Isaiah Chapter 44

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 And now hear, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen.
2 Thus saith the Lord that made and formed thee, thy helper from the womb: Fear not, O my servant Jacob, and thou most righteous whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour out waters upon the thirsty ground, and streams upon the dry land: I will pour out my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy stock.
4 And they shall spring up among the herbs, as willows beside the running waters.
5 One shall say: I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand, To the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

6 Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.
7 Who is like to me? let him call and declare: and let him set before me the order, since I appointed the ancient people: and the things to come, and that shall be hereafter, let them show unto them.
8 Fear ye not, neither be ye troubled from that time I have made thee to hear, and have declared: you are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me, a maker, whom I have not known?
9 The makers of idols are all of them nothing, and their best beloved things shall not profit them. They are their witnesses, that they do not see, nor understand, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who hath formed a god, and made a graven thing that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all the partakers thereof shall be confounded: for the makers are men: they shall all assemble together, they shall stand and fear, and shall be confounded together.
12 The smith hath wrought with his file, with coals, and with hammers he hath formed it, and hath wrought with the strength of his arm: he shall hunger and faint, he shall drink no water, and shall be weary.
13 The carpenter hath stretched out his rule, he hath formed it with a plane: he hath made it with corners, and hath fashioned it round with the compass: and he hath made the image of a man as it were a beautiful man dwelling in a house.
14 He hath cut down cedars, taken the holm, and the oak that stood among the trees of the forest: he hath planted the pine tree, which the rain hath nourished.
15 And it hath served men for fuel: he took thereof, and warmed himself: and he kindled it, and baked bread: but of the rest he made a god, and adored it: he made a graven thing, and bowed down before it.
16 Part of it he burnt with fire, and with part of it he dressed his meat: he boiled pottage, and was filled, and was warmed, and said: Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.
17 But the residue thereof he made a god, and a graven thing for himself: he boweth down before it, and adoreth it, and prayeth unto it, saying: Deliver me, for thou art my God.
18 They have not known, nor understood: for their eyes are covered that they may not see, and that they may not understand with their heart.
19 They do not consider in their mind, nor know, nor have the thought to say: I have burnt part of it in the fire, and I have baked bread upon the coals thereof: I have broiled flesh and have eaten, and of the residue thereof shall I make an idol? shall I fall down before the stock of a tree?
20 Part thereof is ashes: his foolish heart adoreth it, and he will not save his soul, nor say: Perhaps there is a lie in my right hand.
21 Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for thou art my servant. I have formed thee, thou art my servant, O Israel, forget me not.
22 I have blotted out thy iniquities as a cloud, and thy sins as a mist: return to me, for I have redeemed thee.
23 Give praise, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath shown mercy: shout with joy, ye ends of the earth: ye mountains, resound with praise, thou, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and Israel shall be glorified.

24 Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer, and thy maker, from the womb: I am the Lord, that make all things, that alone stretch out the heavens, that established the earth, and there is none with me.
25 That make void the tokens of diviners, and make the soothsayers mad. That turn the wise backward, and that make their knowledge foolish.
26 That raise up the word of my servant and perform the counsel of my messengers, who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be inhabited: and to the cities of Juda: You shall be built, and I will raise up the wastes thereof.
27 Who say to the deep: Be thou desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers.
28 Who say to Cyrus: Thou art my shepherd, and thou shalt perform all my pleasure. Who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be built: and to the temple: Thy foundations shall be laid.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Et nunc audi, Jacob, serve meus,
et Israël, quem elegi.
2 Hæc dicit Dominus faciens et formans te,
ab utero auxiliator tuus:
Noli timere, serve meus Jacob,
et rectissime, quem elegi.
3 Effundam enim aquas super sitientem,
et fluenta super aridam;
effundam spiritum meum super semen tuum,
et benedictionem meam super stirpem tuam:
4 et germinabunt inter herbas,
quasi salices juxta præterfluentes aquas.
5 Iste dicet: Domini ego sum;
et ille vocabit in nomine Jacob;
et hic scribet manu sua: Domino,
et in nomine Israël assimilabitur.

6 Hæc dicit Dominus, rex Israël,
et redemptor ejus, Dominus exercituum:
Ego primus, et ego novissimus,
et absque me non est deus.
7 Quis similis mei? vocet,
et annuntiet: et ordinem exponat mihi,
ex quo constitui populum antiquum;
ventura et quæ futura sunt annuntient eis.
8 Nolite timere, neque conturbemini:
ex tunc audire te feci,
et annuntiavi; vos estis testes mei.
Numquid est Deus absque me,
et formator quem ego non noverim?
9 Plastæ idoli omnes nihil sunt,
et amantissima eorum non proderunt eis.
Ipsi sunt testes eorum, quia non vident,
neque intelligunt, ut confundantur.
10 Quis formavit deum,
et sculptile conflavit ad nihil utile?
11 Ecce omnes participes ejus confundentur,
fabri enim sunt ex hominibus;
convenient omnes, stabunt
et pavebunt, et confundentur simul.
12 Faber ferrarius lima operatus est,
in prunis et in malleis formavit illud,
et operatus est in brachio fortitudinis suæ;
esuriet et deficiet,
non bibet aquam et lassescet.
13 Artifex lignarius extendit normam,
formavit illud in runcina,
fecit illud in angularibus,
et in circino tornavit illud,
et fecit imaginem viri
quasi speciosum hominem
habitantem in domo;
14 succidit cedros,
tulit ilicem, et quercum,
quæ steterat inter ligna saltus;
plantavit pinum, quam pluvia nutrivit:
15 et facta est hominibus in focum;
sumpsit ex eis, et calefactus est;
et succendit et coxit panes;
de reliquo autem operatus est deum et adoravit;
fecit sculptile, et curvatus est ante illud.
16 Medium ejus combussit igni,
et de medio ejus carnes comedit;
coxit pulmentum, et saturatus est,
et calefactus est, et dixit: Vah!
calefactus sum, vidi focum;
17 reliquum autem ejus deum fecit et sculptile sibi;
curvatur ante illud, et adorat illud,
et obsecrat, dicens:
Libera me, quia deus meus es tu!
18 Nescierunt, neque intellexerunt;
obliti enim sunt ne videant oculi eorum,
et ne intelligant corde suo.
19 Non recogitant in mente sua,
neque cognoscunt, neque sentiunt, ut dicant:
Medietatem ejus combussi igni,
et coxi super carbones ejus panes;
coxi carnes et comedi,
et de reliquo ejus idolum faciam?
ante truncum ligni procidam?
20 Pars ejus cinis est;
cor insipiens adoravit illud,
et non liberabit animam suam:
neque dicet: Forte mendacium est in dextera mea.
21 Memento horum Jacob,
et Israël, quoniam servus meus es tu.
Formavi te; servus meus es tu,
Israël, ne obliviscaris mei.
22 Delevi ut nubem iniquitates tuas,
et quasi nebulam peccata tua:
revertere ad me, quoniam redemi te.
23 Laudate, cæli, quoniam misericordiam fecit Dominus;
jubilate, extrema terræ;
resonate, montes, laudationem,
saltus et omne lignum ejus,
quoniam redemit Dominus Jacob,
et Israël gloriabitur.

24 Hæc dicit Dominus, redemptor tuus,
et formator tuus ex utero:
Ego sum Dominus, faciens omnia,
extendens cælos solus,
stabiliens terram, et nullus mecum;
25 irrita faciens signa divinorum,
et ariolos in furorem vertens;
convertens sapientes retrorsum,
et scientiam eorum stultam faciens;
26 suscitans verbum servi sui,
et consilium nuntiorum suorum complens;
qui dico Jerusalem: Habitaberis,
et civitatibus Juda: Ædificabimini,
et deserta ejus suscitabo;
27 qui dico profundo: Desolare,
et flumina tua arefaciam;
28 qui dico Cyro: Pastor meus es,
et omnem voluntatem meam complebis;
qui dico Jerusalem: Ædificaberis,
et templo: Fundaberis.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition

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