isaiah and zechariah

#49a

listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
before i was born the ONE called me;
from my birth he has made mention of my name.

he made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hands he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.

he said to me, "You are my servant,
ISL, in whom I will display my splendor."

but I said, "I have labored to no purpose;
I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.
yet what is due me is in the ONE's hand,
and my reward is with my God."

and now the ONE says -
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring JCB back to him
and gather ISL to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the ONE
and my G has been my strength -

he says:
"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of JCB
and bring back those of ISL I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the GNLs,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

this is what the ONE says -
the Redeemer and Holy One of ISL -
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:

"Kings will see you and rise up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the ONE, who is faithful,
the Holy One of ISL, who has chosen you."


#10

ask the ONE for rain in the springtime;
it is the ONE who makes the storm clouds.
he gives showers of rain to men,
and plants of the field to everyone.

the idols speak deceit,
diviners see visions that lie;
they tell dreams that are false,
they give comfort in vain.

therefore the people wander like sheep
oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

"My anger burst against the shepherds,
and I will punish the leaders;
for the ONE Great will care
for his flock, the house of JDH,
and make them like a proud horse in battle.

from JDH will come the cornerstone,
from him the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
from him every ruler.

together they will be like mighty men
trampling the muddy streets in battle.
because the ONE is with them,
they will fight and overthrow the horsemen.

i will strengthen the house of JDH
and save the house of JSF.
i will restore them
because i have compassion on them.

they will be as though
i had not rejected them,
for i am the ONE their G
and i will answer them.

the EPH will become like mighty men,
and their hearts will be glad as with wine.
their children will see it and be joyful;
their hearts will rejoice in the ONE.

i will signal them and gather them in.
surely i will redeem them;
they will be as numerous as before.
though i scatter them among the peoples,
yet in distant lands they will remember me.
they and their children will survive,
and they will return.

i will bring them back from EGT
and gather them from ASSR.
i will bring them to GIL and LBN,
and there will not be room enough for them.

they will pass through the sea of trouble;
the surging sea will be subdued
and all the depths of the NLE will dry up.
ASSR's pride will be brought down
and EGT's scepter will pass away.

i will strengthen them in the ONE
and in his name they will walk,"
declares the ONE.

(meaningful interactions with the ONE... the former in seeking for direction and the confirmation on moving on. revealed on a recent retreat last january in baguio city. the latter in seeking answers as to why is there an awareness on the crisis of the land esp. that of political leadership. esp so after visiting one senator and one political party two days ago. the first experience led to clarity while the latter to perplexity...)