American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye {Hebrew: to the heart of.}comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her {Or, time of service}warfare is accomplished, that her {Or, punishment is accepted See Leviticus 26:43.}iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye {Hebrew: to the heart of.}comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her {Or, time of service}warfare is accomplished, that her {Or, punishment is accepted See Leviticus 26:43.}iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
The voice of one {Or, that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way &c.}that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain:
and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever.
{Or, O Zion, that bringest good tidings}O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; {Or, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings}O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!
Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young.
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who hath {Or, meted out}directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: behold, {Or, the isles are as the fine dust that is lifted up}he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as {Or, as a thing of nought}less than nothing, and {Or, confusion}vanity.
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
The image, a workman hath cast it, and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver chains.
He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilful workman to {Or, prepare}set up a graven image, that shall not be moved.
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not {Or, understood the foundations}understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as {Or, gauze}a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as {Or, confusion}vanity.
{Or, Scarce are they planted, scarce are they sown, scarce hath their stock taken root in the earth, when he bloweth upon them &c.}Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to him? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, {Or, and see: who hath created these? he that &c.}and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away from my God?
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? {Or, Jehovah is an everylasting God, the Creator…he fainteth not &c.}The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.
Who hath raised up one from the east, {Or, whom righteousness calleth to its foot Or, whom righteousness meeteth whitersoever he goeth}whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot? he giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; {Or, he maketh as the dust their sword, as the driven stubble their bow}he giveth them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.
He pursueth them, and passeth on safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.
The isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.
They help every one his neighbor; and every one saith to his brother, Be of good courage.
So the carpenter encourageth the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that is should not be moved.
But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,
thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away;
fear thou not, for I am with thee; {Or, look not around thee}be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Behold, all they that are incensed against thee shall be put to shame and confounded: they that strive with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
For I, Jehovah thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and {Or, thy Redeemer, the Holy One &c.}thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Behold, I have made thee to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
Thou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the {Or, oleaster}oil-tree; I will set in the desert the {Or, cypress}fir-tree, the {Or, plane}pine, and the box-tree together:
that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
Produce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.
Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may {Or, look one upon another}be dismayed, and behold it together.
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.
I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon {Or, deputies}rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.
Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
I am the first that saith unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.
{Or, Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nought}Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.
Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the {Or, nations (and elsewhere)}Gentiles.
He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth.
He will not {Or, burn dimly}fail nor be {Or, bruised}discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.
Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will {Or, form}keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Sing unto Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.
Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man; he will stir up his zeal like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout aloud; he will do mightily against his enemies.
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will {Or, destroy and devour}gasp and pant together.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.
And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, {Or, and will not forbear}and I will not forsake them.
They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images, Ye are our gods.
Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is {Or, made perfect}at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah's servant?
Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not.
It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness' sake, to {Or, make the teaching great and glorious}magnify the law, and make it honorable.
But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come?
Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not Jehovah? he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto his {Or, teaching}law.
Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
But now thus saith Jehovah that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead.
Since thou hast been precious in my sight, {Or, thou hast been honorable &c.}and honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life.
Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;
every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
{Or, Gather yourselves together, all ye nations}Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; {Or, and that they may hear}or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour.
I have declared, and I have saved, and I have showed; and there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God.
Yea, {Or, from this day forth I &c.}since the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who can hinder it?
Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring down {Or, as otherwise read, all their nobles, even &c.}all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.
I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
Thus saith Jehovah, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
{Or, who…the power: They shall lie &c.}who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick):
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
The beasts of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
the people which I formed for myself, {Or, they shall set forth}that they might set forth my praise.
Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
Thou hast not brought me of thy sheep for burnt-offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with {Or, a meal-offering}offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.
Thou hast bought me no {Or, calamus}sweet cane with money, neither hast thou {Or, satiated}filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.
Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: set thou forth thy cause, that thou mayest be justified.
Thy first father sinned, and thy {Hebrew: interpreters.}teachers have transgressed against me.
Therefore I {Or, have profaned}will profane the {Or, holy princes}princes of the sanctuary; and I {Or, have made}will make Jacob a {Or, devoted thing}curse, and Israel a reviling.
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, who I have chosen:
Thus saith Jehovah that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water upon {Or, the thirsty land}him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
One shall say, I am Jehovah's; and another shall {Or, proclaim the name}call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall {Or, write on his hand, Unto Jehovah}subscribe with his hand unto Jehovah, and {Or, give for a title the name of Israel}surname himself by the name of Israel.
Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
{Or, And who, as I, can proclaim? let him declare it &c.}And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass, let them {Or, declare unto them}declare.
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not declared unto thee of old, and showed it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no Rock; I know not any.
They that fashion a graven image are all of them {Or, confusion}vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know: that they may be put to shame.
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
Behold, {Or, all that join themselves thereto}all his fellows shall be put to shame; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together.
The smith {Or, sharpeneth a tool}maketh an axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint.
The carpenter stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with {Or, red ochre}a pencil; he shapeth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasses, and shapeth it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.
He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the holm-tree and the oak, and strengtheneth for himself one among the trees of the forest: he planteth {Or, an ash}a fir-tree, and the rain doth nourish it.
Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread: yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
He burneth {Or, the half}part thereof in the fire; with {Or, the half}part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied; yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image; he falleth down unto it and worshippeth, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
They know not, neither do they consider: for he hath {Hebrew: daubed.}shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
And none calleth to mind, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; their idols are upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: the things that ye carried about are made a load, a burden to the weary beast.
They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, that have been borne by me from their birth, that have been carried from the womb;
and even to old age I am he, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear; yea, I will carry, and will deliver.
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
Such as lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, they hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god; they fall down, yea, they worship.
They bear it upon the shoulder, they carry it, and set it in its place, and it standeth, from its place shall it not remove: yea, one may cry unto it, yet can it not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
Remember this, and {Or, stand fast}show yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
Remember the former things of old: {Or, that}for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me;
declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;
calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man of {Another reading is, his.}my counsel from a far country; yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it.
Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness:
I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry; and I will {Or, give salvation in Zion, and my glory unto Israel}place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.
Take the millstones, and grind meal; remove thy veil, strip off the train, uncover the leg, pass through the rivers.
Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and will spare no man.
Our Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.
Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for thou shalt no more be called The mistress of kingdoms.
I was wroth with my people, I profaned mine inheritance, and gave them into thy hand: thou didst show them no mercy; upon the aged hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.
And thou saidst, I shall be mistress for ever; so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end thereof.
Now therefore hear this, thou that art given to pleasures, that {Or, dwellest}sittest securely, that sayest in thy heart, I am, and there is none else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:
but these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood; in their full measure shall they come upon thee, in the multitude of thy sorceries, and the great abundance of thine enchantments.
For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, None seeth me; thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee, and thou hast said in thy heart, I am, and there is none else besides me.
Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know {Or, how to charm it away}the dawning thereof: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it away: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou knowest not.
Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast labored from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest {Or, strike terror}prevail.
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: let now the {Hebrew: dividers of the heavens.}astrologers, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from the things that shall come upon thee.
Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: it shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before.
Thus shall the things be unto thee wherein thou hast labored: they that have trafficked with thee from thy youth shall wander every one to {Or, his own way}his quarter; there shall be none to save thee.
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah; who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness
(for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; Jehovah of hosts is his name):
I have declared the former things from of old; yea, they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them: suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; before it came to pass I showed it thee; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
Thou hast heard it; behold all this; and ye, will ye not declare it? {Or, I show}I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, which thou hast not known.
They are created now, and not from of old; and before this day thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from of old thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou didst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have {Or, tried}chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be profaned? and my glory will I not give to another.
Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
Yea, my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spread out the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; who among them hath declared these things? {Or, Jehovah hath loved him…he shall &c.}He whom Jehovah loveth shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; from the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit.
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
{Or, Oh that thou wouldest hearken…then would thy peace be &c.}Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like {Or, that of the bowels thereof}the grains thereof: his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Go ye forth from Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth: say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
There is no peace, saith Jehovah, to the wicked.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye {Hebrew: to the heart of.}comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her {Or, time of service}warfare is accomplished, that her {Or, punishment is accepted See Leviticus 26:43.}iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
The voice of one {Or, that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way &c.}that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain:
and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever.
{Or, O Zion, that bringest good tidings}O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; {Or, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings}O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!
Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young.
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who hath {Or, meted out}directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: behold, {Or, the isles are as the fine dust that is lifted up}he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as {Or, as a thing of nought}less than nothing, and {Or, confusion}vanity.
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
The image, a workman hath cast it, and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver chains.
He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilful workman to {Or, prepare}set up a graven image, that shall not be moved.
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not {Or, understood the foundations}understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as {Or, gauze}a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as {Or, confusion}vanity.
{Or, Scarce are they planted, scarce are they sown, scarce hath their stock taken root in the earth, when he bloweth upon them &c.}Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to him? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, {Or, and see: who hath created these? he that &c.}and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away from my God?
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? {Or, Jehovah is an everylasting God, the Creator…he fainteth not &c.}The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye {Hebrew: to the heart of.}comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her {Or, time of service}warfare is accomplished, that her {Or, punishment is accepted See Leviticus 26:43.}iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
The voice of one {Or, that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way &c.}that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain:
and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever.
{Or, O Zion, that bringest good tidings}O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; {Or, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings}O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!
Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young.
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who hath {Or, meted out}directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: behold, {Or, the isles are as the fine dust that is lifted up}he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as {Or, as a thing of nought}less than nothing, and {Or, confusion}vanity.
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
The image, a workman hath cast it, and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver chains.
He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilful workman to {Or, prepare}set up a graven image, that shall not be moved.
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not {Or, understood the foundations}understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as {Or, gauze}a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as {Or, confusion}vanity.
{Or, Scarce are they planted, scarce are they sown, scarce hath their stock taken root in the earth, when he bloweth upon them &c.}Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to him? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, {Or, and see: who hath created these? he that &c.}and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away from my God?
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? {Or, Jehovah is an everylasting God, the Creator…he fainteth not &c.}The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
The voice of one {Or, that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way &c.}that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God.
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith Jehovah, so shall your seed and your name remain.
There is no peace, saith Jehovah, to the wicked.
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
And they shall go forth, and look upon the dead bodies of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of Jehovah.
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
It may be Jehovah thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, {Or, wherewith the king of Assyria…hath sent him}whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of Jehovah, and spread it before Jehovah.
And Hezekiah prayed unto Jehovah, saying,
O Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, that {Or, art enthroned}sittest above the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
Incline thine ear, O Jehovah, and hear; open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent to defy the living God.
Of a truth, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land,
and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.
Now therefore, O Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art Jehovah, even thou only.
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah, that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth ( {Another reading is, by myself.}who is with me?);
that frustrateth the signs of the {Or, boasters}liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof;
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Thus saith Jehovah, The people that were left of the sword {Or, have found…when I go }found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, {Or, when he went to find him rest}when I went to cause him to rest.
Jehovah appeared {Or, from afar}of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore {Or, have I continued lovingkindness unto thee}with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye {Hebrew: to the heart of.}comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her {Or, time of service}warfare is accomplished, that her {Or, punishment is accepted See Leviticus 26:43.}iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
The voice of one {Or, that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way &c.}that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain:
and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever.
{Or, O Zion, that bringest good tidings}O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; {Or, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings}O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!
Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young.
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who hath {Or, meted out}directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: behold, {Or, the isles are as the fine dust that is lifted up}he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as {Or, as a thing of nought}less than nothing, and {Or, confusion}vanity.
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
The image, a workman hath cast it, and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver chains.
He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilful workman to {Or, prepare}set up a graven image, that shall not be moved.
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not {Or, understood the foundations}understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as {Or, gauze}a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as {Or, confusion}vanity.
{Or, Scarce are they planted, scarce are they sown, scarce hath their stock taken root in the earth, when he bloweth upon them &c.}Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to him? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, {Or, and see: who hath created these? he that &c.}and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away from my God?
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? {Or, Jehovah is an everylasting God, the Creator…he fainteth not &c.}The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.
Who hath raised up one from the east, {Or, whom righteousness calleth to its foot Or, whom righteousness meeteth whitersoever he goeth}whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot? he giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; {Or, he maketh as the dust their sword, as the driven stubble their bow}he giveth them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.
He pursueth them, and passeth on safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.
The isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.
They help every one his neighbor; and every one saith to his brother, Be of good courage.
So the carpenter encourageth the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that is should not be moved.
But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,
thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away;
fear thou not, for I am with thee; {Or, look not around thee}be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Behold, all they that are incensed against thee shall be put to shame and confounded: they that strive with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
For I, Jehovah thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and {Or, thy Redeemer, the Holy One &c.}thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Behold, I have made thee to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
Thou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the {Or, oleaster}oil-tree; I will set in the desert the {Or, cypress}fir-tree, the {Or, plane}pine, and the box-tree together:
that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
Produce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.
Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may {Or, look one upon another}be dismayed, and behold it together.
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.
I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon {Or, deputies}rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.
Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
I am the first that saith unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.
{Or, Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nought}Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.
Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the {Or, nations (and elsewhere)}Gentiles.
He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth.
He will not {Or, burn dimly}fail nor be {Or, bruised}discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.
Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will {Or, form}keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Sing unto Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.
Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man; he will stir up his zeal like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout aloud; he will do mightily against his enemies.
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will {Or, destroy and devour}gasp and pant together.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.
And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, {Or, and will not forbear}and I will not forsake them.
They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images, Ye are our gods.
Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is {Or, made perfect}at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah's servant?
Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not.
It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness' sake, to {Or, make the teaching great and glorious}magnify the law, and make it honorable.
But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come?
Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not Jehovah? he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto his {Or, teaching}law.
Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
But now thus saith Jehovah that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead.
Since thou hast been precious in my sight, {Or, thou hast been honorable &c.}and honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life.
Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;
every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
{Or, Gather yourselves together, all ye nations}Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; {Or, and that they may hear}or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour.
I have declared, and I have saved, and I have showed; and there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God.
Yea, {Or, from this day forth I &c.}since the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who can hinder it?
Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring down {Or, as otherwise read, all their nobles, even &c.}all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.
I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
Thus saith Jehovah, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
{Or, who…the power: They shall lie &c.}who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick):
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
The beasts of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
the people which I formed for myself, {Or, they shall set forth}that they might set forth my praise.
Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
Thou hast not brought me of thy sheep for burnt-offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with {Or, a meal-offering}offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.
Thou hast bought me no {Or, calamus}sweet cane with money, neither hast thou {Or, satiated}filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.
Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: set thou forth thy cause, that thou mayest be justified.
Thy first father sinned, and thy {Hebrew: interpreters.}teachers have transgressed against me.
Therefore I {Or, have profaned}will profane the {Or, holy princes}princes of the sanctuary; and I {Or, have made}will make Jacob a {Or, devoted thing}curse, and Israel a reviling.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, who I have chosen:
Thus saith Jehovah that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water upon {Or, the thirsty land}him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
One shall say, I am Jehovah's; and another shall {Or, proclaim the name}call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall {Or, write on his hand, Unto Jehovah}subscribe with his hand unto Jehovah, and {Or, give for a title the name of Israel}surname himself by the name of Israel.
Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
{Or, And who, as I, can proclaim? let him declare it &c.}And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass, let them {Or, declare unto them}declare.
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not declared unto thee of old, and showed it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no Rock; I know not any.
They that fashion a graven image are all of them {Or, confusion}vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know: that they may be put to shame.
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
Behold, {Or, all that join themselves thereto}all his fellows shall be put to shame; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together.
The smith {Or, sharpeneth a tool}maketh an axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint.
The carpenter stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with {Or, red ochre}a pencil; he shapeth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasses, and shapeth it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.
He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the holm-tree and the oak, and strengtheneth for himself one among the trees of the forest: he planteth {Or, an ash}a fir-tree, and the rain doth nourish it.
Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread: yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
He burneth {Or, the half}part thereof in the fire; with {Or, the half}part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied; yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image; he falleth down unto it and worshippeth, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
They know not, neither do they consider: for he hath {Hebrew: daubed.}shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
And none calleth to mind, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah, that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth ( {Another reading is, by myself.}who is with me?);
that frustrateth the signs of the {Or, boasters}liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof;
that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers;
That saith of {Hebrew: Coresh.}Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; {Or, and the foundation of the temple shall be laid}and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;
and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.
For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me;
that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is none else.
I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.
Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, that {Hebrew: they.}it may {Or, be fruitful in salvation}bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up together; I, Jehovah, have created it.
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Woe unto him that saith unto a father, What begettest thou? or to a woman, With what travailest thou?
Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are to come; concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me.
I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I commanded.
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.
Thus saith Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall go after thee, in chains they shall come over; and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
They shall be put to shame, yea, confounded, all of them; they shall go into confusion together that are makers of idols.
But Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be put to shame nor confounded world without end.
For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not {Or, in vain}a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.
I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me {Or, as in a waste}in vain: I, Jehovah, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Declare ye, and {Or, bring them near}bring it forth; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath showed this from ancient time? who hath declared it of old? have not I, Jehovah? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides me.
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.
By myself have I sworn, {Or, righteousness is gone forth from my mouth, a word which shall not return Or, the word is gone forth from a mouth of rightousness, and shall not return}the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Only in Jehovah, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all they that were incensed against him shall be put to shame.
In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
Who hath believed {Or, that which we have heard}our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?
For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; {Or, that we should look upon him, not beauty &c.}and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised, and {Or, forsaken}rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with {Hebrew: sickness.}grief: and {Or, he hid as it were his face from us}as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our {Hebrew: sicknesses.}griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath {Hebrew: made to light.}laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
{Or, From}By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the {Or, living? for the transgression of my people was he stricken}living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?
And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; {Or, because}although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath {Hebrew: made him sick.}put him to grief: {Or, when his soul shall make an offering}when thou shalt make his soul {Hebrew: a trespass-offering.}an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand.
{Or, He shall see and be satisfied with the travil &c.}He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: {Or, by his knowledge}by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant {Or, make many righteous}justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and {Or, maketh}made intercession for the transgressors.
And Jehovah said unto me, Take thee a great tablet, and write upon it {Or, in common characters}with the pen of a man, For {That is, The spoils speedeth, the prey hasteth.}Maher-shalal-hash-baz;
Then said Jehovah unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and {That is, A remnant shall return.}Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller's field;
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men edification, and {Or, comfort}exhortation, and consolation.
And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, {Or, let thine anger turn away, and comfort thou me}thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me.
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
And in that day shall ye say, Give thanks unto Jehovah, {Or, proclaim his name}call upon his name, declare his doings among the peoples, make mention that his name is exalted.
Sing unto Jehovah; for he hath done {Or, gloriously}excellent things: {Or, this is made known}let this be known in all the earth.
Cry aloud and shout, thou {Hebrew: inhabitress.}inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel.
And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, {Or, let thine anger turn away, and comfort thou me}thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me.
Who hath believed {Or, that which we have heard}our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?
For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; {Or, that we should look upon him, not beauty &c.}and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised, and {Or, forsaken}rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with {Hebrew: sickness.}grief: and {Or, he hid as it were his face from us}as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our {Hebrew: sicknesses.}griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath {Hebrew: made to light.}laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
{Or, From}By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the {Or, living? for the transgression of my people was he stricken}living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?
And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; {Or, because}although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath {Hebrew: made him sick.}put him to grief: {Or, when his soul shall make an offering}when thou shalt make his soul {Hebrew: a trespass-offering.}an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand.
{Or, He shall see and be satisfied with the travil &c.}He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: {Or, by his knowledge}by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant {Or, make many righteous}justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and {Or, maketh}made intercession for the transgressors.
Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake {Hebrew: to their heart.}kindly unto them.
Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken {Hebrew: to the heart of.}kindly unto thy handmaid, though I be not as one of thy handmaidens.
And it shall be at that day, saith Jehovah, that thou shalt call me {That is, My husband.}Ishi, and shalt call me no more {That is, My master.}Baali.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his grain money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words.
And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.
And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.
Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I can indeed divine?
And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.
And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loveth him.
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.
And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.
And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since:
and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with {Hebrew: evil.}sorrow to Sheol.
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that {Or, his soul is knit with the lad's soul See 1 Samuel 18:1}his life is bound up in the lad's life;
it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.
Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood before him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
And he {Hebrew: gave forth his voice in weeping.}wept aloud: and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest.
And God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive {Or, to be a great company that escape}by a great deliverance.
So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not;
and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
and there will I nourish thee; for there are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast.
And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
and take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
Now thou art commanded, this do ye: take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
And the sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
And to his father he sent after this manner: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way.
So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father.
And they told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.
And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
and Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
Who hath believed {Or, that which we have heard}our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?
For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; {Or, that we should look upon him, not beauty &c.}and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised, and {Or, forsaken}rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with {Hebrew: sickness.}grief: and {Or, he hid as it were his face from us}as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our {Hebrew: sicknesses.}griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath {Hebrew: made to light.}laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
{Or, From}By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the {Or, living? for the transgression of my people was he stricken}living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?
And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; {Or, because}although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath {Hebrew: made him sick.}put him to grief: {Or, when his soul shall make an offering}when thou shalt make his soul {Hebrew: a trespass-offering.}an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand.
{Or, He shall see and be satisfied with the travil &c.}He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: {Or, by his knowledge}by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant {Or, make many righteous}justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and {Or, maketh}made intercession for the transgressors.
whom God set forth {Or, to be propitiatory}to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God;
Instead of your shame ye shall have double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be unto them.
And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, {Or, because they have polluted my land: they have filled mine inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable things and their abominations}because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable things, and have filled mine inheritance with their abominations.
If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall pay double.
Blessed be {Or, God and the Father See Romans 15:6 margin.}the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an {Or, Comforter John 14:16. Or, Helper Greek: Paraclete.}Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him:
he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.
Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard.
Again, a new commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth.
He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now.
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.
But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.
I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. {Or, I wrote}I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.
{Or, I wrote}I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. {Or, I wrote}I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest {Or, that not all are of us}that they all are not of us.
And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, {Some very ancient authorities read and ye all know.}and ye know all things.
I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and {Or, that}because no lie is of the truth.
Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son.
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.
As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father.
And this is the promise which he promised {Some ancient authorities read you.}us, even the life eternal.
These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray.
And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you concerning all things, {Or, so it is true and is no lie; and even as &c.}and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, {Or, abide ye}ye abide in him.
And now, my little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed {Greek: from him.}before him at his {Greek: presence.}coming.
If ye know that he is righteous, {Or, know ye}ye know that every one also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him.
My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an {Or, Comforter John 14:16. Or, Helper Greek: Paraclete.}Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And I will {Greek: make request of.}pray the Father, and he shall give you another {Or, Advocate Or, Helper Greek: Paraclete.}Comforter, that he may be with you for ever,
to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived.
Instead of your shame ye shall have double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be unto them.