The Babylonian Exile

That I may take the house of Israel in their owne heart, because they are all departed from me through their idoles.

Therfore say vnto the house of Israel, Thus sayth the Lord God, Returne, and withdraw your selues, and turne your faces from your idoles, and turne your faces from all your abominations.

For euery one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that soiourneth in Israel, which departeth from mee, and setteth vp his idoles in his heart, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to a Prophet, for to inquire of him for me, I the Lord will answere him for my selfe,

And I will set my face against that man, and will make him an example and prouerbe, and I will cut him off from the middes of my people, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord.

And if the Prophet be deceiued, when hee hath spoken a thing, I the Lord haue deceiued that Prophet, and I will stretch out mine hande vpon him, and will destroy him from the middes of my people of Israel.

And they shall beare their punishment: the punishment of the Prophet shall bee euen as the punishment of him that asketh,

That the house of Israel may go no more astray from mee, neither bee polluted any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, sayth the Lord God.

The worde of the Lord came againe vnto me, saying,

Sonne of man, when ye land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse, then will I stretch out mine hand vpon it, and will breake the staffe of the bread thereof, and will send famine vpon it, and I will destroy man and beast forth of it.

Though these three men Noah, Daniel, and Iob were among them, they shoulde deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnes, saith the Lord God.

If I bring noysome beastes into the lande and they spoyle it, so that it bee desolate, that no man may passe through, because of beastes,

Though these three men were in the mids thereof, As I liue, sayth the Lord God, they shall saue neither sonnes nor daughters: they onely shalbe deliuered, but the land shall be waste.

Or if I bring a sworde vpon this land, and say, Sword, go through the land, so that I destroy man and beast out of it,

Though these three men were in the mids thereof, As I liue, sayth the Lord God, they shall deliuer neither sonnes nor daughters, but they onely shall be deliuered themselues.

Or if I send a pestilence into this land, and powre out my wrath vpon it in blood, to destroy out of it man and beast,

And though Noah, Daniel and Iob were in the middes of it, As I liue, sayth the Lord God, they shall deliuer neither sonne nor daughter: they shall but deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnes.

For thus saith the Lord God, Howe much more when I sende my foure sore iudgements vpon Ierusalem, euen the sworde, and famine, and the noysome beast and pestilence, to destroy man and beast out of it?

Yet beholde, therein shalbe left a remnant of them that shalbe caryed away both sonnes and daughters: behold, they shall come forth vnto you, and ye shall see their way, and their enterprises: and ye shall be comforted, concerning the euill that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem, euen concerning al that I haue brought vpon it.

And they shall comfort you, when yee see their way and their enterprises: and ye shall know, that I haue not done without cause all that I haue done in it, saith the Lord God.

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

Sonne of man, what commeth of the vine tree aboue all other trees? and of the vine braunch, which is among the trees of ye forest?

Shall wood bee taken thereof to doe any worke? or wil men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

Behold, it is cast in the fire to be consumed: the fire consumeth both the endes of it, and the middes of it is burnt. Is it meete for any worke?

Behold, when it was whole, it was meete for no worke: how much lesse shall it bee meete for any worke, when the fire hath consumed it, and it is burnt?

Therefore thus sayth the Lord God, As the vine tree, that is among the trees of the forest, which I haue giuen to the fire to be consumed, so will I giue the inhabitants of Ierusalem.