Axial Commons
Hebrew / JewishChristianity
The smith taketh an instrument, and worketh in the coles, and facioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his armes: yea, he is an hungred, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
The carpenter stretcheth out a line: he facioneth it with a red thread, he planeth it, and he purtreyeth it with the compasse, and maketh it after the figure of a man, and according to the beautie of a man that it may remaine in an house.
He will hewe him downe cedars, and take the pine tree and the oke, and taketh courage among the trees of the forest: he planteth a firre tree, and the raine doeth nourish it.
And man burneth thereof: for he will take thereof and warme himselfe: he also kindleth it and baketh bread, yet he maketh a god, and worshippeth it: he maketh it an idole and boweth vnto it.
He burneth the halfe thereof euen in the fire, and vpon the halfe thereof he eateth flesh: he rosteth the roste and is satisfied: also he warmeth himselfe and sayth, Aha, I am warme, I haue bene at the fire.
And the residue thereof he maketh a god, euen his idole: he boweth vnto it, and worshippeth and prayeth vnto it, and sayeth, Deliuer me: for thou art my god.
They haue not knowen, nor vnderstand: for God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see, and their heartes, that they cannot vnderstand.
And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor vnderstanding to say, I haue burnt halfe of it, euen in the fire, and haue baked bread also vpon the coles thereof: I haue rosted flesh, and eaten it, and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I bowe to the stocke of a tree?
He feedeth of ashes: a seduced heart hath deceiued him, that he cannot deliuer his soule, nor say, Is there not a lye in my right hand?
Remember these (O Iaakob and Israel) for thou art my seruant: I haue formed thee: thou art my seruant: O Israel forget me not.
I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloude, and thy sinnes, as a mist: turne vnto me, for I haue redeemed thee.
Reioyce, ye heauens: for the Lord hath done it: shoute, ye lower partes of the earth: brast foorth into prayses, ye mountaines, O forest and euery tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Iaakob and will be glorified in Israel.
Thus sayeth the Lord thy redeemer and he that formed thee from the wombe, I am the Lord, that made all things, that spred out the heauens alone, and stretched out the earth by my selfe.
I destroy the tokens of ye southsayers, and make them that coniecture, fooles, and turne the wise men backwarde, and make their knowledge foolishnesse.
He confirmeth the worde of his seruant and performeth the counsell of his messengers, saying to Ierusalem, Thou shalt bee inhabited: and to the cities of Iudah, Yee shall be built vp, and I will repayre the decayed places thereof.
He saith to the deepe, Be drye and I will drye vp thy floods.
He saith to Cyrus, Thou art my shepheard: and he shall performe all my desire: saying also to Ierusalem, Thou shalt be built: and to the Temple, Thy foundation shall be surely layed.
Thus sayeth the Lord vnto Cyrus his anointed, whose right hand I haue holden to subdue nations before him: therefore will I weaken the loynes of Kings and open the doores before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
I will goe before thee and make the crooked streight: I will breake the brasen doores, and burst the yron barres.
And I will giue thee the treasures of darkenesse, and the things hid in secret places, that thou maist know that I am the Lord which call thee by thy name, euen the God of Israel.
For Iaakob my seruants sake, and Israel mine elect, I will euen call thee by thy name and name thee, though thou hast not knowen me.
I am the Lord and there is none other: there is no God besides me: I girded thee though thou hast not knowen me,
That they may knowe from the rising of the sunne and from the West, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is none other.
I forme the light and create darkenes: I make peace and create euill: I the Lord doe all these things.
Ye heauens, send the dewe from aboue, and let the cloudes droppe downe righteousnesse: let the earth open, and let saluation and iustice growe foorth: let it bring them foorth together: I the Lord haue created him.
Woe be vnto him that striueth with his maker, the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth: shall the clay say to him that facioneth it, What makest thou? or thy worke, It hath none hands?
Woe vnto him that sayeth to his father, What hast thou begotten? or to his mother, What hast thou brought foorth?
Thus saith the Lord, the holy one of Israel, and his maker, Aske me of things to come concerning my sonnes, and concerning the workes of mine hands: commande you me.
I haue made the earth, and created man vpon it: I, whose hands haue spred out the heauens, I haue euen commanded all their armie.
I haue raised him vp in righteousnesse, and I will direct all his wayes: he shall build my citie, and he shall let goe my captiues, not for price nor rewarde, saith the Lord of hostes.
Thus sayth the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and the marchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature shall come vnto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall follow thee, and shall goe in chaines: they shall fall downe before thee, and make supplication vnto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none other God besides.
Verely thou, O God, hidest thy selfe, O God, the Sauiour of Israel.
All they shalbe ashamed and also confounded: they shall goe to confusion together, that are the makers of images.
But Israel shall be saued in the Lord, with an euerlasting saluation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded worlde without ende.
For thus saith the Lord (that created heauen, God himselfe, that formed the earth, and made it: he that prepared it, he created it not in vaine: he formed it to be inhabited) I am the Lord, and there is none other.
I haue not spoken in secrete, neither in a place of darkenes in the earth: I saide not in vaine vnto the seede of Iaakob, Seeke you me: I the Lord doe speake righteousnesse, and declare righteous things.
Assemble your selues, and come: drawe neere together, ye abiect of the Gentiles: they haue no knowledge, that set vp the wood of their idole, and pray vnto a god, that cannot saue them.
Tell ye and bring them, and let them take counsell together, who hath declared this from the beginning? or hath tolde it of olde? Haue not I the Lord? and there is none other God beside me, a iust God, and a Sauiour: there is none beside me.
Looke vnto me, and ye shall be saued: all the endes of the earth shall be saued: for I am God, and there is none other.
I haue sworne by my selfe: the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse, and shall not returne, That euery knee shall bowe vnto me, and euery tongue shall sweare by me.
Surely he shall say, In the Lord haue I righteousnesse and strength: he shall come vnto him, and all that prouoke him, shall be ashamed.
The whole seede of Israel shall be iustified, and glorie in the Lord.
Bel is bowed downe: Nebo is fallen: their idoles were vpon the beastes, and vpon the cattell: they which did beare you, were laden with a wearie burden.
They are bowed downe, and fallen together: for they coulde not rid them of the burden, and their soule is gone into captiuitie.
Heare ye me, O house of Iaakob, and all that remaine of the house of Israel, which are borne of me from the wombe, and brought vp of me from the birth.
Therefore vnto olde age, I the same, euen I will beare you vntill the hoare heares: I haue made you: I will also beare you, and I will cary you and I will deliuer you.
To whom will ye make me like or make me equall, or copare me, that I should be like him?
They draw gold out of the bagge and weigh siluer in the balance, and hire a goldsmith to make a god of it, and they bowe downe, and worship it.
They beare it vpon the shoulders: they carie him and set him in his place: so doeth he stand, and cannot remoue from his place. Though one crie vnto him, yet can he not answere, nor deliuer him out of his tribulation.
Remember this, and be ashamed: bring it againe to minde, O you transgressers.
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none other God, and there is nothing like me,
Which declare the last thing from the beginning: and from of olde, the things that were not done, saying, My counsell shall stand, and I will doe whatsoeuer I will.
I call a birde from the East, and the man of my counsell from farre: as I haue spoken, so will I bring it to passe: I haue purposed it, and I will doe it.
Heare me, ye stubburne hearted, that are farre from iustice.
I bring neere my iustice: it shall not be farre off, and my saluation shall not tarie: for I wil giue saluation in Zion, and my glory vnto Israel.
Come downe and sit in the dust: O virgine, daughter Babel, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, Tender and delicate.
Take the mill stones, and grinde meale: loose thy lockes: make bare the feete: vncouer the legge, and passe through the floods.
Thy filthinesse shall be discouered, and thy shame shall be seene: I will take vengeance, and I will not meete thee as a man.
Our redeemer, the Lord of hostes is his Name, the holy one of Israel.
Sit still, and get thee into darkenesse, O daughter of the Chaldeas: for thou shalt no more be called, The ladie of kingdomes.
I was wroth with my people: I haue polluted mine inheritance, and giuen them into thine had: thou diddest shew them no mercy, but thou didest lay thy very heauy yoke vpon the ancient.
And thou saidest, I shall be a ladie for euer, so that thou diddest not set thy mind to these things, neither diddest thou remember ye latter end therof.
Therefore nowe heare, thou that art giuen to pleasures, and dwellest carelesse, Shee sayeth in her heart, I am and none els: I shall not sit as a widowe, neither shall knowe the losse of children.
But these two thinges shall come to thee suddenly on one day, the losse of children and widowhoode: they shall come vpon thee in their perfection, for the multitude of thy diuinations, and for the great abundance of thine inchanters.
For thou hast trusted in thy wickednesse: thou hast sayd, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, they haue caused thee to rebel, and thou hast saide in thine heart, I am, and none els.
Therefore shall euill come vpon thee, and thou shalt not knowe the morning thereof: destruction shall fal vpon thee, which thou shalt not be able to put away: destruction shall come vpon thee suddenly, or thou beware.
Stand now among thine inchanters, and in the multitude of thy southsaiers (with whome thou hast wearied thy selfe from thy youth) if so be thou maist haue profit, or if so be thou maist haue strength.
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: let now the astrologers, the starre gasers, and prognosticatours stand vp, and saue thee from these things, that shall come vpon thee.
Beholde, they shall be as stubble: the fire shall burne them: they shall not deliuer their owne liues from the power of the flame: there shalbe no coles to warme at, nor light to sit by.
Thus shall they serue thee, with whom thou hast wearied thee, euen thy marchants from thy youth: euery one shall wander to his owne quarter: none shall saue thee.
Hear yee this, O house of Iaakob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come out of the waters of Iudah: which sweare by the Name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousnesse.
For they are called of the holy citie, and staie themselues vpon the God of Israel, whose Name is the Lord of hostes.
I haue declared ye former things of old, and they went out of my mouth, and I shewed them: I did them suddenly, and they came to passe.
Because I knewe, that thou art obstinate, and thy necke is an yron sinew, and thy brow brasse,
Therefore I haue declared it to thee of old: before it came to passe, I shewed it thee, lest thou shouldest say, Mine idole hath done them, and my carued image, and my molten image hath commanded them.
Thou hast heard, behold all this, and wil not yee declare it? I haue shewed thee newe things, euen now, and hid things, which thou knewest not.
They are created now, and not of olde, and euen before this thou heardest them not, lest thou shouldest say, Beholde, I knewe them.
Yet thou heardest them not, neither diddest know them, neither yet was thine eare opened of olde: for I knewe that thou wouldest grieuously transgresse: therefore haue I called thee a transgressour from the wombe.
For my Names sake will I defer my wrath, and for my praise will I refraine it from thee, that I cut thee not off.
Behold, I haue fined thee, but not as siluer: I haue chosen thee in the fornace of affliction.
For mine owne sake, for mine owne sake wil I doe it: for how should my Name be polluted? surely I wil not giue my glory vnto another.
Heare me, O Iaakob and Israel, my called, I am, I am the first, and I am the last.
Surely mine hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heaues: when I cal them, they stand vp together.
All you, assemble your selues, and heare: which among them hath declared these thinges? The Lord hath loued him: he wil doe his will in Babel, and his arme shalbe against the Chaldeans.
I, euen I haue spoken it, and I haue called him: I haue brought him, and his way shall prosper.
Come neere vnto me: heare ye this: I haue not spoken it in secret from the beginning: from the time that the thing was, I was there, and now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me.
Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer, the Holy one of Israel, I am the Lord thy God, which teach thee to profite, and lead thee by the way, that thou shouldest goe.
Oh that thou haddest hearkened to my commandements! then had thy prosperitie bene as the floude, and thy righteousnesse as the waues of the sea.
Thy seede also had beene as the sande, and the fruite of thy body like the grauell thereof: his name should not haue bene cut off nor destroied before me.
Goe yee out of Babel: flee yee from the Chaldeans, with a voice of ioy: tel and declare this: shewe it foorth to the ende of the earth: say yee, The Lord hath redeemed his seruant Iaakob.
And they were not thirstie: hee led them through the wildernesse: hee caused the waters to flowe out of the rocke for them: for he claue the rocke, and the water gushed out.
There is no peace, sayeth the Lord, vnto the wicked.
Hear yee me, O yles, and hearken, yee people from farre. The Lord hath called me from the wombe, and made mention of my name from my mothers bellie.
And hee hath made my mouth like a sharpe sworde: vnder the shadowe of his hande hath he hid mee, and made me a chosen shafte, and hid me in his quiuer,
And sayd vnto me, Thou art my seruaunt, Israel, for I will be glorious in thee.
And I said, I haue labored in vaine: I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing: but my iudgement is with the Lord, and my woorke with my God.
And now sayeth the Lord, that formed me from the wombe to be his seruaunt, that I may bring Iaakob againe to him (though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I bee glorious in the eyes of the Lord: and my God shall be my strength)
And hee sayde, It is a small thing that thou shouldest be my seruaunt, to raise vp the tribes of Iaakob, and to restore the desolations of Israel: I will also giue thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou maiest bee my saluation vnto the ende of the worlde.
Thus sayeth the Lord the redeemer of Israel, and his Holie one, to him that is despised in soule, to a nation that is abhorred, to a seruaunt of rulers, Kinges shall see, and arise, and princes shall worship, because of the Lord, that is faithfull: and ye Holy one of Israel, which hath chosen thee.
Thus sayeth the Lord, In an acceptable time haue I heard thee, and in a day of saluation haue I helped thee: and I will preserue thee, and wil giue thee for a couenant of ye people, that thou maiest raise vp the earth, and obtaine the inheritance of the desolate heritages: