The Babylonian Exile

Beholde, this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodom, Pride, fulnesse of bread, and aboundance of idlenesse was in her, and in her daughters: neither did shee strengthen the hande of the poore and needie.

But they were hautie, and committed abomination before mee: therefore I tooke them away, as pleased me.

Neither hath Samaria committed halfe of thy sinnes, but thou hast exceeded them in thine abominations, and hast iustified thy sisters in all thine abominations, which thou hast done.

Therefore thou which hast iustified thy sisters, beare thine owne shame for thy sinnes, that thou hast committed more abominable then they which are more righteous then thou art: be thou therefore confounded also, and beare thy shame, seeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters.

Therefore I will bring againe their captiuitie with the captiuitie of Sodom, and her daughters, and with the captiuitie of Samaria, and her daughters: euen the captiuitie of thy captiues in the middes of them,

That thou mayest beare thine owne shame, and mayest bee confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou hast comforted them.

And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall returne to their former state: Samaria also and her daughters shall returne to their former state, when thou and thy daughters shall returne to your former state.

For thy sister Sodom was not heard of by thy report in the day of thy pride,

Before thy wickednes was discouered, as in that same time of the reproch of the daughters of Aram, and of all the daughters of the Philistims round about her which despise thee on all sides.

Thou hast borne therefore thy wickednesse and thine abomination, saith the Lord.

For thus saith the Lord God, I might euen deale with thee, as thou hast done: when thou didest despise the othe, in breaking the couenant.

Neuerthelesse, I wil remember my couenant made with thee in ye dayes of thy youth, and I wil confirme vnto thee an euerlasting couenant.

Then thou shalt remember thy wayes, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receiue thy sisters, both thy elder and thy yonger, and I will giue them vnto thee for daughters, but not by thy couenat.

And I wil establish my couenant with thee, and thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord,

That thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, and neuer open thy mouth any more: because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.

And the worde of the Lord came vnto mee, saying,

Sonne of man, put foorth a parable and speake a prouerbe vnto the house of Israel,

And say, Thus saith the Lord God, The great eagle with great wings, and long wings, and ful of fethers, which had diuers colours, came vnto Lebanon, and tooke the highest branch of the cedar,

And brake off the toppe of his twigge, and caried it into the land of marchants, and set it in a citie of marchants.

Hee tooke also of the seede of the lande, and planted it in a fruitfull ground: hee placed it by great waters, and set it as a willowe tree.

And it budded vp, and was like a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward it, and the rootes thereof were vnder it: so it became a vine, and it brought foorth branches, and shot foorth buds.

There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers, and beholde, this vine did turne her rootes toward it, and spred foorth her branches toward it, that she might water it by the trenches of her plantation.

It was planted in a good soyle by great waters, that it should bring forth branches, and beare fruite, and be an excellent vine.

Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God, Shall it prosper? shall he not pull vp the rootes thereof, and destroy the fruite thereof, and cause them to drie? all the leaues of her bud shall wither without great power, or many people, to plucke it vp by the rootes thereof.

Beholde, it was planted: but shall it prosper? shall it not be dried vp, and wither? when the East winde shall touch it, it shall wither in the trenches, where it grewe.