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They on their shoulders bear the helpless load;
They set him down, and there he standeth still;
Nor can he move himself from his abode,

Nor yet will he his votarists' prayers fulfil:
He gives no answer to their loud address,
Nor will he rescue them in their distress.

Consider deeply with yourselves, and mourn,
O ye transgressors; store it in your mind;
Let former things be in your memory borne:
For I am God, none other can ye find.
Yea, I am God, and there is none like me,
Who from the first declares his fixed decree;

Proclaiming thus, "My word shall surely stand;
Whatever I have willed, that I effect:
The eagle from the east I will command;
From lands remote the one whom I direct.

So will I bring it as I have decreed;
As I designed I will perform the deed.

O all ye stubborn-hearted people, hear,
Who are far off from the appointed aid;
My promised succour now approaches near,
And my salvation shall not be delayed;

For I to Sion will salvation give;

Israel from me his glory shall derive.

CHAPTER XLVII.

DAUGHTER of Babylon, descend, and sit thou in the dust;

Sit on the ground, thou virgin one, who from thy throne art thrust:

For thou no longer shalt be called the delicate and fair. Take thou the mill, and grind the corn, disclose thy flowing hair:

Remove the sandals from thy feet, and through the rivers wade.

I will take vengeance by thy shame, and none shall give thee aid.

As his Avenger, Israel boasts

The Holy One, the Lord of Hosts.

Chaldea's daughter, sit in gloom amid thy desolations; For thou no longer shalt be called The lady of the nations. When I my heritage profaned, in anger to my race, Into thy hand I gave them up, thou didst not show them grace;

Yea, e'en upon the aged ones thy heavy yoke was laid. "I shall be queen for evermore," thou vauntingly hast

said.

For to these things attentively thou wouldst not give thy thought;

Nor wouldst thou see the bitter doom to which thou must be brought.

But hear thou this, voluptuous one, wrapt in security, That sayest in thy heart, 'I am, and there is none but

me:

"I shall not as a widow sit, nor know the loss of sons." Yet shall these two o'erwhelming strokes descend on thee at once,

The loss of sons, and widowhood thou suddenly shalt

know.

In vain shalt thou enchantments seek; in one day falls the blow.

Thou in thy wickedness didst trust, and saidst, "None seeth me:"

Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, these have both perverted thee.

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“I am, and there is none besides -so saidst thou in

thy pride;

Therefore shall evil fall on thee thou canst not turn aside: Misfortunes thou canst not escape on thee shall surely

fall,

And desolation cover thee, which thou didst not forestall.

Persist in thy enchantments now,

And in thy many sorceries;

From youth thou lov'st them, let them show

If timely aid may yet arise.

Unto whose counsel wilt thou turn?
Let thy seers save thee; let them speak.
Those who events in stars discern

Should see the ills that round thee break.

The fiery flame shall these consume,
And they like stubble shall be cleft;
Lo, this shall be their certain doom,
And not an ember shall be left.

Yea, thus shall all thy sorcerers end:
Thy merchants, who maintained thy state,
Each to his own device shall wend,

And none shall save thee from thy fate.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

HEAR this, all ye who Jacob's kindred claim,
Who still are reckoned under Israel's name,

All

ye who from the streams of Judah flow,
And by the great Jehovah make your vow,
Belief in Israel's God freely express,
Though it is not in truth or righteousness,
Themselves they by the holy city call,
And stay upon the God of Israel,
Jehovah is Almighty Lord of all.

The former things I showed to you of old;
Yea, from my mouth they passed of ancient date;
And I effected what I had foretold,

Because I knew that thou wast obstinate,

That as an iron sinew was thy neck,

And that thy forehead showed a front of brass;
So from the first I gave to thee this check,
I made thee hear ere it should come to pass.

Lest thou shouldst say, This hath my idol won,
My molten images these things decreed-

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