ISAIAH - 2 (40장~66장)

[사랑나눔빵섬김이(황효덕)]

 chapter 40

"Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God.
"Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the Lord's hand Double for all her sins."
A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
"Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see [it] together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. "

A voice says, "Call out." Then he answered, "What shall I call out?" All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.
Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift [it] up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!"
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, And His recompense before Him.

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, And carry [them] in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing [ewes.]
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance, And the hills in a pair of scales?
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him?
With whom did He consult and [who] gave Him understanding? And [who] taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, And informed Him of the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
[As for] the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith [fashions] chains of silver.
He who is too impoverished for [such] an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
He [it is] who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble.
"To whom then will you liken Me That I should be [his] equal?" says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these [stars,] The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of [His] power Not one [of them] is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
He gives strength to the weary, And to [him who] lacks might He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up [with] wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

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 chapter 41

"Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength; Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment.
"Who has aroused one from the east Whom He calls in righteousness to His feet? He delivers up nations before him, And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, As the wind-driven chaff with his bow.
"He pursues them, passing on in safety, By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.
"Who has performed and accomplished [it,] Calling forth the generations from the beginning? 'I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'"
The coastlands have seen and are afraid; The ends of the earth tremble; They have drawn near and have come.

Each one helps his neighbor, And says to his brother, "Be strong!"
So the craftsman encourages the smelter, [And] he who smooths [metal] with the hammer [encourages] him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering, "It is good"; And he fastens it with nails, [That] it should not totter.
"But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend,
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts, And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.
'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

"Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those who contend with you will be as nothing, and will perish.
"You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing, and non-existent.
"For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'
"Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you," declares the LORD," and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
"Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges; You will thresh the mountains, and pulverize [them,] And will make the hills like chaff.

"You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And the storm will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the LORD, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, [As] the God of Israel I will not forsake them.
"I will open rivers on the bare heights, And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land fountains of water.
"I will put the cedar in the wilderness, The acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert, Together with the box tree and the cypress,
That they may see and recognize, And consider and gain insight as well, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

"Present your case," the LORD says. "Bring forward your strong [arguments,]" The King of Jacob says.
Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former [events,] declare what they [were,] That we may consider them, and know their outcome; Or announce to us what is coming.
Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.
Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.
"I have aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as [ upon] mortar, Even as the potter treads clay."

Who has declared [this] from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, "[He is] right!"? Surely there was no one who declared, Surely there was no one who proclaimed, Surely there was no one who heard your words.
"Formerly [I said] to Zion, 'Behold, here they are.' And to Jerusalem, 'I will give a messenger of good news.'
"But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer.
"Behold, all of them are false; Their works are worthless, Their molten images are wind and emptiness.

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 chapter 42

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one [in whom] My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.
"He will not cry out or raise [His voice,] Nor make His voice heard in the street.
"A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
"He will not be disheartened or crushed, Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law."
Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk in it,

"I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations,
To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
"I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.
"Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim [them] to you."
Sing to the LORD a new song, [Sing] His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands and those who dwell on them.

Let the wilderness and its cities lift up [their voices,] The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the LORD, And declare His praise in the coastlands.
The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse [His] zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.
"I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. [Now] like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both gasp and pant.
"I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And wither all their vegetation; I will make the rivers into coastlands, And dry up the ponds.

"And I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone."
They shall be turned back and be utterly put to shame, Who trust in idols, Who say to molten images, "You are our gods."
Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind, that you may see.
Who is blind but My servant, Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace [with Me,] Or so blind as the servant of the LORD?
You have seen many things, but you do not observe [them]; [Your] ears are open, but none hears.

The LORD was pleased for His righteousness' sake To make the law great and glorious.
But this is a people plundered and despoiled; All of them are trapped in caves, Or are hidden away in prisons; They have become a prey with none to deliver [them,] And a spoil, with none to say, "Give [them] back!"
Who among you will give ear to this? Who will give heed and listen hereafter?
Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, And in whose ways they were not willing to walk, And whose law they did not obey?
So He poured out on him the heat of His anger And the fierceness of battle; And it set him aflame all around, Yet he did not recognize [it;] And it burned him, but he paid no attention.

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 chapter 43

But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.
"For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.
"Since you are precious in My sight, [Since] you are honored and I love you, I will give [other] men in your place and [other] peoples in exchange for your life.
"Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west.

"I will say to the north, 'Give [them] up!' And to the south, 'Do not hold [them] back.' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made. "
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears.
All the nations have gathered together In order that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, "It is true."
"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, In order that you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.

"I, even I, am the LORD; And there is no savior besides Me.
"It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange [god] among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God.
"Even from eternity I am He; And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?"
Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, " For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, Even the Chaldeans, into the ships in which they rejoice.
"I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King."

Thus says the LORD, Who makes a way through the sea And a path through the mighty waters,
Who brings forth the chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together [and] not rise again; They have been quenched [and] extinguished like a wick):
"Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past.
"Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.
"The beasts of the field will glorify Me; The jackals and the ostriches; Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people.

"The people whom I formed for Myself, Will declare My praise.
"Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, O Israel.
"You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings; Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with incense.
"You have bought Me no sweet cane with money, Neither have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; Rather you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

"Put Me in remembrance; let us argue our case together, State your [cause,] that you may be proved right.
"Your first forefather sinned, And your spokesmen have transgressed against Me.
"So I will pollute the princes of the sanctuary; And I will consign Jacob to the ban, and Israel to revilement.

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 chapter 44

"But now listen, O Jacob, My servant; And Israel, whom I have chosen:
Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, 'Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
'For I will pour out water on the thirsty [land] And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, And My blessing on your descendants;
And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water. '
"This one will say, 'I am the Lord's'; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write [on] his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD ,'And will name Israel's name with honor.

"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.
'And who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place.
'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any [other] Rock? I know of none.' "
Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame.
Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit?

Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.
The man shapes iron into a cutting tool, and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers, and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.
[Another] shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes, and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house.
Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak, and raises [it] for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow.
Then it becomes [something] for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image, and falls down before it.

Half of it he burns in the fire; over [this] half he eats meat as he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire."
But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for thou art my god."
They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.
And no one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire, and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat [it.] Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!"
He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

"Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.
"I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."
Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done [it!] Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the LORD has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory.
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, And spreading out the earth all alone,
Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back, And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

Confirm‎!ing the word of His servant, And performing the purpose of His messengers. [It is I] who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built.' And I will raise up her ruins [again.]
"[It is I] who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers dry.
"[It is I] who says of Cyrus, '[He is] My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'"

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 chapter 45

Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him, And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
"I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze, and cut through their iron bars.
"And I will give you the treasures of darkness, And hidden wealth of secret places, In order that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.
"For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen [one,] I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me.
"I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me;

That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other,
The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.
"Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it.
"Woe to [the one] who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making [say,] 'He has no hands'?
"Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' Or to a woman, 'To what are you giving birth?'"

Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: " Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.
"It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I ordained all their host.
"I have aroused him in righteousness, And I will make all his ways smooth; He will build My city, and will let My exiles go free, Without any payment or reward," says the LORD of hosts.
Thus says the LORD, "The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains And will bow down to you; They will make supplication to you: 'Surely, God is with you, and there is none else, No other God.'"
Truly, Thou art a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!

They will be put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.
Israel has been saved by the LORD With an everlasting salvation; You will not be put to shame or humiliated To all eternity.
For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, [But] formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.
"I have not spoken in secret, In some dark land; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek Me in a waste place'; I, the LORD, speak righteousness Declaring things that are upright.
"Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations; They have no knowledge, Who carry about their wooden idol, And pray to a god who cannot save.

"Declare and set forth [your case;] Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.
"Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.
"I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear [allegiance.]
"They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame.
"In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified, and will glory."

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 chapter 46

Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their images are [consigned] to the beasts and the cattle. The things that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary [beast.]
They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.
"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth, And have been carried from the womb;
Even to your old age, I shall be the same, And even to your graying years I shall bear [you!] I have done [it,] and I shall carry [you;] And I shall bear [you,] and I shall deliver [you.]
"To whom would you liken Me, And make Me equal and compare Me, That we should be alike?

"Those who lavish gold from the purse And weigh silver on the scale Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it [into] a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it.
"They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; They set it in its place and it stands [there.] It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; It cannot deliver him from his distress.
"Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors.
"Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; [I am] God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';

Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned [it, surely] I will do it.
"Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, Who are far from righteousness.
"I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, [And] My glory for Israel.

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 chapter 47

"Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans. For you shall no longer be called tender and delicate.
"Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.
"Your nakedness will be uncovered, Your shame also will be exposed; I will take vengeance and will not spare a man."
Our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.
"Sit silently, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; For you will no more be called The queen of kingdoms.

"I was angry with My people, I profaned My heritage, And gave them into your hand. You did not show mercy to them, On the aged you made your yoke very heavy.
"Yet you said, 'I shall be a queen forever.' These things you did not consider, Nor remember the outcome of them.
"Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, Who dwells securely, Who says in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me. I shall not sit as a widow, Nor shall I know loss of children.'
"But these two things shall come on you suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They shall come on you in full measure In spite of your many sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells.
"And you felt secure in your wickedness and said, 'No one sees me,' Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you; For you have said in your heart,' I am, and there is no one besides me. '

"But evil will come on you Which you will not know how to charm away; And disaster will fall on you For which you cannot atone, And destruction about which you do not know Will come on you suddenly.
"Stand [fast] now in your spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.
"You are wearied with your many counsels; Let now the astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and save you from what will come upon you.
"Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by, [Nor] a fire to sit before!
"So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Who have trafficked with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own way. There is none to save you.

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 chapter 48

"Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel And who came forth from the loins of Judah, Who swear by the name of the LORD And invoke the God of Israel, [But] not in truth nor in righteousness.
"For they call themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is His name.
"I declared the former things long ago And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
"Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew, And your forehead bronze,
Therefore I declared [them] to you long ago, Before they took place I proclaimed [them] to you, Lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.'

"You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, Even hidden things which you have not known.
"They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, Lest you should say, 'Behold, I knew them.'
"You have not heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a rebel from birth.
"For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And [for] My praise I restrain [it] for you, In order not to cut you off.
"Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

"For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can [My name] be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.
"Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.
"Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together.
"Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he shall carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, And His arm [shall be against] the Chaldeans.
"I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

"Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit."
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; " I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.
"If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
"Your descendants would have been like the sand, And your offspring like its grains; Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence."
Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this, Send it out to the end of the earth; Say, "The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob."

And they did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock, and the water gushed forth.
"There is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD.

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 chapter 49

Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me.
And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me, And He has also made Me a select arrow; He has hidden Me in His quiver.
And He said to Me, "You are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory."
But I said, "I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice [due] to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God."
And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength),

He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, [and] its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, "Kings shall see and arise, Princes shall also bow down; Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You."
Thus says the LORD, "In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make [them] inherit the desolate heritages;
Saying to those who are bound, 'Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all bare heights.
"They will not hunger or thirst, Neither will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them, And will guide them to springs of water.

"And I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up.
"Behold, these shall come from afar; And lo, these [will come] from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim."
Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have compassion on His afflicted.
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

"Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms [of My hands;] Your walls are continually before Me.
"Your builders hurry; Your destroyers and devastators Will depart from you.
"Lift up your eyes and look around; All of them gather together, they come to you. As I live," declares the LORD, "You shall surely put on all of them as jewels, and bind them on as a bride.
"For your waste and desolate places, and your destroyed land-- Surely now you will be too cramped for the inhabitants, And those who swallowed you will be far away.
"The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, ' The place is too cramped for me; Make room for me that I may live [here]. '

"Then you will say in your heart, 'Who has begotten these for me, Since I have been bereaved of my children, And am barren, an exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I was left alone; From where did these come?'"
Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, And set up My standard to the peoples; And they will bring your sons in [their] bosom, And your daughters will be carried on [their] shoulders.
"And kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick the dust of your feet; And [you] will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.
"Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, Or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?"
Surely, thus says the LORD, "Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will save your sons.

"And I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all flesh will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

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 chapter 50

Thus says the LORD, "Where is the certificate of divorce, By which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
"Why was there no man when I came? When I called, [why] was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water, And die of thirst.
"I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering."
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens [Me] morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient, Nor did I turn back.

I gave My back to those who strike [Me,] And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.
For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I shall not be ashamed.
He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me.
Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them.
Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

Behold, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with firebrands, Walk in the light of your fire And among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from My hand; And you will lie down in torment.

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 chapter 51

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the quarry from which you were dug.
"Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When [he was] one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him."
Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.
"Pay attention to Me, O My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples.
"My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And for My arm they will wait expectantly.

"Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment, And its inhabitants will die in like manner, But My salvation shall be forever, And My righteousness shall not wane.
"Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Neither be dismayed at their revilings.
"For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness shall be forever, And My salvation to all generations."
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not Thou who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon?
Was it not Thou who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over?

So the ransomed of the LORD will return, And come with joyful shouting to Zion; And everlasting joy [will be] on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, And of the son of man who is made like grass;
That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens, And laid the foundations of the earth; That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor?
"The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking.
"For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the LORD of hosts is His name).

"And I have put My words in your mouth, and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'"
Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the Lord's hand the cup of His anger; The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.
There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; Nor is there one to take her by the hand among all the sons she has reared.
These two things have befallen you; Who will mourn for you? The devastation and destruction, famine and sword; How shall I comfort you?
Your sons have fainted, They lie [helpless] at the head of every street, Like an antelope in a net, Full of the wrath of the LORD, The rebuke of your God.

Therefore, please hear this, you afflicted, Who are drunk, but not with wine:
Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God Who contends for His people, "Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling; The chalice of My anger, You will never drink it again.
"And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, Who have said to you, 'Lie down that we may walk over you.' You have even made your back like the ground, And like the street for those who walk over [it]."

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 chapter 52

Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For the uncircumcised and the unclean Will no more come into you.
Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
For thus says the LORD, "You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed without money."
For thus says the Lord GOD, "My people went down at the first into Egypt to reside there, then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
"Now therefore, what do I have here," declares the LORD, "seeing that My people have been taken away without cause?" [Again] the LORD declares, "Those who rule over them howl, and My name is continually blasphemed all day long.

"Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, 'Here I am.'"
How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, [And] says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
Listen! Your watchmen lift up [their] voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the LORD restores Zion.
Break forth, shout joyfully together, You waste places of Jerusalem; For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared His holy arm In the sight of all the nations, That all the ends of the earth may see The salvation of our God.

Depart, depart, go out from there, Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the LORD.
But you will not go out in haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel [will be] your rear guard.
Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted.
Just as many were astonished at you, [My people,] So His appearance was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men.
Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand.

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 chapter 53

Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no [stately] form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke [was due?]
His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting [Him] to grief; If He would render Himself [as] a guilt offering, He will see [His] offspring, He will prolong [His] days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see [it] and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

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 chapter 54

"Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no [child;] Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one [will be] more numerous Than the sons of the married woman," says the LORD.
"Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your pegs.
"For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations, And they will resettle the desolate cities.
"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; Neither feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
"For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.

"For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of [one's] youth when she is rejected," Says your God.
"For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you.
"In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you," Says the LORD your Redeemer.
"For this is like the days of Noah to Me; When I swore that the waters of Noah Should not flood the earth again, So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, Nor will I rebuke you.
"For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you.

"O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, And your foundations I will lay in sapphires.
"Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones.
"And all your sons will be taught of the LORD; And the well-being of your sons will be great.
"In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; And from terror, for it will not come near you.
"If anyone fiercely assails [you] it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you.

"Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals, And brings out a weapon for its work; And I have created the destroyer to ruin.
"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.

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 chapter 55

"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.
"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.
"Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [According to] the faithful mercies shown to David.
"Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, A leader and commander for the peoples.
"Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you."

Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
"For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding [in the matter] for which I sent it.
"For you will go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap [their] hands.
"Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up; And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off."

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 chapter 56

Thus says the LORD, "Preserve justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.
"How blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who takes hold of it; Who keeps from profaning the sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil."
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from His people." Neither let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."
For thus says the LORD, "To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant,
To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.

"Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath, And holds fast My covenant;
Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. "
The Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, "Yet [others] I will gather to them, to those [already] gathered."
All you beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to eat.
His watchmen are blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are dumb dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;

And the dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied. And they are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all turned to their own way, Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one.
"Come," [they say,] "let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so."

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 chapter 57

The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil,
He enters into peace; They rest in their beds, [Each one] who walked in his upright way.
"But come here, you sons of a sorceress, Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.
"Against whom do you jest? Against whom do you open wide your mouth And stick out your tongue? Are you not children of rebellion, Offspring of deceit,
[Who] inflame yourselves among the oaks, Under every luxuriant tree, Who slaughter the children in the ravines, Under the clefts of the crags?

"Among the smooth [stones] of the ravine Is your portion, they are your lot; Even to them you have poured out a libation, You have made a grain offering. Shall I relent concerning these things?
"Upon a high and lofty mountain You have made your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
"And behind the door and the doorpost You have set up your sign; Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself; And have gone up and made your bed wide. And you have made an agreement for yourself with them, You have loved their bed, You have looked on [their] manhood.
"And you have journeyed to the king with oil And increased your perfumes; You have sent your envoys a great distance, And made [them] go down to Sheol.
"You were tired out by the length of your road, [Yet] you did not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewed strength, Therefore you did not faint.

"Of whom were you worried and fearful, When you lied, and did not remember Me, Nor give [Me] a thought? Was I not silent even for a long time So you do not fear Me?
"I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, But they will not profit you.
"When you cry out, let your collection [of idols] deliver you. But the wind will carry all of them up, And a breath will take [them away.] But he who takes refuge in Me shall inherit the land, And shall possess My holy mountain."
And it shall be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove [every] obstacle out of the way of My people."
For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell [on] a high and holy place, And [also] with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.

"For I will not contend forever, Neither will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the breath [of those whom] I have made.
"Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid [My face] and was angry, And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.
"I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners,
Creating the praise of the lips. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near, "Says the LORD," and I will heal him. "
But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.

"There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

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 chapter 58

"Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression, And to the house of Jacob their sins.
"Yet they seek Me day by day, and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness, And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me [for] just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God.
'Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? [Why] have we humbled ourselves and Thou dost not notice?' Behold, on the day of your fast you find [your] desire, And drive hard all your workers.
"Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like [you do] today to make your voice heard on high.
"Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed, And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD?

"Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke?
"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
"Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry, And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness, And your gloom [will become] like midday.

"And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
"And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.
"If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your [ own] pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy [day] of the LORD honorable, And shall honor it, desisting from your [own] ways, From seeking your [own] pleasure, And speaking [your own] word,
Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you [with] the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. "

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 chapter 59

Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short That it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden [His] face from you, so that He does not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness.
No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion, and speak lies; They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And [from] that which is crushed a snake breaks forth.

Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands.
Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Devastation and destruction are in their highways.
They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked; Whoever treads on them does not know peace.
Therefore, justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness; For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
We grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We stumble at midday as in the twilight, Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men.

All of us growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, [but] it is far from us.
For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities:
Transgressing and denying the LORD, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving [in] and uttering from the heart lying words.
And justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter.
Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.

And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; And His righteousness upheld Him.
And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
According to [their] deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.
So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream, Which the wind of the LORD drives.
"And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD.

"And as for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: " My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring, "says the LORD," from now and forever. "

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 chapter 60

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
"For behold, darkness will cover the earth, And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you.
"And nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
"Lift up your eyes round about, and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms.
"Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you.

"A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the LORD.
"All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house.
"Who are these who fly like a cloud, And like the doves to their lattices?
"Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish [ will come] first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.
"And foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you.

"And your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that [men] may bring to you the wealth of the nations, With their kings led in procession.
"For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined.
"The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The juniper, the box tree, and the cypress together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I shall make the place of My feet glorious.
"And the sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, And all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
"Whereas you have been forsaken and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, A joy from generation to generation.

"You will also suck the milk of nations, And will suck the breast of kings; Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
"Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your administrators, And righteousness your overseers.
"Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.
"No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory.
"Your sun will set no more, Neither will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be finished.

"Then all your people [will be] righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.
"The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time."

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 chapter 61

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives, And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
To grant those who mourn [in] Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations, And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.
And strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

But you will be called the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of [as] ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast.
Instead of your shame [you will have a] double [portion,] And [instead of] humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double [portion] in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs.
For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense, And I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Then their offspring will be known among the nations, And their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them Because they are the offspring [whom] the LORD has blessed.
I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations.

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 chapter 62

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her salvation like a torch that is burning.
And the nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will designate.
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And your land, "Married"; For the LORD delights in you, And [to Him] your land will be married.
For [as] a young man marries a virgin, [So] your sons will marry you; And [as] the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, [So] your God will rejoice over you.

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves;
And give Him no rest until He establishes And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, "I will never again give your grain [as] food for your enemies; Nor will foreigners drink your new wine, for which you have labored."
But those who garner it will eat it, and praise the LORD; And those who gather it will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary.
Go through, go through the gates; Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway; Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples.

Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him."
And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken."

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 chapter 63

Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save."
Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
"I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger, And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment.
"For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come.
"And I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me; And My wrath upheld Me.

"And I trod down the peoples in My anger, And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."
I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has granted us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according to His compassion, And according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
For He said, "Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely." So He became their Savior.
In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them; And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.
But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.

Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them,
Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,
Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble;
As the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So didst Thou lead Thy people, To make for Thyself a glorious name.
Look down from heaven, and see from Thy holy and glorious habitation; Where are Thy zeal and Thy mighty deeds? The stirrings of Thy heart and Thy compassion are restrained toward me.

For Thou art our Father, though Abraham does not know us, And Israel does not recognize us. Thou, O LORD, art our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Thy name.
Why, O LORD, dost Thou cause us to stray from Thy ways, And harden our heart from fearing Thee? Return for the sake of Thy servants, the tribes of Thy heritage.
Thy holy people possessed Thy sanctuary for a little while, Our adversaries have trodden [it] down.
We have become [like] those over whom Thou hast never ruled, [Like] those who were not called by Thy name.

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 chapter 64

Oh, that Thou wouldst rend the heavens [and] come down, That the mountains might quake at Thy presence--
As fire kindles the brushwood, [as] fire causes water to boil-- To make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, [That] the nations may tremble at Thy presence!
When Thou didst awesome things which we did not expect, Thou didst come down, the mountains quaked at Thy presence.
For from of old they have not heard nor perceived by ear, Neither has the eye seen a God besides Thee, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
Thou dost meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers Thee in Thy ways. Behold, Thou wast angry, for we sinned, [We continued] in them a long time; And shall we be saved?

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
And there is no one who calls on Thy name, Who arouses himself to take hold of Thee; For Thou hast hidden Thy face from us, And hast delivered us into the power of our iniquities.
But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father, We are the clay, and Thou our potter; And all of us are the work of Thy hand.
Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD, Neither remember iniquity forever; Behold, look now, all of us are Thy people.
Thy holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Our holy and beautiful house, Where our fathers praised Thee, Has been burned [by] fire; And all our precious things have become a ruin.
Wilt Thou restrain Thyself at these things, O LORD? Wilt Thou keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?

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 chapter 65

"I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask [for Me;] I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' To a nation which did not call on My name.
"I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk [in] the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,
A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks;
Who sit among graves, and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine's flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is [in] their pots.
"Who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.

"Behold, it is written before Me, I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay into their bosom,
Both their own iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together, "says the LORD." Because they have burned incense on the mountains, And scorned Me on the hills, Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom. "
Thus says the LORD, "As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, 'Do not destroy it, for there is benefit in it,' So I will act on behalf of My servants In order not to destroy all of them.
"And I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, And an heir of My mountains from Judah; Even My chosen ones shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there.
"And Sharon shall be a pasture land for flocks, And the valley of Achor a resting place for herds, For My people who seek Me.

"But you who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who set a table for Fortune, And who fill [cups] with mixed wine for Destiny,
I will destine you for the sword, And all of you shall bow down to the slaughter. Because I called, but you did not answer; I spoke, but you did not hear. And you did evil in My sight, And chose that in which I did not delight. "
Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry. Behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty. Behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame.
"Behold, My servants shall shout joyfully with a glad heart, But you shall cry out with a heavy heart, And you shall wail with a broken spirit.
"And you will leave your name for a curse to My chosen ones, And the Lord GOD will slay you. But My servants will be called by another name.

"Because he who is blessed in the earth Shall be blessed by the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight!
"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.
"But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem [for] rejoicing, And her people [for] gladness.
"I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
"No longer will there be in it an infant [who lives but a few] days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Shall be [thought] accursed.

"And they shall build houses and inhabit [them;] They shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
"They shall not build, and another inhabit, They shall not plant, and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, [so shall be] the days of My people, And My chosen ones shall wear out the work of their hands.
"They shall not labor in vain, Or bear [children] for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them.
"It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
"The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the LORD.

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 chapter 66

Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?
"For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
"[But] he who kills an ox is [like] one who slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb is [like] the one who breaks a dog's neck; He who offers a grain offering [is like one who offers] swine's blood; He who burns incense is [like] the one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their [own] ways, And their soul delights in their abominations,
So I will choose their punishments, And I will bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. And they did evil in My sight, And chose that in which I did not delight. "
Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word: "Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My name's sake, Have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.' But they will be put to shame.

"A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, The voice of the LORD who is rendering recompense to His enemies.
"Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
"Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.
"Shall I bring to the point of birth, and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut [the womb?]" says your God.
"Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her,

That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, That you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom. "
For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you shall be nursed, you shall be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees.
"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem."
Then you shall see [this,] and your heart shall be glad, And your bones shall flourish like the new grass; And the hand of the LORD shall be made known to His servants, But He shall be indignant toward His enemies.
For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many.
"Those who sanctify and purify themselves [to go] to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things, and mice, Shall come to an end altogether," declares the LORD.
"For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.
"And I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations.
"Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.

"I will also take some of them for priests [and] for Levites," says the LORD.
"For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So your offspring and your name will endure.
"And it shall be from new moon to new moon And from sabbath to sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the LORD.
"Then they shall go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, And their fire shall not be quenched; And they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind."