the Fourth Week of Advent
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Bishop's Bible
Isaiah 48
1 Heare this O thou house of Iacob, ye that are called by the name of Israel, & are come out of one stocke with Iuda: whiche sweare by the name of the Lorde, and beare witnesse by the God of Israel, but not with trueth and ryght.2 For they are named of the holy citie, and are grounded vpon the God of Israel, whose name is the Lorde of hoastes.3 The thynges that I haue shewed you euer since the begynnyng, haue I not brought them to passe immediatly as they came out of my mouth, and declared them, and they are come?4 Howbeit I knowe that thou art obstinate, and that thy necke hath an iron sinowe, and that thy browe is of brasse.5 Neuerthelesse, I haue euer since the begynnyng shewed thee of thynges for to come, and declared them vnto thee or euer they came to passe: that thou shouldest not say, myne idoll hath done it, my carued or molten image hath shewed it.6 Thou heardest it before, and beholde it is come to passe: And shall not ye your selues shewe foorth or confesse the same? But as for me, I tolde thee before at the begynnyng newe and secrete thynges which thou knewest not of,7 And some done of olde tyme, wherof thou neuer heardest before they were brought to passe, that thou canst not say, beholde I knewe of them.8 Moreouer, there be some wherof thou hast neither heard nor knowen, neither haue ben opened vnto thyne eares afore tyme: For I knewe that thou wouldest malitiously offende, therfore haue I called thee a transgressour, euen from thy mothers wombe.
9 Neuerthelesse, for my names sake I wyll withdrawe my wrath, and for my honours sake I will patiently forbeare thee, that I do not roote thee out.10 Beholde I haue purged thee, yet not as siluer, I haue chosen thee in the fire of affliction.11 And that only for myne owne sake, yea euen for myne owne sake wyll I do this: or els what dishonour woulde they do to my name? surely I wyll not geue my glorie vnto another.12 Hearken vnto me O Iacob, and Israel whom I haue called: I am euen he that is, I am the first and the last.13 My hande hath layde the foundation of the earth, and my ryght hande hath spanned ouer the heauens: assoone as I call them, they stande together.14 Gather you altogether and hearken: Which of yonder gods hath declared this? The Lorde hath a loue vnto him, and he shal perfourme his wyll against Babel, and declare his power against the Chaldees.15 I my selfe alone, euen I haue tolde you this, I dyd call him and bryng him foorth, and he shall make his iourney prosperous.
16 Come to me and heare this: Haue I spoken any thyng darkly since the begynnyng? From the tyme that this thyng begynneth I am there: Wherefore the Lorde God and his spirite hath sent me.17 And thus saith the Lorde God thy redeemer, the holy one of Israel: I am the Lorde thy God which teache thee profitable thynges, and leade thee the way that thou shouldest go.18 O that thou hadst regarded my commaundementes, then had thy wealthynesse ben as the water streame, and thy ryghteousnesse as the waues flowyng in the sea:19 Thy seede also had ben lyke as the sande in the sea, and the fruite of thy body lyke the grauell stones therof: His name shoulde not be rooted out, nor destroyed before me.20 Go away from Babylon, flee from the Chaldees, with a mery voyce speake of this, declare it abrode, and go foorth into the ende of the worlde, say: The Lorde hath redeemed his seruaunt Iacob.21 They suffred no thirst, he led them through the wildernesse, and caused the waters to flowe out vnto them from out of the rocke: he claue the rocke a sunder, and the water gusshed out.22 As for the vngodly, they haue no peace, saith the Lorde.