The Hebrew Prophets

Wrath is not in me: would that the briers and thorns were against me in battle! I would march upon them, I would burn them together.

Or else let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; yea, let him make peace with me.

In days to come shall Jacob take root; Israel shall blossom and bud; and they shall fill the face of the world with fruit.

Hath he smitten them as he smote those that smote them? or are they slain according to the slaughter of them that were slain by them?

In measure, when thou sendest them away, thou dost contend with them; he hath removed them with his rough blast in the day of the east wind.

Therefore by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, so that the Asherim and the sun-images shall rise no more.

For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.

When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off; the women shall come, and set them on fire; for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have compassion upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favor.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will beat off his fruit from the flood of the River unto the brook of Egypt; and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come that were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt; and they shall worship Jehovah in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine!

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth with the hand.

The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot:

and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

In that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people;

and a spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

Nay, but bymen of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people;

to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem:

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: