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But, Jacob, thou dost not my name invoke;
O Israel, thou my worship dost despise:
Thou hast not brought the younglings of thy flock,
Nor honoured me with willing sacrifice.

I have not burthened thee for offerings slain;
For incense I have made no great demands;
Thou hast not purchased any fragrant cane;
I am not filled with fatlings from thy hands.

Ah, no! thy heavy sins have burthened me,
And I am vexed with thy iniquities:

Yet I blot out thy sins, for I am He;
For my own sake I turn from them my eyes.

I bid thee lay before me each excuse,
And let us now on equal terms be tried;
Set forth thy cause, thy every plea adduce,
Declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

Thy chief hath sinned, thy teachers disobeyed,
Thy princes have profaned my holy place;
Therefore the curse shall fall on Jacob's head,
And to reproach I give up Israel's race.

CHAPTER XLIV.

BUT Jacob, O my servant, hear!
Israel, my chosen, lend your ear!
Thus saith the Lord-to thee he being gave,
He formed thee, and he will also save.

My servant Jacob, be thou not afraid;
Nor, chosen Jeshurun, be thou dismayed:
Upon thy seed I will bestow my spirit,
Thy offspring my free blessings shall inherit;
And they shall spring up like the moistened grass,
As willows, where the flowing waters pass.

Behold, I am Jehovah's," sayeth one;

Another shall be named as Jacob's son:
This to Jehovah shall subscribe his hand,
And be surnamed as one of Israel's band.

Thus saith Jehovah, King of Israel,
And his redeeming one, the Lord of hosts;
I am the first, and I the last will dwell:
No other god of this existence boasts.

And who like me each great event presages?
Or knows it? or can coming things arrange,
From the commencement of remotest ages ?
Let such declare to us each future change.

Be not afraid! have I not told it you?
Hath it not been to you of old foreshown?
Ye are my witnesses that this is true.

Is there a god beside me? No; not one!

Vain is the toil of those who idols mould;
And profitless the works that they have wrought:
Yea, these as witnesses the truth unfold,

They see not, hear not, and are good for nought.

That each may blush at that which he hath made, Behold, all his associates shall assemble;

Yea, they shall meet, and be in shame arrayed; At his own folly every one shall tremble.

The smith a piece of iron takes,

The living coals the metal warms,

With hammers he the fashion makes,

And on it he exerts his arms;

Yea, he is hungry, and he fails in strength,
He drinks no water, and is faint at length.

The carpenter extends his line,

His chalk the figure marketh out,
The sharpened tools shall this define,
The compass measures it about;
To make a human form his art he plied,
That it may now within the house abide.

He cuts down cedars for his use,
The pines, the oaks he may require,
He plants the ash, the falling dews

Nourish the wood to serve for fire;

From this he warmth obtains, his bread he bakes, Then forms a god, and worships what he makes.

Yea, part he burneth in the fire;

He roasteth meat, his hunger stays;
He warms himself to his desire,

And saith, "Aha! I feel the blaze:"
The rest he makes his god, bows to the same;
He cries, "Save me; I thy protection claim."

They have no knowledge; yea, their eyes are sealed,
Their hearts are closed, the truth is not revealed;
Nor hath each one discernment left to say,
"Lo, part of this the flame hath burnt away;
Upon its embers I have baked my bread,
Flesh have I roasted, and I have been fed:
Shall I unto the remnant worship own?
Shall I before a wooden stock bow down?"
He is deceived; ashes have been his bread;
On his deluded heart no light is shed;
He cannot save his soul, nor make demand
"Exists there not a lie in my right hand?"

O chosen Jacob, lay these things to heart;
Israel, from whom I claim a servant's part:
Thou art my servant-I have formed thee,
And in remembrance thou shall stand with me.

A vanished cloud have thy transgressions seemed, And as a vapour are thy sins esteemed:

Return to me, for thee have I redeemed.

Rejoice, O heaven,

For what the Lord hath given;

Utter a joyful sound,

O all ye depths profound;

Ye mountains, raise your cheerful voice in song;
Let shouts burst forth the forest trees among.
Jehovah hath on Jacob poured his grace;
He will be glorified in Israel's race.

Thus saith Jehovah, he that formed thee,
I am the God that calleth all things forth,
The heavens expanded at my sole decree;
I by myself established the firm earth.

Behold, I frustrate all the vain presages,
And I will madden the diviners wholly;
I overset the counsel of the sages,

And all their knowledge shall be turned to folly.

Yea, I accomplish what my prophets told;
Say to Jerusalem, "Re-peopled be;"

And to her cities, "Flourish as of old;"
For your sake the great river dry shall be.

Thou art my shepherd, I to Cyrus say,
Who shall perform my pleasure for thy nation,
Cry to Jerusalem, "Thy walls display;"

And to the temple, " Fixed be thy foundation."

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