rsv Isaiah:44-48 SEEK
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But now hear ,
O Jacob my servant ,
Israel whom I have chosen !
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Thus says the LORD who made you ,
who formed you from the womb and will help you :
Fear not ,
O Jacob my servant ,
Jeshu '
run whom I have chosen .
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For I will pour water on the thirsty land ,
and streams on the dry ground ;
I will pour my Spirit upon your descendants ,
and my blessing on your offspring .
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They shall spring up like grass amid waters ,
like willows by flowing streams .
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This one will say , `
I am the LORD '
s ,'
another will call himself by the name of Jacob ,
and another will write on his hand , `
The LORD '
s ,'
and surname himself by the name of Israel ."
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Thus says the LORD ,
the King of Israel and his Redeemer ,
the LORD of hosts : "
I am the first and I am the last ;
besides me there is no god .
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Who is like me ?
Let him proclaim it ,
let him declare and set it forth before me .
Who has announced from of old the things to come ?
Let them tell us what is yet to be .
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Fear not ,
nor be afraid ;
have I not told you from of old and declared it ?
And you are my witnesses !
Is there a God besides me ?
There is no Rock ;
I know not any ."
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All who make idols are nothing ,
and the things they delight in do not profit ;
their witnesses neither see nor know ,
that they may be put to shame .
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Who fashions a god or casts an image ,
that is profitable for nothing ?
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Behold ,
all his fellows shall be put to shame ,
and the craftsmen are but men ;
let them all assemble ,
let them stand forth ,
they shall be terrified ,
they shall be put to shame together .
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The ironsmith fashions it and works it over the coals ;
he shapes it with hammers ,
and forges it with his strong arm ;
he becomes hungry and his strength fails ,
he drinks no water and is faint .
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The carpenter stretches a line ,
he marks it out with a pencil ;
he fashions it with planes ,
and marks it with a compass ;
he shapes it into the figure of a man ,
with the beauty of a man ,
to dwell in a house .
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He cuts down cedars ;
or he chooses a holm tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest ;
he plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it .
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Then it becomes fuel for a man ;
he takes a part of it and warms himself ,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread ;
also he makes a god and worships it ,
he makes it a graven image and falls down before it .
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Half of it he burns in the fire ;
over the half he eats flesh ,
he roasts meat and is satisfied ;
also he warms himself and says , "
Aha ,
I am warm ,
I have seen the fire !"
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And the rest of it he makes into a god ,
his idol ;
and falls down to it and worships it ;
he prays to it and says , "
Deliver me ,
for thou art my god !"
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They know not ,
nor do they discern ;
for he has shut their eyes ,
so that they cannot see ,
and their minds ,
so that they cannot understand .
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No one considers ,
nor is there knowledge or discernment to say , "
Half of it I burned in the fire ,
I also baked bread on its coals ,
I roasted flesh and have eaten ;
and shall I make the residue of it an abomination ?
Shall I fall down before a block of wood ?"
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He feeds on ashes ;
a deluded mind has led him astray ,
and he cannot deliver himself or say , "
Is there not a lie in my right hand ?"
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Remember these things ,
O Jacob ,
and Israel ,
for you are my servant ;
I formed you ,
you are my servant ;
O Israel ,
you will not be forgotten by me .
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I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud ,
and your sins like mist ;
return to me ,
for I have redeemed you .
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Sing ,
O heavens ,
for the LORD has done it ;
shout ,
O depths of the earth ;
break forth into singing ,
O mountains ,
O forest ,
and every tree in it !
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob ,
and will be glorified in Israel .
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Thus says the LORD ,
your Redeemer ,
who formed you from the womb : "
I am the LORD ,
who made all things ,
who stretched out the heavens alone ,
who spread out the earth --
Who was with me ?--
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who frustrates the omens of liars ,
and makes fools of diviners ;
who turns wise men back ,
and makes their knowledge foolish ;
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who confirms the word of his servant ,
and performs the counsel of his messengers ;
who says of Jerusalem , `
She shall be inhabited ,'
and of the cities of Judah , `
They shall be built ,
and I will raise up their ruins ';
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who says to the deep , `
Be dry ,
I will dry up your rivers ';
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who says of Cyrus , `
He is my shepherd ,
and he shall fulfil all my purpose ';
saying of Jerusalem , `
She shall be built ,'
and of the temple , `
Your foundation shall be laid .'"
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Thus says the LORD to his anointed ,
to Cyrus ,
whose right hand I have grasped ,
to subdue nations before him and ungird the loins of kings ,
to open doors before him that gates may not be closed :
* "
I will go before you and level the mountains ,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron ,
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I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places ,
that you may know that it is I ,
the LORD ,
the God of Israel ,
who call you by your name .
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For the sake of my servant Jacob ,
and Israel my chosen ,
I call you by your name ,
I surname you ,
though you do not know me .
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I am the LORD ,
and there is no other ,
besides me there is no God ;
I gird you ,
though you do not know me ,
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that men may know ,
from the rising of the sun and from the west ,
that there is none besides me ;
I am the LORD ,
and there is no other .
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I form light and create darkness ,
I make weal and create woe ,
I am the LORD ,
who do all these things .
* "
Shower ,
O heavens ,
from above ,
and let the skies rain down righteousness ;
let the earth open ,
that salvation may sprout forth ,
and let it cause righteousness to spring up also ;
I the LORD have created it .
* "
Woe to him who strives with his Maker ,
an earthen vessel with the potter !
Does the clay say to him who fashions it , `
What are you making '?
or `
Your work has no handles '?
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Woe to him who says to a father , `
What are you begetting ?'
or to a woman , `
With what are you in travail ?'"
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Thus says the LORD ,
the Holy One of Israel ,
and his Maker : "
Will you question me about my children ,
or command me concerning the work of my hands ?
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I made the earth ,
and created man upon it ;
it was my hands that stretched out the heavens ,
and I commanded all their host .
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I have aroused him in righteousness ,
and I will make straight all his ways ;
he shall build my city and set my exiles free ,
not for price or reward ,"
says the LORD of hosts .
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Thus says the LORD : "
The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia ,
and the Sabe '
ans ,
men of stature ,
shall come over to you and be yours ,
they shall follow you ;
they shall come over in chains and bow down to you .
They will make supplication to you ,
saying : `
God is with you only ,
and there is no other ,
no god besides him .'"
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Truly ,
thou art a God who hidest thyself ,
O God of Israel ,
the Savior .
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All of them are put to shame and confounded ,
the makers of idols go in confusion together .
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But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation ;
you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity .
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For thus says the LORD ,
who created the heavens (
he is God !),
who formed the earth and made it (
he established it ;
he did not create it a chaos ,
he formed it to be inhabited !): "
I am the LORD ,
and there is no other .
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I did not speak in secret ,
in a land of darkness ;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob , `
Seek me in chaos .'
I the LORD speak the truth ,
I declare what is right .
* "
Assemble yourselves and come ,
draw near together ,
you survivors of the nations !
They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols ,
and keep on praying to a god that cannot save .
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Declare and present your case ;
let them take counsel together !
Who told this long ago ?
Who declared it of old ?
Was it not I ,
the LORD ?
And there is no other god besides me ,
a righteous God and a Savior ;
there is none besides me .
* "
Turn to me and be saved ,
all the ends of the earth !
For I am God ,
and there is no other .
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By myself I have sworn ,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return : `
To me every knee shall bow ,
every tongue shall swear .'
* "
Only in the LORD ,
it shall be said of me ,
are righteousness and strength ;
to him shall come and be ashamed ,
all who were incensed against him .
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In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory ."
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Bel bows down ,
Nebo stoops ,
their idols are on beasts and cattle ;
these things you carry are loaded as burdens on weary beasts .
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They stoop ,
they bow down together ,
they cannot save the burden ,
but themselves go into captivity .
* "
Hearken to me ,
O house of Jacob ,
all the remnant of the house of Israel ,
who have been borne by me from your birth ,
carried from the womb ;
*
even to your old age I am He ,
and to gray hairs I will carry you .
I have made ,
and I will bear ;
I will carry and will save .
* "
To whom will you liken me and make me equal ,
and compare me ,
that we may be alike ?
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Those who lavish gold from the purse ,
and weigh out silver in the scales ,
hire a goldsmith ,
and he makes it into a god ;
then they fall down and worship !
*
They lift it upon their shoulders ,
they carry it ,
they set it in its place ,
and it stands there ;
it cannot move from its place .
If one cries to it ,
it does not answer or save him from his trouble .
* "
Remember this and consider ,
recall it to mind ,
you transgressors ,
*
remember the former things of old ;
for I am God ,
and there is no other ;
I am God ,
and there is none like me ,
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declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done ,
saying , `
My counsel shall stand ,
and I will accomplish all my purpose ,'
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calling a bird of prey from the east ,
the man of my counsel from a far country .
I have spoken ,
and I will bring it to pass ;
I have purposed ,
and I will do it .
* "
Hearken to me ,
you stubborn of heart ,
you who are far from deliverance :
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I bring near my deliverance ,
it is not far off ,
and my salvation will not tarry ;
I will put salvation in Zion ,
for Israel my glory ."
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Come down and sit in the dust ,
O virgin daughter of Babylon ;
sit on the ground without a throne ,
O daughter of the Chalde '
ans !
For you shall no more be called tender and delicate .
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Take the millstones and grind meal ,
put off your veil ,
strip off your robe ,
uncover your legs ,
pass through the rivers .
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Your nakedness shall be uncovered ,
and your shame shall be seen .
I will take vengeance ,
and I will spare no man .
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Our Redeemer --
the LORD of hosts is his name --
is the Holy One of Israel .
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Sit in silence ,
and go into darkness ,
O daughter of the Chalde '
ans ;
for you shall no more be called the mistress of kingdoms .
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I was angry with my people ,
I profaned my heritage ;
I gave them into your hand ,
you showed them no mercy ;
on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy .
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You said , "
I shall be mistress for ever ,"
so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end .
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Now therefore hear this ,
you lover of pleasures ,
who sit securely ,
who say in your heart , "
I am ,
and there is no one besides me ;
I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children ":
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These two things shall come to you in a moment ,
in one day ;
the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure ,
in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments .
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You felt secure in your wickedness ,
you said , "
No one sees me ";
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray ,
and you said in your heart , "
I am ,
and there is no one besides me ."
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But evil shall come upon you ,
for which you cannot atone ;
disaster shall fall upon you ,
which you will not be able to expiate ;
and ruin shall come on you suddenly ,
of which you know nothing .
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Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries ,
with which you have labored from your youth ;
perhaps you may be able to succeed ,
perhaps you may inspire terror .
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You are wearied with your many counsels ;
let them stand forth and save you ,
those who divide the heavens ,
who gaze at the stars ,
who at the new moons predict what shall befall you .
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Behold ,
they are like stubble ,
the fire consumes them ;
they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame .
No coal for warming oneself is this ,
no fire to sit before !
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Such to you are those with whom you have labored ,
who have trafficked with you from your youth ;
they wander about each in his own direction ;
there is no one to save you .
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Hear this ,
O house of Jacob ,
who are called by the name of Israel ,
and who came forth from the loins of Judah ;
who swear by the name of the LORD ,
and confess the God of Israel ,
but not in truth or right .
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For they call themselves after the holy city ,
and stay themselves on the God of Israel ;
the LORD of hosts is his name .
* "
The former things I declared of old ,
they went forth from my mouth and I made them known ;
then suddenly I did them and they came to pass .
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Because I know that you are obstinate ,
and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass ,
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I declared them to you from of old ,
before they came to pass I announced them to you ,
lest you should say , `
My idol did them ,
my graven image and my molten image commanded them .'
* "
You have heard ;
now see all this ;
and will you not declare it ?
From this time forth I make you hear new things ,
hidden things which you have not known .
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They are created now ,
not long ago ;
before today you have never heard of them ,
lest you should say , `
Behold ,
I knew them .'
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You have never heard ,
you have never known ,
from of old your ear has not been opened .
For I knew that you would deal very treacherously ,
and that from birth you were called a rebel .
* "
For my name '
s sake I defer my anger ,
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you ,
that I may not cut you off .
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Behold ,
I have refined you ,
but not like silver ;
I have tried you in the furnace of affliction .
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For my own sake ,
for my own sake ,
I do it ,
for how should my name be profaned ?
My glory I will not give to another .
* "
Hearken to me ,
O Jacob ,
and Israel ,
whom I called !
I am He ,
I am the first ,
and I am the last .
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My hand laid the foundation of the earth ,
and my right hand spread out the heavens ;
when I call to them ,
they stand forth together .
* "
Assemble ,
all of you ,
and hear !
Who among them has declared these things ?
The LORD loves him ;
he shall perform his purpose on Babylon ,
and his arm shall be against the Chalde '
ans .
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I ,
even I ,
have spoken and called him ,
I have brought him ,
and he will prosper in his way .
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Draw near to me ,
hear this :
from the beginning I have not spoken in secret ,
from the time it came to be I have been there ."
And now the Lord GOD has sent me and his Spirit .
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Thus says the LORD ,
your Redeemer ,
the Holy One of Israel : "
I am the LORD your God ,
who teaches you to profit ,
who leads you in the way you should go .
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O that you had hearkened to my commandments !
Then your peace would have been like a river ,
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea ;
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your offspring would have been like the sand ,
and your descendants like its grains ;
their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me ."
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Go forth from Babylon ,
flee from Chalde '
a ,
declare this with a shout of joy ,
proclaim it ,
send it forth to the end of the earth ;
say , "
The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob !"
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They thirsted not when he led them through the deserts ;
he made water flow for them from the rock ;
he cleft the rock and the water gushed out .
* "
There is no peace ,"
says the LORD , "
for the wicked ."
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Listen to me ,
O coastlands ,
and hearken ,
you peoples from afar .
The LORD called me from the womb ,
from the body of my mother he named my name .