nkjv Isaiah:44:6-23 SEEK
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Thus says the LORD ,
the King of Israel ,
And his Redeemer ,
the LORD of hosts : "
I am the First and I am the Last ;
Besides Me there is no God .
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And who can proclaim as I do ?
Then let him 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 show these to them .
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Do not fear ,
nor be afraid ;
Have I not told you from that time ,
and declared it ?
You are My witnesses .
Is there a God besides Me ?
Indeed there is no other Rock ;
I know not one ."'
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Those who make an image ,
all of them are useless ,
And their precious things shall not profit ;
They are their own witnesses ;
They neither see nor know ,
that they may be ashamed .
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Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing ?
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Surely all his companions would be ashamed ;
And the workmen ,
they are mere men .
Let them all be gathered together ,
Let them stand up ;
Yet they shall fear ,
They shall be ashamed together .
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The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals ,
Fashions it with hammers ,
And works it with the strength of his arms .
Even so ,
he is hungry ,
and his strength fails ;
He drinks no water and is faint .
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The craftsman stretches out his rule ,
He marks one out with chalk ;
He fashions it with a plane ,
He marks it out with the compass ,
And makes it like the figure of a man ,
According to the beauty of a man ,
that it may remain in the house .
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He cuts down cedars for himself ,
And takes the cypress and the oak ;
He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest .
He plants a pine ,
and the rain nourishes it .
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Then it shall be for a man to burn ,
For he will take some of it and warm himself ;
Yes ,
he kindles it and bakes bread ;
Indeed he makes a god and worships it ;
He makes it a carved image ,
and falls down to it .
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He burns half of it in the fire ;
With this half he eats meat ;
He roasts a roast ,
and is satisfied .
He even warms himself and says , "
Ah !
I am warm ,
I have seen the fire ."
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And the rest of it he makes into a god ,
His carved image .
He falls down before it and worships it ,
Prays to it and says , "
Deliver me ,
for you are my god !"
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They do not know nor understand ;
For He has shut their eyes ,
so that they cannot see ,
And their hearts ,
so that they cannot understand .
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And no one considers in his heart ,
Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say , "
I have burned half of it in the fire ,
Yes ,
I have also baked bread on its coals ;
I have roasted meat and eaten it ;
And shall I make the rest of it an abomination ?
Shall I fall down before a block of wood ?"
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He feeds on ashes ;
A deceived heart has turned him aside ;
And he cannot deliver his soul ,
Nor say , "
Is there not a lie in my right hand ?"
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Remember these ,
O Jacob ,
And Israel ,
for you are My servant ;
I have formed you ,
you are My servant ;
O Israel ,
you will not be forgotten by Me !
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I have blotted out ,
like a thick cloud ,
your transgressions ,
And like a cloud ,
your sins .
Return to Me ,
for I have redeemed you ."
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Sing ,
O heavens ,
for the LORD has done it !
Shout ,
you lower parts of the earth ;
Break forth into singing ,
you mountains ,
O forest ,
and every tree in it !
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob ,
And glorified Himself in Israel .