاديكَ وجابِلُكَ مِنَ البَطْن: أَنا الرَّبُّ صانِعُ كُلِّ شَيء ناشِرُ السَّمٰواتِ وَحْدي وباسِطُ الأَرضِ: فمَن كانَ معي؟

مُبطِلُ آياتِ الضَّارِبينَ بِالفَأل ومُحَمِّقُ العَرَّافين ورادُّ الحُكَماءِ إِلى الوَراء ومُحَوِّلُ عِلمِهم إِلى غَباوة

مُؤَيِّدُ كَلامِ عَبدِه ومُتَمِّمُ مَقاصِدِ رُسُلِه القائِلُ لِأُورَشَليم: «ستُعمَرين» ولِمُدُنِ يَهوذا: «ستُبنَين وأَنا أُقيمُ المُتَهَدِّمَ مِنها»

القائلُ لِلْهاوِيَة: «إِنشَفي أَنا أُجَفِّفُ أَنْهارَكِ»

القائِلُ لِقُورَش: «أَنتَ راعِيَّ مُتَمِّمُ كُلِّ ما أَشاء». والقائِلُ لِأُورَشَليم: «ستُبنَين» ولِلهَيكَل: «ستُؤَسَّس»