1   And now heare ô Iacob my seruant, and Israel whom I haue chosen.

2   Thus sayth the Lord that made and formed thee, thy helper ^note from the wombe: feare not ô my

seruant Iacob, and thou most righteous whom I haue chosen.

3   For I wil powre out waters vpon the thirstie ground, and streames vpon the drie land: I wil powre out my spirit vpon thy seede, and my blessing vpon thy stocke.

4   And they shal spring the herbes as willowes beside the waters running by.

5   This man shal say: I am our Lords: and an other man shal cal in the name of Iacob, and this wil write with his hand, To the Lord: and in the name of Israel he shal be resembled.

6   Thus sayth our Lord the king of Israel; and the redemer therof the Lord of hostes: I am ^note the first, and I the last, and beside me there is no God.

7   Who is like to me? let him cal and declare: and let him expound me the order, since I appoynted the ancient people: the thinges to come, and that shal be hereafter let them shew vnto them.

8   Feare ye not, neither be ye trubled, from that time I haue made thee to heare, and haue declared: you are my witnesses. Is there a God beside me, and a maker, whom I haue not knowen?

9   Al the makers of an idol are nothing, and their best beloued thinges shal not profite them. ^noteThem selues are their witnesses, that they doe not see, nor vnderstand, that they may be confounded.

10   Who hath formed a god, and molten a sculptil profitable to nothing?

11   Behold, al the partakers therof shal be confounded: for the makers are of men: they shal al assemble, they shal stand and feare, and shal be confounded together.

12   They yron smith hath wrought with the file, with coales, and with hammers he hath formed it, and hath wrought in the arme of his strength: he shal hunger and faynt, he shal not drinke water, and shal become wearie.

13   The carpenter hath stretched out a rule, he hath formed it with a plaine: he hath made it with corners, and hath fashioned it round with the compasse: and he hath made the image of a man as it were a beautiful man dwelling in a house.

14   He hath cut downe cedars, taken the helme tree, & the oke that stood among the trees of the forest: he hath planted the pine tree, which the rayne nourished.

15   And it was made a fyre for men: he tooke of them, and was warmed: and kindled them, and baked bread: but of the rest he wrought a god, and adored: he made a sculptil, and bowed downe before it.

16   Halfe he burnt with fyre, and of the halfe broyled he flesh & eate it: he sod pottage, and was filled, and was warmed, and sayd: Aha, I am warme, I haue sene the fyre.

17   But the rest therof he

made a god, and a sculptil to him self: he boweth before it, and besecheth, saying: Deliuer me, because thou art my God.

18   They haue not knowen, nor vnderstood: for they haue forgotten, that their eies could not see, and that they could not vnderstand with their hart.

19   They doe not recount in their minde, nor know, nor feele, that they should say: Halfe therof I haue burnt with fyre, and I haue baked bread vpon the coales therof: I haue broyled flesh, & haue eaten, and of the rest therof shal I make an idol? shal I fal downe before the stocke of a tree?

20   Part therof is ashes; an vnwise hart adored it, & he wil not saue his soule, nor say: Perhaps there is a lie in my right hand.

21   Remember these thinges ô Iacob, and Israel, because thou art my seruant. I haue formed thee, thou art my seruant ô Israel foget me not.

22   I haue cleane taken away thine iniquities as a cloude, & thy sinnes as a mist: returne to me because I haue redemed thee.

23   Prayse ye ô heauens, because the Lord hath done mercie: make iubilation ye endes of the earth: ye mountaynes sound prayse, thou forest and euerie tree therof: because the Lord hath redemed Iacob, and Israel shal be glorified.

24   Thus sayth our Lord thy redemer, and thy maker, from the wombe: I am the Lord, that make al thinges, that alone stretch out the heauens, that establish the earth, and none with me.

25   That make the signes of diuiners voide, and turne the southsayers into furie. That turne the wise backward, and that make their knowlege foolish.

26   That rayseth vp the word of his seruant, and accomplisheth the counsel of his messengers, which say ^note to Ierusalem: Thou shalt be inhabited; & to the cities of Iuda: You shal be built, and I wil rayse vp the desertes therof.

27   Which say to the depth: Be thou desolate, and thy riuers I wil drie vp.

28   Who say to Cyrus: Thou art my pastour, and thou shalt accomplish al my wil. Who say to Ierusalem: Thou shalt be built; and to the temple: Thou shalt be formed.

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