my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street a bruised reed shall he not break, the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth: he shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 8 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, 3 How beautiful upon the moun- fainteth not, neither is weary? tains are the feet of him that bringeth there is no searching of his undergood tidings, that publisheth peace; standing: he giveth power to the that bringeth good tidings of good, faint, and to them that have no might that publisheth salvation; that saith he increaseth strength. Even the unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 4 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 5 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees: say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint. 9 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for 6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped: the lame man shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: in the wilderness shall waters break out, and the mouth of the LORD hath spoken streams in the desert: the parched it. grounds shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. 7 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion IO O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! II Behold, the LORD GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. 12 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD, hath done it shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. SELECTION IV. 4 He was oppressed, he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth: he was taken from prison and from judgment: who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 5 He made his grave with the wicked, and with the oppressor 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 The sorrow, sympathy, and self-sacrifice grief: when thou shalt make his soul of the true philanthropist. an offering for sin, he shall see his WHO HO hath believed our report? seed, he shall prolong his days, and to whom is the arm of the the pleasure of the LORD shall prosLORD revealed? for he shall grow per in his hand: he shall see of the up in thy sight as a worthless plant, travail of his soul, and shall be satisand as a root out of a dry ground: fied: by his knowledge shall my he hath no form nor comeliness; and righteous servant justify many; for when we see him there is no beauty he shall bear their iniquities. that we should desire him. 6 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to minister unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that 2 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: we hid as it were our faces from him; 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. 3 All we like sheep have gone he might be glorified. astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. SELECTION V. chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hun Righteousness is the only acceptable gry, and that thou bring the poor offering to God. CRY RY aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Do this, and then shall thy light break forth as 2 Behold, the LORD's hand is not the morning, thine health shall spring shortened, that it cannot save; forth speedily: thy righteousness neither his ear heavy, that it cannot shall go before thee; the glory of the hear: but your iniquities have LORD shall be thy reward: thou separated between you and your shalt call, and the LORD shall anGod, and your sins have hid his face swer; thou shalt cry, and he shall from you, that he will not hear. say, Here I am. If thou take away For your hands are defiled with from the midst of thee the yoke, the blood, and your fingers with iniquity; putting forth of the finger, and your lips have spoken lies, your speaking vanity; if thou draw out tongue hath muttered perverseness. thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy None calleth for justice, nor any the afflicted soul; then shall light pleadeth for truth: they trust in rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be vanity, and speak lies; they con- as the noon day: the LORD shall ceive mischief, and bring forth guide thee continually and thou iniquity. 3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors: ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness; ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high: is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 4 Is not this the fast that I have shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring whose waters fail not. 5 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price : wherefore spend money for that which is not bread? and labor for that which satisfieth not? 6 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; to our God, for he will abun- burned; neither shall the flame dantly pardon. kindle upon thee. Fear not: for I am your with thee: I will bring thy seed ways 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, 7 My thoughts are not thoughts, neither are your my ways, saith the LORD: as the heavens are higher than the earth, SO are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your and my daughters from the ends of thoughts as the rain cometh down, the earth; even every one that is and the snow from heaven, and re- called by my name: for I have turneth not thither, but watereth created him for my glory, I have the earth, and maketh it bring forth formed him; yea, I have made him. and bud, that it may give seed to 2. Bring forth the blind people the sower, and bread to the eater: that have eyes, and the deaf that so shall my word be that goeth have ears. Let all the nations be forth out of my mouth: it shall not gathered together, and let the return unto me void, but it shall ac- people be assembled: Who among complish that which I please, and it them can declare this, and shew shall prosper in the thing whereto Ius former things? let them bring sent it. 8 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. 9 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. BUT SELECTION VI. forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. I 3 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servants whom I have chosen that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? The love and faithfulness of God. UT 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 4 Thus saith the LORD, In an acmine. When thou passest through ceptable time have I heard thee, and the waters, I will be with thee; and in a day of salvation have I helped through the rivers, they shall not thee: and I will preserve thee, and . overflow thee when thou walkest give thee for a covenant of the through the fire, thou shalt not be people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heri- O earth; and break forth into singtages; that thou mayest say to the ing, O mountains: for the LORD prisoners, Go forth; to them that hath comforted his people, and will are in darkness, Shew yourselves. have mercy upon his afflicted. Zion They shall feed in the ways, and said, The LORD hath forsaken me, their pastures shall be in all high and my LORD hath forgotten me. places. They shall not hunger nor Can a woman forget her sucking thirst; neither shall the heat nor child, that she should not have comsun smite them: for he that hath passion on the son of her womb? mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; 5 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, thy walls are continually before me. HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-JEREMIAH. SELECTION I. True philanthropy grieves for wrongdoers, while it hates and condemns their wrongs. will not speak the truth they have taught their tongues to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. 4 Thine habitation is in the midst Он mine eyes a fountain of tears, fuse to know me, saith the LORD: that I might weep day and night for therefore thus saith the LORD of the slain of the daughter of my peo-hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and ple! try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit; one speaketh peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD. 3 Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slander: they will deceive every one his neighbor, and 5 Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 6 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it? Why doth the land perish, and why is it burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? Because they |