stone, and heweth it, and chiseleth it, and maketh it like a man’s image, like a goodly man that dwelleth in the house.

He goeth freshly among the trees of the forest, to cut down the cedars, and to take the beeches and the oaks, even a cedar that is planted, and that is grown before the rain.

Which giveth fireworks unto men, and they take them to warm themselves, and they set them on fire, and bake bread with them. There he maketh a god of it, and worshippeth it: he maketh an idol of it, and boweth down to it.

Half of it he burneth in the fire, and over the other half he eateth flesh: and he roasteth a roast, and is satisfied, and warmed himself, and said, Hoja! I am warmed; I see my delight in the fire.

But the rest he maketh God, that it may be his idol, before which he kneeleth, and boweth down, and prayeth, saying, Save me: for thou art my God.

They know nothing, and understand nothing: for they are blinded, that their eyes cannot see, nor their hearts perceive,

And they enter not into their heart: there is no understanding, neither wit, that they should think: I have burned half of it with fire, and have baked bread upon the coals, and roasted meat, and eaten it; and shall make the rest an abomination, and shall kneel to a block?

It giveth ashes, and deceiveth the heart that inclineth unto it, and cannot save his soul. Nor thinketh he, Is this also deceit, which my right hand driveth?

Remember this, O Jacob, and Israel: for thou art my servant. I have prepared thee to be my servant: Israel, forget me not.

I will destroy thy iniquity as a cloud, and thy sin as the mist. Turn to me, for I will deliver you.

Rejoice, ye heavens, for the LORD hath done it: call down, ye earth; ye mountains, rejoice with singing; the forest and all the trees thereof: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and is glorious in Israel.

Thus saith the LORD thy Redeemer, which hath prepared thee from the womb: I am the LORD that doeth all things, that stretched out the heavens alone, and made the earth wide without help,

Who destroyeth the signs of the diviners, and maketh the diviners foolish; who turneth back the wise, and maketh their art foolish,

But confirm the word of his servant, and execute the counsel of his messengers, which saith unto Jerusalem, Be ye inhabited; and unto the cities of Judah, Be ye built; and I will raise up their desolations;

Who saith to the deep, Seal up; and to the rivers, Dry up.

Who saith unto Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and he shall accomplish all my will, that it may be said unto Jerusalem, Be thou built; and unto the temple, Be thou established.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 45
Redemption from Babylonian captivity.

Thus saith the LORD unto his anointed, Cyrus, whom I will take by his right hand, to subdue the heathen before him, and to cut off the sword from kings; that the doors may be opened before him, and the gates not shut:

I will go before thee, and level the humps; I will break the doors of brass, and break the bars of iron.

And I will give thee the secret treasures, and the hidden treasures, that thou mayest know that I the LORD God of Israel have called thee by thy name.

For Jacob my servant’s sake, and for Israel my chosen. Yea, I called thee by thy name, and called thee, when thou knewest me not yet.

I am the LORD, and there is none else: there is no God without me. I have equipped thee, when thou knewest me not,

That they may know both the rising of the sun, and the going down of the sun, that there is nothing beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none more,

Who maketh light, and maketh darkness: who giveth peace, and maketh evil. I am the LORD, which doeth all these things.

Drop, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, and bring forth salvation; and let righteousness increase with it. I, the LORD, create it.

Woe unto him that contendeth with his maker, even the potsherd with the potter of the clay. If the clay also saith unto his potter, What doest thou? Thou proveest not thy hands by thy work?

Woe unto him that saith unto his father, Why hast thou begotten me? and to his wife: Why hast thou conceived?

Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and their Master; Ask of me the signs; direct my children, and the work of my hands, unto me.

I have made the earth, and created man upon it. It is I whose hands have stretched out the heavens, and have commanded all his host.

I have raised him up in righteousness, and all his ways will I make even. He shall build my city, and let my captives go, not for money, nor for gifts, saith the LORD of hosts.

Thus saith the LORD; The trades of the Egyptians, and the trades of the Moors, and the long men of Sheba, shall yield themselves unto thee, and be thine own; they shall follow thee; they shall go in bonds, and shall fall down before thee, and make supplication unto thee: for with thee is God, and there is no more God.

Verily thou art a hidden God, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

But the idolaters must all stand with shame and scorn, and go down ashamed together.

And Israel shall be redeemed by the LORD unto an everlasting redemption, and shall not be put to shame, nor made a mockery of for ever and ever.

For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens, the God that prepared the earth, and made it, and fashioned it, and made it not to be empty, but prepared it to be inhabited; I am the LORD, and there is none else.

I have not spoken in secret in the dark place of the earth. I have not said in vain unto the seed of Jacob, Seek me. For I am the LORD that speaketh of righteousness, and declare that which is right.

Let the mighty men of the heathen be gathered together, and come together, which know not any thing, and bear themselves with the graven images of their idols, and make supplication unto God, who is not able to help.

Proclaim, and make yourselves known; take counsel together. Who hath spoken these things of old, and proclaimed them of old? Have not I, the LORD, done it? And there is no other God without me, a righteous God and Saviour; and there is none without me.

Turn ye unto me, and ye shall be saved, even to the end of the world. For I am God, and no other.

I swear by myself, and a word of righteousness proceedeth out of my mouth, and it shall stand: every knee shall bow unto me, and every tongue shall swear.

Saying, In the LORD have I righteousness and strength. Such also shall come unto him: but all they that resist him shall be put to shame.

For in the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory in him.
Ch. 46. v. 1. Bel is bowed down, Nebo is fallen, their idols are given to beasts and cattle, that they may be weary with your burden.

Yea, they fall and bow down all, and cannot bear away the burden, but their souls must go into prison.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 46
God is his church’s protection.

Hearken unto me, ye of the house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne in my womb, and lie with me in my mother.

Yea, I will bear you up unto old age, and till ye be grey. I will do it; I will lift and carry and save.

After whom do ye form me, and to whom do ye compare me? Against whom do ye measure me, that I should be like?

They pour out the gold out of the bag, and weigh the silver in the balances, and reward the goldsmith to make it a god, before whom they kneel and worship.

They lift him up on the shoulder, and bear him, and set him in his place. There he standeth, and cometh not out of his place. If any man cry unto him, he answereth not, neither helpeth him out of his trouble.

Remember these things, and be firm: ye transgressors, enter into your hearts.

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none more, a God like unto whom there is none,

Who declareth beforehand that which is to come after, and before that which is to come to pass, saying, My purpose is established, and I will do all that I please.

I call unto a bird from the east, and to a man that doeth my bidding, from a far country. What I say, that let come; what I think, that do I.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 47
Destruction of tyrannical Babel.

Hearken unto me, ye of proud heart, which are far from righteousness.

I have brought my righteousness near, it is not far off, and my salvation is not delayed: for I will give salvation in Zion, and my glory in Israel.
Ch. 47. v. 1. Down, virgin, thou daughter of Babylon, sit thou in the dust, sit thou upon the earth!
For the daughter of the Chaldeans hath no more a seat. They shall call thee no more: Thou tender and lewd.

take the mill and grind flour, fray your braids, bare your foot, uncover your thigh, wade through the water,

That thy