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Long I held peace, shall it for ever be?
Shall I in silence still myself retain ?

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Who pants for breath, nor can her voice restrain.

I will make barren all the hills and mountains,

So that each verdant herb thereon shall die;

There shall be deserts where were pleasant fountains,
And every pool of water shall be dry;

By ways unknown to them will lead the blind,
And I will turn their darkness into light,
In rugged ways a path for them will find,
Nor will forsake, but keep them in my sight.

They for shame have hid their face,
They are confounded utterly,

In graven images their trust who place,
And prostrate fall before a lying vanity.

Hear, O ye deaf! Ye blind, look steadfastly!
And who so deaf as Jacob can ye find?
Who blind as he that doth my prophets see?

As he that hath my law, who deaf and blind?
Yea, truly thou hast seen, and closed thy eyes;
Thy ears are open, yet no sense replies.

The Lord would call to mind his word of old,
And magnify his name for his truth's sake;
Yet is this people plundered, spoiled, and sold,
And all their chosen ones the makers take:

A spoil they are, in vain they help implore,
A plunder, and no one hath said Restore.

Who is among you that will hear this word,
And for the future will consider well?
Who hath delivered Jacob to the sword,
And destined to the plunderers Israel?
Jehovah sent these evils on their head,
For in his righteous ways they would not tread.

He sent on them the flame,

He left them for a prey;

For nothing would their stubborn hearts reclaim;

They would not turn, nor see the error of their way.

CHAPTER XLIII

YET now thus saith the Lord

Who formed thee, Jacob, thee, O Israel:
Be not afraid, for thee I have restored;

Yea, thou art mine, I call thee by my name. Shouldst thou pass through the waters, these I quell, And through the rivers, I am still with thee;

Though in the fire, thou shalt not feel the flame, It shall not scorch; in safety thou shalt be.

I am the Lord of earth and heaven,
And thy Redeemer Israel's Holy One;
And I have Egypt for thy ransom given,
Sheba and Ethiopia in thy place.

Because I unto thee have favour shown,
I honoured thee, on thee I poured my love;

Therefore will I give nations for thy race;
Great ones shall fall, but I thy help will prove.

And from the east thy children will I sever,
And from the west will surely gather thee;
I will cry out unto the north" Deliver!

Withhold not!" to the south I will proclaim.

Yea, from afar bring forth my sons to me,
And all my daughters from the ends of earth;
Every one that is called by my name,
Whom for my glory I to life called forth.

Bring forth those who are blind, and yet have eyes;
And summon ye the deaf, though having ears;
Let all the peoples at my word arise,

And be assembled every different nation.

Say which, of all the host, this work declares;
And who hath brought this thing to light of old;
Or hath some witness of this revelation;
Or who can say, Lo! thus was it foretold?

Ye are my witnesses, Jehovah saith,

Even my chosen ones, whom I have named,
That ye may know, and place in me your faith,
And ye may understand that I am He.
No God before my being had been framed,
And also after me existeth none.

Ye sons of men, your God behold in me;
No hand but mine hath your salvation won.

My purpose I foretell, and I will save;
I by my word have made the tidings known;
No other god to you the message gave.

I call you as my witnesses to stand,
That I, Jehovah's self, am God alone.
Even before time was, Lo, I am he !

And there is none can rescue from my hand. I work-who shall reverse my fixed decree?

Thus saith Jehovah, the Redeeming One:
For your sake have I sent to Babylon,
And I will level all their mighty host,
And the Chaldean ships, in which they boast.
I am the King that giveth Israel breath,
The Holy One-in me repose your faith.

Thus saith Jehovah,

Who made for thee

A pathway in the sea,

And through the mighty waters led thee over; Who summoned forth the rider and the horse, and the power;

The

army

Together have they sped their course,

They rise again no more;

Their days are done;

Yea, even as a torch whose light is gone.

4

Do ye not bring to mind the things of old?
Nor yet consider what ye have been told?

Lo! new events are springing into light!
Even now they come, will ye not mark the sight?
In the lone wilderness I make a way;

The desert, streams of water shall display:

To me the savage creatures raise their voice;

The dragons, the young ostriches rejoice;

For I have given waters to the waste,
And in the wilds have flowing rivers placed,
To yield refreshment to my chosen race

Whom I have formed, who shall recount my praise.

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