are wise in themselves, and think themselves wise!

Woe unto them that are valiant in drinking wine, and warriors in gluttony, 23. Who give judgment to the wicked for a gift, and turn away the judgment of the righteous from them.

Therefore as the flame of the fire devoureth straw, and as the tuft taketh up stubble, so shall their root rot, and their shoot as dust. For they despise the law of the LORD of hosts, and blaspheme the words of the Holy One in Israel.

Therefore the anger of the LORD is kindled against his people, and he stretcheth out his hand against them, and smiteth them, that the mountains quake; and their carcase is as dung in the streets. And in all this his anger is not abated, but his hand is stretched out.

For he shall cast a banner afar off among the heathen, and shall draw them from the ends of the earth. And, behold, they come with haste and speed!

And there is none of them that is weary or faint, neither slumbereth nor sleepeth, neither doth his girdle unloose from his loins, neither doth his shoe-strap rent.

Their arrows are sharp, and all their bows are strained. The hoofs of his horses are like rocks, and the wheels of his chariots are like a whirlwind.

They shall roar like lions, and roar like young lions: they shall roar, and take the spoil, and carry it away, that no man shall deliver.

And shall roar upon them in that day as the sea. And when they look upon the land, behold, it is dark with fear, and the light shineth no more above them.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 6
Isaiah sees God’s glory.

In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a high and lofty throne, and his hem filled the temple.

Seraphim stood over him, every one having six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.

And one cried unto another, saying, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the tables of the earth are full of his glory.

And the overflowing waves shook at the voice of their cry, and the house was filled with smoke.

And I said, Woe is me, I perish! For I am of unclean lips, and dwell among a people of unclean lips: for I have seen the King, the LORD of hosts, with mine eyes.

Then one of the seraphim flew unto me, having a burning coal in his hand, which he took with tongs from the altar,

And he stirred up my mouth, and said, Behold, thy lips are hereby stirred, that thine iniquity may be put away from thee, and that thy sin may be atoned for.

And I heard the voice of the LORD saying, Whom shall I send? Who shall be our messenger?
And I said, Here am I; send me.

And he said, Go, and say unto this people, Hear, and understand not; see, and perceive not.

Harden the heart of this people, and make their ears thick, and blind their eyes; that they see not with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.

And I said, Lord, how long? And he said, Till the cities be desolate without inhabitant, and the houses without people, and the field lie all waste.

For the LORD will remove the people afar off, and the land shall be very desolate: 13. But the tenth part shall remain in it: for it shall be taken away, and destroyed, as the oak and the linden tree, which have the trunk, though their leaves be cast off. Such a trunk shall be a holy seed.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 7
The Messiah is to be born of a virgin.

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel went up to Jerusalem to fight against them, but could not prevail against them.

And it was told the house of David, saying, The Syrians rely upon Ephraim. Then his heart and the heart of his people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.

And the LORD said unto Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, thou, and Sear-jashub thy son, unto the end of the water-pipes by the upper pool, by the way of the dyer’s field, 4. And say unto him, Beware, and be still. Fear not, and let not thine heart be troubled for these two fires of fire, which smoke, even for the wrath of Rezin with the Syrians, and for the
wrath of the son of Remaliah,

That the Syrians have made an evil counsel against thee, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying:

And we will go up to Judah, and raise them up, and divide them among us, and make the son of Tabeal king within.

For thus saith the LORD GOD; It shall not stand, nor be so,

But as Damascus is the head of Syria, so Rezin shall be the head of Damascus. And sixty and five years shall be the end of Ephraim, and they shall be no more one people.

And as Samaria is the head of Ephraim, so shall the son of Remaliah be the head of Samaria.
If ye believe not, ye shall not abide.
(Epistle on the day of the Annunciation Mary.)

And the LORD spake again unto Alias, saying:

Ask thee a sign from the LORD thy God, whether it be in hell below, or in heaven above.

But Alias said: I will not require it, lest I tempt the LORD.

And he said, Come now, ye of the house of David, is it not enough for you to offend men; ye must also offend my God?

Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin is with child, and shall bring forth a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know how to reject evil, and to choose good.

For before the child learneth to reject evil, and to choose good, the land which thou fearest shall be forsaken of her two kings].

But the LORD will bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that are not come since the time that Ephraim was separated from Judah by the king of Assyria;

For in that day shall the LORD swallow up the fly that is at the end of the waters of Egypt, and the bee that is in the land of Assyria,

And they shall come and lay them all down by the dry brooks, and in the clefts of the rocks, and in every hedge, and in every bush.

In that day shall the LORD shave off the head, and the hair of the feet, and take off the beard with a hired clipper, even by them that are beyond the water, as by the king of Assyria.

In that day shall a man draw a herd of cows, and two flocks.

And he shall have so much to milk, that he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall he eat that is left in the land.

For it shall come to pass in that day, that where now there are a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, there shall be thorns and hedges,

To go thither with bows and arrows. For throughout the land there will be thorns and hedges, 25. And it shall come to pass, that in all the mountains which are hewn down with hews, they shall not come for fear of the thorns and the hedges, but shall let oxen go there, and sheep tread thereon.
Ch. 8, v. 1: And the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great letter, and write thereon with a man’s pen, saying, Robbery, haste.

And I took unto me two faithful witnesses, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah,

And I went unto a prophetess, and she conceived, and bare a son. And the LORD said unto me, Call his name Raubebald, hurry up.

For before the child can cry: Dear father, dear mother, the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria shall be taken away by the king of Assyria.

And the LORD spake unto me further, saying;

Because this people despised the waters of Shiloh, which were still, and took comfort of Rezin the son of Remaliah,

Behold, the LORD shall bring upon them strong waters, and many waters of the river, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory, to pass over all their rivers, and to go over all their banks;

And shall break in upon Judah, and shall flood, and go over, until they reach unto the neck, and shall spread their wings, and fill thy land, O Immanuel, as far as it is.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 8
Punishment of all the people of Israel, comfort of the godly.

Be ye wicked, ye nations, and yet give way. Hear ye, all ye that are in far countries, Prepare yourselves, and give flight: rather, prepare yourselves, and give flight.

Take counsel, and nothing shall come of it. Come to an agreement, and nothing will come of it; for here is Immanuel.

For thus saith the LORD unto me, as if he had taken me by the hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:

Ye shall not say, Covenant. This people speak of nothing but covenant. Fear not therefore, as they do; neither be afraid,

But sanctify the LORD of hosts. Let him be your fear and your terror, 14. He shall be a sanctification, but a stumblingblock and a rock of offence unto the two houses