The Hebrew Prophets

Beholde, they are all vanitie: their worke is of nothing, their images are wind and confusion.

Behold, my seruaunt: I will stay vpon him: mine elect, in whom my soule deliteth: I haue put my Spirit vpon him: he shall bring forth iudgement to the Gentiles.

He shall not crie, nor lift vp, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streete.

A bruised reede shall hee not breake, and the smoking flaxe shall he not quench: he shall bring foorth iudgement in trueth.

He shall not faile nor be discouraged till he haue set iudgement in the earth: and the yles shall waite for his lawe.

Thus sayeth God the Lord (he that created the heauens and spred them abroad: he that stretched foorth the earth, and the buddes thereof: he that giueth breath vnto the people vpon it, and spirit to them that walke therein)

I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnesse, and will hold thine hand, and I will keepe thee, and giue thee for a couenant of the people, and for a light of the Gentiles,

That thou maist open the eyes of the blind, and bring out the prisoners from the prison: and them that sitte in darkenesse, out of the prison house.

I am the Lord, this is my Name, and my glory wil I not giue to another, neither my praise to grauen images.

Beholde, the former thinges are come to passe, and newe things doe I declare: before they come foorth, I tell you of them.

Sing vnto the Lord a newe song, and his praise from the ende of the earth: yee that goe downe to the sea, and all that is therein: the yles and the inhabitants thereof.

Let the wildernesse and the cities thereof lift vp their voyce, the townes that Kedar doeth inhabite: let the inhabitants of the rocks sing: let them shoute from the toppe of the mountaines.

Let them giue glorie vnto the Lord, and declare his praise in the ylands.

The Lord shall go forth as a gyant: he shall stirre vp his courage like a man of warre: he shall shout and crie, and shall preuaile against his enemies.

I haue a long time holden my peace: I haue beene still and refrained my selfe: nowe will I crie like a trauailing woman: I will destroy and deuoure at once.

I will make waste mountaines, and hilles, and drie vp all their herbes, and I will make the floods ylands, and I will drie vp the pooles.

And I will bring the blinde by a way, that they knewe not, and lead them by paths that they haue not knowen: I will make darkenesse light before them, and crooked thinges straight. These thinges will I doe vnto them, and not forsake them.

They shall be turned backe: they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in grauen images, and say to the molten images, Yee are our gods.

Heare, ye deafe: and ye blinde, regarde, that ye may see.

Who is blinde but my seruaunt? or deafe as my messenger, that I sent? who is blind as the perfit, and blinde as the Lordes seruant?

Seeing many things, but thou keepest them not? opening the eares, but he heareth not?

The Lord is willing for his righteousnesse sake that he may magnifie the Lawe, and exalt it.

But this people is robbed and spoiled, and shalbe all snared in dungeons, and they shalbe hid in prison houses: they shall be for a pray, and none shall deliuer: a spoile, and none shall say, Restore.

Who among you shall hearken to this, and take heede, and heare for afterwardes?

Who gaue Iaakob for a spoyle, and Israel to the robbers? Did not ye Lord, because we haue sinned against him? for they woulde not walke in his waies, neither be obedient vnto his Lawe.