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Chapter 44 |
| 1 | Yet now hear,
O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: |
| 2 | Thus saith the
LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear
not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. |
| 3 |
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground:
I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine
offspring: |
| 4
| And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows
by the water courses. |
| 5 | One shall say, I am the LORD's; and another
shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his
hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. |
| 6 | Thus
saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the
first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. |
| 7 | And who,
as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I
appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come,
let them shew unto them. |
| 8 | Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I
told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is
there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. |
| 9 | They
that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things
shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know;
that they may be ashamed. |
|
10 | Who hath formed a god, or molten a
graven image that is profitable for nothing? |
|
11 | Behold, all his fellows
shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered
together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed
together. |
| 12
| The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and
fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea,
he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is
faint. |
| 13
| The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out
with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass,
and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that
it may remain in the house. |
|
14 | He heweth him down cedars, and taketh
the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of
the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. |
| 15 | Then
shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm 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. |
| 16 | He burneth
part thereof in the fire; with 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: |
|
17 | And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his
graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it,
and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. |
|
18 | They have not known nor
understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their
hearts, that they cannot understand. |
| 19 | And none considereth in his
heart, 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? |
| 20 | He feedeth
on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his
soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? |
| 21 | Remember
these, 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. |
| 22 | I
have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy
sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. |
| 23 | Sing, O ye
heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break
forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the
LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. |
| 24 | Thus
saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the
LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that
spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; |
| 25 | That frustrateth the tokens
of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and
maketh their knowledge foolish; |
| 26 | That confirmeth the word of
his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to
Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be
built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: |
| 27 | That saith
to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: |
| 28 | That saith
of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to
Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be
laid. |
