Study Desk

This people haue I made for my self, and they shal shewe forth my prayse.

For thou (Iacob) woldest not call vpon me, but thou haddest an vnlust towarde me, o Israel.

Thou gauest me not thy yonge beastes for burntoffringes, nether didest honoure me with thy sacrifices. Thou boughtest me no deare spice with thi money, nether pouredest the fat of thy sacrifices vpon me. Howbeit I haue not bene chargeable vnto the in offriges, nether greuous in Incense.

Where as I yet am euen he only, that for myne owne selfes sake do awaye thine offences, & forget thy synnes: so that I wil neuer thinke vpon them.

Put me now in remembraunce (for we will reason together) & shewe what thou hast for the, to make the quyte.

For thus saieth the LORDE, that made the, fashioned the, and helped the, euen from thy mothers wombe: Be not afrayde (o Iacob my seruaunte,) thou rightuous, whom I haue chosen.

For I shal poure water vpon the drie grounde, and ryuers vpon the thurstie. I shal poure my sprete vpon thi sede, and myne encrease vpo thy stocke.

For what is he, that euer was like me, which am from euerlastinge? Let him shewe his name and do wherthorow he maye be lickened vnto me. Let him tell you forth planely thiges, that are past and for to come:

yee and that without eny feare or stoppe. For haue not I euer tolde you hyther to, & warned you? Ye can beare me recorde youre selues. Is there eny God excepte me? or eny maker, that I shulde not knowe him?

Who shulde now make a god, or fashio an Idol, that is profitable for nothinge?

The smyth taketh yron, and tempreth it with hote coles, and fashioneth it with hammers, & maketh it wt all the strength of his armes: Yee somtyme he is faynt for very hunger, and so thurstie, that he hath no more power.

which wodde serueth for me to burne. Of this he taketh and warmeth himself withall: he maketh a fyre of it to bake bred. And after warde maketh a god there of, to honoure it: and an Idol, to knele before it.

And of the residue, he maketh him a god, and an Idol for himself. He kneleth before it, he worshippeth it, he prayeth vnto it, and sayeth: delyuer me, for thou art my god.

They pondre not in their myndes (for they haue nether knowlege ner vnderstodinge) to thinke thus: I haue bret one pece in the fyre, I haue baked bred wt ye coles there of, I haue rosted flesh withall, & eaten it: Shal I now of the residue make an abhominacion, and fall downe before a rotten pece of wodd?

Cosidre this (o Iacob and Israel) for thou art my seruaut. I haue made the, that thou mightest serue me. O Israel, forget me not.

As for thyne offences, I dryue them awaye like the cloudes, and thy synnes as the myst. Turne ye agayne vnto me, & I will delyuer ye.

Be glad ye heauens, whom the LORDE hath made, let all yt is here beneth vpon the earth, be ioyfull. Reioyse ye mountaynes & woddes, with all the trees that are in you: for ye LORDE shal redeme Iacob, & shewe his glory vpon Israel.

For thus saieth the LORDE thy redemer, euen he that fashioned the from thy mothers wombe: I am the LORDE, which do all thinges my self alone. I only haue spred out the heauens, and I only haue layde the foundacion of the earth.

I destroye the tokens of witches, and make the Sothsayers go wronge. As for the wise, I turne them bacward, and make their conninge folishnesse.

and that for Iacob my seruaunt sake, & for Israel my chosen. For I called the by yi name, and ordened the, or euer thou knewest me: