preaching, and to whom will the arm of the Lord be revealed?

For he sprung up before him as rice, and as a root out of dry ground. He had no form nor beauty; we saw him, but there was no form to please us.

He was the most despised, the most unworthy, full of pain and sickness. He was so despised that people hid their faces from him; therefore we did not respect him.

For verily he bare our sickness, and took upon him our pains. And we took him for one that was afflicted, and smitten of God, and martyred.

But he is wounded for our iniquity, and bruised for our sin. The punishment is upon him, that we might have peace; and by his wounds we are healed.

We all went astray like sheep, every one looking to his own way: but the LORD cast upon him the sin of us all.

When he was punished and martyred, he opened not his mouth, as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that is dumb before her shearers, and openeth not her mouth.

But he is taken out of anguish and judgment: who shall plead the length of his life? For he is taken out of the land of the living, because he was afflicted for the iniquity of my people.

And he was buried like the wicked, and died like a rich man, though he did no man wrong, neither was there deceit in his mouth.

But the LORD would smite him with disease. When he hath given his life for a trespass offering, he shall have seed, and shall live for a long time: and the LORD’S purpose shall pass away by his hand.

Because his soul hath wrought, he shall see his delight, and have his fullness. And by his knowledge shall he, my servant the righteous, justify many: for he beareth their sin.

Therefore will I give him a great multitude for a prey, and he shall have the strong for a prey: because he hath given his life unto death, and is counted like unto the transgressors, and hath borne many sins, and hath made intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 54
The church’s gift of grace from Christ her Bridegroom.

Boast, thou barren woman, which hast not given birth; rejoice with glory, and exult, thou that art not with child. For the lone woman hath more children than she that hath a husband, saith the LORD.

Make wide the room of thy tabernacle, and spread out the carpets of thy dwelling; spare not thine own; stretch thy cords long, and fasten thy nails.

For thou shalt go forth on the right hand, and on the left: and thy seed shall inherit the heathen, and shall dwell in the waste cities.

Fear not, for thou shalt not be put to shame: be not thou foolish, for thou shalt not be a laughingstock; but thou shalt forget the shame of thy virginity, and shalt remember no more the reproach of thy widowhood.

For he that made thee is thy husband; LORD of hosts is his name: and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, who is called GOD to all the earth.

For the LORD hath made thee to be as a woman forsaken, and sorrowful in heart, and as a young woman cast out, saith thy God.

I have left thee one thy moment; but with great mercy will I gather thee.

I have hid my face from thee a little in the moment of wrath: but with everlasting mercy will I
have mercy upon thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

For this shall be unto me as the waters of Noah, when I sware that the waters of Noah should no more pass over the face of the earth. So have I sworn that I will not be angry with thee, nor reproach thee.

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills shall fall: but my mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away, saith the LORD thy merciful God.

Thou wretched, over whom all weathers pass, and thou desolate! Behold, I will set thy stones as an ornament, and will lay thy foundation with sapphires.

And make thy windows of crystals, and thy gates of rubies, and all thy borders of choice stones;

And taught all thy children of the LORD, and great peace unto thy children.

Thou shalt be prepared by righteousness. Thou shalt be far from violence and wrong, that thou shalt not fear it; and from terror, that it come not nigh thee.

Behold, who shall again destroy thee, and overtake thee, if they destroy themselves without me?

Behold, I make it that the smith that bloweth up the coals in the fire shall make a stuff of them for his work: for I make it that the destroyer shall perish.

For every thing that is prepared against thee shall not prosper; and every tongue that shall set itself against thee thou shalt condemn in judgment. This is the inheritance of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness from me, saith the LORD.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 55
Of true repentance and God’s word.

Now therefore, all ye that thirst, come ye hither for water; and ye that have no money, come ye hither, buy and eat; come ye hither, and buy without money, and for nothing, both wine and milk.

Why do ye count money where there is no bread, and your labour where ye cannot be satisfied? Hearken ye unto me, and eat that which is good, and your souls shall be fat with lust.

Give ear, and come unto me: hear, and your souls shall live. For I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the certain mercies of David.

Behold, I have set him for a witness unto the people, for a ruler and master unto the nations.

Behold, thou shalt call the heathen whom thou knowest not: and the heathen that know thee not shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and because of the Holy One that is in Israel, which glorifieth thee.

Seek the Lord, because he is to be found; call upon him, because he is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the transgressor his thoughts, and turn unto the LORD; and he will have mercy upon him, and upon our God: for with him is much forgiveness.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD, 9. But 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 and the snow falleth from heaven, and returneth not again; but moisteneth the earth, and maketh it fruitful and yielding, that it may give seed to sow, and bread to eat, 11. So shall the word that goeth forth out of my mouth be: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall do that which I please, and it shall prosper when I send it.

For ye shall go forth in joy, and be led in peace. Mountains and hills shall rejoice before you with glory, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Let fir trees grow for hedges, and myrtles for thorns: and let the LORD have a name and an everlasting sign, that shall not be cut off.
(Isaiah)
Chapter 56
Admonition to godliness. Punishment of the dumb dogs.

Thus saith the LORD; Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

Blessed is the man that doeth these things, and the son of man that keepeth them, that he keep the sabbath day, and profane it not; and that he keep his hand, that he do no evil.

And the stranger that hath joined himself to the LORD shall not say, The LORD will separate me from his people. And he that is cut off shall not say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

For thus saith the LORD unto them that are cut off, which keep my sabbaths, and choose that which is right in mine eyes, and keep my covenant:

I will give them a place in my house, and within my walls, and a better name than that of sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, which shall not pass away.

And the children of strangers, which have joined themselves unto the LORD, to serve him, and to love his name, that they may be his servants; every one that keepeth the sabbath day, that he profane it not, and keepeth my covenant.

These will I bring unto my holy mountain, and will make them joyful in my house of prayer: and their sacrifices and their burnt offerings shall be acceptable unto me upon mine altar: for mine house is called a house of prayer unto all people.

The LORD GOD, which gathereth the outcasts out of Israel, saith, I will gather more unto the multitude that are gathered together.

All ye beasts of the field, come and eat, yea, all ye beasts of the forest.

All their watchmen are blind, they all know nothing; dumb dogs are they, which cannot punish; are lazy lying, and love to sleep.

But they are strong dogs of the flesh, which can never be filled: they the shepherds know not understanding: every man looketh to his way, every man is covetous of himself in his estate.

Come ye hither, and let us take wine, and be drunken: and to morrow shall be as to day, and much more.
Ch. 57. v. 1. But the righteous perish, and there is none that taketh it to heart; and holy men are taken up, and no man heareth. For the righteous are snatched away