A.C. 713.

k Matt. xv. 8. Mark vii. 6.

* Heb. I will add.

1 Jer. xlix. 7. 1 Cor. i. 19.

Obadiah viii,

m Ecclus. xxiii. 18.

13¶Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men :

14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, m Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be nch. xlv. 9, esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the "work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

+ Heb. shall add.

1 Heb. shall know understanding.

17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18¶And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

19 The meek also † shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought,

22 Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale,

23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

ISAIAH XXX.

1 The prophet threateneth the people for their confidence in Egypt, 8 and contempt of God's word. 18 God's mercies towards his church. 27 God's wrath, and the people's joy, in the destruction of Assyria.

1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that

take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a cover- A.C.713. ing, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin :

2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

4 For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

5 They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

6 The burden of the beasts of the south into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried * concerning this, Their strength* Or, to her. is to sit still.

8¶ Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and

ever:

9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

Heb. the

latter day.

12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverse- ‡ Or, fraud. ness, and stay thereon:

13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

ile of potters.

14 And he shall break it as the breaking of § the potters' Heb. the botvessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength and ye would not.

16 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

A. C. 713.

* Or, a tree bereft of branches, or, boughs: or, a mast.

o Ps. ii. 12. & xxxiv. 8.

Prov. xvi. 20. Jer. xvii. 7.

17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall flee: till ye * ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

18¶ And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

20 And though the LORD give you the bread of adversity, + Or, oppres- and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy

sion.

+ Heb. the

graven images

of thy silver.

teachers :

21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: Heb. scatter. thou shalt § cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

23 Then shall he give thee rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

24 The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the Or, savoury, ground shall eat ||* clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

Heb. lea

vened.

25 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and #Heb. lifted upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

up.

26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, Or, and the burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is § heavy : his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

grievousness of flame. Heb. heavi

ness.

28 And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth

with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the A.C. 713. *mighty One of Israel.

*Heb. Rock.

voice.

30 And the LORD shall cause + his glorious voice to be + Heb. the heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with of his the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. 31 For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.

32 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall § lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

Heb. every rod founded. rest upon

passing of the Heb. cause

to

him.
|| Or, against
them.

Heb. from

33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile yesterday. thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

ISAIAH XXXI.

1 The prophet sheweth the cursed folly in trusting to Egypt, and forsaking of God. 6 He exhorteth to conversion. 8 He sheweth the fall of Assyria.

1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not + call back his words: but will arise against the house of +Heb. remove. the evildoers, and against the help of them that work ini

quity.

3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fall together.

4 For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of Or, multithem: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for tude. mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of p ch, ii. 20.

A. C. 713. silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

* Heb. the idols of his

gold.

of the sword.

8¶Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall de

+ Or, for fear your him: but he shall flee + from the sword, and his young men shall be § discomfited.

+ Or, tribu

tary.

Heb. for melting, or, tribute. Il Heb. his

rock shall pass away for fear. * Or, his strength.

g 2 Kings xx.

9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

24

SECTION XII.

The Sickness of Hezekiah -Introduction.

2 CHRONICLES XXXII. VER. 24-27.

In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, 1. Is. xxxviii. and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and +Or, wrought he gave him a sign.

1.

a miracle for him.

+ Heb. the lifting up.

Heb. Give

charge conhouse.

cerning thine

25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

2 KINGS XX. VER. 1—12.

1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, & Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah Heb. with a wept || sore.

great weeping.

* Or, city.

4 And it came to pass afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.