Chapter XLIX: Part 49

6. They who pour gold out of the bag, and weigh silver with the balance, hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, that they may bow down, yes, throw themselves down. 7. They lift it up, carry it away on their shoulder, and set it down in its place! there it is; from its place it does not move; men also cry to it, but it does not answer; it saves no man out of distress.

8. Remember this, and become firm; take it to heart, ye rebellious ones! 9. Remember the beginning from the olden time, that I am God, and none else: Deity, and absolutely none like me, 10. proclaiming the issue from the beginning, and from ancient times what has not yet taken place, saying, My counsel shall stand, and all My good pleasure I carry out, 11. calling[2] a bird of prey from the east, the man of My counsel from a distant land: not only have I spoken, I also bring it; I have purposed it, I will also execute it.

12. Hearken to Me, ye strong-hearted, that are far from righteousness. 13. I have brought My righteousness near; it is not far off, and My salvation tarrieth not: and I give salvation in Zion, My glory to Israel.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The things that ye carried are borne heavily.--_Kay._

What were borne by you are made into loads.--_Jones._

[2] Calling from the sunrising a bird of prey.--_Kay._

Calling an eagle from the east.--_Birks and Arnold._

EIGHTH PROPHECY.--CHAP. XLVII.

_Fall of Babel, the Capital of the Empire of the World._

1. Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin-daughter Babel; sit on the ground without a throne,[1] O Chaldean's daughter! For men no longer call thee delicate and voluptuous. 2. Take the mill, and grind meal; throw back thy train, uncover thy thigh, wade through streams. 3. Let thy nakedness be uncovered, even let thy shame be seen; I shall take vengeance, and[2] not spare men. 4. Our Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts is His name, Holy One of Israel.

5. Sit silent, and creep into the darkness, O Chaldean's daughter! for men no longer call thee lady of kingdoms. 6. I was wroth with My people; I polluted mine inheritance, and gave them into thy hand: thou hast shown them no mercy; upon old men thou laidst thy yoke very heavily. 7. And thou saidst, I shall be lady for ever; so that thou didst not take these things to heart; thou didst not consider the latter end thereof.

8. And now hear this, thou voluptuous one, she who sitteth so securely, who sayeth in her heart, I am it, and none else; I shall not sit a widow, nor experience bereavement of children. 9. And these two come upon thee suddenly in one day: bereavement of children and widowhood; they come upon thee in fullest measure, in spite of the multitude of thy sorceries, in spite of the great abundance of thy witchcrafts. 10. Thou trustedst in thy wickedness, and saidst, No one seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, they led thee astray; so that thou saidst in thy heart, I am it, and none else. 11. And misfortune cometh upon thee, which[3] thou understandest not how to charm away: and destruction will fall upon thee, which thou canst not atone for; for there will come suddenly upon thee ruin which thou suspectest not.

12. Come near, then, with thy enchantments, and with the multitude of thy witchcrafts, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth: perhaps thou canst profit, perhaps thou canst inspire terror. 13. Thou art wearied through the multitude of thy consultations;[4] let the dissectors of the heavens come near, then, and save thee, the star-gazers, they who with every new moon bring things to light that will come upon thee. 14. Behold, they have become like stubble: fire has consumed them; there is not a red-hot coal to warm themselves, a hearth-fire to sit before. 15. So[5] it is with thy people, for whom thou hast laboured: thy partners in trade from thy youth, they wander away every one in his own direction; no one who brings salvation to thee.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Sit on the ground throneless.--_Kay._

[2] I will meet thee, not as man.--_Birks._

And I will be entreated of for thee by no man.--_Matthew
Arnold._

And I will accept no man.--_Revised English Version._

[3] Thou shalt not know its dawn.--_Birks and Kay._

[4] Let them stand now and save thee,--they that have portioned
out the heavens, those star-gazers, prognosticating at each
new moon,--from the things that shall come upon
thee.--_Kay._

Let now the astrologers, the star-gazers, the
prognosticators by the new moon, stand up and save thee
from these things that shall come upon thee.--_Matthew
Arnold._

[5] Of such worth unto thee are the things wherein thou hast
toiled: they that trafficked with thee from thy youth have
wandered every one to his own quarter; there is none to
save thee.--_Kay._

Thus will they prove to be unto thee, amongst whom
thou hast laboured,
Those with whom thou hast had dealing from thy youth:
They shall become bewildered, every one in his quarter:
Not one will be there to save thee.--_Jones._

NINTH PROPHECY.--CHAP. XLVIII.

_Deliverance from Babylon._

1. Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have flowed out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Jehovah, and extol the God of Israel, not in truth, and not in righteousness! 2. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel, Jehovah of hosts His name.

3. The first I long ago proclaimed, and it has gone forth out of My mouth, and I caused it to be heard. I carried it out suddenly, and it came to pass. 4. Because I knew that thou art hard, and thy neck an iron clasp, and thy brow brass; 5. I proclaimed it to thee long ago; before it came to pass I caused thee to hear it, that thou mightest not say, My idol has done it, and my graven image and molten image commanded it. 6. Thou hast heard it, look then at it all; and ye, must ye not confess it? I give thee new things to hear from this time forth, and hidden things, and what thou didst not know. 7. It is created now, and not long ago; and thou hast not heard it before; that thou mightest not say, Behold, I knew it. 8. Thou hast neither heard it, nor known it, nor did thine ear open itself to it long ago; for I knew thou art altogether faithless, and thou art called rebellious from the womb. 9. For My name's sake I lengthen out My wrath, and for My praise I hold back towards thee, that I may not cut thee off. 10. Behold, I have refined thee, and not in the manner of silver; I have proved thee in the furnace of affliction. 11. For Mine own sake, for Mine own sake I accomplish it (for how[1] it is profaned!) and My glory I give not to another.

12. Hearken to me, O Jacob, and Israel my called! I am it; I first, also I last. 13. My hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: I call to them, and they stand there together. 14. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear: Who among you hath proclaimed this? He who Jehovah loveth will accomplish His will upon Babel, and His arm upon the Chaldeans. 15. I, I have spoken, have also called him, have brought him here, and his way prospers. 16. Come ye near to Me! Hear ye this! I have not spoken in secret; from the beginning from the time that it takes place, there am I: and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent Me and His Spirit.

17. Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I, Jehovah thy God, am He that teacheth thee to do that which profiteth, and leadest thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 18. Oh[2] that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then thy peace becomes like the river, and thy righteousness like waves of the sea; 19. and thy seed like the sand, and the children of thy body like the grains thereof; its name will not be cut off nor destroyed away from My countenance.

20. Go out of Babel, flee from Chaldea with voice of shouting: declare ye, preach ye this, carry it out to the end of the earth! Say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob His servant. 21. And they thirsted not: He led them through dry places; He caused water to trickle out of rocks for them; He split rocks, and waters gushed out. 22. There is no peace, saith Jehovah, for the wicked.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] For how should my name be profaned?--_Kay and Arnold._

[2] 18. Oh that thou wouldst hearken to my commandments! then
should thy peace be as a river, and thy righteousness as
the waves of the sea; 19. thy seed also should be as the
sand, and the offspring of thy bowels as the gravel
thereof; his name should not be cut off, &c.--_Kay._

_PART II._

FIRST PROPHECY.--CHAP. XLIX.

_Self-Attestation of the Servant of Jehovah. The Despondency of Zion Reproved._

1. Listen, O isles, unto Me; and hearken, ye nations afar off: Jehovah hath called Me from the womb; from My mother's lap hath He remembered My name. 2. And He made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid Me, and made Me a polished shaft; in His quiver hath He concealed Me. 3. And He said to Me, Thou art My servant, O Israel, Thou in Whom I glorify Myself.

4. And I, I said, I have wearied Myself in vain, and thrown away My strength for nothing and to no purpose; yet My right[1] is with Jehovah, and My reward with My God.

5. And now, saith Jehovah, that formed Me from the womb to be His servant, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel[2] may be gathered together to Him; and I am honoured in the eyes of Jehovah, and My God has become My strength. 6. He saith, It is only a small thing that Thou becomest My servant, to set up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel: I have set Thee for the light of the Gentiles, to become My salvation to the end of the earth.

7. Thus saith Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, to him of contemptible soul, to the abhorrence of the people, to the servant of tyrants: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and prostrate themselves for the sake of Jehovah, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, that He hath chosen Thee. 8. Thus saith Jehovah, In[3] a time of favour I have heard Thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped Thee: and I form Thee, and set Thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to apportion again desolate inheritances, 9. saying to prisoners: Go ye out; to those who are in darkness, Come ye to the light.

They shall feed by the ways, and[4] there is pasture for them upon all field-hills. 10. They shall not hunger nor thirst, and the mirage and sun shall not blind them: for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, and guide them by bubbling water-springs. 11. And I make all My mountains ways, and My roads are exalted. 12. Behold these, they come from afar; and behold these from the north and from the sea; and these from the land of the Sinese. 13. Sing, O heavens, and shout, O earth; and break out into singing, ye mountains! for Jehovah hath comforted His people, and He hath compassion upon His afflicted ones.

14. Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me. 15. Does a woman forget her sucking child, so as not to have compassion upon the child of her womb? Even though mothers should forget, I will not forget thee. 16. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls stand continually before Me.

17. Thy children make haste, thy destroyers and masters draw out from thee. 18. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all these assemble themselves together, and come to thee. As truly as I live, saith Jehovah, thou wilt put them all on like jewellery, and gird them about thee like a bride. 19. For thy ruins and thy waste places and thy land full of ruin,--yea, now thou wilt be too narrow for the inhabitants, and thy devourers are far away. 20. Thy[5] children, that were formerly taken from thee, shall say in thine ears, The space is too narrow for me; give way for me, that I may have room. 21. And thou wilt say in thy heart, Who hath borne me these, seeing I am robbed of children, and barren, banished, and thrust away; and these, who hath brought them up? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?

22. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lift up My hand to nations, and set up My standard to peoples: and they bring thy sons in their bosom; and thy daughters, upon shoulders are they carried. 23. And kings become thy foster-fathers, and their princesses thy nurses: they bow down their face to thee to the earth, and they lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt learn that I am Jehovah, He whose hoping ones are not put to shame.

24. Can the booty indeed be wrested from a giant, or will the captive[6] host of the righteous escape? 25. Yea, thus saith Jehovah, Even the captive hosts of a giant are wrested from him, and the booty of a tyrant escapes! and I[7] will make war upon him that warreth with thee, and I will bring salvation to thy children. 26. And[8] I feed them that pain thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as if with new wine; all flesh shall see that I Jehovah am thy Saviour, and that thy Redeemer is the Mighty One of Jacob.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Yet surely my righteousness is with the Lord, and my
recompense with my God. 5. And now, saith the Lord that
formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob
again to Him, and that Israel may be gathered: (for I have
honour in the eyes of the Lord, and my God is my strength;)
6. and He said, &c.--_Arnold._

[2] But Israel wil not be gathered; yet shall I be glorious,
&c.--_Kay._

[3] In a time of acceptance have I answered thee.--_Kay._

[4] And on all bare hill-tops is there pasturage for
_them._--_Kay._

[5] The sons of thy childlessness shall say, &c.--_Kay._

[6] The just one's captives.--_Kay._

[7] For I Myself will contend with him that contendeth with
thee.--_Kay._

[8] And I will let them that oppress thee eat their own
flesh.--_Kay._

And I will gorge thine opponents with their own flesh;
And with their own blood, as with new wine, shall
they be drunken.--_Jones._

SECOND PROPHECY.--CHAP. L.

_Israel's Self-rejection; and the Steadfastness of the Servant of Jehovah._

1. Thus saith Jehovah, Where is your mother's bill of divorce, with which I put her away? Or where is one of My creditors, to whom I sold you? Behold,[1] for your iniquities are ye sold, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

2. Why did I come, and there was no one there? Why did I call, and there was no one who answered? Is My hand too short to redeem? Or is there no strength in Me to deliver? Behold, through My threatening I dry up the sea; turn streams into a plain: their fish rot because there is no water, and die for thirst. 3. I clothe the heavens in mourning, and make sackcloth their covering.

4. The Lord Jehovah hath given Me a disciple's tongue, that I may know how to set up the wearied with words: He wakeneth every morning; wakeneth Mine ear to attend in a disciple's manner. 5. The Lord Jehovah hath opened Mine ear; and I, I was not rebellious, and did not turn back. 6. I offered My back to smiters, and My cheeks to them that pluck off the hair; I hid not My face from shame and spitting. 7. But the Lord Jehovah will help Me; therefore have I not suffered Myself to be overcome by mockery: therefore did I make My face like the flint, and knew that I should not be put to shame. 8. He is near that justifieth Me; who will contend with Me? We will draw near together! Let him draw near to Me! 9. Behold, the Lord Jehovah will help Me; who is he that could condemn Me? Behold, they shall all fall to pieces like a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

10. Who among you is fearing Jehovah, hearkening to the voice of His servant? He that walketh in darkness, and without a ray of light, let him trust in the name of Jehovah, and stay himself upon his God. 11. Behold,[2] all ye that kindle fire, that equip yourself with burning darts: away into the glow of your own fire, and into the burning darts that ye have kindled! This comes to you from My hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Behold, by your iniquities ye have sold yourselves.--_Birks
and Kay._

[2] Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that gird on firebrands:
walk amid the flame of your fire, and amid the brands that
ye have kindled.--_Kay._

THIRD PROPHECY.--CHAP. LI.

_The Bursting Forth of Salvation, and Turning Away of the Cup of Wrath._

1. Hearken to me, ye that are in pursuit of righteousness, ye that seek Jehovah. Look up to the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hollow of the pit whence ye are dug. 2. Look who bare you, that he was one when I called him, and blessed him, and multiplied him. 3. For Jehovah hath comforted Zion, comforted all her ruins, and turned her desert like Eden, and her steppe as the garden of God; joy and gladness are found in her, thanksgiving and sounding music.

4. Hearken unto Me, My people, and give ear unto Me, O My congregation! for instruction will go forth from Me, and I make a place for My right, to be a light of the nations. 5. My salvation is near, My salvation is drawn out, and My arms will judge nations: the hoping of the islands looks to Me, and for Mine arm is their waiting. 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens will pass away like smoke, and the earth fall to pieces like a garment, and[1] its inhabitants die out like a nonentity; and My salvation will last for ever, and My righteousness does not go to ruin.

7. Hearken unto Me, ye that know about righteousness, thou people with My law in the heart; fear ye not the reproach of mortals, and be ye not alarmed at their revilings. 8. For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm devour them like woollen cloth; and My righteousness shall stand for ever, and My salvation to distant generations.

9. Awake, awake, clothe thyself in might, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of ancient time, the ages of the olden world! Was it not Thou that didst split Rahab in pieces, and pierced the dragon? 10. Was it not Thou that didst dry up the sea, the waters of the great billow; that didst turn the depths of the sea into a way for the redeemed to pass through? 11. And[2] the emancipated of Jehovah will return, and come to Zion with shouting, and everlasting joy upon their head; they grasp at gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing flees away.

12. I, I am your comforter: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man who will die, and of a son of man who is made a blade of grass; 13. that thou shouldest forget Jehovah thy Creator, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth; that thou shouldest be afraid continually all the day of the fury of the tormentor, as he aims to destroy? and where is the fury of the tormentor left? 14. He[3] that is bowed down is quickly set loose, and does not die to the grave, and his bread does not fail him; 15. as truly as I Jehovah am thy God, who frighteneth up the sea, so that its waves roar; Jehovah of hosts is His name. 16. And I put My words into thy mouth, and in the shadow of My hand have I covered thee, to plant heavens, and to found on earth, and to say to Zion, Thou art My people.

17. Wake thyself up, stand up, O Jerusalem; thou that hast drunk out of the hand of Jehovah the goblet of His fury; the goblet-cup of reeling hast thou drunk, sipped out. 18. There was none who guided her of all the children she had brought forth; and none who took her by the hand of all the children she had brought up. 19. There were two things that happened to thee; who should console thee?[4] Desolation, and ruin, and famine, and the sword: how should I comfort thee? 20. Thy children were benighted, lay at the corners of all the streets like a snared antelope: as those who were full of the fury of Jehovah, the rebuke of thy God. 21. Therefore hearken to this, O wretched and drunken, but not with wine: 22. Thus saith thy Lord, Jehovah, and thy God that defendeth His people, Behold, I take out of thy hand the goblet-cup of My fury: thou shalt not continue to drink it any more. 23. And I put it into the hand of thy tormentors; who said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou madest thy back like the ground, and like a public way for those who go over it.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] And her inhabitants, as in like manner, shall die.--_Kay._

[2] So, _Kay, Birks._ Even so, _Arnold._ Thus, _Jones._

[3] He that was bent down hath made haste to be loosed, and he
shall not die in the pit, neither shall his bread
fail.--_Kay._

[4] Who will mourn with thee?--_Kay._

FOURTH PROPHECY.--CHAP. LII. 1-12.

_Jerusalem Exchanges Servitude for Dominion, and Imprisonment for Liberty._

1. Awake, awake; clothe thyself in thy might, O Zion; clothe thyself in thy state dresses, O Jerusalem, thou holy city; for henceforth there shall no more enter into thee one uncircumcised and unclean! 2. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem: loose[1] thyself from the chains of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion!

3. For thus saith Jehovah, Ye have been sold for nothing, and ye shall not be redeemed with silver. 4. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah, My people went down to Egypt in the beginning to dwell there as guests; and Asshur has oppressed it for nothing. 5. And now, what have I to do here? saith Jehovah; for My people are taken away for nothing; their oppressors shriek, saith Jehovah, and My name is continually blasphemed all the day. 6. Therefore My people shall learn My name; therefore, in that day, that I am He who saith, Here am I.

7. How lovely[2] upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring good tidings, that publish peace, that bring tidings of good, that publish salvation, that say unto Zion, Thy God reigneth royally! 8. Hark, thy watchers! They lift up the voice together; they rejoice: for they see eye to eye, how[3] Jehovah bringeth Zion home. 9. Break out into exultation, sing together, ye ruins of Jerusalem: for Jehovah hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10. Jehovah hath made bare His holy arm before the eyes of all nations, and all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our God.

11. Go ye forth, go ye forth, go out from thence, lay hold of no unclean thing; go ye out from the midst of her, cleanse yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of Jehovah. 12. For ye shall not go out in confusion, and ye shall not go forth in flight: for Jehovah goeth before you, and the God of Israel is your rear-guard.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The bands of thy neck are unloosed.--_Key._

[2] How comely.--_Cheyne._

[3] When Jehovah restoreth Zion.--_Jones._
When the Lord returneth to Zion.--_Kay._

FIFTH PROPHECY.--CHAP. LII. 13-LIII.

_Golgotha and Sheblemini_ (= Sit Thou at my right hand), _or, the Exaltation of the Servant of Jehovah out of Deep Degradation._

13. Behold, My Servant shall act wisely; He will come forth and arise, and be very high. 14. Just as many were astonished at Thee: so disfigured, His appearance was not human, and form not like that of the children of men: 15. so will He make many nations to tremble: kings will shut their mouths at Him! for[4] they see what has not been told them, and discover what they have not heard.

LIII.--1. Who hath believed our preaching; and the arm of Jehovah, over whom has it been revealed?

2. And He sprang up like a layer-shoot before Him, and like a root-sprout out of dry ground: He had no form, and no beauty; and we looked, and there was no look, such that we could have found pleasure in Him. 3. He was despised and forsaken by men; a man of griefs, and well acquainted with disease; and like one from whom men hide their face: despised, and we esteemed Him not.

4. Verily He hath borne our diseases and our pains! He hath laden them upon Himself; but we regarded Him as one stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. Whereas He was pierced for our sins, bruised for our iniquities! the punishment was laid on Him for our peace; and through His stripes we were healed. 6. All we like sheep went astray; we had turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

7. He[1] was ill-treated; whilst He suffered willingly, and opened not His mouth, like the sheep that is led to the slaughter-bench, and like a lamb that is dumb before its shearers, and opened not His mouth. 8. He[2] has been taken away from prison and judgment; and of His generation who considered: "He was snatched away out of the land of the living; for the wickedness of my people punishment fell on Him"? 9. And they assigned Him His grave with sinners, and with a rich man in His martyrdom, because He had done no wrong, and there was no deceit in His mouth.

10. And it pleased Jehovah to bruise Him, to afflict Him with disease; if His soul would pay a trespass-offering, He should see posterity, should live long days, and the purpose of Jehovah should prosper through His hand. 11. Because of the travail of His soul, He will see, and be refreshed; through His knowledge will He procure justice, My Righteous Servant, for the many, and will take their iniquities upon Himself. 12. Therefore I give Him a portion among the great, and with strong ones will He divide the spoil; because He has poured out His soul into death: and He let Himself be reckoned among transgressors; whilst He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

FOOTNOTES:

[4] For they to whom it had not been told shall see, and they
which had not heard shall consider.--_Birks._

[1] He was oppressed, yet He submitted Himself.--_Kay and
Jones._

[2] Through oppression and judgment was He taken away, and His
life who will consider!--_Kay._

SIXTH PROPHECY.--CHAP LIV.

_The Glory of Jerusalem, the Church of the Servants of Jehovah._

1. Exult, O barren one, thou that didst not bear; break forth into exulting, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for there are more children of the solitary one than children of the married wife, saith Jehovah. 2. Enlarge the space of thy tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of thy habitations; forbid not! lengthen thy cords, and fasten thy plugs. 3. For thou wilt break forth on the right and on the left; and thy seed will take possession of nations, and they will people desolate cities.

4. Fear not, for thou wilt not be put to shame; and bid defiance to reproach, for thou wilt not blush: no, thou wilt not blush: no, thou wilt forget the shame of thy youth, and wilt no more remember the reproach of thy widowhood. 5. For thy husband is thy Creator; Jehovah of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; God of the whole earth is He called. 6. For Jehovah calleth thee as a wife forsaken and burdened with sorrow, and as a wife of youth,[1] when once she is despised, saith thy God.

7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, and with great mercy will I gather thee. 8. In an effusion of anger I hid my face from thee for a moment, and with everlasting grace I have compassion upon thee, saith Jehovah thy Redeemer. 9. For it is now as at the waters of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah should not overflow the earth any more; so have I sworn not to be wroth with thee, and not to threaten thee. 10. For the mountains may depart, and the hills may shake; my grace will not depart from thee, and my covenant of peace will not shake, saith Jehovah who hath compassion on thee. 11. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, not comforted, behold I lay the stone in stibium,[2] [_i.e.,_ antimony], and lay thy foundations with sapphires; 12. and make thy minarets of ruby, and thy gates into carbuncles, and all thy boundary into jewels.

13. And all thy children will be the learned of Jehovah; and great the peace of thy children. 14. Through righteousness wilt thou be fortified: be far from anxiety, for thou hast nothing to fear; and from terror, for it will not come near thee. 15. Behold, men crowd together in crowds; My will is not there. Who crowd together against thee?--he shall fall by thee.

16.[3] Behold, I have created the smith who bloweth the coal-fire, and brings to the light a weapon according to his trade; and I[4] have created the destroyer to destroy. 17. Every weapon formed against thee has no success, and every tongue that cometh before the judgment with thee thou wilt condemn. This is the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah; and their righteousness from Me, saith Jehovah.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] When she is cast off.--_Kay._
(Grieving) because she is rejected.--_Birks._

[2] I am laying thy stones with fair adornment.--_Birks._

I will lay thy stones in cement of brilliant
colour.--_Jones._

"Same word as in 1 Chron. xxxix. 2 (A.V. glistering
[stones]): probably, stones used for mosaic work (so
Targhere); as black marble, &c. In the two other places
where the word occurs (2 Kings ix. 30; Jer. iv. 30), it
denotes the paint which was used by females for colouring
the edges of the eyelids. Grotius notices (from Jos.
'J. W.' v. 5) that the open court of the temple had a
tesselated floor."--_Kay._

[3] Behold, it is _I_ who create the smith. . . . And it is _I_
who create the waster to destroy.--_Revised English Bible_
and _Cheyne._

[4] Second reference to note 3 immediately above.

SEVENTH PROPHECY.--CHAP. LV.

_Come and Take the Sure Salvation of Jehovah._

1. Alas, all ye thirsty ones, come ye to the water; and ye that have no silver, come ye, buy and eat! Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without payment! 2. Wherefore do ye weigh silver for that which is not bread, and the result of your labour for that which satisfieth not? Oh, hearken ye to Me, and eat the good, and let your soul delight itself in fat.

3. Incline your ear, and come to Me! hear, and let your soul revive; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the true mercies of David. 4. Behold, I have set him as a witness[1] for nations, a prince and commander of nations. 5. Behold, thou wilt call a mass of people that thou knowest not; and a mass of people that knoweth thee not will hasten to thee, for the sake of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel that He hath made thee glorious.

6. Seek ye Jehovah while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to Jehovah, and He will have compassion upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith Jehovah: 9. as heaven is high above the earth; so high are My ways above your ways, and My thoughts above your thoughts. 10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, till it has moistened the earth, and fertilised it, and made it green, and offered seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11. so will My word be which goeth forth out of My mouth: it will not return to Me fruitless, till it has accomplished that which I willed, and prosperously carried out that for which I sent it. 12. For ye will go out with joy, and be led forth[2] in peace: the mountains and the hills will break out before you into shouting, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13. Instead of the thorn will cypresses shoot up, and instead of the fleabane[3] will myrtles spring up: and it will be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting memorial that will not be swept away.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A lawgiver.--_Arnold._

[2] And be led on with peace.--_Jones._

[3] Nettle.--_Cheyne._

EIGHTH PROPHECY.--CHAP. LVI. 1-8.

_Sabbatical Admonitions, and Consolations for Proselytes and Eunuchs._

1. Thus saith Jehovah, Keep ye right, and do righteousness; for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to reveal itself. 2. Blessed is the mortal that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth fast hold thereon; who keepeth the Sabbath, that he doth not desecrate it, and keepeth his hand from doing any kind of evil.

3. And let not the foreigner, who hath joined himself to Jehovah, speak thus: Assuredly Jehovah will cut me off from His people; and let not the eunuch say, I am only a dry tree. 4. For thus saith Jehovah to the eunuchs, Those who keep My Sabbaths, and decide for that in which I take pleasure, and take fast hold of My covenant, 5. I give to them in My house and within My walls a memorial[1] and a name better than sons and daughters; I give such a man an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6. And the foreigners, who have joined themselves to Jehovah, to serve Him, and to love the name of Jehovah, to be His servants, whoever keepeth the Sabbath from desecrating it, and those who hold fast to My covenant; 7. I bring them to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their whole-offerings and their slain-offerings are well-pleasing upon Mine altar; for My house, a house of prayer shall it be called for all nations. 8. Word of the Lord, Jehovah: gathering the outcasts of Israel, I will also gather beyond itself to its gathered ones.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] "Trophy."--_Cheyne._
"Place."--_Arnold, Birks, Strachey._

NINTH PROPHECY.--CHAP. LVI. 9-LVII. 21.

_Neglect of Duty by the Leaders of Israel; and Errors of the People._

9. All ye beasts of the field, come near! To devour, all ye beasts of the forest! 10. His watchmen are blind; they (are) all ignorant,[2] they (are) all dumb dogs that cannot bark; raving, lying down, loving to slumber. 11. And the dogs are mightily greedy, they know no satiety; and such are shepherds! They know no understanding; they have all turned to their own ways, every one for his own gain throughout his border.

12. Come here, I will fetch wine, and let us drink meth; and to-morrow shall be like to-day, great, excessively abundant.

LVII.--1. The righteous perisheth, and no man taketh it to heart; and pious[1] men are swept away,[2] without any one considering that the righteous is swept away from misfortune.[3] 2. He entereth into peace: they rest upon their beds, whoever has walked straight before him.

3. And ye, draw near hither, children of the sorceress, seed of the adulterer, and of her that committed whoredom! 4. Over whom do ye make yourselves merry? Over whom do ye open the mouth wide, and put the tongue out long? Are ye not the brood of apostasy, seed of lying? 5. Ye that inflame yourselves by the terabinths, under every green tree, ye slayers of children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks. 6. By the smooth ones of the brook was thy portion; they, they were thy lot: thou also pourest out libations to them, thou laidst meat-offerings upon them. Shall I be contented with this?[4] 7. Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set up thy bed; thou also ascendest thither to offer slain offerings. 8. And behind the door and the post thou didst place thy[5] reminder: for thou uncoveredst away from me, and ascendest; thou madest thy bed broad, and didst stipulate for thyself what they had to do: thou lovedst their lying with thee; thou sawest their manhood.[6]

9. And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst measure copiously thy spices, and didst send thy messengers to a great distance, and didst deeply abase thyself, even to Hades. 10. Thou didst become wary of the greatness of thy way; yet thou saidst not, It is unattainable:[7] thou obtainedst the reward of thy strength: therefore thou wast not pained.[8]

11. And of whom hast thou been afraid, and (whom) didst thou fear, that thou becamest a liar, and didst not continue mindful of Me, and didst not take it to heart?

Am I not silent, and that for a long time, whereas thou wast not afraid of Me? 12. I, I will proclaim thy righteousness; and thy works, they will not profit thee. 13. When thou criest, let thy heaps of idols[9] save thee: but a wind carries them all away; a breath takes them off; and whoever putteth trust in Me will inherit the land, and take possession of My holy mountain.

14. And He saith, Heap up, heap up, prepare a way, take away every obstruction from the way of My people. 15. For thus saith the High and Lofty One, the eternally dwelling One, He whose name is Holy One; I dwell on high and in the holy place, and with the contrite one and him that is of a humbled spirit, to revive the spirit of humbled ones, and to revive the heart of contrite ones. 16. For I do not contend for ever, and I am not angry for ever: for the spirit would pine away before me, and the souls of men which I have created. 17. And because of the iniquity of its selfishness,[10] I was wroth, and smote it; hiding Myself away in the way of its own heart. 18. I have seen its ways and will heal it; and will lead it, and afford consolations to it, and to its mourning ones.

19. Creating fruit of the lips; Jehovah saith, "Peace, peace to those that are far off, and to those that are near; and I heal it." 20. But the wicked are like the sea that is cast up; for it cannot rest; and its waters cast out slime and mud. 21. There is no peace, saith my God, for the wicked.

FOOTNOTES:

[2] "Without knowledge."--_Kay, Strachey._
"Undiscerning."--_Cheyne._

[1] "Godly men."--_Jones._ "Gracious men."--_Kay._

[2] "Gathered."--_Cheyne._ "Gathered in."--_Kay._

[3] "Out of the way of evil."--_Kay, Jones._

[4] "Shall I for all these things relent?"--_Kay._ "Shall I by
these things be appeased?"--_Birks._ "Comforted."--_Jones,
Arnold._ "Should I quiet myself in spite of these
things?"--_Cheyne._

[5] "Thy own remembrance."--_Kay._

[6] "And thou hast sought occasion."--_Birks._ "Thou hast beheld
the phallus."--_Cheyne._

[7] "There is no result."--_Cheyne._

[8] "Thou hast yet found strength in thine hand, therefore thou
wast not discouraged."--_Arnold._ "Thou didst get renewal
of thy strength, therefore thou feltest not
weak."--_Cheyne._

[9] "Thy medley of gods."--_Cheyne._

[10] "For his unjust gain," lit. "for the iniquity of his
gain."--_Cheyne._

_PART III._

FIRST PROPHECY.--CHAP. LVIII.

_The False Worship and the True._

1. Cry with full throat, hold not back; lift up thy voice like a bugle, and proclaim to My people their apostasy, and to the house of Jacob their sins. 2. And they seek Me[1] day by day, and desire to learn My ways, like a nation which has done righteousness; they desire the drawing near of Elohim.

3. Wherefore do we fast and Thou seest not, afflict our soul and Thou regardest not? Behold, on the day of your fasting ye carry on your business, and ye oppress all your labourers. 4. Behold, ye fast with strife and quarrelling, and with smiting of the fist maliciously closed: ye do not fast now to make your voice audible on high.[2]

5. Can such things as these pass for a fast that I have pleasure in, as a day for a man to afflict his soul? To bow down his head like a bulrush, and spread sackcloth and ashes under him--dost thou call this a fast and an acceptable day for Jehovah? 6. Is not this a fast that I have pleasure in: to loose coils of wickedness, to untie the bands[3] of the yoke, and for sending away the oppressed as free, and that ye break every kind of yoke? 7. Is it not this, to break thy bread to the hungry, and to take the poor and houseless to thy home;[4] when thou seest a naked man that thou clothest him, and dost not deny thyself before thine own flesh?

8. Then will thy light break forth as the morning dawn, and thy healing will sprout up speedily, and thy righteousness will go before thee, the glory of Jehovah will follow thee. 9. Then will thou call, and Jehovah will answer; then wilt beseech, and He will say, Here am I.

If thou put away from the midst of thee the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking of evil, 10. and offerest up thy gluttony to the hungry;[5] and satisfiest the soul that is bowed down: thy light will stream out in the darkness, and thy darkness become like the brightness of noon-day. 11. And Jehovah will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in droughts, and refresh thy bones; and thou wilt become like a well-watered garden, and like a fountain, whose waters never deceive.[6] 12. And thy people[7] will build ruins of the olden time, foundations of earlier generations wilt thou erect; and men will call thee Repairer of breaches, Restorer of habitable streets.

13. If thou hold back thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy business on my holy day, and callest the Sabbath a delight, the holy of Jehovah, reverend, and honourest it, not doing thine own ways, not pursuing thy business and speaking words:[8] 14. then wilt thou have delight in Jehovah, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the land, and make thee enjoy the inheritance of Jacob thy forefather, for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] "Me they consult daily."--_Cheyne._

[2] "Ye shall not fast as ye do now, to make your outcry to be
heard on high."--_Birks._ "Ye do not so fast at this time
so as to make your voice to be heard in the
height."--_Cheyne._

[3] "Thongs."--_Kay, Cheyne._

[4] "And that thou bring miserable outcasts to their
home."--_Cheyne._ "To thine house."--_Birks, Arnold._

[5] "And minister thy sustenance to the hungry."--_Cheyne._

[6] "Disappoint not."--_Kay, Cheyne._

[7] "And thy children shall build up the ancient
ruins."--_Cheyne._

[8] "So as not to do after thy word, nor pursue thy business,
nor speak words."--_Cheyne._ "Nor using idle
talk."--_Jones, Birks._

SECOND PROPHECY.--CHAP. LIX.

_The Existing Wall of Partition Broken Down at Last._

1. Behold, Jehovah's hand is not too short to help, nor His ear too heavy to hear; 2. but your iniquities have become a party-wall between you and your God and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. 3. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips speak lies, your tongue murmurs wickedness.

4. No one speaks with justice, and no one pleads with faithfulness; men trust in vanity, and speak with deception;[1] they conceive trouble, and bring forth ruin. 5. They hatch basilisks' eggs, and weave spiders' webs. He that eateth of their eggs must die; and if one is trodden upon, it splits into an adder. 6. Their webs do not suffice for clothing,[2] and men cannot cover themselves with their works: their works are works of ruin, and the practice of injustice is in their hands. 7. Their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness; wasting and destruction are in their paths. 8. The way of peace they know not, and there is no right in their roads: they make their paths crooked: every one who treads upon them knows no peace.

9. Therefore right remains far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold darkness; for brightness--we walk in thick darkness. 10. We grope along the wall like the blind, and like eyeless men we grope: we stumble in the light of noon-day as in the darkness, and among the living like the dead.[3] 11. We roar all like bears, and moan deeply like doves; we hope for right, and it cometh not; for salvation--it remaineth far from us.

12. For our transgressions are many before Thee, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are known to us, and our evil deeds well known: 13. apostasy and denial of Jehovah, and turning back from following our God, oppressive and false speaking,[4] conceiving and giving out from the heart words of falsehood. 14. And right is forced back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the market-place,[5] and honesty finds no admission. 15. And truth became missing, and he who avoids evil is outlawed.

And Jehovah saw it, and it was displeasing in His eyes, that there was no right. 16. And He saw that there was not a man anywhere, and was astonished that there was nowhere an intercessor: then His arm brought Him help and His righteousness became His stay. 17. And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and the helmet of salvation upon His head; and put on garments of vengeance as armour, and clothed Himself in zeal as in a cloak. 18. According to the deeds, accordingly He will repay; burning wrath to His adversaries, punishment to His foes; the islands He will repay with chastisement.[6]

19. And they will fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun: for He will come like a stream dammed up, which a tempest of Jehovah drives away.[7] 20. And a Redeemer comes from Zion, and for those who turn from apostasy in Jacob, saith Jehovah.

21. And I, this is My covenant with them, saith Jehovah: My Spirit which is upon thee, and My word which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, and out of the mouth of thy seed, and out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] "None preferreth his suit with trustfulness, and none
pleadeth with honesty; they trust in chaos, and speak
emptiness."--_Cheyne._ "None calleth (on Me) in
righteousness."--_Birks, Kay._ "None pronounceth a verdict
in justice."--_Jones._

[2] "Their webs will not serve for clothing."--_Cheyne._

[3] "Amidst those full of life (?) as dead men."--_Cheyne._
"Amidst dark places, like the dead."--_Kay._ "Amid rich
abundance are like the dead."--_Birks, Jones._ "We are in
desolate places as dead men."--_Arnold, Strachey._

[4] "Speaking oppression and untruth."--_Kay._ Speaking
"perverseness and transgression."--_Cheyne._

[5] "Truth has stumbled in the broad place."--_Cheyne._

[6] "Recompence to His enemies; to the far lands He will repay
recompence."--_Arnold._ "Retribution to His enemies; to the
countries He will repay retribution."--_Cheyne._

[7] "When the adversary cometh in like the river, the Spirit of
the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."--_Kay._
"Shall put him to flight."--_Jones._ "When the enemy shall
come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a
standard in the midst thereof."--_Birks._ "For He shall
come like a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah
driveth."--_Cheyne._

THIRD PROPHECY.--CHAP. LX.

_The Glory of the Jerusalem of the Last Days._

1. Arise, grow light: for thy light cometh, and the glory of Jehovah riseth upon thee. 2. For, behold, the darkness covereth the earth, and deep darkness the nations; and Jehovah riseth over thee, and His glory becomes visible over thee. 3. And nations walk to thy light, and kings to the shining of thy rays.

4. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: they all crowd together, they come to thee: thy sons come from afar, and thy daughters are carried hither upon arms. 5. Then wilt thou see and shine,[1] and thine heart will tremble and expand; for the abundance of the nations cometh to thee. 6. A swarm of camels will cover thee, the foals of Midian and Ephah; they come all together from Saba; fully make known the praises of Jehovah. 7. All the flocks of Kedar gather together unto thee, the rams of Nabaioth will serve thee; they will come up with acceptance upon Mine altar, and I will adorn the house of My adorning. 8. Who are these who fly hither as a cloud, and like the doves to their windows? 9. Yea, the islands wait for Me; and the ships of Tarshish come first, to bring thy children from far, their silver and their gold with them, to the name of thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He hath ornamented thee.

10. And the sons of strangers build thy walls, and their kings serve thee; for in My wrath I have smitten thee, and in My favour I have had mercy upon thee. 11. And thy gates remain open continually day and night, they shall not be shut, to bring into thee the possessions of the nations, and their kings in triumph.[2] 12. For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve thee will perish, and the nations be certainly laid waste. 13. The glory of Lebanon will come to thee, cypresses, plane-trees, and sherbin-trees, all together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and to make the place of My feet glorious. 14. The children also of thy tormentors come bending unto thee, and all thy despisers stretch themselves at the soles of thy feet, and call thee City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15. Whereas thou wast forsaken and hated, and no one walked through thee, I make thee now into eternal splendour, a rapture from generation to generation. 16. And thou suckest the milk of nations, and the breast of kings thou wilt suck, and learn that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17. For copper I bring gold, and for iron I bring silver, and for wood copper, and for stones iron, and to make peace thy magistracy, and righteousness thy bailiffs.[3] 18. Injustice is no more seen in thy land, wasting and destruction in thy borders; and thou callest salvation thy walls, and renown thy gates.

19. The sun will be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness will the moon shine upon thee: Jehovah will be to thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20. Thy sun will no more go down and thy moon will not be withdrawn: for Jehovah will be to thee an everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning will be finished. 21. And thy people, they are all righteous; they possess the land for a sprout of My plantations, a work of My hands for glorification. 22. The smallest one will become thousands, and the meanest one a powerful nation.

I, Jehovah, will hasten it in His time.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] "Then shalt thou look and overflow with joy."--_Jones._
"Then shalt thou see and be radiant."--_Cheyne._

[2] "And their kings royally attended."--_Jones_