Isaiah 45

1 Or rather shall it take hold of my strength, shall it make peace with me, shall it make peace with me? 2 When they shall rush in unto Jacob, Israel shall blossom and bud, and they shall fill the face of the world with seed. 3 Hath he struck him according to the stroke of him that struck him? or is he slain, as he killed them that were slain by him? 4 In measure against measure, when it shall be cast off, thou shalt judge it. He hath meditated with his severe spirit in the day of heat. 5 Therefore upon this shall the iniquity of the house of Jacob be forgiven: and this is all the fruit, that the sin thereof should be taken away, when he shall have made all the stones of the altar, as burnt stones broken in pieces, the groves and temples shall not stand. 6 For the strong city shall be desolate, the beautiful city shall be forsaken, and shall be left as a wilderness: there the calf shall feed, and there shall he lie down, and shall consume its branches. 7 Its harvest shall be destroyed with drought, women shall come and teach it: for it is not a wise people, therefore he that made it, shall not have mercy on it: and he that formed it, shall not spare it. 8 And it shall come to pass, that in that day the Lord will strike from the channel of the river even to the torrent of Egypt, and you shall be gathered together one by one, O ye children of Israel. 9 And it shall come to pass, that in that day a noise shall be made with a great trumpet, and they that were lost, shall come from the land of the Assyrians, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt, and they shall adore the Lord in the holy mount in Jerusalem. 11 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower the glory his joy, who were on the head of the fat valley, staggering with wine. 12 Behold the Lord is mighty and strong, as a storm of hail: a destroying whirlwind, as the violence of many waters overflowing, and sent forth upon a spacious land. 13 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet. 14 And the fading tower the glory of his joy, who is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as a hasty fruit before the ripeness of autumn: which when he that seeth it shall behold, as soon he taketh it in his hand, he will eat it up. 15 In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of joy to the residue of his people: 16 And a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that return out of the battle to the gate. 17 But these also have been ignorant through wine, and through drunkenness have erred: the priest and the prophet have been ignorant through drunkenness, they are swallowed up with wine, they have gone astray in drunkenness, they have not known him that seeth, they have been ignorant of judgment. 18 For all the tables were full of vomit and filth, so that there was no more place. 19 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand the hearing? them that are weaned from the milk, that are drawn away from the breasts. 20 For command, command again; command, command again; expect, expect again; a little there, a little there. 21 For with the speech of lips, and with another tongue he will speak to this people. 22 To whom he said: This is my rest, refresh the weary, and this is my refreshing: and they would not hear. 23 And the word of the Lord shall be to them: Command, command again; command, command again; expect, expect again; a little there, a little there: that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. 24 Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, who rule over my people that is in Jerusalem. 25 For you have said: We have entered into a league with death, and we have made a covenant with hell. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come upon us: for we have placed our hope in lies, and by falsehood we are protected.