comeliness: and we have seen him, and inherit the Gentiles, and shall inhabit the there was no sightliness, that we should be desolate cities. desirous of him: 4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be con 3 Despised, and the most abject of men, founded, nor blush: for thou shalt not be a man of sorrows and acquainted with infir- put to shame, because thou shalt forget the mity and his look was as it were hidden shame of thy youth, and shalt remember no and despised; whereupon we esteemed him more the reproach of thy widowhood. 5 For he that made thee shall rule over not. 4 Surely he hath borne our infirmities, thee, the Lord of hosts is his name: and thy and carried our sorrows: and we have Redeemer, the holy One of Israel, shall be thought him as it were a leper, and as one called the God of all the earth. struck by God, and afflicted. 6 For the Lord hath called thee as a 5 But he was wounded for our iniquities, woman forsaken, and mourning in spirit, he was bruised for our sins: the chastise- and as a wife cast off from her youth, said ment of our peace was upon him, and by thy God. his bruises we are healed. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken 6 All we like sheep have gone astray, thee, but with great mercies will I gather every one hath turned aside into his own thee. way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 8 In a moment of indignation have I hid my face a little while from thee, but with everlasting kindness have I had mercy on thee, said the Lord thy Redeemer. 7 He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall 9 This thing is to me as in the days of be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and Noe, to whom I swore, that I would no more he shall not open his mouth. bring in the waters of Noe upon the earth: 8 He was taken away from distress, and so have I sworn not to be angry with thee, from judgment: who shall declare his gene- and not to rebuke thee. ration? because he is cut off out of the 10 For the mountains shall be moved, and land of the living: for the wickedness of the hills shall tremble: but my mercy shall my people have I struck him. 9 And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth. not depart from thee, and the covenant of my peace shall not be moved: said the Lord that hath mercy on thee. 11 O poor little one, tossed with tem pest, without all comfort, behold, I will lay thy stones in order, and will lay thy foundations with sapphires, 10 And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, 12 And I will make thy bulwarks of jas and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous per: and thy gates of graven stones, and all thy borders of desirable stones. in his hand. 11 Because his soul hath laboured, he 13 All thy children shall be taught of shall see and be filled: by his knowledge the Lord: and great shall be the peace of shall this my just servant justify many, and thy children. he shall bear their iniquities. 14 And thou shalt be founded in justice: 12 Therefore will I distribute to him very depart far from oppression, for thou shalt many, and he shall divide the spoils of the not fear; and from terror, for it shall not strong, because he hath delivered his soul come near thee. unto death, and was reputed with the wick- 15 Behold, an inhabitant shall come, who ed: and he hath borne the sins of many, and was not with me, he that was a stranger to hath prayed for the transgressors. CHAP. LIV. thee before, shall be joined to thee. 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and bringeth The Gentiles, who were barren before, shall forth an instrument for his work: and I multiply in the church of Christ: from have created the killer to destroy. which God's mercy shall never depart. 17 No weapon that is formed against GIVE praise, O thou barren that bearest thee shall prosper: and every tongue that not; sing forth praise, and make a joy-resisteth thee in judgment, thou shalt conful noise, thou that didst not travail with demn. This is the inheritance of the serchild for many are the children of the vants of the Lord, and their justice with desolate, more than of her that hath a hus-me, saith the Lord. band, saith the Lord. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and stretch out the skins of thy tabernacles, spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. CHAP. LV. God promises abundance of spiritual graces to the faithful, that shall believe in Christ out of all nations, and sincerely serve him. 3 For thou shalt pass on to the right hand, and to the left: and thy seed shall ALL you that thirst, come to the waters: and you that have no money, make 212 haste, buy, and eat: come ye, buy wine||that adhereth to the Lord, speak, saying: and milk without money, and without any The Lord will divide and separate me from price. his people. And let not the eunuch say : 2 Why do you spend money for that Behold, I am a dry tree. which is not bread, and your labour for that 4 For thus saith the Lord to the eunuchs: which doth not satisfy you? Hearken dili- They that shall keep my sabbaths, and shall gently to me, and eat that which is good, choose the things that please me, and shall and your soul shall be delighted in fatness. hold fast my covenant: 3 Incline your ear, and come to me: 5 I will give to them in my house, and hear, and your soul shall live, and I will within my walls, a place, and a name better make an everlasting covenant with you, the than sons and daughters: I will give them faithful mercies of David. an everlasting name, which shall never 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness perish. to the people, for a leader and a master to the Gentiles. 6 And the children of the stranger that adhere to the Lord, to worship him, and to 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation, which love his name, to be his servants; every one thou knewest not: and the nations that that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, knew not thee shall run to thee, because of and that holdeth fast my covenant: the Lord thy God, and for the holy One of 7 I will bring them into my holy mount, Israel, for he hath glorified thee. and will make them joyful in my house of 6 Seek ye the Lord, while he may be prayer; their holocausts, and their victims found: call upon him, while he is near. shall please me upon my altar: for my house 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and shall be called the house of prayer for all the unjust man his thoughts, and let him re-nations. turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on 8 The Lord God, who gathereth the him, and to our God: for he is bountiful to scattered of Israel, saith: I will still gather forgive. unto him his congregation. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 All ye beasts of the field come to devour, all ye beasts of the forest. 9 For as the heavens are exalted above 10 His watchmen are all blind, they are the earth, so are my ways exalted above all ignorant: dumb dogs not able to bark, your ways, and my thoughts above your seeing vain things, sleeping and loving thoughts. dreams. 10 And as the rain and the snow come 11 And most impudent dogs, they never down from heaven, and return no more had enough: the shepherds themselves thither, but soak the earth, and water it, knew no understanding: all have turned and make it to spring, and give seed to the aside into their own way, every one after sower, and bread to the eater: his own gain, from the first even to the last. 11 So shall my word be, which shall go|| 12 Come, let us take wine, and be filled forth from my mouth: it shall not return to with drunkenness and it shall be as to-day, me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, so also to-morrow, and much more. and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it. : CHAP. LVII. The infidelity of the Jews: their idolatry. TH 12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the HE just perisheth, and no man layeth it hills shall sing praise before you, and all the to heart, and men of mercy are taken trees of the country shall clap their hands. away, because there is none that under13 Instead of the shrub shall come up standeth, for the just man is taken away the fir-tree, and instead of the nettle, shall from before the face of evil. come up the myrtle-tree: and the Lord shall be named for an everlasting sign, that shall not be taken away. CHAP. LVI. 2 Let peace come, let him rest in his bed that hath walked in his uprightness. 3 But draw near hither, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer, and of the harlot. God invites all to keep his commandments the Gentiles that keep them shall be the peo- 4 Upon whom have you jested? upon ple of God: the Jewish pastors are re-whom have you opened your mouth wide, proved. and put out your tongue? are not you wick TH HUS saith the Lord: Keep ye judged children, a false seed: ment, and do justice; for my salvation 5 Who seek your comfort in idols under is near to come, and my justice to be re-every green tree, sacrificing children in the vealed. torrents, under the high rocks? 2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and 6 In the parts of the torrent is thy porthe son of man that shall lay hold on this:tion, this is thy lot: and thou hast poured that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, out libations to them, thou hast offered sathat keepeth his hands from doing any evil. crifice. Shall I not be angry at these things? 3 And let not the son of the stranger, 7 Upon a high and lofty mountain thou hast laid thy bed, and hast gone up thither wicked doings, and the house of Jacob to offer victims. their sins. 8 And behind the door, and behind the|| 2 For they seek me from day to day, and post thou hast set up thy remembrance : desire to know my ways, as a nation that for thou hast discovered thyself near me, hath done justice, and hath not forsaken and hast received an adulterer: thou hast the judgment of their God: they ask of me enlarged thy bed, and made a covenant with the judgments of justice: they are willing them: thou hast loved their bed with open to approach to God. hand. 3 Why have we fasted, and thou hast not 9 And thou hast adorned thyself for the regarded; have we humbled our souls, and king with ointment, and hast multiplied thy thou hast not taken notice? Behold, in the perfumes. Thou hast sent thy messengers day of your fast your own will is found: and far off, and wast debased even to hell. you exact of all your debtors. 10 Thou hast been wearied in the multi4 Behold, you fast for debates and strife, tude of thy ways: yet thou saidst not: and strike with the fist wickedly. Do not will rest thou hast found life of thy hand, fast as you have done until this day, to make therefore thou hast not asked. your cry to be heard on high. 11 For whom hast thou been solicitous 5 Is this such a fast as I have chosen ; for and afraid, that thou hast lied, and hast not a man to afflict his soul for a day? is this it, been mindful of me, nor thought on me in to wind his head about like a circle, and to thy heart? for I am silent, and as one that spread sackcloth and ashes? wilt thou call seeth not, and thou hast forgotten me. this a fast, and a day acceptable to the 12 I will declare thy justice, and thy Lord? works shall not profit thee. 6 Is not this rather the fast that I have chos 13 When thou shalt cry, let thy compa- en? loose the bands of wickedness; undo nies deliver thee, but the winds shall carry the bundles that oppress; let them that are them all off, a breeze shall take them away: broken, go free; and break asunder every but he that putteth his trust in me, shall in- burden. mount. herit the land, and shall possess my holy 7 Deal thy bread to the hungry; and bring the needy and the harbourless into 14 And I will say: Make a way: give thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, free passage, turn out of the path, take cover him and despise not thy own flesh. away the stumbling-blocks out of the way 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the of my people. morning; and thy health shall speedily 15 For thus saith the High and the Emi- arise; and thy justice shall go before thy nent that inhabiteth eternity: and his name face; and the glory of the Lord shall gais Holy, who dwelleth in the high and holy ther thee up. place, and with a contrite and humble spirit: 9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall to revive the spirit of the humble, and to hear: thou shalt cry, and he shall say: Here revive the heart of the contrite. I am. If thou wilt take away the chain out 16 For I will not contend for ever, nei- of the midst of thee, and cease to stretch ther will I be angry unto the end: because out the finger, and to speak that which prothe spirit shall go forth from my face, and fiteth not. breathings I will make. 10 When thou shalt pour out thy soul to 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted was angry, and I struck him: I bid my face soul, then shall thy light rise up in darkfrom thee, and was angry and he went ness, and thy darkness shall be as the noonaway wandering in his own heart. day. 18 I saw his ways, and I healed him, and 11 And the Lord will give thee rest conbrought him back, and restored comforts tinually, and will fill thy soul with brightto him, and to them that mourn for him. ness, and deliver thy bones; and thou shalt 19 I created the fruit of the lips, peace, be like a watered garden, and like a founpeace to him that is far off, and to him that tain of water, whose waters shall not fail. is near, said the Lord, and I healed him. 12 And the places that have been deso20 But the wicked are like the raging late for ages, shall be built in thee: thou sea, which cannot rest, and the waves thereof shalt raise up the foundations of generation cast up dirt and mire. and generation: and thou shalt be called 21 There is no peace to the wicked, the repairer of the fences, turning the paths saith the Lord God. CHAP. LVIII. God rejects the hypocritical fasts of the Jews recommends works of mercy, and sincere godliness. into rest. 13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy own will in my holy day, and call the sabbath delightful, and the holy of the Lord glorious, and glorify him, while thou dost not thy own ways, cease not, lift up thy voice like a and thy own will is not found, to speak a trumpet, and shew my people their word: CRY 14 Then shalt thou be delighted in the land transgression: we have conceived, and Lord; and I will lift thee up above the uttered from the heart, words of falsehood. high places of the earth, and will feed thee 14 And judgment is turned away backwith the inheritance of Jacob thy father.ward: and justice hath stood far off: beFor the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. cause truth hath fallen down in the street, and equity could not come in. CHAP. LIX. 15 And truth hath been forgotten: and The dreadful evil of sin is displayed, as the he that departed from evil, lay open to be great obstacle to all good from God: yet hea prey: and the Lord saw, and it appeared will send a Redeemer, and make an ever-evil in his eyes, because there is no judglasting covenant with his church. BEHOLD, the hand of the Lord is not is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. ment. 16 And he saw that there is not a man: shortened, that it cannot save; neither and he stood astonished, because there is none to oppose himself: and his own arm 2 But your iniquities have divided be- brought salvation to him, and his own justween you and your God; and your sins tice supported him. have hid his face from you, that he should not hear. 17 He put on justice as a breast-plate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head : he put on the garments of vengeance, and was clad with zeal as with a cloke. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity: your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue uttereth 18 As unto revenge, as it were to repay iniquity. wrath to his adversaries: and a reward to 4 There is none who calleth upon jus-his enemies: he will repay the like to the tice; neither is there any one, who judgeth islands. truly but they trust in a mere nothing, 19 And they from the west, shall fear and speak vanities: they have conceived the name of the Lord; and they from the labour, and brought forth iniquity. rising of the sun, his glory: when he shall come as a violent stream, which the spirit of the Lord driveth on: 5 They have broken the eggs of asps, and have woven the webs of spiders: he who shall eat of their eggs shall die: and that which is brought out shall be hatched into a basilisk. 20 And there shall come a redeemer to Sion, and to them that return from iniquity in Jacob, saith the Lord. 6 Their webs shall not be for clothing: 21 This is my covenant with them, saith neither shall they cover themselves with the Lord: My spirit that is in thee, and my their works: their works are unprofitable words that I have put in thy mouth, shall works, and the work of iniquity is in their not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the hands. mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. 7 Their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are unprofitable thoughts: wasting and destruction are in their ways. 8 They have not known the way of peace and there is no judgment in their steps: their paths are become crooked to them: every one that treadeth in them, knoweth no peace. 9 Therefore is judgment far from us, and justice shall not overtake us. We looked] for light, and behold, darkness; brightness and we have walked in the dark. 10 We have groped for the wall: and like the blind we have groped, as if we had no eyes: we have stumbled at noon day as in darkness: we are in dark places as dead men. CHAP. LX. The light of true faith shall shine forth in the church of Christ, and shall be spread through al nations, and continue for all ages. ARISE, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2 For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up thy eyes round about, and see: 11 We shall roar all of us like bears, and all these are gathered together, they are shall lament as mournful doves. We have come to thee: thy sons shall come from looked for judgment, and there is none; for afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at thy salvation and it is far from us. side. 12 For our iniquities are multiplied be- 5 Then shalt thou see, and abound, and fore thee; and our sins have testified thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, against us: for our wicked doings are with when the multitude of the sea shall be conus, and we have known our iniquities, 13 In sinning and lying against the Lord: * This is my covenant, &c. Note here a and we have turned away, so that we went clear promise of perpetual orthodoxy to the away not after our God, but spoke calumny church of Christ. verted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles thy light by day, neither shall the brightshall come to thee. ness of the moon enlighten thee: but the 6 The multitude of camels shall cover Lord shall be unto thee for an everlasting thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha : light, and thy God for thy glory. all they from Saba shall come, bringing 20 Thy sun shall go down no more, and gold and frankincense, and shewing forth thy moon shall not decrease: for the Lord praise to the Lord. shall be unto thee for an everlasting light, 7 All the flocks of Cedar shall be gather- and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. ed together unto thee; the rams of Nabai- 21 And thy people shall be all just; they oth shall minister to thee: they shall be of-shall inherit the land for ever, the branch fered upon my acceptable altar, and I will of my planting, the work of my hand to glorify the house of my majesty. glorify me. 8 Who are these, that fly as clouds, and 22 The least shall become a thousand, as doves to their windows? and a little one a most strong nation: I the 9 For, the islands wait for me, and the Lord will suddenly do this thing in its time. ships of the sea in the beginning; that I CHAP. LXI. may bring thy sons from afar; their silver, The office of Christ: the mission of the Apos and their gold with them, to the name of tles: the happiness of their converts. the Lord thy God, and to the holy One of HE Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be. Israel, because he hath glorified thee. 10 And the children of strangers shall hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal build up thy walls; and their kings shall the contrite of heart, and to preach a release minister to thee: for in my wrath have to the captives, and deliverance to them struck thee, and in my reconciliation have that are shut up: I had mery upon thee. 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the 11 And thy gates shall be open continual-Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; ly: they shall not be shut day nor night, to comfort all that mourn: that the strength of the Gentiles may be 3 To appoint to the mourners of Sion, brought to thee, and their kings may be and to give them a crown for ashes, the oil brought. of joy for mourning, a garment of praise for 12 For the nation and the kingdom that the spirit of grief: and they shall be called will not serve thee, shall perish: and the in it the mighty ones of justice, the planting Gentiles shall be wasted with desolation. of the Lord to glorify him. 13 The glory of Libanus shall come to 4 And they shall build the places that thee, the fir-tree, and the box-tree, and the have been waste from of old, and shall raise pine tree together, to beautify the place of up ancient ruins, and shall repair the desomy sanctuary; and I will glorify the place late cities, that were destroyed for generaof my feet. tion and generation. 14 And the children of them that afflict 5 And strangers shall stand and shall thee, shall come bowing down to thee, and feed your flocks: and the sons of strangers all that slandered thee, shall worship the shall be your husbandmen, and the dressers steps of thy feet, and shall call thee the city of your vines. of the Lord, the Sion of the holy One of 6 But you shall be called the priests of Israel. the Lord: to you it shall be said: Ye minis15 Because thou wast forsaken, and hated, ters of our God: you shall eat the riches of and there was none that passed through the Gentiles, and you shall pride yourselves thee, I will make thee to be an everlasting in their glory. glory, a joy unto generation and genera- 7 For your double confusion and shame, they shall praise their part: therefore shall tion: 16 And thou shalt suck the milk of the they receive double in their land, everlastGentiles, and thou shalt be nursed with the ing joy shall be unto them. breasts of kings: and thou shalt know that 8 For I am the Lord that love judgment, I am the Lord thy Saviour, and thy Re- and hate robbery in a holocaust: and I will deemer, the mighty One of Jacob. make their work in truth, and I will make : 17 For brass I will bring gold, and for a perpetual covenant with them. iron I will bring silver; and for wood brass, 9 And they shall know their seed among and for stones iron and I will make thy the Gentiles, and their offspring in the visitation peace, and thy overseers justice. midst of peoples: all that shall see them, 18 Iniquity shall no more be heard in shall know them, that these are the seed thy land, wasting nor destruction in thy which the Lord hath blessed. borders; and salvation shall possess thy 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and walls, and praise thy gates. my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he 19 Thou shalt no more have the sun for from the illustrious promises made to the * Thou shalt no more, &c. In this latter church militant on earth, to the glory of the part of the chapter, the prophet passes church triumphant in heaven. |