Read the Bible

¹ Yet now heare, O Iacob my seruant, and Israel whom I haue chosen. ² Thus sayeth the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the wombe, which wil helpe thee: Feare not, O Iacob, my seruant, and thou Iesurun, whom I haue chosen. ³ For I will powre water vpon him that is thirstie, and floods vpon the dry ground: I will powre my spirit vpon thy seede, and my blessing vpon thine offspring: ⁴ And they shall spring vp as among the grasse, as willowes by the water courses. ⁵ One shall say, I am the Lords: and another shall call himselfe by the name of Iacob: and another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord, and surname himselfe by the name of Israel. ⁶ Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel and his redeemer the Lord of hostes, I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God. ⁷ And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are comming, and shall come? let them shew vnto them. ⁸ Feare yee not, neither be afraid: haue not I told thee from that time, and haue declared it? yee are euen my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea there is no God, I know not any.

⁹ They that make a grauen image are all of them vanitie, and their delectable things shall not profit, and they are their owne witnesses, they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. ¹⁰ Who hath formed a God, or moulten a grauen image that is profitable for nothing? ¹¹ Behold, all his fellowes shall be ashamed: and the workemen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand vp; yet they shal feare, and they shalbe ashamed together. ¹² The smith with the tonges both worketh in the coales, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his armes: yea he is hungrie, and his strength faileth; hee drinketh no water, and is faint. ¹³ The carpenter stretcheth out his rule: he maketh it out with the line: he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasse, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beautie of a man; that it may remaine in the house. ¹⁴ He heweth him downe cedars, and taketh the Cypresse and the Oke, which he strengthneth for himselfe among the trees of the forrest: he planteth an Ashe, and the raine doth nourish it. ¹⁵ Then shall it bee for a man to burne: for hee will take thereof and warme himselfe; yea he kindleth it and baketh bread; yea he maketh a God, and worshippeth it: he maketh it a grauen image, and falleth downe thereto. ¹⁶ He burneth part thereof in the fire: with part thereof he eateth flesh: he rosteth rost, and is satisfied: yea hee warmeth himselfe, and saith; Aha, I am warme, I haue seene the fire. ¹⁷ And the residue thereof he maketh a God, euen his grauen image: hee falleth downe vnto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth vnto it, and saith; deliuer me, for thou art my God. ¹⁸ They haue not knowen, nor vnderstood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot vnderstand. ¹⁹ And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor vnderstanding to say; I haue burnt part of it in the fire, yea also I haue baked bread vpon the coales thereof: I haue rosted flesh and eaten it; and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall downe to the stocke of a tree? ²⁰ He feedeth of ashes: a deceiued heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliuer his soule, nor say; Is there not a lie in my right hand?

²¹ Remember these (O Iacob and Israel) for thou art my seruant: I haue formed thee: thou art my seruant, O Israel; thou shalt not be forgotten of me. ²² I haue blotted out, as a thicke cloude, thy transgressions, and as a a cloud, thy sinnes: returne vnto me, for I haue redeemed thee. ²³ Sing, O yee heauens; for the Lord hath done it: shout yee lower parts of the earth: breake forth into singing yee mountaines, O forrest and euery tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Iacob, and glorified himselfe in Israel. ²⁴ Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the wombe; I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heauens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe: ²⁵ That frustrateth the tokens of the lyers, and maketh diuiners mad, that turneth wisemen backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish: ²⁶ That confirmeth the word of his seruant, and performeth the counsell of his messengers, that saith to Ierusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Iudah, Yee shall be built, and I will raise vp the decayed places thereof. ²⁷ That saith to the deepe; Be dry, and I will drie vp thy riuers. ²⁸ That saith of Cyrus, Hee is my shepheard, and shall performe all my pleasure, euen saying to Ierusalem, Thou shalt be built, and to the Temple, Thy foundation shalbe laid.