The Babylonian Exile

So thou shalt bee a reproche and shame, a chastisement and an astonishment vnto the nations, that are rounde about thee, when I shall execute iudgements in thee, in anger and in wrath, and in sharpe rebukes: I the Lord haue spoken it.

When I shall sende vpon them the euill arrowes of famine, which shalbe for their destruction, and which I will sende to destroy you: and I will encrease the famine vpon you, and wil breake your staffe of bread.

So will I send vpon you famine, and euill beastes, and they shall spoyle thee, and pestilence and blood shall passe through thee, and I will bring the sworde vpon thee: I the Lord haue spoken it.

Again the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

Sonne of man, Set thy face towardes the mountaines of Israel, and prophecie against them,

And say, Ye mountaines of Israel, heare the worde of the Lord God: thus sayth the Lord God to the mountaines and to the hilles, to the riuers and to the valleis, Beholde, I, euen I will bring a sworde vpon you, and I will destroy your hie places:

And your altars shalbe desolate, and your images of the sunne shalbe broken: and I will cast downe your slaine men before your idoles.

And I will lay the dead carkeises of the children of Israel before their idoles, and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.

In all your dwelling places the cities shalbe desolate, and the hie places shalbe laide waste, so that your altars shalbe made waste and desolate, and your idoles shalbe broken, and cease, and your images of the sunne shalbe cut in pieces, and your workes shalbe abolished.

And the slaine shall fall in the middes of you, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord.

Yet will I leaue a remnant, that you may haue some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when you shalbe scattred through the countreyes.

And they that escape of you, shall remember me among the nations, where they shalbe in captiuitie, because I am grieued for their whorish hearts, which haue departed from mee, and for their eyes, which haue gone a whoring after their idoles, and they shalbe displeased in them selues for the euils, which they haue committed in all their abominations.

And they shall knowe that I am the Lord, and that I haue not saide in vaine, that I woulde doe this euill vnto them.

Thus saith the Lord God, Smite with thine hand, and stretch forth with thy foote, and say, Alas, for all the wicked abominations of the house of Israel: for they shall fall by the sworde, by the famine, and by the pestilence.

He that is farre off, shall dye of the pestilence, and he that is neere, shall fall by the sword, and hee that remaineth and is besieged, shall dye by the famine: thus will I accomplish my wrath vpon them.

Then ye shall knowe, that I am ye Lord, when their slaine men shalbe among their idoles round about their altars, vpon euerie hie hill in al the toppes of the mountaines, and vnder euery greene tree, and vnder euerie thicke oke, which is the place where they did offer sweete sauour to all their idoles.

So will I stretch mine hand vpon them, and make the lande waste, and desolate from the wildernes vnto Diblath in all their habitations, and they shall know, that I am the Lord.

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

Also thou sonne of man, thus saith the Lord God, An ende is come vnto the lande of Israel: the ende is come vpon the foure corners of the lande.

Nowe is the ende come vpon thee, and I wil sende my wrath vpon thee, and will iudge thee according to thy wayes, and will laye vpon thee all thine abominations.

Neither shall mine eye spare thee, neither will I haue pitie: but I will laye thy waies vpon thee: and thine abomination shall bee in the middes of thee, and yee shall knowe that I am the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord God, Beholde, one euil, euen one euill is come.

An ende is come, the end is come, it watched for thee: beholde, it is come.

The morning is come vnto thee, that dwellest in the lande: the time is come, the day of trouble is neere, and not the sounding againe of the mountaines.

Now I will shortly powre out my wrath vpon thee, and fulfil mine anger vpon thee: I will iudge thee according to thy wayes, and will lay vpon thee all thine abominations.