The folly of idolatry. B. C. about 712. Or, with an aze. 41. 6. Jer. 10. 3, &c. shall fear, and they shall be ashamed | singing, ye mountains, O forest, and 12 The smith with the tongs both Or, taketh courage. q ch. 45. 20. ed. r 2 Thess. 2. 11. 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 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: 17 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. 18 They have not known nor un+ Heb. daub- derstood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 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? + Heb. setteth to his heart. sch. 46. 8. + Heb. that which comes of a tree? t Hos. 4. 12. Rom. 1. 21. 2 Thess. 2. 11. u ver. 1, 2. x ch. 43. 25. y ch. 43. 1. & 20 He feedeth on ashes: 'a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? с 24 Thus saith the LORD, thy Re-a ch. 43. 14. deemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; 25 That frustrateth the tokens the liars, and maketh diviners mad; 4 ch. 47. 13. that turneth wise men backward, 'and e Jer. 50. 36. f 1 Cor. 1. 20. maketh their knowledge foolish; 26 That confirmeth the word of his Zech. 1. 6. servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem; Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decay- + Heb. wastes. ed places thereof: 27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, h See Jer. 50. and I will dry up thy rivers: 28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. CHAPTER XLV. God's purpose in calling Cyrus. 9 All opposition 4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and 22 I have blotted out, as a thick 48. 20. 1 Cor. cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for 38. & 51. 32, 36. i 2 Chr. 36. 22, 23. Ezra 1. 1, &c. ch. 45. 13. a ch. 41. 13. || Or, strengthened. b ch. 41. 2. Dun. 5. 30. c ch. 40. 4. e ch. 41. 23. Ex. 33. 12, 17. ch. 43. 1. & 49. 1. 8 ch. 44. 1. The security of Israel. B. C. about 712. p ch. 64. 8. q ch. 29. 16. Jer. 18. 6. Rom. 9. 20, r Jer. 31.9. s Is. 29. 23. t ch. 42. 5. Jer. 27. 5. u Gen. 1. 26, 27. x Gen. 2. 1. y ch. 41. 2. Or, make straight. ISAIAH. righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. 9 Woe unto him that striveth with P his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? | 11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. S 12 I have made the earth, and "created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. 13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for &c. ch.44. price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts. z 2 Chr. 36. 22, 23. Ezra 1. 28. a ch. 52. 3. See Rom. 3. 24. 72. 10, 11. ch. 49. 23. & 60. 9, 10, 14, 16. Zech. 8. 22, 23. c Ps. 149. 8. 14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour b Ps. 68, 31. & of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and ethere is none else, there is no God. 15 Verily thou art a God 'that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. d 1 Cor. 14. 25. e ver. 5. f Ps. 44. 24. ch. 8. 17. & 57. 17. g ch. 44. 11. h ch. 26. 4. ver. 25. Rom. 11. 26. 1 ch. 42. 5. k ver. 5. 1 Deut. 30. 11. ch. 48. 16. m Ps. 19. 8. & 119. 137, 138. d 16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are 5 makers of idols. 17h But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. 18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD, and there is none else. 19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. 20 T Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: "they have no 18, 19. & 46. knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. D ch. 44. 17, 7. & 48. 7. Rom. 1. 22, 23. The folly of idolatry. B. C. 0 ch. 41. 22. & 43. 9. & 44. 7. & 46. 10. & 48. 14. 21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: about 712. who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? Pand there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every 'knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24 Surely shall one say, In the LORD have I t righteousness and strength even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. 25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. CHAPTER XLVI. The prophet sheweth the folly of idolatry, and exhorteth the people of God to trust in him for deliver ance. BEL p ver. 5, 14, 18. ch. 44. 8. & 46. 9. & 48. 3, &c. q Ps. 22. 27. & 65. 5. r Gen. 22, 16. Heb. 6. 13. s Rom. 14. 11. Phil. 2. 10. Or. Surely he shall say of me. In the LORD is all righteousness and strength. + Heb. right cousnesses. t Gen. 31. 53. u Jer. 23. 5. Jer. 50. 2. & 51. 44. OEL 'boweth down, Nebo stoop-ch. 21. 9. eth; their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy laden; they b Jer. 10. 5. are a burden to the weary beast. © Jer. 48. 7. 2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but t themselves are gone Heb. their into captivity. d soul. 3¶ Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by Ex. 19. 4. me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: 4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. 5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, h ch. 40. 19. & and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. 7 They bear him upon the shoulder, i Jer. 10. 5. they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, k one shall ch. 45. 20. cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. 8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. 9 m Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and "there is none else; I am God, and there is none like 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, 'I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. 12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, "that are far from righteous ness: 13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place 2 salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. CHAPTER XLVII. Babylon to be overthrown, 6 because of her oppres sion, 7 pride, 10 and selfconceit, 11 notwithstanding her enchantments. COME OME down, and 'sit in the dust, U O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. с 2 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. 3d Thy nakedness shall be uncover22, 26. Nah. ed, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. 3. 5. e Rom. 12. 19. f ch. 43. 3, 14. Jer. 50. 34. 51 Sam. 2. 9. h ver. 7. ch. 13. 19. Dan. 2. 37. i See 2 Sam. 28. 9. Zech. 1. 15. 4 As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. 5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chal Babylon for her sins. 10 For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; y and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. B. C. about 712. Or, caused thee to turn away. u Ps. 52. 7. morning thereof. 11 Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from + Heb, the whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall + Heb. expi come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. 12 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. 13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. 14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the + Heb. their souls. power of the flame: there shall not be c Nah. 1. 10 Mal. 4. 1. a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. 15 Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: Rev. 18. 11. they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee. CHAPTER XLVIII. God rebuketh the obstinacy of his people. 9 He saveth them for his own sake. 12 His power and providence. 16 His lamentation over their perverseness. 20 The certainty of their deliverance from Babylon. deans: "for thou shalt no more be HEAR ye this, O house of Jacob, called, The lady of kingdoms. 6 I was wroth with my people, 24. 14. 2 Chr. I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; 1 Deut. 28. 50. upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. E ch. 49. 2. m ver. 5. Rev. 18. 7. n ch. 46. 8. 1 7 And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever so that thou didst not "lay these things to thy heart, neither • Deut. 32. 29. didst remember the latter end of it. 8 Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children : p ver. 10. Zeph. 2. 15. q Rev. 18. 7. rch. 51. 19. I 9 But these two things shall come * 1 Thess. 5. 3. to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. 1 Nah. 3. 4. 5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them; and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. g Josh. 21. 45. + Heb, hard. h Ex. 32. 9. Deut. 31. 27. i ver. 3. God's power and providence. B. C. about 712. k Ps. 58. 3. 1 Ps. 79. 9. & 106, 8. ch. 43. 25. ver. 11. ISAIAH. 6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. 7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. 8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. 9 For my name's sake m will I defer mine anger, and for my praise Ez. 20. 9, 14, will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. 22, 44. m Ps. 78. 38. n Ps. 66. 10. II Or, for silver. See Ez. 22. 20, 21, 22. o ver. 9. p See Deut. 32. 26, 27. Ez. 20. 9. q ch. 42. 8. r Deut. 32. 39. ch. 41. 4. & 44. 6. Rev. 1. 17. & 22. 13. t Ps. 102. 25. 10 Behold, "I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 0 11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. 12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the 'first, I also am the last. 13 Mine hand also hath laid the Or, the palm foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when "I call unto them, they stand up together. of my right hand hath spread out. u ch. 40, 26. ch. 41. 22. & 43. 9. & 44. 7. & 45. 20, 21. y ch. 45. 1. z ch. 44. 28. a ch. 45. 1, 2, &C. b ch. 45. 19. 14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. 15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. 16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. 17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Re44. 6, 21. ver. deemer, the Holy One of Israel; am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. e ch. 61. 1. Zech. 2. 8, 9, 11. d ch. 43. 14. & 20. e Ps. 32. 3. f Deut. 32. 29. Ps. 81. 13. g Ps. 119. 165. h Gen. 22. 17. Hos. 1. 10. 1 ch. 52. 11. Jer. 50, 8. & 51. 6. 45. e I 18 'Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: 19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. 20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee Zech. 2. 6, 7. ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it Rev. 18. 4. His promises to the Messiah. God's unchanging love ISAIAH. shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; 'neither shall the heat nor sun smite them for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 11 "And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. 13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. a 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? b Rom. 11. 29. yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. See Ex. 13. 9. Cant. 8.6. d ver. 19. e ch. 60. 4. ? Prov. 17. 6. g See ch. 51. 1, 2. Zech. 2. 4. & 10. 10. h ch. 60. 4. i Matt. 3. 9. Rom. 11. 11, 12, &c. k ch. 60. 4. & 66. 20. 1 Ps. 72. 11. ver. 7. ch. 52, 15. & 60. 16. + Heb. bosom. + Heb. nour ishers. + Heb. prin cesses. b 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. d 17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee. 18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. 19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 20 The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. 21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? 22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. 23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to and promise unto Zion. thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for " they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. 24 n Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? B. C. about 712. m Ps. 72. 9. Mic. 7. 17. n Ps. 34. 22. Rom. 5. 5. & 9. 33. & 10.11. Heb. the captivity of the just. ity. o Matt. 12. 29. Luke 11. 21, 22. 25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be + Heb. captivtaken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. 26 And I will feed them that op- P ch. 9. 20. press thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with "sweet wine and all || Or, new flesh 'shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. q CHAPTER L. The sins of Israel the cause of their sufferings, and not God's inability to save. 4 God's gifts to the Messiah. 6 His patient endurance of reproach. 10 An exhortation to trust in God, and not in ourselves. THUS saith the LORD, Where is The bill of your mother's di vorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. с e q Rev. 14. 20. & 16. 6. wine. r Ps. 9. 16. ch. 60. 16. a Deut. 24. 1. Jer. 3. 8. Hos. 2. 2. b See 2 Kings 4. 1. Matt 18. 25. c ch. 52. 3. d Prov. 1. 24. ch. 65. 12. & 66. 4. Jer. 7. 13. & 35. 15. e Num. 11. 23. ch. 59. 1. 2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the Ps. 106. 9. sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. 3 I clothe the heavens with black- Ex. 10. 21. ness, 1and I make sackcloth their covering. |