Category: Septuagint Sundays

Coming Soon(ish): Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint

 

From publisher Mohr Siebeck:

Edited by Eberhard Bons and Jan Joosten (Université de Strasbourg)

This large-scale collective and interdisciplinary project aims to produce a new research tool: a multi-volume dictionary providing an article of between two and ten pages (around 600 articles in all) for each important word or word group of the Septuagint. Filling an important gap in the fields of ancient philology and religious studies, the dictionary will be based on original research of the highest scientific level.

This project has benefitted from funding from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French Research National Agency), the Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l’Homme – Alsace (Strasbourg), the Melanchthon-Stiftung (Tübingen), and the Armin Schmitt Stiftung (Regensburg).

The first volume is projected to be published in 2018.

You can check out a lengthy PDF sample here, with a “Wordlist of the First Volume,” as well as some sample articles.

Göttingen Septuagint (Genesis): Lexus of the LXX

 

The Wire Season 4

 

Man say if you wanna shoot nails, this here the Cadillac, man.
He mean Lexus, but he ain’t know it.

–Snoop to Chris, Season 4, Episode 1, The Wire

 

Having recently re-watched the fourth season of the best television show in history, I need now to amend my assessment two years ago that the Göttingen Septuagint is the Cadillac of Septuagint editions. It’s the Lexus of the LXX.

 

The Göttingen Septuagint

 

Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht in Göttingen, Germany publishes the Göttingen Septuagint, more formally known as Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum Auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum.

The series of critical texts with apparatus spans more than 20 volumes and covers some 40 biblical books (counting the minor prophets as 12), with more continuing to appear.

But, as I remarked two years ago when I confused Cadillacs and Lexuses, the Göttingen Septuagint is not for the faint of heart, or for the reader who is unwilling to put some serious work in to understanding the layout of the edition and its critical apparatuses.

 

The Contributions of John William Wevers

 

Enter John William Wevers. If Göttingen is the Lexus of LXX editions, Wevers is its chief mechanic. His Notes on the Greek texts of the Pentateuch–though provisional in nature, Wevers intimated–remain some of the best resources for carefully studying the Septuagint. And his Text Histories on those same books (now free online, thanks to the Göttingen Septuaginta-Unternehmen) guide the reader through the transmission of the Greek text in its various manuscripts.

Better yet, before his passing Wevers translated much of his own Göttingen-Pentateuch introductions from German into English. That enduring gift can be found here.

 

Göttingen-Genesis

 

 

Published in 1974, Wevers’s Genesis includes a 70+-page introduction, Wevers’s reconstructed Greek text of Genesis, and two critical apparatuses at the bottom of each page that highlight readings from various manuscripts.

The introduction includes these sections:

  1. The Textual Witnesses (Greek and other versions)
  2. The Text History (“Here only information necessary for the use of this edition is given”)
  3. Re: This Edition
  4. Signs and Abbreviations

A challenge to using the Genesis volume is the scarcity of material available about the Göttingen project in general. Further, the introduction is in German and the critical apparatuses contain Greek, abbreviated Greek, and abbreviated Latin. A few things come in handy:

  • Wevers’s Genesis introduction is here in English.
  • As for deciphering the apparatus and abbreviations, Wevers offers such a key in the introduction, and the print edition comes with a handy insert (in German and Latin, but not unusable to those without command of those languages)
  • Miles Van Pelt has made available his own two-page summary of sigla and abbreviations (here as PDF).
  • Seeing the need, I wrote a two-part primer (here and here, two of my most-visited posts on this blog) to reading and understanding the Göttingen Septuagint–the focus was largely on Genesis, and I draw on those posts for what follows

So equipped, the reader (whether she or he knows German or not) is ready to work through the Greek text itself.

 

Tour of a Page

 

Instead of using a text based on an actual manuscript (as BHS, based on the Leningrad Codex, does), the Göttingen Septuagint utilizes a reconstructed text based on a thorough examination of evidence from manuscripts and translations.

Because it is an editio maior and not an editio minor like Rahlfs, any page can have just a few lines of actual biblical text, with the rest being taken up by the apparatuses. Here’s a sample page from Genesis 1 (image used by permission).

Note the #s 1-4 that I’ve added to highlight the different parts of a page.

 

Page reproduction by permission of publisher (annotations are mine)

 

1. The reconstructed Greek critical text (“Der kritische Text”)

With verse references in both the margin and in the body of the text, the top portion of each page of the Göttingen Septuagint is the editorially reconstructed text of each biblical book. In the page from Genesis 1 above, you’ll notice that the text includes punctuation, accents, and breathing marks.

Regarding the critical text itself, Wevers writes in the Genesis introduction:

Since it must be presupposed that this text will be standard for a long time, the stance taken by the editor over against the critical text was intentionally conservative. In general conjectures were avoided, even though it might be expected that future recognition would possibly confirm such conjectures.

 

2. The Source List (“Kopfleiste”)

 

The Kopfleiste comes just below the text and above the apparatuses in Genesis. Wevers notes it as a list of all manuscripts and versions used, listed in the order that they appear in the apparatus on that page. A fragmentary textual witness is enclosed in parenthesis.

 

3. and 4. Critical Apparatuses (“Apparat I” and “Apparat II”)

The critical apparatuses are where the user of Göttingen can see other readings as they compare with the critically reconstructed text. Because the Göttingen editions are critical/eclectic texts, no single manuscript will match the text of the Göttingen Septuagint.

The first critical apparatus will be familiar in its aims to readers of BHS. Regarding the second apparatus, Wevers writes:

In view of the fact that the materials presented in the second apparatus [are] not at least in theory a collection of variants within the LXX tradition, but rather one such of readings from other traditions, especially from the “three”, which have influenced the LXX tradition, these readings are given in full.

“The three,” sometimes referred to in Greek as οι γ’, are the texts of Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion.

In other words–there is virtually no stone unturned here in the quest to reconstruct a Greek text of Genesis.

 

Concluding Evaluation

 

Serious work in Septuagint studies uses the Göttingen text, where available, as a base. Wevers’s scholarship and care for the text is clear as one makes her or his way through the Genesis volume. It’s the starting place for studying the Greek text of Genesis.

Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht’s production of the book is stellar, too. It’s got a sewn binding and is beautifully constructed–built to last and look good on the shelf, or in your hands:

 

Goettingen Genesis

 

You can find the volume here at V & R’s site, and here at Amazon. ISD distributes the book, as well, and carries it here.

 

Many thanks to V & R for the review copy of this fine work, given to me with no expectation as to the content of my review. Find more V & R blog posts here.

The Bible’s Other* Hymnal

Psalms with OdesMany Greek Septuagint manuscripts do not contain them, but the Odes are a fascinating collection of texts appended to the end of the Greek Psalter in Codex Alexandrinus and a few other manuscripts.

The Odes compile some beautiful prayers from Scripture. A few of them are in the Book of Common Prayer’s Morning Prayer canticles.

Good information on the Odes is hard to come by, though. In part this is because they are generally not accorded the same status as, say, the Psalms. The NETS introduction to the Psalms, for instance, has:

One “book” not included in NETS, however, is Odes since it has dubious integrity as a literary unit, and, in any case, almost all of the individual Septuagint odes have already been included in their native setting in other books. The sole exception is Ode 12 in Rahlfs’ edition, the Prayer of Manasses, which for that reason has been separately appended to the Psalter.

I’ve just discovered, however, that David Lincicum has a nice rundown of the Odes, their numbering, and their contents. He also includes a bibliography for further reading. Check it out here.

 

*HT to a member of the Yahoo! LXX email group for the idea of the Odes as a sort of “little hymnal.”

Greek Isaiah in a Year: Rest of Readings in Facebook

Ottley Isaiah cover

From here on out, I’ll post the readings (each day) for Greek Isaiah in a Year in its Facebook group. We are up to chapter 60, and almost done.

The text will be, as usual, from R.R. Ottley’s Book of Isaiah According to the Septuagint (pictured above). Ottley is here in Logos (reviewed here) and here as a free, downloadable pdf in the public domain. The full reading plan for our group is here (pdf).

See here for more resources and links to texts for Greek Isaiah.

Greek Isaiah in a Year, Weeks 45 and 46 (Isaiah 55:7-Isaiah 58:9)

Isaiah

We are getting close to the end of Greek Isaiah in a Year. This week and next week cover Isaiah 55:7-Isaiah 58:9.

Below is the text from R.R. Ottley’s Book of Isaiah According to the Septuagint. Ottley is also here in Logos (reviewed here) and here as a free, downloadable pdf in the public domain. The full reading plan for our group is here (pdf).

See here for more resources and links to texts for Greek Isaiah.

Continue reading “Greek Isaiah in a Year, Weeks 45 and 46 (Isaiah 55:7-Isaiah 58:9)” →

Greek Isaiah in a Year, Weeks 43 and 44 (Isaiah 52:1-Isaiah 55:6)

Prophet Isaiah

This past week and next week in Greek Isaiah in a Year cover Isaiah 52:1-Isaiah 55:6.

Below is the text from R.R. Ottley’s Book of Isaiah According to the Septuagint. Ottley is also here in Logos (reviewed here) and here as a free, downloadable pdf in the public domain. The full reading plan for our group is here (pdf).

See here for more resources and links to texts for Greek Isaiah.

Continue reading “Greek Isaiah in a Year, Weeks 43 and 44 (Isaiah 52:1-Isaiah 55:6)” →

Greek Isaiah in a Year, Weeks 39 and 40 (Isa 47:1-49:11)

Isaiah prophet

This past week I was reminded why I’ve so much appreciated going through Isaiah slowly, just five or so verses a day. I wrote about a new observation I had (i.e., new to me) here.

This week and next week in Greek Isaiah in a Year will cover Isaiah 47:1-49:11. Here are the readings for each day:

08/26/13   Isa 47:1–5
08/27/13   Isa 47:6–10
08/28/13   Isa 47:11–15
08/29/13   Isa 48:1–5
08/30/13   Isa 48:6–11

09/02/13   Isa 48:12–16
09/03/13   Isa 48:17–22
09/04/13   Isa 49:1–3
09/05/13   Isa 49:4–7
09/06/13   Isa 49:8–11

Below is the text from R.R. Ottley’s Book of Isaiah According to the Septuagint, first in Greek, then with his English translation. Ottley is also here in Logos (reviewed here) and here as a free, downloadable pdf in the public domain. The full reading plan for our group is here (pdf).

See here for more resources and links to texts for Greek Isaiah.

47 1 Κατάβηθι, κάθισον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, παρθένος θυγάτηρ Βαβυλῶνος· εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ σκότος, θυγάτηρ Χαλδσίων, ὅτι οὐκέτι προστεθήσῃ κληθῆναι ἁπαλὴ καὶ τρυφερά. 2 λάβε μύλον, ἄλεσον ἄλευρον, ἀποκάλυψαι τὸ κατακάλυμμά σου, ἀνακάλυψαι τὰς πολιάς, ἀνάσυραι τὰς κνήμας, διάβηθι ποταμούς. 3 ἀνακαλυφθήσεται ἡ αἰσχύνη σου, φανήσονται οἱ ὀνειδισμοί σου· τὸ δίκαιον ἐκ σοῦ λήμψομαι, οὐκέτι μὴ παραδῶ ἀνθρώποις· 4 εἶπεν ὁ ῥυσάμενός σε Κύριος σαβαώθ, ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ. 5 κάθισον κατανενυγμένη, εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ σκότος, θυγάτηρ Χαλδαίων, οὐκέτι μὴ κληθήσῃ ἰσχὺς βασιλείας.6 παρωξύνθην ἐπὶ τῷ λαῷ μου, ἐμίανας τὴν κληρονομίαν μου· ἐγὼ ἔδωκα εἰς τὴν χεῖρά σου, σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς ἔλεος, τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἐβάρυνας τὸν ζυγὸν σφόδρα, 7 καὶ εἶπας Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσομαι ἄρχουσα. οὐκ ἐνόησας ταῦτα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, σου, οὐδὲ ἐμνήσθης τὰ ἔσχατα. 8 Νῦν δὲ ἄκουσον ταῦτα, ἡ τρυφερά, ἡ καθημένη, ἡ πεποιθυῖα, ἡ λέγουσα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, αὐτῆς Ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἑτέρα, οὐ καθιῶ χήρα οὐδὲ γνώσομαι ὀρφανείαν. 9 νῦν δὲ ἥξει ἐξέφνης τὰ δύο ταῦτα ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ, χηρία καὶ ἀτεκνία, ἥξει ἐξέφνης ἐπὶ σὲ ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου, ἐν τῇ ἰσχύι τῶν ἐπαοιδῶν σου σφόδρα, 10 τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς πονηρίας σου· σὺ γὰρ εἶπας Ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἑτέρα· γνῶθι ὅτι ἡ σύνεσις τούτων καὶ ἡ πορνεία σου ἔσται σοι αἰσχύνη· καὶ εἶπας τῇ καρδίᾳ σου Ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἑτέρα. 11 καὶ ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ ἀπώλεια καὶ οὐ μὴ γνῷς, βόθυνος, καὶ ἐμπεσῇ εἰς αὐτόν· καὶ ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ ταλαιπωρία, καὶ οὐ μὴ δυνήσῃ καθαρὰ γενέσθαι· καὶ ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ ἐξέφνης ἀπώλεια καὶ οὐ μὴ γνῷς. 12 στῆθι νῦν ἐν ταῖς ἐπαοιδαῖς σου καὶ ἐν τῇ πολλῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου, ἃ ἐμάνθανες ἐκ νεότητός σου, εἰ δυνήσει ὠφεληθῆναι. 13 κεκοπίακας ἐν ταῖς βουλαῖς σου· στήτωσαν καὶ σωσάτωσάν σε οἱ ἀστρολόγοι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οἱ ὁρῶντες τοὺς ἀστέρας ἀναγγειλάτωσάν σοι τί μέλλει ἐπὶ σὲ ἔρχεσθαι. 14 ἰδοὺ πάντες ὡς φρύγανα ἐπὶ πυρὶ κατακαήσονται, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξέλωνται τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ἐκ φλογός· ὅτι ἔχεις ἄνθρακας πυρός, κάθισαι ἐπʼ αὐτούς. 15 οὗτοι ἔσονταί σοι βοήθειᾶ ἐκοπίασας ἐν τῇ μεταβολῇ σου ἐκ νεότητος, ἄνθρωπος καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐπλανήθη· σοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἔσται σωτηρία.

48 1 Ἀκούσατε ταῦτα, οἶκος Ἰακώβ, οἱ κεκλημένοι τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰσραὴλ καὶ οἱ ἐξ Ἰούδα ἐξελθόντες, οἱ ὀμνύοντες τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου θεοῦ Ἰσραήλ, μιμνησκόμενοι οὐ μετὰ ἀληθείας οὐδὲ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, 2 καὶ ἀντεχόμενοι τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς πόλεως τῆς ἁγίας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἀντιστηριζόμενοι, Κύριος σαβαὼθ ὄνομα αὐτῷ. 3 τὰ πρότερα ἔτι ἀνήγγειλα, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου ἐξῆλθεν καὶ ἀκουστὰ ἐγένετο· ἐξάπινα ἐποίησα, καὶ ἐπῆλθεν. 4 γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι σκληρὸς εἶ, καὶ νεῦρον σιδηροῦν ὁ τράχηλός σου, καὶ τὸ μέτωπόν σου χαλκοῦν. 5 καὶ ἀνήγγειλά σοι τὰ πάλαι πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ σέ· ἀκουστόν σοι ἐποίησα, μὴ εἴπῃς ὅτι Τὰ εἴδωλά μοι ἐποίησαν, καὶ <μὴ εἴπῃς> Τὰ γλυπτὰ καὶ τὰ χωνευτὰ ἐνετείλατό μοι. 6 ἠκούσατε πάντα, καὶ ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἔγνωτε· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀκουστά σοι ἐποίησα τὰ καινὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἃ μέλλει γίνεσθαι· καὶ οὐκ εἶπας 7 Νῦν γίνεται καὶ οὐ πάλαι, καὶ οὐ προτέραις ἤκουσας αὐτά· μὴ εἴπῃς ὅτι Ναί, γινώσκω αὐτά. 8 οὔτε ἔγνως οὔτε ἠπίστω, οὔτε ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἤνοιξα τὰ ὦτά σου· ἔγνων γὰρ ὅτι ἀθετῶν ἀθετήσεις, καὶ ἄνομος ἔτι ἐκ κοιλίας κληθήσῃ. 9 ἕνεκν τοῦ ἐμοῦ ὀνόματος δείξω σοι τὸν θυμόν μου, καὶ τὰ ἔνδοξά μου ἐπάξω ἐπὶ σοί, ἵνα μὴ ἐξολεθρεύσω σε. 10 ἰδοὺ πέπρακά σε οὐχ ἕνεκεν ἀργυρίου· ἐξειλάμην δέ σε ἐκ καμίνου πτωχείας· 11 ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ ποιήσω σοι, ὅτι τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα βεβηλοῦται, καὶ τὴν δόξαν μου ἑτέρῳ οὐ δώσω. 12 Ἄκουέ μου, Ἰακώβ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ ὃν ἐγὼ καλῶ· ἐγώ εἰμι πρῶτος, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, 13 καὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐθεμελίωσεν τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἡ δεξιά μου ἐστερέωσεν τὸν οὐρανόν· καλέσω αὐτούς, καὶ στήσονται ἅμα, 14 καὶ συναχθήσονται πάντες καὶ ἀκούσονται. τίς αὐτοῖς ἀνήγγειλεν ταῦτα; ἀγαπῶν σε ἐποίησα ταῦτα ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα, τὸ θέλημά σου, τοῦ ἆραι σπέρμα Χαλδαίων· 15 ἐγὼ ἐλάλησα, ἐγὼ ἐκάλεσα, ἤγαγον αὐτὸν καὶ εὐόδωσα τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ. 16 προσαγάγετε πρὸς μὲ καὶ ἀκούσατε ταῦτα, οὐκ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐν κρυφῇ ἐλάλησα, οὐδὲ ἐν τόπῳ γῆς σκοτινῷ· ἡνίκα ἐγένετο, ἐκεῖ ἤμην, καὶ νῦν Κύριος ἀπέσταλκέν με, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. 17 οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ ῥυσάμενός σε ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ, <Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεός σου,> δέδειχά σοι τοῦ εὑρεῖν σε τὴν ὁδὸν ἐν ᾗ πορεύσῃ ἐν αὐτῇ. 18 καὶ εἰ ἤκουσας τῶν ἐντολῶν μου, ἐγένετο ἂν ὡσεὶ ποταμὸς ἡ εἰρήνη σου, καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου ὡς κῦμα θαλάσσης. 19 καὶ ἐγένετο ἂν ὡσεὶ ἄμμος τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας σου ὡς ὁ χοῦς τῆς γῆς· οὐδὲ νῦν οὐ μὴ ἐξολεθρευθῇς, οὐδὲ ἀπολεῖται τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐνώπιόν μου. 20 Ἔξελθε ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος φεύγων ἀπὸ τῶν Χαλδαίων· φωνὴν εὐφροσύνης ἀναγγείλατε, καὶ ἀκουστὸν γενέσθω τοῦτο, ἀπαγγείλατε ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς, λέγετε Ἐρρύσατο Κύριος τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ Ἰακώβ. 21 καὶ ἐὰν διψήσωσιν, διʼ ἐρήμου ἄξει αὐτούς, ὕδωρ ἐκ πέτρας ἐξάξει αὐτοῖς, σχισθήσεται πέτρα καὶ ῥυήσεται ὕδωρ, καὶ πίεται ὁ λαός μου. 22 οὐκ ἔστιν χαίρειν τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν, λέγει Κύριος.

49 1 Ἀκούσατέ μου, νῆσοι, καὶ προσέχετε, ἔθνη· διὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ στήσεται, λέγει Κύριος. ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομά μου, 2 καὶ ἔθηκεν τὸ στόμα μου ὡσεὶ μάχαιραν ὀξεῖαν, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἔκρυψέν με· ἔθηκέν με ὡς βέλος ἐκλεκτόν, καὶ ἐν τῇ φαρέτρᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐσκέπασέν με, 3 καὶ εἶπεν μοι Δοῦλός μου εἶ σύ, Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἐν σοὶ δοξασθήσομαι. 4 καὶ ἐγὼ εἶπα Κενῶς ἐκοπίασα, καὶ εἰς μάταιον καὶ εἰς οὐθὲν ἔδωκα τὴν ἰσχύν μου· διὰ τοῦτο ἡ κρίσις μου παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ ὁ πόνος μου ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ μου. 5 καὶ νῦν οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ πλάσας με ἐκ κοιλίας δοῦλον ἑαυτῷ τοῦ συναγαγεῖν τὸν Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς αὐτόν Συναχθήσομαι καὶ δοξασθήσομαι ἐναντίον Κυρίου, καὶ ὁ θεός μου ἔσται μου ἰσχύς.6 καὶ εἶπέν μοι Μέγα σοί ἐστιν τοῦ κληθῆναί σε παῖδά μου, τοῦ στῆσαι τὰς φυλὰς Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὴν διασπορὰν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπιστρέψαι· ἰδοὺ τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν, τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. 7 οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ ῥυσάμενός σε ὁ θεὸς Ἰσραήλ Ἁγιάσατε τὸν φαυλίζοντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, τὸν βδελυσσόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν δούλων τῶν ἀρχόντων· βασιλεῖς ὄψονται αὐτόν, καὶ ἀναστήσονται ἄρχοντες καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ ἕνεκεν Κυρίου· ὅτι πιστός ἔστιν ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἐξελεξάμην σε. 8 οὕτως λέγει Κύριος Καιρῷ δεκτῷ ἐπήκουσά σου, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σωτηρίας ἐβοήθησά σοι, καὶ ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην ἐθνῶν, τοῦ καταστῆσαι τὴν γῆν καὶ κληρονομῆσαι κληρονομίαν ἐρήμου, 9 λέγοντα τοῖς ἐν δεσμοῖς Ἐξέλθατε, καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῷ σκότει ἀνακαλυφθῆναι. καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν βοσκηθήσονται, καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς τρίβοις ἡ νομὴ αὐτῶν. 10 οὐ πεινάσουσιν, οὐδὲ διψήσουσιν, οὐδὲ μὴ πατάξει αὐτοὺς καύσων οὐδὲ ὁ ἥλιος, ἀλλὰ ὁ ἐλεῶν αὐτοὺς παρακαλέσει, καὶ διὰ πηγῶν ὑδάτων ἄξει αὐτούς· 11 καὶ θήσω πᾶν ὄρος εἰς ὁδὸν καὶ πᾶσαν τρίβον εἰς βόσκημα αὐτοῖς.

47 1 Come down, sit upon the ground, virgin daughter of Babylon; enter into the darkness, daughter of the Chaldaeans, for no longer shalt thou be any more called tender and delicate.

2 Take a millstone, grind meal, take off thy covering, uncover thy grey hairs, make bare the legs, pass through rivers.

3 Thy shame shall be uncovered, thy reproaches shall appear; I will do justice upon thee, no longer will I deliver thee over unto men,

4 Saith thy deliverer, the Lord of Hosts, his name is the Holy One of Israel.

5 Sit down in amazement, enter into the darkness, daughter of the Chaldaeans: no longer shalt thou be called the strength of a kingdom.

6 I was provoked at my people, thou defiledst mine inheritance: I gave (them) into thine hand, and thou showedst them no mercy; thou didst make the yoke of the elder very heavy.

7 And thou saidst, I shall be a princess for ever; thou perceivedst not this in thine heart, neither didst remember the last things.

8 But now hear this, delicate one, that sittest, that art confident, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and there is none other; I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I come to know bereavement.

9 But now shall there come suddenly these two things in one day, widowhood and childlessness shall come suddenly upon thee in thy witchcraft; in the strength of thine enchantments exceeding greatly,

10 In the hope of thy wickedness; for thou saidst, I am, and there is no other: learn thou, that the understanding of these things and thy harlotry shall be thy shame: and thou saidst in thine heart, I am, and there is no other.

11 And there shall come upon thee destruction, and thou shalt not perceive it; a pit, and thou shalt fall into it: and there shall come misery upon thee, and thou shalt not be able to be clear of it: and there shall come destruction suddenly upon thee, and thou shalt not perceive it.

12 Stand now in thine enchantments, and thine abundant witchcraft, which thou didst learn from thy youth, to see if thou canst be helped:

13 Thou hast grown weary in thy counsels: let the astrologers of the heaven stand and save thee; let them who look on the stars declare to thee what is purposed to come upon thee.

14 Behold, all shall be burnt up as brushwood upon a fire, and they shall not deliver their soul from the flame; since thou hast coals of fire, sit thereon.

15 These shall be thy help: thou didst weary thyself in thy traffic from thy youth: each went astray by himself; but for thee shall be no salvation.

48 1 Hear ye this, house of Jacob, ye that are called by the name of Israel, and that have come forth from Judah, ye that swear by the name of the Lord God of Israel, calling him to mind not with truth, nor with righteousness,

2 And holding by the name of the holy city, and staying yourselves upon the God of Israel: the Lord of Hosts is his name.

3 Still have I declared the former things, and out of my mouth went they forth, and came to be heard: I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

4 I perceive that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass.

5 And I declared to thee the things of old, before they came upon thee; I made it to be heard of thee, lest thou shouldest say, Mine idols have done it, and say, The graven and the molten images have commanded me.

6 Ye have heard all, and ye perceived not; but I have also made to be heard of thee the new things from henceforth which shall come to pass; and thou saidst not,

7 Now come they to pass, and not long since, and not in former days didst thou hear of them; lest thou shouldest say, Yea, I perceive them.

8 Thou didst neither perceive nor know, nor did I open thine ears from the beginning; for I perceived that thou wouldest utterly set them at nought, and thou shalt be called a transgressor even from the womb.

9 For my name’s sake will I show thee my wrath, and my glorious deeds will I bring upon thee, that I may not utterly destroy thee.

10 Behold, I have sold thee, not for silver; and I delivered thee out of the furnace of beggary.

11 For mine own sake will I do it unto thee; for my name is polluted, and my glory will I not give to another.

12 Hear me, Jacob, and Israel, whom I call; I am first, and I am for everlasting:

13 And mine hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand established the heaven; I will call them, and they shall stand together.

14 And all shall be gathered together, and shall hearken. Who declared these things unto them? Because I loved thee, I did this upon Babylon, thy will, to destroy the seed of the Chaldaeans.

15 I spake, I called him, led him, and made his way prosperous.

16 Draw near unto me, and hear ye this; from the beginning have I not spoken in secret, nor in a dark place of the earth; when it came to pass, there was I, and now the Lord hath sent me, and his spirit.

17 Thus saith the Lord, thy deliverer, the Holy One of Israel: <I am thy God,> I have shown to thee, that thou mayest find the way wherein thou shalt walk.

18 And if thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, thy peace should have been made as a river, and thy righteousness as a wave of the sea;

19 And thy seed should have become as sand, and the offspring of thy womb as the dust of the earth; nor shalt thou now be utterly destroyed, nor shall thy name perish before me.

20 Come thou forth from Babylon, fleeing from the Chaldaeans; proclaim ye the voice of joy, and let this be heard, report it to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath delivered his people Jacob.

21 And if they be thirsty, he will bring them through the wilderness, he will bring water for them out of a rock; a rock shall be cleft, and water shall flow, and my people shall drink.

22 There is no rejoicing, saith the Lord, for the wicked.

49 1 Hearken to me, ye isles, and attend to me, ye nations; after long time shall it stand, saith the Lord. From my mother’s womb he called my name,

2 And set my mouth as a sharp sword, and under the shelter of his hand he hid me; he made me as a chosen arrow, and in his quiver he sheltered me,

3 And said unto me, Thou art my bondman, Israel, and in thee will I be glorified.

4 And I said, Vainly have I laboured, in vain and for nought have I given my strength; therefore my judgment is from the Lord, and my toil before my God.

5 And now thus saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb his bondslave, to gather together Jacob and Israel unto him, I will be gathered, and will be glorified before the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

6 And he said to me, It is a great thing for thee, that thou mayest be called my servant, that thou mayest set up the tribes of Jacob, and turn again the dispersion of Israel; behold, I have set thee for a light of nations, that thou mayest be for salvation unto the end of the earth.

7 Thus saith the Lord thy deliverer, the God of Israel, Sanctify him that lightly esteemeth his soul, him that is held abominable by the nations, the slaves of the rulers; kings shall see him, and rulers shall rise up and worship him for the Lord’s sake: for faithful is the Holy One of Israel, and I chose thee.

8 Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time I heard thee, and in a day of salvation I helped thee, and gave thee for a covenant of nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit an heritage of a desert,

9 Saying to them that are in bonds, Go forth, and (bidding) them that are in darkness be revealed. And in all the ways they shall feed, and in all paths is their pasture.

10 They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall burning heat nor sun smite them; but he that hath mercy on them shall comfort them, and lead them through springs of waters:

11 And I will turn every mountain into a way, and every path into a pasture for them.

Greek Isaiah in a Year, Weeks 37 and 38 (Isa 44:21-46:13)

Isaiah prophet

Some beautiful verses kick off this week in Greek Isaiah in a Year:

Remember this, Jacob, and Israel, for thou art my servant; I formed thee for my servant, and thou, Israel, forget not me. For behold, I have blotted out thy transgressions as a cloud, and thy sins as darkness; turn thou to me, and I will redeem thee.

This week and next week in Greek Isaiah in a Year will cover Isaiah 44:21-46:13. Here are the readings for each day:

08/12/13   Isa 44:21–24
08/13/13   Isa 44:25–28
08/14/13   Isa 45:1–4
08/15/13   Isa 45:5-9
08/16/13   Isa 45:10-13

08/19/13   Isa 45:14–19
08/20/13   Isa 45:20–22
08/21/13   Isa 45:23–25
08/22/13   Isa 46:1–6
08/23/13   Isa 46:7–13

Below is the text from R.R. Ottley’s Book of Isaiah According to the Septuagint, first in Greek, then with his English translation. Ottley is also here in Logos (reviewed here) and here as a free, downloadable pdf in the public domain. The full reading plan for our group is here (pdf).

See here for more resources and links to texts for Greek Isaiah.

21 Μνήσθητι ταῦτα, Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραήλ, ὅτι παῖς μου εἶ σύ· ἔπλασά σε παῖδά μου, καὶ σύ, Ἰσραήλ, μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου μου. 22 ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀπήλειψα ὡς νεφέλην τὰς ἀνομίας σου, καὶ ὡς γνόφον τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου· ἐπιστράφητι πρὸς μέ, καὶ λυτρώσομαί σε. 23 εὐφράνθητε, οὐρανοί, ὅτι ἠλέησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ἰσραήλ· σαλπίσατε, θεμέλια τῆς γῆς, βοήσατε ὄρη εὐφροσύνην, οἱ βουνοὶ καὶ πάντα τὰ ξύλα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι ἠλέησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ἰακώβ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ δοξασθήσεται. 24 Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ λυτρώμενός σε καὶ πλάσσων σε ἐκ κοιλίας Ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ συντελῶν ταῦτα, ἐξέτεινα τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος, καὶ ἐστερέωσα τὴν γῆν. 25 τίς ἕτερος διεσκέδασεν σημεῖα ἐγγαστριμύθων καὶ μαντίας ἀπὸ καρδίας, ἀποστρέφων φρονίμους εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν μωρεύων, 26 καὶ ἱστῶν ῥήματα παίδων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν βουλὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ ἀληθεύων; ὁ λέγων Ἰερουσαλήμ Κατοικηθήσῃ, καὶ ταῖς πόλεσιν τῆς Ἰουδαίας Οἰκοδομηθήσεσθε, καὶ τὰ ἔρημα αὐτῆς ἀνατελεῖ· 27 ὁ λέγων τῇ ἀβύσσῳ Ἐρημωθήσῃ, καὶ τοὺς ποταμούς σου ξηρανῶ· 28 ὁ λέγων Κύρῳ φρονεῖν, καὶ Πάντα τὰ θελήματά μου ποίησει· ὁ λέγων Ἰερουσαλήμ Οἰκοδομηθήσῃ, καὶ τὸν οἶκον τὸν ἅγιόν μου θεμελιώσω.

45 1 Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ χριστῷ μου Κύρῳ, οὗ ἐκράτησα τῆς δεξιᾶς, ἐπακοῦσαι ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ἔθνη, καὶ ἰσχὺν βασιλέων διαρρήξω, ἀνοίξω ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ θύρας, καὶ πόλεις οὐ συγκλεισθήσονται 2 Ἐγὼ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πορεύσομαι καὶ ὄρη ὁμαλιῶ, θύρας χαλκᾶς συντρίψω καὶ μοχλοὺς σιδηροῦς συγκλάσω, 3 καὶ δώσω σοι θησαυροὺς σκοτινοὺς ἀποκρύφους, <ἀοράτους> ἀνοίξω σοι, ἵνα γνώσῃ ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ καλῶν τὸ ὄνομά σου, θεὸς Ἰσραήλ. 4 ἕνεκεν Ἰακὼβ τοῦ παιδός μου καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ ἐκλεκτοῦ μου ἐγὼ καλέσω σε τῷ ὀνόματί μου καὶ προσδέξομαί σε· σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἔγνως με. 5 ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι πλὴν ἐμοῦ θεός· καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν με, 6 ἵνα γνὡσιν οἱ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν πλὴν ἐμοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι, 7 ἐγὼ ὁ κατασκευάσας φῶς καὶ ποιήσας σκότος, ὁ ποιῶν εἰρήνην καὶ κτίζων κακά· ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα πάντα. 8 εὐφρανθήτω ὁ οὐρανὸς ἄνωθεν, καὶ αἱ νεφέλαι ῥαινέτωσαν δικαιοσύνην· ἀνατειλάτω ἡ γῆ καὶ βλαστησάτω ἔλεος, καὶ δικαιοσύνη ἀνατειλάτω ἅμα· ἐγῶ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ κτίσας σε. 9 Ποῖον βέλτιον κατεσκεύασα ὡς πηλὸν κεραμέως; μὴ ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριάσει τὴν γῆν; μὴ ἐρεῖ ὁ πηλὸς τῷ κεραμεῖ Τί ποιεῖς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐργάζῃ οὐδὲ ἔχεις χεῖρας; 10 ὁ λέγων τῷ πατρί Τί γεννήσεις; καὶ τῇ μητρί Τί ὠδινήσεις; 11 ὅτι οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραὴλ ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἐπερχόμενα Ἐρωτήσατέ με περὶ τῶν υἱῶν μου καὶ περὶ τῶν θυγατέρων μου, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἔργων τῶν χειρῶν μου ἐντείλασθέ μοι. 12 ἐγὼ ἐποίησα γῆν καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἐπʼ αὐτῆς, ἐγὼ τῇ χειρί μου ἐστερέωσα τὸν οὐρανόν, ἐγὼ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄστροις ἐνετειλάμην. 13 ἐγὼ ἤγειρα αὐτὸν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ εὐθεῖαι· αὐτὸς οἰκοδομήσει τὴν πόλιν μου, καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐπιστρέψει, οὐ μετὰ λύτρων οὐδὲ μετὰ δώρων, εἶπεν Κύριος σαβαώθ. 14 Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος σαβαώθ Ἐκοπίασεν Αἴγυπτος, καὶ ἐμπορία Αἰθιόπων, καὶ οἱ Σεβωεὶμ ἄνδρες ὑψηλοὶ ἐπὶ σὲ διαβήσονται, καὶ σοὶ ἔσονται δοῦλοι καὶ ὀπίσω σου ἀκολουθήσουσιν δεδεμένοι χειροπέδαις, καὶ προσκυνήσουσίν σοι, καὶ ἐν σοὶ προσεύξονται· ὅτι ἐν σοὶ ὁ θεός ἐστιν, καὶ ἐροῦσιν Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ θεὸς πλὴν σοῦ. 15 σὺ γὰρ εἶ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειμεν, ὁ θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ σωτήρ. 16 αἰσχυνθήσονται καὶ ἐντραπήσονται πάντες οἱ ἀντικείμενοι αὐτῷ, καὶ πορεύσονται ἐν αἰσχύνῃ. ἐγκαινίζεσθε πρὸς μέ, νῆσοι. 17 Ἰσραὴλ σώζεται ὑπὸ Κυρίου σωτηρίαν αἰώνιον· οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσονται οὐδὲ μὴ ἐντραπῶσιν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος. 18 Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανόν, οὗτος ὁ θεὸς ὁ καταδείξας τὴν γῆν καὶ ποιήσας αὐτήν, αὐτὸς διώρισεν αὐτήν, οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἐποίησεν αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ κατοικεῖσθαι, Ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι. 19 οὐκ ἐν κρυφῇ λελάληκα οὐδὲ ἐν τόπῳ γῆς σκοτινῷ· οὐκ εἶπα τῷ σπέρματι Ἰακώβ Μάταιον ζητήσατε· ἐγώ εἰμι ἐγώ εἰμι λαλῶν δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀναγγέλλων ἀλήθειαν. 20 συνάχθητε καὶ ἥκετε, βουλεύσασθε ἅμα, οἱ σωζόμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν. οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οἱ αἴροντες τὸ ξύλον γλύμμα αὐτῶν, καὶ προσευχόμενοι ὡς πρὸς θεοὺς οἳ οὐ σώζουσιν. 21 εἰ ἀναγγέλλουσιν, ἐγγισάτωσαν, ἵνα γνῶμεν ἅμα τίς ἀκουστὰ ἐποίησεν ταῦτα ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς· τότε ἀνηγγέλη ὑμῖν Ἐγὼ ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος πλὴν ἐμοῦ, δίκαιος καὶ σωτήρ, οὐκ ἔστιν παρὲξ ἐμοῦ. 22 ἐπιστράφητε πρός με καὶ σωθήσεσθε, οἱ ἀπʼ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς· ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος [πλὴν ἐμοῦ, δίκαιος καὶ σωτήρ, οὐκ ἔστιν παρὲξ ἐμοῦ]. 23 κατʼ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω, εἰ μὴν ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου δικαιοσύνη, οἱ λόγοι μου οὐκ ἀποστραφήσονται, ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ θεῷ, 24 λέγων Δικαιοσύνη καὶ δόξα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἥξουσιν, καὶ αἰσχυνθήσονται πάντες οἱ ἀφορίζοντες αὐτούς· 25 ἀπὸ Κυρίου δικαιωθήσονται, καὶ ἐν τῷ θεῷ ἐνδοξασθήσονται καὶ πᾶν τὸ σπέρμα τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ.

46 1 Ἔπεσε Βήλ, συνετρίβη Δαγών, ἐγένετο τὰ γλυπτὰ αὐτῶν εἰς θηρία καὶ κτήνη· αἴρετε αὐτὰ καταδεδεμένα ὡς φορτίον κοπιῶντι, 2 καὶ πεινῶντι καὶ ἐκλελυμένῳ, οὐκ ἰσχύοντι ἅμα, οἳ οὐ μὴ δύνωνται σωθῆναι ἀπὸ πολέμου, αὐτοὶ δὲ αἰχμάλωτοι ἤχθησαν. 3 Ἀκούσατέ μου, οἶκος τοῦ Ἰακώβ, καὶ πᾶν τὸ κατάλοιπον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, οἱ αἰρόμενοι ἐκ κοιλίας καὶ παιδευόμενοι ἀπὸ παιδίου· 4 ἕως γήρους ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ἕως ἂν καταγηράσητε ἐγώ εἰμι, ἐγὼ ἀνέχομαι ὑμῶν, ἐγὼ ἐποίησα καὶ ἐγὼ ἀνήσω, ἐγὼ ἀναλήμψομαι καὶ σώσω ὑμᾶς. 5 τίνι με ὡμοιώσατε; ἴδετε, τεχνάσασθε, οἱ πλανώμενοι, 6 οἱ συμβαλλόμενοι χρυσίον ἐκ μαρσίππου καὶ ἀργύριον ἐν ζυγῷ· στήσουσιν ἐν σταθμῷ καὶ μισθωσάμενοι χρυσοχόον ἐποίησαν χειροποίητα, καὶ κύψαντες προσκυνοῦσιν αὐτό. 7 αἴρουσιν αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων καὶ πορεύονται· ἐὰν θῶσιν αὐτό, ἐπὶ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ μένει, οὐ μὴ κινηθῇ· καὶ ὃς ἂν βοήσῃ πρὸς αὐτόν, οὐ μὴ ἀκούσῃ, ἀπὸ κακῶν οὐ μὴ σώσει αὐτόν. 8 Μνήσθητε ταῦτα καὶ στενάξατε, μετανοήσατε, οἱ πεπλανημένοι, ἐπιστρέψατε τῇ καρδίᾳ, 9 καὶ μνήσθητε τὰ πρότερα ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι πλὴν ἐμοῦ, 10 ἀναγγέλλων πρότερον τὰ ἔσχατα πρὶν αὐτὰ γενέσθαι, καὶ ἅμα συνετελέσθη· καὶ εἶπα Πᾶσά μου ἡ βουλὴ στήσεται, καὶ πάντα ὅσα βεβούλευμαι ποιήσω· 11 καλῶν ἀπʼ ἀνατολῶν πετεινὸν καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν περὶ ὧν βεβούλευμαι, ἐλάλησα καὶ ἤγαγον, ἔκτισα καὶ ἐποίησα, ἤγαγον αὐτὸν καὶ εὐόδωσα τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ. 12 ἀκούσατέ μου, οἱ ἀπολωλεκότες τὴν καρδίαν, οἱ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης. 13 ἤγγισα τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου, καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν παρʼ ἐμοῦ οὐ βραδυνῶ. δέδωκα ἐν Σιὼν σωτηρίαν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς δόξασμα.

21 Remember this, Jacob, and Israel, for thou art my servant; I formed thee for my servant, and thou, Israel, forget not me.

22 For behold, I have blotted out thy transgressions as a cloud, and thy sins as darkness; turn thou to me, and I will redeem thee.

23 Rejoice, ye heavens, for God hath had mercy upon Israel: sound the trumpet, ye foundations of the earth; shout, ye mountains, in joy, ye hills, and all the trees upon them; for the Lord hath had mercy on Jacob, and Israel shall be glorified.

24 Thus saith the Lord, that redeemeth thee, and formeth thee from the womb, I am the Lord, that accomplish this; I alone stretched out the heaven, and established the earth.

25 Who else scattered the signs of ventriloquists, and divinations from the heart? turning wise men backward, and making foolish their counsel?

26 And establishing the words of his servants, and making true the counsel of his messengers? he that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited, and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built; and her desolate places shall arise:

27 That saith to the deep, Thou shalt be made desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers:

28 That biddeth Cyrus be wise, and saith, He shall perform all my desires; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and I will lay the foundation of my holy house.

45 1 Thus saith the Lord God to my anointed, Cyrus, on whose right hand I have taken hold, for nations to submit before him; and I will shatter the strength of kings, I will open doors before him, and cities shall not be shut:

2 I will go before him, and will level mountains, will break down doors of brass, and will snap asunder bolts of iron:

3 And I will give thee treasures of darkness, I will open to thee hidden treasures unseen, that thou mayest learn that I am the Lord that call thy name, the God of Israel.

4 For my servant Jacob’s sake, and Israel’s, whom I have chosen, I will call thee by thy name, and will receive thee; but thou knewest not me.

5 For I am the Lord God, and there is no other God beside me; and they knew me not.

6 That they from the rising of the sun, and they from the going down thereof may learn, that there is none beside me; and that I am the Lord God, and there is none other,

7 I, that establish light, and make darkness, that make peace, and create evils: I am the Lord God that doeth all these things.

8 Let the heaven from above rejoice, and let the clouds shower down righteousness: let the earth bring forth and make mercy to spring up, and let righteousness spring up together. I am the Lord that created thee.

9 What better things have I set up, as clay of the potter? shall the ploughman plough the earth? shall the clay say to the potter, What doest thou, for thou workest not, neither hast hands?

10 He that saith to the father, What wilt thou beget? or to the mother, Wherewith wilt thou travail?

11 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, that maketh the things to come; Ask ye me concerning my sons and concerning my daughters, and concerning the works of my hands give me a charge.

12 I made the earth, and man upon it; I with my hand established the heaven, I commanded all the stars.

13 I raised him up with righteousness, and all his ways shall bestraight; he shall build my city, and shall turn the captivity of my people, not with ransom, nor with gifts, saith the Lord of Hosts.

14 Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Egypt is weary, and the merchandise of the Ethiopians: and the men of Saba, men of lofty stature, shall pass over unto thee, and shall be slaves unto thee, and shall follow behind thee, bound with manacles, and worship before thee, and in thee shall they pray: for in thee is God, and they shall say, There is no God beside thee.

15 For thou art God, and we knew it not, O God of Israel, Saviour.

16 All they that resist him shall be ashamed, and turned backward, and shall walk in shame. Be ye made new toward me, ye isles.

17 Israel is being saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; they shall not be ashamed, nor be turned backward for ever.

18 Thus saith the Lord, that made the heaven:—he is the God that showed forth the earth and made it, he himself set its bounds; he made it not for a void, but to be inhabited: I am, and there is none beside.

19 I have not spoken in secret, nor in a dark place of the earth; I said not to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye a vain thing; I am, I am one that speaketh righteousness, and declareth truth.

20 Be gathered together, and come ye, take counsel together, ye that are being saved from among the nations. They had not learnt, they that lift up the wood, their graving, and pray as to gods that save not.

21 If they do declare it, let them draw near, that they may learn together, who made these things to be heard, from the beginning: then was it declared unto you, I am God, and there is none other but me; righteous and a saviour, there is none except me.

22 Turn ye to me, and ye shall be saved, ye that are from the end of the earth; I am God, and there is none other.

23 By myself I swear, that righteousness shall go forth from my mouth; my words shall not be turned back; that unto me shall every knee bow, and every tongue shall swear by God,

24 Saying, Righteousness and glory shall come unto him, and all they that separate themselves shall be ashamed.

25 From the Lord shall men be justified, and in God shall all the seed of the children of Israel be glorified.

46 1Fallen is Bel, crushed into pieces is Dagon: their graven images were for wild beasts, and beasts of burden; lift them up bound as a load for one that is weary and hungry,

2 And enfeebled, without strength also; who shall not be able to be saved from war, but themselves were led captive.

3 Hear ye me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of Israel, that are carried from the womb, and reared up from a child.

4 Until old age I am, and until ye grow old, I am; I bear with you, I made you, and I will let you go free, I will take you up, and will save you.

5 To whom have ye likened me? See ye, deal cunningly, ye that are led astray:

6 Ye that contribute gold out of a bag, and silver by balance: they will set it in a scale, and when they have hired a goldsmith, they make works of their hands, and bow down, and worship them.

7 They lift it upon the shoulders, and walk; and if they set it down, it remaineth in his place, it shall not stir; and whosoever calleth unto him, he shall not hear, he shall not save him from evils.

8 Remember this, and lament; repent, ye that have gone astray, turn with your heart.

9 And remember the former things from eternity; for I am God, and there is none beside me:

10 Declaring the last things before they come to pass, and therewith they are fulfilled; and I said, All my counsel shall stand, and all that I have counselled will I do.

11 Calling a fowl of the air from the East, and from a land afar off them concerning whom I have counselled; I spake, and led him, I created and made, I led him, and made his way plain:

12 Hearken to me, ye that have lost your heart, ye that are far from righteousness.

13 I have brought near my righteousness, and the salvation that cometh from me will I not delay: I have given salvation in Zion to Israel for a glorifying.

Greek Isaiah in a Year, Weeks 35 and 36 (Isa 42:22-44:20)

Prophet Isaiah

This week and next week in Greek Isaiah in a Year will cover Isaiah 42:22-44:20. Here are the readings for each day:

07/29/13   Isa 42:22–25
07/30/13   Isa 43:1–6
07/31/13   Isa 43:7–11
08/01/13   Isa 43:12–16
08/02/13   Isa 43:17–22

08/05/13   Isa 43:23–28
08/06/13   Isa 44:1–5
08/07/13   Isa 44:6–8
08/08/13   Isa 44:9–14
08/09/13   Isa 44:15–20

Below is the text from R.R. Ottley’s Book of Isaiah According to the Septuagint, first in Greek, then with his English translation. Ottley is also here in Logos (reviewed here) and here as a free, downloadable pdf in the public domain. The full reading plan for our group is here (pdf).

See here for more resources and links to texts for Greek Isaiah.

22 καὶ ἴδον, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ λαὸς πεπρονομευμένος καὶ διηρπασμένος· ἡ γὰρ παγὶς ἐν τοῖς ταμιείοις πανταχοῦ, καὶ ἐν οἴκοις ἅμα, ὅπου ἔκρυψαν αὐτούς, ἐγένοντο εἰς προνομήν· καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐξαιρούμενος ἅρπαγμα, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ λέγων Ἀπόδος. 23 τίς ἐν ὑμῖν ὃς ἐνωτιεῖται ταῦτα; εἰσακούσεται εἰς τὰ ἐπερχόμενα. 24 τίς ἔδωκεν εἰς διαρπαγὴν Ἰακώβ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τοῖς προνομεύουσιν αὐτόν; οὐχὶ ὁ θεὸς ᾧ ἡμάρτοσαν αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἐβούλοντο ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ πορεύεσθαι οὐδὲ ἀκούειν τοῦ νόμου αὐτοῦ; 25 καὶ ἐπήγαγεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατίσχυσεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς πόλεμος, καὶ οἱ συμφλέγοντες αὐτοὺς κύκλῳ, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν οὐδὲ ἔθεντο ἐπὶ ψυχήν.

43 1 Καὶ νῦν οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεός, ὁ ποιήσας σε Ἰακώβ, ὁ πλάσας σε Ἰσραήλ Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι ἐλυτρωσάμην σε· ἐκάλεσά σε τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐμὸς εἶ σύ. 2 καὶ ἐὰν διαβαίνῃς διʼ ὕδατος, μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι, καὶ ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλύσουσίν σε· καὶ ἐὰν διέλθῃς διὰ πυρὸς, οὐ μὴ κατακαυθῇς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε. 3 ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεός σου, ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ, ὁ σώζων σε· ἐποίησά σου ἄλλαγμα Αἴγυπτον καὶ Αἰθιοπίαν, καὶ Σοήνην ὑπὲρ σοῦ. 4 ἀφʼ οὗ ἔντιμος ἐγένου ἐναντίον μου, ἐδοξάσθης κἀγώ σε ἠγάπησα, καὶ δώσω ἀνθρώπους πολλοὺς ὑπὲρ σοῦ καὶ ἄρχοντας ὑπὲρ τῆς κεφαλῆς σου. 5 μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι· ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἄξω τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν συνάξω σε.6 ἐρῶ τῷ βορρᾷ Ἄγε, καὶ τῷ λιβί Μὴ κώλυε· ἄγε τοὺς υἱούς μου ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν, καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας μου ἀπʼ ἄκρων τῆς γῆς, 7 πάντας ὅσοι ἐπικέκληνται τῷ ὀνόματί μου. ἐν γὰρ τῇ δόξῃ μου κατεσκεύασα αὐτὸν καὶ ἔπλασα καὶ ἐποίησα αὐτόν, 8 καὶ ἐξήγαγον λαὸν τυφλόν, καὶ ὀφθαλμοί εἰσιν ὡσαύτως τυφλοί, καὶ κωφοὶ ὦτα ἔχοντες. 9 πάντα τὰ ἔθνη συνήχθησαν ἅμα, καὶ συναχθήσονται ἄρχοντες ἐξ αὐτῶν· τίς ἀναγγελεῖ ταῦτα; ἢ τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τίς ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν; ἀγαγέτωσαν τοὺς μάρτυρας αὐτῶν καὶ δικαιωθήτωσαν, καὶ εἰπάτωσαν ἀληθῆ, καὶ ἀκουσάτωσαν. 10 γένεσθέ μοι μάρτυρες, κἀγὼ μάρτυς, λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεός, καὶ ὁ παῖς ὃν ἐξελεξάμην, ἵνα γνῶτε καὶ πιστεύσητέ μοι, καί συνῆτε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι· ἔμπροσθέν μου οὐκ ἐγένετο ἄλλος θεός, καὶ μετʼ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔσται. 11 ἐγὼ ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν παρὲξ ἐμοῦ σώζων. 12 ἀνήγγειλα καὶ ἔσωσα, ὠνείδισα καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀλλότριος· ὑμεῖς ἐμοὶ μάρτυρες, κἀγὼ μάρτυς, λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεός· 13 ἔτι ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου ἐξαιρούμενος· ποιήσω, καὶ τίς ἀποστρέψει αὐτό;

14 Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ λυτρούμενος ὑμᾶς, ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ Ἕνεκεν ὑμῶν ἀποστελῶ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα καὶ ἐπεγερῶ πάντας φεύγοντας, καὶ Χαλδαῖοι ἐν πλοίοις δεηθήσονται. 15 ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἅγιος ὑμῶν, ὁ καταδείξας Ἰσραὴλ βασιλέα ὑμῶν. 16 οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ διδοὺς ὁδὸν ἐν θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἐν ὕδατι ἰσχυρῷ τρίβον, 17 ὁ ἐξάγων ἅρματα καὶ ἵππον καὶ ὄχλον ἰσχυρόν· ἀλλὰ ἐκοιμήθησαν καὶ οὐκ ἀναστήσονται, ἐσβέσθησαν ὡς λίνον ἐσβεσμένον. 18 <Μὴ> μνημονεύετε τὰ πρῶτα, καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα μὴ συλλογίζεσθε· 19 ἰδοῦ ποιῶ καινὰ ἃ νῦν ἀνατελεῖ, καὶ γνώσεσθε αὐτά. καὶ ποιήσω ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὁδὸν καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀνύδρῳ ποταμούς· 20 εὐλογήσει με τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ, σειρῆνες καὶ θυγατέρες στρουθῶν, ὅτι ἔδωκα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὕδωρ καὶ ποταμοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀνύδρῳ, ποτιῶ τὸ γένος μου τὸ ἐκλεκτόν, 21 λαόν μου ὃν περιεποιησάμην τὰς ἀρετάς μου διηγεῖσθαι. 22 οὐ νῦν ἐκάλεσά σε, Ἰακώβ, οὐ κοπιᾶσαί σε ἐποίησα, Ἰσραήλ· 23 οὐκ ἐμοὶ πρόβατα τῆς ὁλοκαρπώσεώς σου, οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς θυσίαις σου ἐδόξασάς με, οὐδὲ ἐδούλευσας ἐν ταῖς θυσίαις σου, οὐδὲ ἔγκοπον ἐποίησά σε ἐν λιβάνῳ, 24 οὐδὲ ἐκτήσω μοι ἀργυρίου θυμίαμα, οὐδὲ στέαρ τῶν θυσιῶν σου ἐπεθύμησα, ἀλλὰ ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις σου καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀδικίαις σου προέστην σου. 25 ἐγώ εἰμι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἑξαλείφων τὰς ἀνομίας σου, καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθήσομαι [τὰς ἀδικίας σου]. 26 σὺ δὲ μνήσθητι καὶ κριθῶμεν· λέγε σὺ τὰς ἀνομίας σου πρῶτος, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς. 27 οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῶν ἠνόμησαν εἰς ἐμέ, 28 καὶ ἐμίαναν οἱ ἄρχοντες τὰ ἅγιά μου· καὶ ἔδωκα ἀπολέσαι Ἰακώβ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς ὀνειδισμόν.

44 1 Νῦν δὲ ἄκουσον, παῖς μου Ἰακώβ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ ὃν ἐξελεξάμην, 2 οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας σε, καὶ ὁ πλάσας σε ἐκ κοιλίας Ἔτι βοηθηθήσῃ· μὴ φοβοῦ, παῖς μου Ἰακώβ, καὶ ὁ ἠγαπημένος Ἰσραὴλ ὃν ἐξελεξάμην. 3 ὅτι ἐγὼ δώσω ὕδωρ ἐν δίψει τοῖς πορευομένοις ἐν ἀνύδρῳ, ἐπιθήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ τὰς εὐλογίας μου ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα σου, 4 καὶ ἀνατελοῦσιν ὡσεὶ χόρτος ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος, καὶ ὡς ἰτέα ἐπὶ παραρέον ὕδωρ. 5 οὗτος ἐρεῖ Τοῦ θεοῦ εἰμι, καὶ οὗτος ἐρεῖ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰακώβ, καὶ ἕτερος ἐπιγράφει Τοῦ θεοῦ εἰμι, ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰσραήλ.

6 Οὕτως λέγει ὁ θεὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ ῥυσάμενος αὐτόν, θεὸς σαβαώθ Ἐγὼ πρῶτος καὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα, πλῆν ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν θεός. 7 τίς ὥσπερ ἐγώ; στήτω, καλεσάτω, καὶ ἑτοιμασάτω μοι ἀφʼ οὗ ἐποίησα ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ τὰ ἐπερχόμενα πρὸ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἀναγγειλάτωσαν ὑμῖν. 8 μὴ παρακαλύπτεσθε· οὐκ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἠνωτίσασθε, καὶ ἀπήγγειλα ὑμῖν; μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς ἐστε εἰ ἔστιν θεὸς πλὴν ἐμοῦ· καὶ οὐκ ἦσαν τότε. 9 οἱ πλάσσοντες καὶ γλύφοντες πάντες μάταιοι, οἱ ποιοῦντες τὰ καταθύμια αὐτῶν ἃ οὐκ ὠφελήσει αὐτούς· ἀλλὰ αἰσχυνθήσονται. 10 πάντες οἱ πλάσσοντες θεὸν καὶ γλύφοντες ἀνωφελῆ, 11 καὶ πάντες ὅθεν ἐγένοντο ἐξηράνθησαν, καὶ κωφοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων· συναχθήτωσαν πάντες καὶ στήσονται ἅμα, ἐντραπήτωσαν καὶ αἰσχυνθήτωσαν ἅμα. 12 ὅτι ὤξυνεν τέκτων σίδηρον, σκεπάρνῳ εἰργάσατο αὐτὸ καὶ ἐν τερέτρῳ ἔτρησεν αὐτό, εἰργάσατο αὐτὸ ἐν τῷ βραχίονι τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ· καὶ πεινάσει, καὶ ἀσθενήσει, καὶ οὐ μὴ πίῃ ὕδωρ. 13 ἐκλεξάμενος τέκτων ξύλον ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν μέτρῳ, καὶ ἐν κόλλῃ ἐρύθμισεν αὐτό, ἐποίησεν αὐτὸ ὡς μορφὴν ἀνδρὸς καὶ ὡς ὡραιότητα ἀνθρώπου, στῆσαι αὐτὸ ἐν οἴκῳ, 14 [ὃ] ἔκοψεν ξύλον ἐκ τοῦ δρυμοῦ, ὃ ἐφύτευσεν Κύριος, καὶ ὑετὸς ἐμήκυνεν, 15 ἵνα ᾖ ἀνθρώποις εἰς καῦσιν· καὶ λαβὼν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ἐθερμάνθη, καὶ καύσαντες ἔπεψαν ἄρτους ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ· τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν εἰργάσατο εἰς θεούς, καὶ προσκυνοῦσιν αὐτούς. 16 οὗ τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ κατέκαυσεν ἐν πυρί, καὶ καύσαντες ἔπεψαν ἄρτους ἐπʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ κρέας ὀπτήσας ἔφαγεν καὶ ἐνεπλήσθη, καὶ θερμανθεὶς εἶπεν Ἡδύ μοι ὅτι ἐθερμάνθην καὶ ἴδον πῦρ. 17 τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ἐποίησεν θεὸν γλυπτόν, καὶ προσκυνεῖ αὐτῷ καὶ προσεύχεται λέγων Ἐξελοῦ με, ὅτι θεός μου εἶ σύ. 18 οὐκ ἔγνωσαν φρονῆσαι, ὅτι ἀπημαυρώθησαν τοῦ βλέπειν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοις αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦ νοῆσαι τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν.19 καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσατο τῇ καρδίᾳ οὐδὲ ἀνελογίσατο ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἔγνω τῇ φρονήσει ὅτι τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ κατέκαυσεν ἐν πυρί, καὶ ἔπεψεν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθράκων αὐτοῦ ἄρτους, καὶ ὀπτήσας κρέας ἔφαγεν, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς βδέλυγμα ἐποίησεν καὶ προσκυνοῦσιν αὐτῷ. 20 γνῶτε ὅτι σποδὸς ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν, καὶ πλανῶνται, καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐξελέσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ· ἴδετε, οὐκ ἐρεῖτε ὅτι Ψεῦδος ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ μου.

22 And I saw, and the people was plundered and spoiled; for the snare is in treasuries everywhere, and in houses together; where they hid themselves, they became a prey; and there was none that set free a prey, and there was none that said, Restore.

23 Who is there among you that will give ear to this? he shall hearken, for the time to come.

24 Who gave Jacob for a prey, and Israel to them that plunder him? Is it not God, before whom they sinned, and they would not walk in his ways, nor hear his law?

25 And he brought upon them the fury of his wrath, and war overpowered them, and they that set them on fire round about, and they understood not, each of them, neither laid it to heart.

43 1 And now thus saith the Lord God, who created thee, O Jacob, he that formed thee, O Israel. Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.

2 Though thou pass through water, I am with thee, and rivers shall not overwhelm thee; though thou go through fire, thou shalt not be burned, flame shall not burn thee up.

3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have made Egypt and Ethiopia thy ransom, and set Syene in thy stead.

4 Since thou hast become precious in my sight, thou hast been glorified, and I have loved thee; and I will give many men on behalf of thee, and rulers for thy head.

5 Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the East, and will gather thee from the West:

6 I will say to the North, Bring (them); and to the South, Keep not back: bring my sons from a land afar off, and my daughters from the ends of the earth,

7 All that have been called by my name. For in my glory have I established him, and formed (him), and made him,

8 And I led forth a blind people, and their eyes are likewise blind, and they are deaf, though they have ears.

9 All the nations are gathered together, and rulers shall be gathered from among them; who shall declare these things? or who shall declare to you what was from the beginning? let them bring their witnesses, and let them be approved, and let them speak truth, and let them hear.

10 Be ye witnesses to me, and I am witness, saith the Lord God, and the servant whom I have chosen out; that ye may learn, and believe me, and understand that I am; before me there came no other God, and after me there shall be none.

11 I am God, and beside me there is no Saviour.

12 I declared, and I saved, I reproached, and there was no stranger among you; ye are my witnesses, and I am witness, saith the Lord God,

13 Even from the beginning, and there is none that delivereth out of my hands: I will do it, and who shall turn it back?

14 Thus saith the Lord God who redeemeth you, the Holy One of Israel: For your sakes will I send to Babylon, and will rouse up all that flee, and the Chaldaeans shall be bound in stocks.

15 I am the Lord God, your holy one, he that shewed forth Israel your king.

16 Thus saith the Lord, that giveth a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty water,

17 He that bringeth forth chariots, and horse, and a mighty throng; but they have lain down, and shall not arise, they are quenched as flax that is quenched:

18 Remember ye <not> the first things, and consider not the things of old.

19 Behold, I do new things which shall now arise, and ye shall learn them: and I will make a path in the desert, and rivers in the waterless land:

20 The beasts of the field shall praise me, owls, and the daughters of ostriches; because I have given water in the desert, and rivers in the waterless land, I will give my chosen race to drink,

21 My people, whom I have preserved to set forth my excellences.

22 Not now have I called thee, Jacob, nor made thee weary, Israel:

23 No sheep have I of thy offering, nor didst thou glorify me in thy sacrifices, nor serve in thy sacrifices; nor have I wearied thee with frankincense,

24 Neither didst thou buy for me incense for silver, nor did I desire the fat of thy offerings; but in thy sins and in thine unrighteousness I stood before thee.

25 I am, I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, and will not remember thine unrighteousnesses.

26 But do thou remember, and let us be judged; tell thou first thy transgressions, that thou mayest be justified.

27 Our fathers first, and their rulers transgressed against me:

28 And the rulers defiled my holy things; and I gave Jacob over to destroy (him), and Israel for a reproach.

44 1 But now hear, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I chose(out).

2 Thus said the Lord God who made thee, and he that formed thee from the womb, Thou shalt yet be helped: fear not, my servant Jacob, and my beloved Israel whom I chose out;

3 For I will give water in thirst to them that walk in a waterless place; I will put my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessings upon thy children,

4 And they shall rise up as grass among water, and as a willow by the side of a flowing water.

5 This one shall say, I am God’s, and this shall speak in the name of Jacob; and another writeth, I am God’s; upon the name of Israel.

6 Thus saith God, the King of Israel, and his deliverer, God of Hosts; I am first, and I am hereafter; except me there is no God.

7 Who is as I am? let him stand, let him call, and make ready for me, since I made man for everlasting; and let them declare to you the coming things before they come.

8 Hide not yourselves; did ye not give ear from the beginning, and I declared it to you? ye are witnesses, whether there be a God beside me; and they were not, at that time.

9 They that mould images, and that grave, are all of them vain; they that make their own delights, which shall not help them; but they shall be ashamed,

10 All they that mould a god, and grave unprofitable things:

11 And all are withered from whence they sprang, and (are) dumb from among men; let them all be gathered together, and they shall stand together, let them be turned backward and be ashamed together.

12 For the craftsman sharpeneth iron, with an adze he fashioneth it, and boreth it with a gimlet, worketh it with the arm of his strength; and he shall be hungry, and shall be faint, and lot drink water:

13 The craftsman, when he hath chosen a piece of wood, setteth it up by measure, and fitteth it together with glue; he maketh it like the form of a great man, and like the goodliness of man, to set it up in a house:

14 He cutteth wood out of the forest which the Lord planted, and the rain made it to grow,

15 That it may be for men for burning; and he taketh thereof, and is warmed; and they burn it, and bake loaves upon it; and the rest he maketh into gods, and they worship them.

16 Whereof he burneth half in the fire (and they burn them, and bake loaves upon them), and roasteth meat upon it, and eateth, and is filled: and when he is warmed, he saith, Sweet is it to me that I am warmed, and have seen fire.

17 But the rest of it he maketh a graven god, and worshippeth it, and prayeth to it, saying, Deliver me, for thou art my god.

18 They have not learnt to have understanding, for they are darkened, from seeing with their eyes, and understanding with their heart.

19 And he considereth not in his heart, nor pondereth in his soul, nor perceiveth with his understanding, that he hath burned half thereof in the fire, and baked loaves upon the ashes thereof, and roasted meat, and eaten; and made the rest of it into an abomination, and they worship it.

20 Learn ye that their heart is ashes, and they wander out of the way, and no one can deliver his soul; see, ye will not say, There is a lie in my right hand.