But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; But thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; Neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, Nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, Neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, And will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: And thy teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, And have given Jacob to the curse, YET now hear, O Jacob my servant; And Israel, whom I have chosen: And formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; And thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, grass, And another shall call himself by the name of And another shall subscribe with his hand unto the And surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, And his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; And beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, And shall declare it, and set it in order for me, And the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: Have not I told thee from that time, And have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any. They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; And their delectable things shall not profit; They see not, nor know; that they may be Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image That is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: And the workmen, they are of men: Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; Yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, And fashioneth it with hammers, And worketh it with the strength of his arms: The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; He fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, And maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; That it may remain in the house. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cy press and the oak, Which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. For he will take thereof, and warm himself; Yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; He maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; With part thereof he eateth flesh; He roasteth roast, and is satisfied: Yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: He falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, And saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: For he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; And their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, Neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; Yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: And shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? A deceived heart hath turned him aside, And Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, And, as a cloud, thy sins: Return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: |