CHAPTER XLV.

THUS saith Jehovah unto his anointed,
Cyrus, whom I uphold, whom I appointed,
That he might shake the nations to their base,
And loins of many kings he might unbrace:
That I through palaces may form his way;
The opening gates his mandate shall obey;
I go before, and lay the mountains low;
The doors of brass asunder will I throw;
The bars of iron shall be levelled down;

The hidden treasures shall become thy own.

That thou mayest own me Lord of earth and heaven, The God of Israel thus thy name hath given.

I for my chosen's sake this thing decree:

I have surnamed thee, though thou knowest not me. I am the Lord, beside me is there none;

I gird thee, though my name thou dost not own; That they may know, e'en from the east and west, That none beside me hath this power possessed; Who light and darkness, good and evil bringsJehovah is the author of these things.

Your kindly dews, ye heavens, pour down;
Be righteousness the genial shower:
Let opening earth this influence own,
And let salvation's fruit be shown,

And justice rear her blessed flower:
For I the Lord

Have given the word.

Woe unto him who dares contend with his Creator's sway,
The potsherd with the moulder of the clay!
Shall the clay say unto the potter, "Let me see thy

skill?"

Or to the workman, "Thou hast wrought it ill?" Yea, woe, who to his father saith, "Why didst thou cause my birth?'

Or to his mother, "What hast thou brought forth?"

Thus saith Jehovah, Israel's Holy One,

Who hath decreed the course that time shall run:

About my creatures do ye knowledge claim?

Do

ye

advise of that which I would frame ?

I raised the earth, and formed the human race;

Spread the wide heavens, and gave its hosts their place

I called him who my righteousness displays;

And will direct all his appointed ways;

He shall release my sons, my holy city raise :
It shall not be for price, nor for reward,

So saith Jehovah, the Almighty Lord.

Thus saith Jehovah,

The merchandise of Cush, and Egypt's gold,
And the Sabeans, mighty men of old,

To thee shall they come over;

Yea, they shall follow thee, they shall be thine:
Behold, in chains shall pass the lengthening line:
To thee shall they bow down;

They shall address thee thus, in suppliant guise,
"In thee alone the power almighty lies;
Beside thee there is none."

Verily thou thy counsels hast concealed,
O Israel's God, my Saviour and my shield.

His enemies are all ashamed, they blush at their delusion; And those who wrought their images retire in wild confusion.

But Israel, his redeemed one, Jehovah's self hath claimed; Through all the ages yet to come he shall not be ashamed.

Thus saith the Lord, that called the heavens forth,
And by his sovereign mandate fixed the earth;
And that he made, he made it not in vain,
But that it might inhabitants sustain:
I am Jehovah; there is none besides;
My word beneath no darkening gloom abides.
I said not unto Jacob, "Vain your prayer;"
But righteousness and truth do I declare.

Assemble ye; yea, all of

ye

draw near

Who are escaped from among the nations:

How blind are those who wooden idols rear,
And to these gods bow down with supplications!

Conduct them near, and publish it abroad;
Say who of old to you this knowledge gave.
Is it not I, than whom there is no God;
A God who utters truth, and who will save?

Look unto me, and be ye

saved now, O ye inhabitants of distant lands; For I am God, no other I allow;

I by myself have sworn-my counsel stands.

My mouth hath said—and true is the decree,
None shall revoke the word that I proclaim-
Surely to me shall prostrate every knee,
And every tongue shall call upon my name;

And say, "In God is righteousness and strength;"
His adversaries all shall hide their face;
Israel by him is justified at length;

God is the boast and glory of his race.

CHAPTER XLVI.

Lo, Baal boweth, Nebo croucheth down;
Their images are on the cattle placed;
Under their load the weary oxen groan;
They crouch, they bow, together are disgraced.
Of their own charge they could deliver none;
E'en they themselves are into bondage gone.

Yet now, O house of Jacob, hearken ye,
And all who still by Israel are possessed,
Who from your birth have been sustained by me,
Whom I have carried from your mother's breast:
your old age I yet will be the same,

Το

Nor from your hoary hairs my help will sever; You I have made, you my support shall claim, I will sustain you, and I will deliver.

Can ye my equal or my like unfold ?

Wherein can my resemblance be displayed? Forth from the bag they freely lavish gold,

And in the balance is their silver weighed ; Soon by the workman's hand their god is made; Prostrate they fall, and supplicate his aid.