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Who has performed and done this,
    calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am first,
    and will be with the last.
The coastlands have seen and are afraid,
    the ends of the earth tremble;
    they have drawn near and come.
Each one helps the other,
    saying to one another, “Take courage!”
The artisan encourages the goldsmith,
    and the one who smooths with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
    and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.
But you, Israel, my servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
    and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
    I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
10 do not fear, for I am with you,
    do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

11 Yes, all who are incensed against you
    shall be ashamed and disgraced;
those who strive against you
    shall be as nothing and shall perish.
12 You shall seek those who contend with you,
    but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
    shall be as nothing at all.
13 For I, the Lord your God,
    hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Do not fear,
    I will help you.”

14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
    you insect[a] Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
    your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 41:14 Syr: Heb men of

The Sign of the Covenant

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty;[a] walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram,[b] but your name shall be Abraham;[c] for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring[d] after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.”

God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:1 Traditional rendering of Heb El Shaddai
  2. Genesis 17:5 That is exalted ancestor
  3. Genesis 17:5 Here taken to mean ancestor of a multitude
  4. Genesis 17:7 Heb seed

20 A wise child makes a glad father,
    but the foolish despise their mothers.
21 Folly is a joy to one who has no sense,
    but a person of understanding walks straight ahead.
22 Without counsel, plans go wrong,
    but with many advisers they succeed.
23 To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,
    and a word in season, how good it is!
24 For the wise the path of life leads upward,
    in order to avoid Sheol below.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
    but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
26 Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,
    but gracious words are pure.
27 Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households,
    but those who hate bribes will live.
28 The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,
    but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
    but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
    and good news refreshes the body.
31 The ear that heeds wholesome admonition
    will lodge among the wise.
32 Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,
    but those who heed admonition gain understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
    and humility goes before honor.

16 The plans of the mind belong to mortals,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All one’s ways may be pure in one’s own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even the wicked for the day of trouble.
All those who are arrogant are an abomination to the Lord;
    be assured, they will not go unpunished.
By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
    and by the fear of the Lord one avoids evil.
When the ways of people please the Lord,
    he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them.
Better is a little with righteousness
    than large income with injustice.
The human mind plans the way,
    but the Lord directs the steps.

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