Targum Isaiah
1Yet now hear, O Jacob, my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2Thus saith the Lord, thy Maker; and He that formed thee from the womb, He will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and thou, O Israel, whom I have chosen.
3For as waters are discharged upon the thirsty land, and are set flowing upon the dry land, so will I give my Holy Spirit unto thy children, and my blessing unto thy children's children.
4The righteous shall grow, and tender and delicate as the flowers of the grass, as a tree that sends forth its roots by the streams of waters.
5This one shall say, I am of them that fear the Lord, and another shall pray in the name of the God of Jacob; this one shall offer his oblation before the Lord, and draw near in the name of Israel.
6Thus saith the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, the Lord of hosts; I am He who was from the beginning, yea, eternities of eternities are mine; and beside me there is no God.
7Who like me shall proclaim this, shall declare it, and set it in order before me, from the time that I appointed the ancient people? and let them declare unto us the things that are coming, and shall come.
8Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye also are my witnesses, that there is no God beside me, and there is none strong, except he to whom strength is given from me.
9They that make images are all of them vanity, and worship what does not profit them; and they are witnesses against themselves, that they do not see, nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10Whoever maketh a god or a molten image, it is for no purpose.
11Behold, all their worshippers shall be ashamed, and the working artificers are workmen of the sons of men; let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear and be confounded together.
12The smith maketh an axe out of iron, and bloweth the coals in the fire, and maketh it firm with the hammer, and worketh it with the power of his strength; but when he that worketh it is hungry, and does not eat bread, he hath no strength; and if he is thirsty, and drinketh no water, he fainteth.
13The carpenter stretcheth out the line, he applieth the plummet to it; he carveth it with a knife, and he dove-taileth it together, and he maketh it after the likeness of a man, according to the beauty of a woman, that it may remain in the house.
14He heweth for himself cedars and taketh the scarlet oak, and the chestnut, and seasons them. He plants the ash amongst the trees of the forest, and the rain nourisheth it.
15That it may serve a man to burn: and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh it a god, and worshippeth it; he formeth it an image, and prayeth to it.
16He burneth half thereof in the fire; and by the other half he eateth flesh, he roasteth meat, and is satisfied; he also warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
17And the remainder thereof he maketh a god; to the image he boweth down; he becometh servile to it, and prayeth to it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
18They know not, neither do they understand; for their eyes are closely shut up, so that they cannot see, and their heart, that they cannot understand.
19And he does not consider in his heart, neither hath he knowledge or understanding to say, Half of it I have burned in the fire; yea, I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten it: and shall I make the remnant thereof a god? shall I bow myself down to the stock of a tree?
20Behold his god, part of it is ashes; his undiscerning heart has caused him to err, so that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is it not a lie which I have made with my right hand?
21Remember these things, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee that thou shouldest serve me, that thou, O Israel, shouldest not forget my fear.
22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud vanisheth away, all thy sins : return to my worship, for I have redeemed thee.
23Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath wrought redemption for His people: Let the foundations of the earth rejoice; rejoice, 0 mountains, in praise, O forest, and all the trees therein! for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify Himself in Israel.
24Thus saith the Lord, who hath redeemed thee, and who hath prepared thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things, I have suspended the heavens by my WORD, I have laid the foundations of the earth by my strength;
25That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and bringeth their knowledge into contempt.
26That confirmeth the word of His righteous servants, and performeth the counsel of His messengers, that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and concerning the cities of the house of Judah, They shall be built; and her desolated places I will raise up.
27That saith to Babylon, Be desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers.
28That promises Cyrus that He will give him a kingdom; and that he shall establish all my pleasure, even to him that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and the temple shall have its foundation laid.
