FOR Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those
who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the
majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He
might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared
regarding Him. For He says, "Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is
the arm of the Lord revealed ? We have declared [our message] in His presence:
He is, as it were, a child, and like a root in thirsty ground; He has no form
nor glory, yea, we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness; but His form was
without eminence, yea, deficient in comparison with the [ordinary] form of men.
He is a man exposed to stripes and suffering, anti acquainted with the endurance
of grief: for His countenance was turned away; He was despised, and not
esteemed. He bears our iniquities, and is in sorrow for our sakes; yet we
supposed that [on His own account] He was exposed to labour, and stripes, and
affliction. But He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our
iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we
were healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; [every] man has wandered in
his own way; and the Lord has delivered Him up for our sins, while He in the
midst of His sufferings openeth not His mouth. He was brought as a sheep to the
slaughter, and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so He openeth not His
mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall declare His
generation? for His life is taken from the earth. For the transgressions of my
people was He brought down to death. And I will give the wicked for His
sepulchre, and the rich for His death? because He did no iniquity, neither was
guile found in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to purify Him by stripes. If
ye make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed.
