"For thou, Jacob, wouldest not call upon me, but thou hadst an un-lust toward me, O Israel.

Thou gavest me not thy young beasts for burnt offerings, neither didst honour me with thy sacrifices. Though boughtest me no dear spice with thy money, neither pourest the fat of thy sacrifices upon me. Howbeit, I have not been chargeable unto thee in offerings, neither grievous in incense.

Whereas I yet am even he only, that for mine own self's sake do away thine offenses, and forget thy sins: so that I will never think upon them.

Put me now in remembrance, for we will reason together, and show what thou hast for thee, to make thee righteous.

For thus sayeth the LORD, that made thee, fashioned thee, and helped thee, even from thy mother's womb: Be not afraid, O Jacob my servant, thou righteous, whom I have chosen.

For I shall pour water upon the dry ground, and rivers upon the thirsty. I shall pour my spirit upon thy seed, and mine increase upon thy stock.

For what is he that ever was like me, which am from everlasting? Let him show his name, and do wherethrough he may be likened unto me. Let him tell you forth, plainly, things that are past, and for to come:

yea, and that without any fear or stop. For have not I ever told you hitherto, and warned you? Ye can bear me record yourselves. Is there any God except me? Or any maker, that I should not know him?

Who should now make a God, or fashion an Image, that is profitable for nothing?

The smith taketh iron, and tempereth it with hot coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and maketh it with all the strength of his arms: yea, sometimes he is faint for very hunger, and so thirsty, that he hath no more power.

Moreover, he goeth out to hew down Cedar trees: He bringeth home Elms and Oaks, and other timber of the wood. Or else the Fir trees which he planted himself, and such as the rain hath swelled,

which wood serveth for men to burn. Of this he taketh and warmeth himself withal: he maketh a fire of it to bake bread. And afterward maketh a god thereof, to honour it: and an Idol to kneel before it.

One piece he burneth in the fire; with another he roasteth flesh, that he may eat roast his belly full; with the third he warmeth himself, and sayeth, "Aha, I am well warmed, I have been at the fire."

And of the residue he maketh him a god, and an Idol for himself. He kneeleth before it, he worshippeth it, he prayeth unto it, and sayeth, "Deliver me, for thou art my god!"

They ponder not in their minds, for they have neither knowledge nor understanding, to think thus, "I have burnt one piece in the fire; I have baked bread with the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh withal, and eaten it: shall I now of the residue make an abomination, and fall down before a rotten piece of wood?"

The keeping of dust, and foolishness of heart hath turned them aside: so that none of them can have a free conscience to think, "Do not I err?"

Consider this, O Jacob and Israel, for thou art my servant. I have made thee, that thou mightest serve me. O Israel, forget me not.

As for thine offenses, I drive them away like the clouds, and thy sins as the mist. Turn ye again unto me, and I will deliver thee.

Be glad ye heavens, whom the LORD hath made, let all that is here beneath upon the earth, be joyful. Rejoice ye mountains and woods, with all the trees that are in you: for the LORD shall redeem Jacob, and show his glory upon Israel.

For thus sayeth the LORD thy redeemer, even he that fashioned thee from thy mother's womb: I am the LORD, which do all things myself alone. I only have spread out the heavens, and I only have laid the foundation of the earth.

I destroy the tokens of witches, and make the Soothsayers go wrong. As for the wise, I turn them backward, and make their cunning foolishness.

and that for Jacob my servant's sake, and for Israel my chosen. For I called thee by name, and ordained thee before thou knewest me.

Even I the LORD, before whom there is none other: for without me there is no God. I have prepared thee before thou knewest me:

that it might be known from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, that all is nothing without me. For I am the LORD, and there is else none.

Woe be unto him that chideth with his maker, the potsherd with the potter. Sayeth the clay to the potter, "What makest thou?" or "Thy work serveth for nothing?"

Thus sayeth the LORD, even the holy one and maker of Israel: Ask me of things for to come, concerning my sons; and put me in remembrance, as touching the works of my hands.

I have made the earth, and created man upon it. With my hands have I spread forth heaven, and given a commandment for all the Host thereof.

I shall wake him up with righteousness, and order all his ways. He shall build my city, and let out my prisoners: and that neither for gifts or rewards, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.

The LORD hath said moreover: The occupiers of Egypt, the merchants of the Ethiopians and Sabees, shall come unto thee with tribute; they shall be thine, they shall follow thee, and go with chains upon their feet. They shall fall down before thee, and make supplication unto thee. For God, without whom there is none other God, shall be with thee.

For thus sayeth the LORD, even he that created heaven, the God that made the earth, that fashioned it, and set it forth: I have not made it for naught, but I made it to be inhabited. Even I the LORD, without whom there is none other.

I have not spoken secretly, neither in dark places of the earth. It is not for naught, that I said unto the seed of Jacob, "Seek me." I am the LORD which, when I speak, declareth the thing that is righteous and true.

And therefore turn you unto me, all ye ends of the earth; so shall ye be saved, for I am God, and there is else none.

Bel is fallen, and Nebo is broken down: whose images were a burden for the beasts and cattle, to overladen them, and to make them weary.

They are sunk down, and fallen together; for they may not ease them of their burden, therefore must they go into captivity.

I call a bird out of the East, and all that I take in hand, out of far countries, as soon as I command, I bring it hither: as soon as I think to devise a thing, I do it.

Hear me, O ye that are of a high stomach, but far from righteousness:

I shall bring forth my righteousness. It is not far, and my health shall not tarry long away. I will lay health in Zion, and give Israel my glory.

But as for thee O daughter, thou virgin Babylon, thou shalt sit in the dust. Thou shalt sit upon the ground, and not in a throne, O thou maiden of Chaldea. Thou shalt no more be called tender and pleasant.

Thy shame shall be discovered, and thy privities shall be seen. For I will avenge me of thee, and will show no mercy to thee as I do to other men,

Sit still, hold thy tongue, and get thee into some dark corner, O daughter Chaldea, for thou shalt no more be called lady of kingdoms.

And yet both these things shall come to thee upon one day, in the twinkling of an eye: Namely widowhood, and desolation. They shall mightily fall upon thee, for the multitude of thy witches, and for the great heap of thy conjurers.

For thou hast comforted thyself in thy deceitfulness, and hast said, "No man seeth me." Thine own wisdom and cunning hath deceived thee, in that thou hast said, "I am alone, and without me there is none."

Behold, they shall be like straw, which if it be kindled with fire, no man may rid it for the vehemence of the flame: And yet it giveth no cinders to warm a man by, nor clear fire to sit by.

Which are called free men of the holy city, as they that look for comfort in the God of Israel, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.

Nevertheless, I have ever since the beginning showed thee of things for to come, and declared them unto thee before they came to pass: that thou shouldest not say, "Mine Idol hath done it; my carved or cast image hath showed it."

Hear and consider all these things, whether it was ye that prophesied them: But as for me, I told thee before at the beginning, new and secret things that thou knewest not of.

Moreover, there be some whereof thou hast neither heard nor know, neither have they been open unto thine ears afore time. For I know that thou wouldest maliciously offend, therefore have I called thee a transgressor, even from thy mother's womb.

Nevertheless, for my name's sake, I have withdrawn my wrath, and for mine honour's sake I have overseen thee, so that I have not rooted thee out.

Behold, I have purged thee, and not for money. I have chosen thee in the fire of poverty;

And that only for mine own sake, for I give mine honour to none other, that thou shouldest not despise me.

As for the ungodly, they have no peace, sayeth the LORD.

And I said, "I labour in vain and spend my strength for nought, and unprofitably. Howbeit, my cause I commit to the LORD and my travail unto my God."

And thus sayeth the LORD: In the time appointed will I be present with thee. And in the hour of health will I help thee, and deliver thee. I will make thee a pledge for the people, so that thou shalt help up the earth again, and challenge again the scattered heritages:

There shall neither hunger nor thirst, heat nor Sun hurt them. For he that favoureth them shall lead them, and give them drink of the spring wells.

And behold, they shall come from far: lo, some from the north and west, some from the south.

Rejoice ye heavens, and sing praises thou earth: Talk of joy ye hills, for God will comfort his people, and have mercy upon his, that be in trouble.

As for thy land that lieth desolate, wasted and destroyed: it shall be too narrow for them, that shall dwell in it. And they that would devour thee, shall be far away.

Then shalt thou think by thyself, "Who hath begotten me these? Seeing I am barren and alone, a captive and an outcast? And who hath nourished them up for me? I am desolate and alone, but from whence come these?"

For kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queens shall be thy nursing mothers. They shall fall before thee with their faces flat upon the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet: that thou mayest know, how that I am the LORD. And who so putteth his trust in me, shall not be confounded.

And therefore thus sayeth the LORD: The prisoners shall be taken from the giant, and the spoil delivered from the violent; for I will maintain thy cause against thine adversaries, and save thy sons.

Thus sayeth the LORD: Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, that I sent unto her? Or who is the usurer, to whom I sold you? Behold, for your own offenses are ye sold: and because of your transgression, is your mother forsaken.

For why would no man receive me, when I came? And when I called, no man gave me answer. Was my hand clean smitten off, that it might not help? Or had I not power to deliver? Lo, at a word I drink up the sea, and of water floods I make dry land: so that for want of water, the fish corrupt and die of thirst.

As for heaven, I clothe it with darkness, and put as it were a sack upon it.

for the LORD God helpeth me. Therefore shall I not be confounded. I have hardened my face like a flint stone, for I am sure, that I shall not come to confusion.

Mine advocate speaketh for me, who will then go with me to law? Let us stand one against another: if there be any that will reason with me, let him come here forth to me.

But take heed, ye have all kindled a fire, and girded yourselves with the flame. Ye walk in the glistering of your own fire, and in the flame that ye have kindled. This cometh unto you from my hand, namely that ye shall sleep in sorrow.

For the LORD hath compassion on Zion and hath compassion on all that is decayed therein, and will make her wilderness as paradise, and her desert as the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, with thanksgiving and the voice of praise.

My righteousness is nigh, and my salvation shall go out, and mine arms shall judge nations, and islands shall look for me and shall tarry after mine arm.

Lift up your eyes to heaven and behold the earth beneath. For heaven shall vanish away as smoke, and the earth shall wear away as a vesture, and the inhabiters thereof shall perish away after the same manner: but my salvation shall endure ever, and my righteousness shall not perish.

Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness, and so let the people that have my law in their hearts. Fear not the rebukes of man neither faint for their blasphemies.

For worms shall eat them as a garment, and moths shall devour them as it were wool. But my righteousness shall continue ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

and forgettest the LORD that made thee, that spread out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth? But thou art ever afraid for the sight of thine oppressor, which is ready to do harm: Where is the wrath of the oppressor?

It cometh on fast, it maketh haste to appear: It shall not perish, that it should not be able to destroy, neither shall it fail for fault of nourishing.

For among all the sons whom thou hast begotten, there is not one that may hold thee up: and not one to lead thee by the hand, of all the sons that thou hast nourished.

Both these things are happened unto thee, but who is sorry for it? Yea, destruction, wasting, hunger and sword: but who hath comforted thee?

Up, Zion, up: take thy strength unto thee. Put on thy honest raiment O Jerusalem, thou city of the holy one. For from this time forth, there shall no uncircumcised nor unclean person come in thee.

For thus sayeth the LORD: Ye are sold for naught, therefore shall ye be redeemed also without any money.

For thus hath the LORD said: My people went down aforetime into Egypt, there to be strangers. Afterward did the king of the Assyrians oppress them for naught.

Thy watchmen shall lift up their voice; with loud voice shall they preach of him. For they shall see him present, when the LORD shall come again to Zion.

Be glad, O thou desolate Jerusalem, and rejoice together: for the LORD will comfort his people; he will deliver Jerusalem.

But ye shall not go out with sedition nor make haste as they that flee away: for the LORD shall go before you, and the God of Israel shall keep the watch.

Even so shall the multitude of the Gentiles look unto him, and the kings shall shut their mouths before him. For they that have not been told of him, shall see him, and they that heard nothing of him, shall behold him.

He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The correction that brought us peace was on him, and with his stripes we were healed.

By the reason of the affliction, he was not esteemed: and yet his generation who can number? When he is taken from the earth of living men: for my people's transgression he was plagued.

And yet the LORD determined to bruise him with infirmities. His soul giving herself for trangression, he shall see seed of long continuance; and the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Therefore I will give him his part in many, and the spoil of the rich he shall divide: because he gave his soul to death, and was numbered with the trespassers, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for transgressors.

Therefore be glad now, thou barren that bearest not. Rejoice, sing and be merry, thou that art not with child: For the desolate hath more children, than the married wife, sayeth the LORD.

for thou shalt be multiplied on the right side and on the left, and thy seed shall have the Gentiles in possession, and dwell in the desolate cities.

Fear not, for thou shalt not be confounded. Be not ashamed, for thou shalt not come to confusion. Yea, thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the dishonour of thy widowhood.

For he that made thee, shall be thy LORD and husband, whose name is the LORD of Hosts: and thine avenger shall be even the holy one of Israel, the LORD of the whole world.

For the LORD shall call thee, being as a desolate sorrowful woman, and as a young wife that hath broken her wedlock, sayeth thy God.

When I was angry, I hid my face from thee for a little season, but through everlasting goodness shall I pardon thee, sayeth the LORD thine avenger.

And this must be unto me as the water of Noah. For like as I have sworn that I will not bring the water of Noah any more upon the world: so have I sworn, that I will never be angry with thee, nor reprove thee.

In righteousness shalt thou be grounded, and be far from oppression: for the which thou needest not be afraid, neither for hindrance, for it shall not come nigh thee.

Behold, the alien that was far from thee shall dwell with thee: and he that was sometime a stranger unto thee, shall be joined with thee.

Behold, I make the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and he maketh a weapon after his handy work. I make also the waster to destroy:

but all the weapons that are made against thee, shall not prosper. And as for all tongues that shall resist thee in judgment, thou shalt overcome them, and condemn them. This is the heritage of the LORD's servants, and the righteousness that they shall have of me, sayeth the LORD.

Wherefore do ye lay out your money, for the thing that feedeth not, and spend your labour about the thing that satisfieth you not? But hearken rather unto me, and ye shall eat of the best, and your soul shall have her pleasure in plenteousness.

Incline your ears, and come unto me, take heed, and your soul shall live. For I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Behold, I shall give him for a witness among the folk, for a Prince and Captain unto the people.