^{17 Ref} The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

^{18 Ref} I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

^{19 Ref} I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together:

^{20 Ref} that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

^{21 Ref} Produce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

^{22 Ref} Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.

^{23 Ref} Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.

^{24 Ref} Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.

^{25 Ref} I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.

^{26 Ref} Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, `He is' right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.

^{27 Ref} `I am the' first `that saith' unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

^{28 Ref} And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

^{29 Ref} Behold, all of them, their works are vanity `and' nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.