Isaiah 44:12

44:12 A blacksmith works with his tool ¹ 

and forges metal over the coals.

He forms it ²  with hammers;

he makes it with his strong arm.

He gets hungry and loses his energy; ³ 

he drinks no water and gets tired.

Isaiah 26:12

26:12 O Lord, you make us secure, ⁴ 

for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. ⁵ 

Isaiah 43:13

43:13 From this day forward I am he;

no one can deliver from my power; ⁶ 

I will act, and who can prevent it?”

Isaiah 31:2

31:2 Yet he too is wise ⁷  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ⁸ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ⁹ 

and the nation that helps ¹⁰  those who commit sin. ¹¹ 

Isaiah 41:4

41:4 Who acts and carries out decrees? ¹² 

Who ¹³  summons the successive generations from the beginning?

I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning,

and at the very end – I am the one. ¹⁴ 

Isaiah 44:15

44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; ¹⁵ 

he takes some of it and warms himself.

Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

Then he makes a god and worships it;

he makes an idol and bows down to it. ¹⁶ 

[44:12]  ¹ tn The noun מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad), which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד.

[44:12]  ² tn Some English versions take the pronoun “it” to refer to an idol being fashioned by the blacksmith (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV). NLT understands the referent to be “a sharp tool,” which is then used by the carpenter in the following verse to carve an idol from wood.

[44:12]  ³ tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”

[26:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “O Lord, you establish peace for us.”

[26:12]  ⁵ tc Some suggest emending גַּם כָּל (gam kol, “even all”) to כִּגְמֻל (kigmul, “according to the deed[s] of”) One might then translate “for according to what our deeds deserve, you have acted on our behalf.” Nevertheless, accepting the MT as it stands, the prophet affirms that Yahweh deserved all the credit for anything Israel had accomplished.

[43:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”

[31:2]  ¹⁰ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ¹² tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ¹³ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[41:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”; NASB “Who has performed and accomplished it.”

[41:4]  ¹⁴ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[41:4]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I, the Lord, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he.”

[44:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”

[44:15]  ¹⁷ tn Or perhaps, “them.”