You have seen much without observing,
Though your ears were open, you heard not.

Jehovah was pleased for his righteousness' sake
To make his teaching great and glorious;
Yet it is a people preyed upon and plundered,
All of them are trapped in holes,

And hidden in prison houses,

They are preyed upon, with none to rescue,
Plundered, with none to say, 'Restore.'
Who among you will give heed to this,
Will attend and hear for time to come?
Who gave up Jacob to plunderers,
And Israel to those who robbed him,
And poured out upon him hot anger,
And the fierce violence of battle?
It set him all afire, but he knew it not,
And it scorched him, but he paid no heed.

And now Jehovah declares,

He who created and formed you, O Jacob,
'Fear not, O Israel, for I have redeemed you,

I have called you by name, and you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, Through the rivers, they shall not overflow you;

When you go through the fire, you shall not be burned, Neither shall the flame scorch you.

The Holy One, your deliverer;

I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my eyes,
Are honored, and I love you,

I will give men in exchange for you,
And peoples for your life.

'Fear not, for I am with you,

From the East I will bring your offspring,

And from the West I will gather you;
I will say to the North, "Give up!"
And to the South, "Hold not back!
Bring my sons from afar,

And my daughters from the end of the earth,
Every one who bears my name,

Whom for my glory I have created and formed.'

219.

RESPONSIBILITY OF GOD'S PEOPLE TO BE
HIS WITNESSES

'You are my witnesses,' Jehovah declares,
'And my servant, whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe in me,
And perceive that I am ever the same.
Before me no God was formed,
Nor shall there be after me.

'I, even I, am Jehovah,

And besides me there is no deliverer.
I announced and brought deliverance,
When no other god was among you;
So you are my witnesses,' Jehovah declares.
'I am God, evermore the same,

And there is none who can snatch from my hand;
When I do a thing, who can reverse it?

'Fear not, my servant Jacob,

My upright one, whom I have chosen.
I will pour on the thirsty land water,
And streams upon the dry ground.

I will pour out my spirit on your children,
And my blessing upon your descendants,

So that they shall spring up as grass,
As willows by running streams.
One man shall say, "I am Jehovah's,”
Another shall call himself "Jacob,"
Another on his hand will write "Jehovah's,"
And receive the surname "Israel."

1

"Truth has gone forth from my mouth,
A word that shall not be recalled,
That to me every knee shall bow,
And every tongue shall swear!
"In Jehovah alone," shall they say,

"I have righteousness and strength.'

220. THE World-Wide MISSION OF Jehovah's

SERVANT

Hearken to me, O coastlands,

And listen, distant peoples.

Jehovah has called me from the womb,
Before I was born he mentioned my name.
He made my mouth like a sharp-edged sword,
In the shadow of his hand he hid me,
He made me a polished arrow,

In his quiver he concealed me,

And he said, 'You are Israel, my servant,
Israel, through whom I will be glorified.'

But I said, 'I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing,
Yet my right is with Jehovah,

My reward is with my God.'

And now Jehovah declares

(He who formed me from birth to be his servant,

To bring Jacob back to himself,

That Israel might be gathered to him;

For I was honored in his sight,

And my God became my strength):

'It is too little a thing to be my servant,

To raise up the tribes of Jacob,

To restore the survivors of Israel;

So I make you a light to the nations,

That my salvation may reach to earth's ends.

This is the message of Jehovah,
The Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One,
To the one despised by man,

To the one abhorred by the people,

To him who is servant of rulers:

'Kings shall see and arise,

Princes and they shall do homage,

Because of Jehovah the faithful,

Israel's Holy One who has chosen you.

'At an acceptable time I will respond to you, On a day of deliverance help you,

Give you as a pledge to the people,
To restore the ruined land,

To allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to prisoners, "Go free,”

To those in darkness, "Show yourselves!"

"They shall pasture along all highways,
On every height find pasturage;

They shall neither be hungry nor thirsty,
Nor shall hot wind or sun afflict them,
For he who pities shall lead them,

And to gushing springs will he guide them.
I will make all the hilltops a highway,
And lofty roads shall be built.'

'Behold, these come from afar,
And these from the north and west,
And these from southern Egypt.
Sing, O heavens, be joyful O earth!
Let the mountains break out in singing,
For Jehovah has comforted his people,
And will show mercy to those afflicted."

221. THE TRAINING OF JEHOVAH'S FAITHFUL

SERVANT

The Lord Jehovah has given me the tongue of a trained

disciple,

That I may know how to give the fainting a word of help.

Each morning he wakens my ear to listen as a disciple, And I have not been rebellious nor turned back wilfully.

My back I gave to the smiters and my cheek to those who plucked out my hair,

I did not hide my face from either shame or insult, For my Lord Jehovah is my helper; therefore I am not confounded.

I have set my face like flint, and I know I shall not be ashamed.

My vindicator is near; who will contend with me? Let us stand up together!

Who will make a charge against me? Let him come

near me!

The Lord Jehovah is my helper; who shall condemn me? They shall all fall to pieces like a garment, the moth shall devour them.

Who of you reveres Jehovah? Let him listen to the voice of his servant;

Though he lives in deep darkness and has no light,
Let him trust in the name of Jehovah and rely on his
God.

222. THE FUTURE APPRECIATION OF JEHOVAH'S HEROIC SERVANT

Behold, my servant shall prosper,
Be raised up and exalted on high;
For as many were appalled at him,
[So they shall now be amazed].