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So hear now, O Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen.
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For thus sayeth the LORD, that made thee, fashioned thee, and helped thee, even from thy mother's womb: Be not afraid, O Jacob my servant, thou righteous, whom I have chosen.
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For I shall pour water upon the dry ground, and rivers upon the thirsty. I shall pour my spirit upon thy seed, and mine increase upon thy stock.
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They shall grow together, like as the grass, and as the Willies by the water's side.
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One will say: I am the LORD's. Another will call under the name of Jacob. The third shall describe |subscribe| with his hand unto the LORD, and give himself under the name of Israel.
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Moreover, thus hath the LORD spoken: even the King of Israel, and his avenger, the LORD of Hosts: I am the first and the last, and without me is there no God.
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For what is he, that ever was like me, which am from everlasting? Let him shew his name, and do where thorow he may be likened unto me. Let him tell you forth plainly things, that are past, and for to come:
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yea and that without any fear or stop. {stoppe} For have not I ever told you hitherto, and warned you? Ye can bear me record yourselves. Is there any God except me? or any maker, that I should not know him?
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Wherefore all carvers of Idols are but vain, and their labour lost. They must bear record themselves, that (seeing they can neither see nor understand) they shall be confounded.
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Who should now make a God, or fashion an Idol, that is profitable for nothing?
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Behold, all the fellowship of them must be brought to confusion. Let all the workmasters of them come and stand together from among men: they must be abashed and confounded one with another.
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The smith taketh iron, and tempereth it with hot coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and maketh it with all the strength of his arms: yea sometime he is faint for very hunger, and so thirsty, that he hath no more power.
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The carpenter (or image carver) taketh meat of the timber: and spreadeth forth his line: he marketh it with some colour: he planeth it, he ruleth it, and squareth it, and maketh it after the image of a man, and according to the beauty of a man: that it may stand in the temple.
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Moreover, he goeth out to hew down Cedar trees: He bringeth home Elms and Oaks, and other timber of the wood. Or else the Fir trees which he planted himself, and such as the rain hath swelled,
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which wood serveth for men to burn. Of this he taketh and warmeth himself withal: he maketh a fire of it to bake bread. And afterward maketh a God thereof, to honour it: and an Idol to kneel before it.
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One piece he burneth in the fire, with another he roasteth flesh, that he may eat roast his belly full: with the third he warmeth himself, and sayeth: Aha, I am well warmed, I have been at the fire.
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And of the residue he maketh him a God, and an Idol for himself. He kneeleth before it, he worshippeth it, he prayeth unto it, and sayeth: deliver me, for thou art my God.
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Yet men neither consider nor understand, because their eyes are stopped, that they can not see: and their hearts, that they can not perceive.
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They ponder not in their minds, for they have neither knowledge nor understanding, to think thus: I have brent one piece in the fire: I have baked bread with the coals thereof, I have roasted flesh withal, and eaten it: shall I now of the residue make an abomination, and fall down before a rotten piece of wood?
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The keeping of dust, and foolishness of heart hath turned them aside: so that none of them can have a free conscience to think: may not I err?
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Consider this (O Jacob and Israel) for thou art my servant. I have made thee, that thou mightest serve me. O Israel, forget me not.
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As for thine offenses, I drive them away like the clouds, and thy sins as the mist. Turn ye again unto me, and I will deliver thee.
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Be glad ye heavens, whom the LORD hath made, let all that is here beneath upon the earth, be joyful. Rejoice ye mountains and woods, with all the trees that are in you: for the LORD shall redeem Jacob, and shew his glory upon Israel.
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For thus sayeth the LORD thy redeemer, even he that fashioned thee from thy mother's womb: I am the LORD, which do all things myself alone. I only have spread out the heavens, and I only have laid the foundation of the earth.
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I destroy the tokens of witches, and make the Soothsayers go wrong. As for the wise, I turn them backward, and make their cunning foolishness.
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But I set up the purpose of my servants, and fulfill the counsel of my messengers. I say unto Jerusalem: turn again: And to the cities of Juda, be ye builded again: and I repair their decayed places.
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I say to the ground: be dry. And I dry up thy water floods.
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I say to Cyrus: thou art mine herd man: so that he shall fulfill all things after my will. I say unto Jerusalem: be thou builded, and to the temple: be thou fast grounded.