Thou heardst before; behold, now it is done, I from this time will secret things foretell, Events which had not been to thee revealed, Lest thou shouldst say, "Lo, this I knew full well:" Knowing that thou wouldst act a traitor's part, For my own sake will I restrain my heart, So that I may not utterly disclaim. I tried thee, not as silver in the fire, Jacob and Israel, hearken unto me: I am the first, and to the last am he. My hand foundations to the earth hath given, Gather together, all of you, and hear; Say who among you could these things declare. Lo, I decreed it from its earliest birth, Now by the power of God and by his Spirit I go forth. Lo, thus saith Israel's redeeming Lord, I am thy God, that teacheth thee the right, And who would lead in safety by my word. O hadst thou kept my law within thy sight, Like an abundant stream had been thy peace, Thy blessings as the depth's immensity, And as the sand had been thy seed's increase, Thy issue as the issue of the sea; Thou in my sight hadst ever held thy place; I would not have removed thee from before my face. Now lead ye on From Babylon; Go out from the Chaldean land: Let a glad song Let it resound through all your band. Proclaim it forth To distant earth; "God hath redeemed his servant Jacob," say. Through which their way he traced: Rocks at his word refreshing streams display; Jehovah saith, that man can never rest Who harbours wickedness within his breast. CHAPTER XLIX. YE distant nations, to my words give ear; Jehovah from the breast hath called me forth; And in his quiver laid me up in store. "Thou art my servant," hath he said to me; Then said I, "Lo, for vanity I wrought, Now thus saith God, who formed me to fulfil (So am I glorious in Jehovah's eyes; D I give thee as a light to every nation, salvation." Thus saith Jehovah, Israel's Holy One, Lo, thus the great Jehovah's self doth say— That thou may'st to the prisoners cry, "Go forth;" And he shall lead where springing waters flow, And the uplifted causeways I will show; They from afar shall come, and not delay: These from the north, and from the west appear; These from the distant land of Sinim are. Cry out aloud, ye heavens; rejoice, O earth; And all ye mountains into. song burst forth; The great Jehovah hath consoled his sons, But Sion saith, Jehovah hath forsaken, And I am from my Lord's remembrance taken. Say, shall the nursing one Forget her infant son, That she from him her tenderness should sever? These may forget-I will forsake thee never. Lo, on my palms I have engraven thee,5 Thy walls are ever present unto me: By thy destroyers shalt thou be replaced, Those shall be called thy sons who laid thee waste. Behold, lift up on every side thine eyes— All these are gathered! lo, to thee they rise: The sons of whom thou wast bereaved shall say, And thou shalt cry, "From whom have I this host? For I was desolate, my sons were lost, Exiled and lone,-where were these nourished, say? Abandoned and forlorn, where then were they?" |