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Chapter 63
What is he this,
that cometh from *Edom, with stained red clothes of *Bosra: ( which
is so costly cloth ) and cometh in so nimbly with all his strength:
I am he that teacheth righteousness, and am of power to help.
Wherefore then is thy clothing red, and thy raiment like his that
treadeth the winepress? I have trodden the press myself alone, and
of all people, there was not one with me. Thus have I trodden down
mine enemies in my wrath, and set my feet upon them in my
indignation: And their blood sprang upon my clothes, and so have I
stained all my raiment. For that day of vengeance that I have taken
in hand, and the year of my deliverance is come. I looked about me,
and there was no man to show me any help, I fell down, and no man
held me up. Then I held me by mine own arm, and my ferventness sustained me. And thus have I trodden down the people in my wrath, and bathed them
in my displeasure: In so much that I have shed their blood upon the
earth.
I will declare the goodness of the Lord, ye and the praise of
the Lord for all that he hath given us, for the great good that he
hath done for Israel: which he hath given them of his own favor, and
according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he said: These no doubt will be my people, and no shrinking children,
and so he was their Saviour. In their troubles he forsook them not,
but the angel that went forth from his presence delivered them: Of
very love and kindness that he had unto them, redeemed he them: He
hath born them, and carried them up ever, since the world began. But
after they provoked him to wrath and vexed his holy mind, he was
their enemy, and fought against them himself. Yet remembered he the
old time of Moses and his people: How he had brought them from the
water of the sea, as a shepherd doeth with his sheep: how he had
given his holy spirit among them: how he had led Moses by the right
hand with his glorious arm: how he had divided the water before them
( whereby he gat himself an everlasting name ) how he led them in
the deep, as an horse is led in the plain, that they should not
stumble. The spirit of the Lord led them as a tame beast goeth in
the field.
Thus ( O' God ) hast thou led thy people, to make thyself a
glorious name withal. Look down then from heaven, and behold the
dwelling place of thy Sanctuary and thy glory. How is it, that thy
jealousy, thy strength, the multitude of thy mercies and thy loving
kindness, will not be entreated us. Yet art thou our father: For
Abraham knoweth us not, neither is Israel acquainted with us. But
thou Lord art our father and redeemer, and thy name is everlasting.
O' Lord wherefore hast thou led us out of thy way? Wherefore hast
thou hardened our hearts, that we fear thee not ? Be at one with us
again, for thy servants sake that are the generation of thine
heritage. Thy people hath had but little of thy Sanctuary in
possession, for our enemies have taken it in: And we are be come
even as we were from the beginning: but thou art not their Lord, for
they have not called upon thy name.
*Edom..is a name given to Esau as well as to the nation descending from him. *Bosra ...is modern day Iraq
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Chapter 64
Oh that thou
wouldest cleave the heaven in sunder, and come down: that the
mountains might melt away at thy presence, like as at an hot fire
that the malicious might boil, as the water doth upon the fire:
Whereby thy name might be known among thine enemies, and that the
Gentiles might tremble before thee. That thou mightest come down
with thy wonderous strange works, then should the hills melt away at thy
presence. For since the beginning of the world there was none (
except thou O' God ) that heard or perceived, neither hath any seen
what thou doest for them, that put their trust in thee.
Thou helpest him that doth right with cheerfulness, and them
that think upon thy ways. But lo, thou art angry, for we offend, and
have been ever in sin, and there is not one whole. We are all as an
unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as the clothes
stained with the flours of a woman: we fall every each one as a
leaf, for our sins carry us away like the wind. There is no man that
calleth upon thy name, that standeth up to take hold by thee.
Therefore hidest thou thy face from us and consumest us, because of
our sins.
But now O' Lord, thou father of ours: we are the clay, and
thou art our potter, and we all are the work of thy hands. Be not
too sore displeased ( O' Lord ) and keep not our offenses too long
in thy remembrance, but consider that we all are thy people. The
cities of thy Sanctuary lay waste, Sion is a wilderness, and
Jerusalem a desert. Our holy house which is our beauty, where our
fathers praised thee, is burnt up: yee all our commodities and
pleasures are wasted away. Wilt thou not be entreated (Lord) for all
this? Wilt thou hold thy peace, and scourge us so sore?
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Chapter 65
They shall seek
me, that hitherto have not asked for me, they shall find me, that
hitherto have not sought me. Then shall I say immediately to the
people that never called upon my name: I am here, I am here. For
thus long have I ever holden out my hands to an unfaithful people,
that go not in the right way, but after their own imaginations: To a
people that is ever defying me to my face. They make their oblations
in gardens, and their smoke upon altars of brick, they lurk among
the graves, and lie in the dens all night. They eat swine flesh, and
unclean broth in their vessels. If thou comest nye them, they say:
touch me not, for I am holier than thou.
All these men when I am angry, shall be turned to smoke and
fire, that shall burn for ever. Behold, it is written before my
face, and shall not be forgotten, but recompensed. I shall reward it
them into their bosom: I mean your misdeeds, and the misdeeds of
your fathers together ( saith the Lord ) which have made their
smokes upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills:
therefore will I measure their old deeds into their bosom again. Moreover thus saith the Lord: like as when one would gather
holy grapes, men say unto him: break it not off for it is holy: even
so will I do also for my servants sakes, that I will not destroy
them all. But I will take a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah one,
to take possession of my hill. My chosen shall possess these things,
and my servants shall dwell there. Saron shall be a sheepfold, and
the valley of Achor shall give the stalling for the cattle of my
people, that fear me. But as for you, ye are they, that have forsake
the Lord, and forgotten my holy hill. Yee have set up an altar to
fortune, and given rich drink offerings unto treasure. Therefore
will I number you with the sword, that ye shall be destroyed all
together. For when I called, no man gave me answer: when I spake, ye
hearkened not unto me, but did wickedness before mine eyes, and
chose the thing that pleased me not.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, my servants shall
eat, but ye shall have hunger. Behold, my servants shall drink, but
ye shall suffer thirst. Behold, my servants shall be merry, but ye
shall be confounded. Behold, my servants shall rejoice for very
quietness of heart: But ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and
complain for vexation of mind. Your name shall not be sworn by among
my chosen, for God the Lord shall slay you, and call his servants by
another name. Whoso rejoiceth upon the earth, shall rejoice in the
true God: And whoso sweareth upon the earth, shall swear in the true
God. For the old enmity shall be forgotten, and taken away out of my
sight. For lo, I shall make a new heaven, and a new earth. And as
for the old, they shall never be thought upon, ner kept in mind: but
men shall be glad and evermore rejoice, for the things, that I shall
do.
For why? Behold, I shall make a joyful Jerusalem, yee I myself
will rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with my people: And the
voice of weeping and wailing shall not be heard in her from
thenceforth. There shall never be child nor old man, that have not
their full days. But when the child cometh to an hundred years old,
it shall die. And if he that is an hundred years of age do wrong, he
shall be cursed. They shall build houses, and dwell in them: they
shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not
build, and another possess: they shall not plant, and another eat:
But the life of my people shall be like a tree, and so shall the
work of their hands.
My chosen shall live long, they shall not labor in vain, ner
beget with trouble: for they are the high blessed seed of the Lord, and
their fruits with them. And it shall be, that or ever they call, I
shall answer them. While they are yet but thinking how to speak, I
shall hear them. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the
lion shall eat hay like the bullock. But earth shall be the serpents
meat. There shall no man hurt nor slay another, in all my holy hill,
sayeth the Lord.
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Chapter 66
Thus saith the Lord: Heaven is
my feet, and the earth is my footstool. Where shall now that house
stand that ye build unto me? And where shall be the place, that I
will dwell in ? As for these things, my hand hath made them all, and
they are all created, saith the Lord. Which of them shall I then
regard? Even him that is of a lowly troubled spirit, and standeth in
awe of my works. For who so slayeth an ox for me, doeth me so great
dishonor, as he that killeth a man. He that killeth a sheep for me,
choketh a dog. He that bringeth me meat offerings, offereth swines
blood: Who so maketh me a memorial of incense, praiseth the thing
that is unright. Yet take they such ways in hand, and their soul
delighteth in these abominations.
Therefore will I also have pleasure in laughing them to scorn,
and the thing that they fear, will I bring upon them. For when I
called no man gave answer: when I spake, they would not hear: But
did wickedness before mine eyes, and chose the things that
displeaseth me. Hear the word of God all ye, that fear the thing
which he speaketh. Your brethren that hate you, and cast you out for
my names sake, say: Let the Lord magnify himself, that we may see
your gladness: and yet they shall be confounded.
For as touching the city and the temple, I hear the voice of
the Lord, that will reward, and recompense his enemies: like as when
a wife bringeth forth a man child, or ever she suffer the pain of
the birth and anguish of the travail. Who ever heard or saw such
things ? doth the ground bare in one day? or are the people born all
at once, as Sion beareth her sons? For thus sayeth the Lord: Am I he
that maketh other to beare, and beare not myself? Am not I he that
beareth, and maketh barren? sayeth thy God. Rejoice with Jerusalem,
and be glad with her, all ye that love her. Be joyful with her, all
ye that mourned for her. For ye shall suck comfort out of her
breasts, and be satisfied. Ye shall taste, and have delight in the
plenteousness of her power. For thus saith the Lord: behold, I will
let peace into her, like a water flood, and the might of the Heathen
like a flowing stream. Then shall thee suck, ye shall be born upon
her sides, and be joyful upon her knees. For like as a child is
comforted of his mother, so shall I comfort you, and ye shall be
comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your heart shall
rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb.
Thus shall the hand of the Lord be known among his servants,
and his indignation among his enemies. For behold, the Lord will
come with fire, and his chariot shall be like a whirlwind, that he
may recompense his vengeance in his wrath and indignation with flame
of fire. For the Lord shall judge all flesh with the fire and with
his sword, and there shall be a great number slain of the Lord. Such
as have made themselves holy and clean in gardens, and those that
have eaten swines flesh, mice, and other abominations, shall be
taken away together, sayeth the Lord. For I will come to gather all
people and tongues with their works and imaginations: these shall
come, and see my glory. Unto them shall I give a token, and send
certain of them ( that be delivered ) among the Gentiles: into
Celicia, *Atrica and Lidia (where men can handle bows ) into *Italye
also and Greek land.
The isles far off, that have not heard speak of me, and have
not seen my glory, shall preach my praise among the Gentiles and
shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord, out of
all the people upon horses, chariots and horse litters, upon Mules
and carts to Jerusalem my holy hill ( sayeth the Lord ) like as the
children of Israel bring the offering in clean vessels, to the house
of the Lord.
And I shall take out certain of them for to be priests and
levites, sayeth the Lord. For like as the new heaven and the new
earth which I will make, shall be fast established by me: ( sayeth
the Lord ) So shall your seed and your name continue and there shall
be a new Moon for the other, and a new Sabbath for the other, and
all flesh shall come to worship before me ( sayeth the Lord ) And
they shall go forth and look upon the *carions of them that have
transgressed against me. For their worms shall not die, neither
shall their fire be quenched, and all flesh shall abhor them.
*Atrica (Africa?) *Italye (Italy) *carions (dead bodies)
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Chapters 1-9
| 10-19
| 20-29
| 30-37
| 38-44
| 45-52
| 53-62
| 63-end
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