God

When I shall say vnto the righteous, that he shall surely liue, if he trust to his owne righteousnes, and commit iniquitie, all his righteousnes shall be no more remembred, but for his iniquitie that he hath committed, he shall die for the same.

Againe when I shall say vnto the wicked, thou shalt die the death, if he turne from his sinne, and doe that which is lawfull and right,

Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equall: but their owne way is vnequall.

Yet yee say, The way of the Lord is not equall. O ye house of Israel, I will iudge you euery one after his waies.

Now the hand of the Lord had bene vpon me in ye euening afore hee that had escaped, came, and had opened my mouth vntill he came to me in the morning: and when hee had opened my mouth, I was no more dumme.

Againe the worde of the Lord came vnto me, and saide,

Wherefore say vnto them, Thus saieth the Lord God, Ye eate with the blood, and lift vp your eyes towarde your idoles, and sheade blood: should ye then possesse the land?

Say thus vnto them, Thus saieth the Lord God, As I liue, so surely they that are in the desolate places, shall fall by the sword: and him that is in the open field, will I giue vnto the beasts to be deuoured: and they that be in the forts and in the caues, shall die of the pestilence.

For I will lay the land desolate and waste, and the pompe of her strength shall cease: and the moutaines of Israel shalbe desolate, and none shall passe through.

Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I haue laid ye land desolate and wast, because of al their abominations, that they haue committed.

Also thou sonne of man, the children of thy people that talke of thee by the wals and in the dores of houses, and speake one to another, euery one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and heare what is the word that commeth from the Lord.

For they come vnto thee, as the people vseth to come: and my people sit before thee, and heare thy wordes, but they will not doe them: for with their mouthes they make iestes, and their heart goeth after their couetousnesse.

And the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

Sonne of man, prophesie against the shepherdes of Israel, prophesie and say vnto them, Thus saieth the Lord God vnto the shepherds, Wo be vnto the shepherds of Israel, that feede them selues: should not the shepherds feede the flockes?

My sheepe wandred through all the mountaines, and vpon euery hie hill: yea, my flocke was scattered through al the earth, and none did seeke or search after them.

Therefore ye shepherds, heare the woorde of the Lord.

As I liue, sayeth the Lord God, surely because my flocke was spoyled, and my sheepe were deuoured of all the beasts of the fielde, hauing no shepherde, neither did my shepherdes seeke my sheepe, but the shepherdes fedde them selues, and fedde not my sheepe,

Therefore, heare ye the word of the Lord, O ye shepherds.

Thus saieth the Lord God, Behold, I come against the shepherds, and will require my sheepe at their hands, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheepe: neither shall the shepherds feede them selues any more: for I wil deliuer my sheepe from their mouthes, and they shall no more deuoure them.

For thus sayeth the Lord God, Beholde, I will search my sheepe, and seeke them out.

As a shepherd searcheth out his flocke, when he hath bene among his sheepe that are scattered, so wil I seeke out my sheepe and wil deliuer them out of all places, where they haue beene scattered in the cloudie and darke day,

And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countreis, and will bring them to their owne lande, and feede them vpon the mountaines of Israel, by the riuers, and in all the inhabited places of the countrey.

I will feede them in a good pasture, and vpon the hie mountaines of Israel shall their folde be: there shall they lie in a good folde and in fat pasture shall they feede vpon the mountaines of Israel.

I will feede my sheepe, and bring them to their rest, sayth the Lord God.

I will seeke that which was lost, and bring againe that which was driue away, and will binde vp that which was broken, and will strengthen the weake but I wil destroy the fat and the strong, and I will feede them with iudgement.