For You are our Father,thoughAbrahamdoes not knowus And Israeldoes not recognizeus. You, O LORD,are our Father,Our Redeemerfrom of oldis Your name.
So Davidblessedthe LORDin the sightof allthe assembly;and Davidsaid,"Blessedare You, O LORDGodof Israelour father,foreverand ever.
"His sonsachievehonor,but he does not know[it]; Or they becomeinsignificant,but he does not perceiveit.
"Then you shall sayto Pharaoh,'Thussaysthe LORD,"Israelis My son,My firstborn.
For the livingknowthey will die;but the deaddo not knowanything,norhavethey anylongera reward,for their memoryis forgotten.
Listen,O heavens,and hear,O earth;For the LORDspeaks,"SonsI have rearedand broughtup, But they have revoltedagainst Me.
Thereforethussaysthe LORD,whoredeemedAbraham,concerningthe houseof Jacob:"Jacobshall not nowbe ashamed,norshall his facenowturnpale;
"Do not fear,you wormJacob,you menof Israel;I will helpyou," declaresthe LORD,"and your Redeemeris the HolyOneof Israel.
"But you, Israel,My servant,JacobwhomI have chosen,Descendantof AbrahamMy friend,
Thussaysthe LORDyour Redeemer,the HolyOneof Israel,"For your sakeI have sentto Babylon,And will bringthem alldownas fugitives,Even the Chaldeans,into the shipsin which they rejoice.
"Thussaysthe LORD,the Kingof Israeland his Redeemer,the LORDof hosts:I am the firstand I am the last,And thereis noGodbesidesMe.
Thussaysthe LORD,the HolyOneof Israel,and his Maker:"AskMe aboutthe thingsto comeconcerningMy sons,And you shall committo Me the workof My hands.
"Lookto Abrahamyour fatherAnd to Sarahwho gavebirthto you in pain;When[he] [was but] oneI calledhim, Then I blessedhim and multipliedhim."
"For your husbandis your Maker,Whose nameis the LORDof hosts;And your Redeemeris the HolyOneof Israel,Who is calledthe Godof allthe earth.
"You will also suckthe milkof nationsAnd suckthe breastof kings;Then you will knowthat I, the LORD,am your SaviorAnd your Redeemer,the MightyOneof Jacob.
Who caused His gloriousarmto goat the righthandof Moses,Who dividedthe watersbeforethem to makefor Himself an everlastingname,
Thereis noonewho callson Your name,Who arouseshimself to takeholdof You; For You have hiddenYour facefrom us And have deliveredus into the powerof our iniquities.
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 a childwill be bornto us, a sonwill be givento us; And the governmentwill reston His shoulders;And His namewill be calledWonderfulCounselor,MightyGod,EternalFather,Princeof Peace.
"Then I said,'HowI would setyou among My sonsAnd giveyou a pleasantland,The mostbeautifulinheritanceof the nations!'And I said,'You shall callMe, My Father,And not turnawayfrom followingMe.'
"Surely,the hillsare a deception,A tumult[on] the mountains.Surelyin the LORDour GodIs the salvationof Israel.
"With weepingthey will come,And by supplicationI will leadthem; I will make them walkby streamsof waters,On a straightpathin which they will not stumble;For I ama fatherto Israel,And Ephraimis My firstborn."
Yet the numberof the sonsof IsraelWill be like the sandof the sea,Whichcannotbe measuredor numbered;And in the placeWhereit is saidto them, "You are not My people,"It will be saidto them, "[You are] the sonsof the livingGod."
"'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?'
"Do we not allhave onefather?Has not oneGodcreatedus? Whydo we dealtreacherouslyeachagainst his brotherso as to profanethe covenantof our fathers?
"Pray,then,in this way:'Our Fatherwhois in heaven,Hallowedbe Your name.
"You are doingthe deedsof your father."They saidto Him, "We were not bornof fornication;we haveoneFather:God."
"You are the sonsof the LORDyour God;you shall not cutyourselves norshaveyour foreheadfor the sake of the dead.
"Do you thusrepaythe LORD,O foolishand unwisepeople?Is not He your Fatherwho has boughtyou? He has madeyou and establishedyou.
