"Do you thusrepaythe LORD,O foolishand unwisepeople?Is not He your Fatherwho has boughtyou? He has madeyou and establishedyou.
"For You have establishedfor Yourself Your peopleIsraelas Your own peopleforever,and You, O LORD,have becometheir God.
Your handsfashionedand mademe altogether,And would You destroyme?
Knowthat the LORDHimselfis God;It is He who has madeus, and not we ourselves;[We are] His peopleand the sheepof His pasture.
Whatshall I renderto the LORDFor allHis benefitstowardme?
Let Israelbe gladin his Maker;Let the sonsof Zionrejoicein their King.
Rememberthis,O LORD,that the enemyhas reviled,And a foolishpeoplehas spurnedYour name.
RememberYour congregation,which You have purchasedof old,Which You have redeemedto be the tribeof Your inheritance;[And] thisMountZion,whereYou have dwelt.
Come,let us worshipand bowdown,Let us kneelbeforethe LORDour Maker.
"Terrorand dreadfallupon them; By the greatnessof Your armthey are motionlessas stone;UntilYour peoplepassover,O LORD,Untilthe peoplepassoverwhomYou have purchased.
"Then you shall sayto Pharaoh,'Thussaysthe LORD,"Israelis My son,My firstborn.
Listen,O heavens,and hear,O earth;For the LORDspeaks,"SonsI have rearedand broughtup, But they have revoltedagainst Me.
When its limbsare dry,they are brokenoff; Womencome[and] makea firewith them, For they are not a peopleof discernment,Thereforetheir Makerwill not havecompassionon them. And their Creatorwill not be graciousto them.
But now,thussaysthe LORD,your Creator,O Jacob,And He who formedyou, O Israel,"Do not fear,for I have redeemedyou; I have calledyou by name;you are Mine!
Everyonewho is calledby My name,And whom I have createdfor My glory,Whom I have formed,evenwhom I have made."
Thussaysthe LORDwho madeyou And formedyou from the womb,who will helpyou, 'Do not fear,O JacobMy servant;And you Jeshurunwhom I have chosen.
For You are our Father,thoughAbrahamdoes not knowus And Israeldoes not recognizeus. You, O LORD,are our Father,Our Redeemerfrom of oldis Your name.
But now,O LORD,You are our Father,We are the clay,and You our potter;And allof us are the workof Your hand.
"For My peopleare foolish,They knowMe not; They are stupidchildrenAnd havenounderstanding.They are shrewdto doevil,But to dogoodthey do not know."
Nowhearthis,O foolishand senselesspeople,Who have eyesbut do not see;Who have earsbut do not hear.
The painsof childbirthcomeupon him; He is not a wiseson,For it is not the timethat he should delayat the openingof the womb.
"'A sonhonors[his] father,and a servanthis master.Then ifI am a father,whereis My honor?And ifI am a master,whereis My respect?'saysthe LORDof hoststo you, O priestswho despiseMy name.But you say,'Howhave we despisedYour name?'
"You are doingthe deedsof your father."They saidto Him, "We were not bornof fornication;we haveoneFather:God."
"Be on guardfor yourselvesand for allthe flock,amongwhichthe HolySpirithas madeyou overseers,to shepherdthe churchof GodwhichHe purchasedwith His ownblood.
For you have not receiveda spiritof slaveryleadingto fearagain,but you have receiveda spiritof adoption as sonsby whichwe cryout, "Abba!Father!"
For you have been boughtwith a price:thereforeglorifyGodin your body.
For you are allsonsof Godthroughfaithin ChristJesus.
Becauseyou are sons,Godhas sent forththe Spiritof His Soninto our hearts,crying,"Abba!Father!"
and in the wildernesswhereyou sawhowthe LORDyour Godcarriedyou, justas a mancarrieshis son,in allthe waywhichyou have walkeduntilyou cameto thisplace.'
"You are the sonsof the LORDyour God;you shall not cutyourselves norshaveyour foreheadfor the sake of the dead.
"But Jeshurungrewfatand kicked--You are grownfat,thick,and sleek--Then he forsookGodwho madehim, And scornedthe Rockof his salvation.
"You neglectedthe Rockwho begotyou, And forgotthe Godwho gaveyou birth.
"For they are a nationlackingin counsel,And thereis nounderstandingin them.
But false prophetsalsoaroseamongthe people,justas there will alsobe false teachersamongyou, whowill secretly introducedestructiveheresies,evendenyingthe Masterwho boughtthem, bringingswiftdestructionupon themselves.
Seehow greata lovethe Fatherhas bestowedon us, that we would be calledchildrenof God;and [such] we are. For thisreasonthe worlddoes not knowus, becauseit did not knowHim.
