But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, My friend;

whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called you and set you apart. And I said to you, You are My servant; I have chosen you, and not cast you away.

For I am Jehovah your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for you.

Since you were precious in My eyes, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life.

Thus says Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought them all down as fugitives, and the Chaldeans, who shout in their ships.

Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen;

Now therefore, if you will listen to obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

And you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak unto the children of Israel.

Israel is like scattered sheep, driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has crushed his bones.

And I will bring Israel back to his home, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied on Mount Ephraim and Gilead.

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be kept safe alive; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be kept safe alive; but because of the elect, whom He chose, He has shortened the days.

Moreover, it is not as though the Word of God has fallen away. For not all those of Israel are Israel,

What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were hardened.

Thus says Jehovah to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have strengthened in order to subdue nations before him. And I will loosen the loins of kings, to open before him the gates; and the gates shall not be shut.

who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.

for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your devotion, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One to whom you show reverence without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

However, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.

But now, knowing God, or rather being known by God, how is it that you turn again to the feeble and worthless principles, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles, who do not know God;