Chapter XII
The Promise of God not made to the Jews only,
but to the Gentiles also, and fulfilled to us by Jesus Christ.
BUT let us go yet further, and
inquire whether this people be
the heir, or the former; and
whether the covenant be with us
or with them.
2 And first, as concerning
the people, hear now what the
Scripture saith:
3 Isaac prayed for his wife
Rebekah, because she was barren;
and she conceived. Afterwards
Rebekah went forth to inquire
of the Lord.
4 And the Lord said unto her;
There are two nations in thy womb,
and two people shall come from
thy body; and the one shall have
power over the other, and the
greater shall serve the lesser.
Understand here who was Isaac;
who Rebekah; and of whom it was
foretold, this people shall be
greater than that.
5 And in another prophecy Jacob
speaketh more clearly to his
son Joseph, saying; Behold the
Lord hath not derived me of seeing
thy face, bring me thy sons that
I may bless them. And he brought
unto his father Manasseh and
Ephraim, desiring that he should
bless Manasseh, because he was
the elder.
6 Therefore Joseph brought him
to the right hand of his father
Jacob. But Jacob by the spirit
foresaw the figure of the people
that was to come.
7 And what saith the Scripture?
And Jacob crossed his hands, and
put his right hand upon Ephraim,
his second, and the younger son,
and blessed him. And Joseph said
unto Jacob; Put thy right hand
upon the head of Manasseh, for he
is my first-born son. And Jacob
said unto Joseph; I know it, my
son, I know it; but the greater
shall serve the lesser; though he
also shall be blessed.
8 Ye see of whom he appointed
it, that they should be the first
people, and heirs of the covenant.
9 If therefore God shall have
yet farther taken notice of this,
by Abraham too; our understanding
of it will then be perfectly
established.
10 What then saith the Scripture
of Abraham, when I be believed,
and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness? Behold I have made
thee a father of the nations,
which without circumcision believe
in the Lord.
11 Let us therefore now inquire
whether God has fulfilled the
covenant, which he sware to our
fathers, that he would give this
people? Yes, verily, he gave it;
but they were not worthy to receive
it by reason of their sins.
12 For thus saith the prophet
And Moses continued fasting in
mount Sinai, to receive the covenant
of the Lord with the people, forty
days and forty nights.
13 And he received of the Lord
two tables written with the finger
of the Lord’s hand, in the Spirit.
And Moses, when he had received
them, brought them down that he
might deliver them to the people.
14 And the Lord said unto
Moses; Moses, Moses, get thee
down quickly, for the people which
thou broughtest out of the land of
Egypt have done wickedly.
15 And Moses understood that
they had again set up a molten
image: and he cast the two tables
out of his hands; and the tables
of the covenant of the Lord were
broken. Moses therefore received
them, but they were not worthy.
16 Now then learn how we have
received them. Moses, being a
servant, took them; but the Lord
himself has given them unto us,
that we might be the people of his
inheritance; having suffered for
us.
17 He was therefore made
manifest; that they should fill
up the measure of their sins,
and that we being made heirs by
him, should receive the covenant
of the Lord Jesus.
18 And again the prophet saith
Behold, I have set thee for a light
unto the Gentiles; to be the saviour
of all the ends of the earth, saith
the Lord; the God who hath redeemed
thee.
19 Who for that very end
was prepared, that by his own
appearing he might redeem our
hearts, already devoured by
death, and delivered over to
the irregularity of error,
from darkness; and establish
a covenant with us by his word.
20 For so it is written that the
father commanded him by delivering
us from darkness, to prepare unto
himself a holy people.
21 Wherefore the prophet saith
I the Lord thy God have called
thee in righteousness, and I will
take thee by thy hand, and will
strengthen thee, and give thee
for a covenant of the people; for a
light to the Gentiles. To open the
eyes of the blind, to bring out the
prisoners from the prison, and them
that sit in darkness out of the
prison house.
22 Consider, therefore, from
whence we have been redeemed.
And again the prophet saith
The spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me: he
hath sent me to preach glad tidings
to the lowly; to heal the broken in
heart; to preach remission to the
captives, and give sight unto the
blind; to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord, and the day of
restitution; to comfort all that
mourn.