heareth your words. I first will say unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. (No response.) And when I look, there is no man; even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word. Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought: their molten images are wind and confusion.

JEHOVAH (to Israel).—Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgement to the nations. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgement in truth. He shall not burn dimly nor be bruised, till he have set judgement in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.

Interrupting Songs of Joy

Sing unto the LORD a new song,

And his praise from the end of the earth;

Ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein,

The isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar doth inhabit;

Let the inhabitants of Sela sing,

Let them shout from the top of the mountains.

Let them give glory unto the LORD,

And declare his praise in the islands.

The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man;
He shall stir up zeal like a man of war:

He shall cry, yea, he shall shout aloud;

He shall do mightily against his enemies.

JEHOVAH (continues).-Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is at peace with me, and blind as the LORD's servant? Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not. It pleased the LORD, for

his righteousness' sake, to magnify the law, and make it honourable. But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore. Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come? Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD? he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore he poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.'

But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom; Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou hast been precious in my sight, and honourable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and peoples for thy life. Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth; every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory; I have formed him; yea, I have made him. BRING FORTH THE BLIND PEOPLE

THAT HAVE EYES, AND THE DEAF THAT HAVE EARS.

IV

Zion the Witness to the Nations

ZION (to the Nations)

'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,

'And he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat;

'Yea, come, buy wine and milk,

'Without money and without price.

'Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? 'And your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, 'And let your soul delight itself in fatness.

'Incline your ear, and come unto me;

'Hear, and your soul shall live:

'And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, 'Even the sure mercies of David.'

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found,

'Call ye upon him while he is near:

'Let the wicked forsake his way,

'And the unrighteous man his thoughts:

'And let him return unto the LORD,

'And he will have mercy upon him;

'And to our God,

'For he will abundantly pardon.'

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

'For ye shall go out with joy,

'And be led forth with peace:

The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into

singing,

'And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

'Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,

'And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: 'And it shall be to the LORD for a name,

'For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.'

V

The Servant of Jehovah Exalted

JEHOVAH

Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Like as many were astonied at thee, (his visage was so marred from that of man, and his form from that of the sons of men,) so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they understand.

CHORUS OF NATIONS

Who hath believed that which we have heard?

And to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?

For he grew up before him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of a dry ground:

He hath no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him;

Nor beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised, and rejected of men;

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:

And as one from whom men hide their face he was despised,
And we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs,
And carried our sorrows:

Yet we did esteem him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities:

The chastisement of our peace was upon him;
And with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned every one to his own way:
And the LORD hath laid on him

The iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed,

Yet he humbled himself,

And opened not his mouth;

As a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

And as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb;
Yea, he opened not his mouth.

By oppression and judgement he was taken away;
And his life who shall recount?

For he was cut off out of the land of the living;

For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

And they made his grave with the wicked,
And with the rich in his death;

Although he had done no violence,
Neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him;
He hath put him to grief:

When his soul shall make an offering for sin,

He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,

And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand:
He shall see and be satisfied with the travail of his soul.

By his knowledge shall my righteous servant make many

righteous:

And he shall bear their iniquities.