LESSON LXXVIII

THE PROPHET OF HOPE

An unknown prophet exults over the expected fall of Babylon. The great prophet of the Exile (Deutero-Isaiah) comforts the exiles, welcomes the conquering advance of Cyrus, and foretells the return of the exiles to Jerusalem.

ISAIAH XIV., XL., XLIV., LXV., LI., LII., LV.

THE DOOM OF BABYLON

14 4 How hath the oppressor ceased!

the golden city ceased!

The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked,
the sceptre of the rulers;

That smote the peoples in wrath

with a continual stroke,

That ruled the nations in anger,

with a persecution that none restrained.

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The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet :
they break forth into singing.

ΙΟ

Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee,
and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,

Since thou art laid down,

no feller is come up against us.

9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee 1
to meet thee at thy coming:

It stirreth up 2 the dead for thee,

even all the chief ones of the earth; It hath raised up from their thrones 3 all the kings of the nations.

1 For Hell . . . thee read Sheol from beneath is roused up for thee. 2 For It stirreth up read He rouseth up.

3 For It hath . . . thrones read He maketh to rise from their thrones.

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All they shall answer

and say unto thee,

Art thou also become weak as we ?
art thou become like unto us?
Thy pomp is brought down to hell,
and the noise of thy viols:

The worm is spread under thee,
and worms cover thee.

12 How art thou fallen from heaven,
O day star, son of the morning!
How art thou cut down to the ground,

which didst lay low the nations!

And thou saidst in thine heart,

I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne

above the stars of God;

And I will sit upon the mount of congregation,1
in the uttermost parts of the north :

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will be like the Most High.

Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell,2
to the uttermost parts of the pit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee,
they shall consider thee, saying,

3

Is this the man that made the earth to tremble,

that did shake kingdoms;

That made the world as a wilderness,

and overthrew the cities thereof;

That let not loose his prisoners

to their home?

All the kings of the nations, all of them,

sleep in glory, every one in his own house.

But thou art cast forth clothed with the slain,
that are thrust through with the sword,

That

go
down to the stones of the pit;
as a carcase trodden under foot.

1 For the mount of congregation read the mountain of the gods.

2 For thou shalt . . . hell read thou art brought down to Sheol. 3 For shall narrowly . . . thee read gaze upon thee and consider thee.

20 Thou shalt not be joined with them
in burial,

Because thou hast destroyed thy land,
thou hast slain thy people ;
The seed of evil-doers

shall not be named for ever.
Prepare ye slaughter for his children
for the iniquity of their fathers;
That they rise not up, and possess
and fill the face of the world with cities.

the earth,

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3 The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness 75

and every mountain and hill shall be made low:

And the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain :

9 0 thou that tellest good tidings to Zion,

get thee up into the high mountain;

O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem,

lift up thy voice with strength;

Lift it up,

be not afraid;

Say unto the cities of Judah,

Behold, your God!

10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come as a mighty one,

and his arm shall rule for him:

Behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompence before him.

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He shall feed his flock like a shepherd,
he shall gather the lambs in his arm,
And carry them in his bosom,

and shall gently lead those that give suck.

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THE COMMISSION OF CYRUS

44 24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer,

and he that formed thee from the womb : I am the LORD, that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; That spreadeth abroad the earth;

(who is with me?)

That frustrateth the tokens of the liars,1
and maketh diviners mad;
That turneth wise men backward,

and maketh their knowledge foolish :

26 That confirmeth the word of his servant,

and performeth the counsel of his messengers; That saith of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. And of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof : That saith to the deep, Be dry,

and I will dry up thy rivers :

That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd,
and shall perform all my pleasure.

45 1 Thus saith the LORD

to his anointed, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him,

To open the doors before him,

and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee,

and make the rugged places plain :

I will break in pieces the doors of brass,"
and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

1 For the tokens of the liars read the signs of the praters. 2 For brass read bronze.

3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places:

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I am the LORD, which call thee by thy name,
even the God of Israel.

For Jacob my servant's sake,

and Israel my chosen,

I have called thee by thy name;

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I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known

from the rising of the sun, and from the west, That there is none beside me :

And let her cause righteousness to spring up together;

I the LORD have created it.

9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!

a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth!

Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest

thou?

or thy work, He hath no hands?

Thus saith the LORD,

the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker :

Ask me of the things that are to come;

and concerning the work of my hands, command ye

me.

12 I have made the earth,

and created man upon it:

I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

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