the Fourth Week of Advent
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Myles Coverdale Bible
Isaiah 42
1 Beholde now therfore, this is my seruaunt whom I will kepe to my self: my electe, In whom my soule shalbe pacified. I will geue him my sprete, that he maye shewe forth iudgment & equyte amonge the Gentiles.2 He shal not be an outcryer, ner an hie mynded person. His voyce shall not be herde in ye stretes.3 A brussedrede shal he not breake, & the smokinge flax shal he not quench: but faithfully & truly shal he geue iudgmet.4 He shal nether be ouersene ner haistie, that he maye restore rightuousnesse vnto the earth: & the Getiles also shal kepe his lawes.
5 For thus saieth God the LORDE vnto him (Euen he that made the heauens, and spred them abrode, & set forth the earth with hir encrease: which geueth breath vnto the people that is in it, & to them that dwel therin)6 I the LORDE haue called ye in rightuousnesse, & led the by the honde. Therfore wil I also defende the, & geue the for a couenaunt of the people, & to be the light of the Getiles.7 That thou mayest open the eyes of the blinde, let out the prysoners, & them that syt in darknesse, out of the dongeon house.8 I my self, whose name is the LORDE, which geue my power to none other, nether myne honoure to the goddes:9 shewe you these new tidinges, and tel you them or they come, for olde thinges also are come to passe.10 Synge therfore vnto the LORDE, a new songe of thakes geuynge, blow out his prayse vnto the ende of the worlde. They that be vpon the see, & all that is therin, prayse him, the Iles & they that dwel in them.11 Let the wildernes with hir cities lift vp hir voyce, the townes also that be in Cedar. Let them be glad that syt vpon rockes of stone, and let them crie downe from the hie mountaynes:12 ascribinge almightynes vnto the LORDE, & magnifienge him amonge the Getiles.
13 The LORDE shal come forth as a gyaunte, and take a stomacke to him like a fresh man of warre. He shal roare and crie, and ouercome his enemies.14 I haue longe holden my peace (saieth the LORDE) shulde I therfore be still, and kepe sylence for euer? I will crie like a trauelinge woman, and once wil I destroye, and deuoure.15 I wil make waist both mountayne & hill, & drie vp euery grene thinge, that groweth theron. I wil drie vp the floudes of water, & drinke vp the ryuers.16 I wil bringe the blinde into a strete, that they knowe not: and lede them in to a fotepath, that they are ignoraunt in. I shal make darknesse light before the, & the thinge yt is croked, to be straight. These thinges will I do, & not forget them.17 And therfore let them conuerte, and be ashamed earnestly, that hope in Idols, & saye to fashioned ymages: ye are oure godes.
18 Heare, o ye deaf men, and sharpen youre sightes to se (o ye blinde.)19 But who is blynder, the my seruaunt? Or so deaf, as my messaungers, whom I sent vnto them? For who is so blynde as my people, & they yt haue the rule of them?20 They are like, as yf thou vnderstodest moch, and keptest nothinge: or yf one herde well, but were not obedient.21 The LORDE be merciful vnto them for his rightuousnesse sake, that his worde might be magnified & praysed.22 But it is a myscheuous & wiked people. Their yonge men belonge all to the snare, & shalbe shut in to preson houses. They shal be caried awaye captyue and no man shal lowse them. They shal be trode vnder fote, & no man shal laboure to bringe the agayne.23 But who is he amonge you, yt pondreth this in his mynde, yt considreth it, & taketh it for a warnynge in tyme to come?24 Who suffred Iacob to be trodden vnder fote, and Israel to be spoyled? dyd not the LORDE? Now haue we synned agaynst him, and haue had no delite to walke in his wayes, nether bene obedient vnto his lawe.25 Therfore hath he poured vpon vs his wroothful displeasure, and stroge batell, which maketh vs haue to do on euery syde, yet will we not vnderstode: He burneth vs vp, yet syncketh it not in to oure hartes.