The Babylonian Exile

I will accept your sweete sauour, when I bring you from the people, and gather you out of the countreys, wherein ye haue bene scattered, that I may be sanctified in you before ye heathen.

And ye shall knowe, that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the land, for the which I lifted vp mine hande to giue it to your fathers.

And there shall ye remember your wayes, and all your workes, wherein ye haue bene defiled, and ye shall iudge your selues worthy to be cut off, for all your euils, that ye haue committed.

And ye shall knowe, that I am the Lord, when I haue respect vnto you for my Names sake, and not after your wicked wayes, nor according to your corrupt workes, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

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

Sonne of man, set thy face toward the way of Teman, and drop thy word toward the South, and prophecie towarde the forest of the fielde of the South,

And say to the forest of the South, Heare the worde of the Lord: thus saith the Lord God, Beholde, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall deuoure all the greene wood in thee, and all the drie wood: the continuall flame shall not bee quenched, and euery face from the South to the North shall be burnt therein.

And all flesh shall see, that I the Lord haue kindled it, and it shall not bee quenched. Then saide I, Ah Lord God, they say of me, Doeth not he speake parables?

Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

The word of ye Lord came to me againe, saying,

Sonne of man, set thy face toward Ierusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophecie against the land of Israel.

And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord, Beholde, I come against thee, and will drawe my sword out of his sheath, and cut off from thee both the righteous and the wicked.

Seeing then that I will cut off from thee both the righteous and wicked, therefore shall my sworde goe out of his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North,

That all flesh may knowe that I the Lord haue drawen my sworde out of his sheath, and it shall not returne any more.

Mourne therefore, thou sonne of man, as in the paine of thy reines, and mourne bitterly before them.

And if they say vnto thee, Wherefore mournest thou? then answere, Because of the bruite: for it commeth, and euery heart shall melt, and all handes shall be weake, and all mindes shall faint, and all knees shall fall away as water: beholde, it commeth, and shall be done, saith the Lord God.

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

Sonne of man, prophecie, and say, Thus saith the Lord God, say, A sworde, a sworde both sharpe, and fourbished.

It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter, and it is fourbished that it may glitter: how shall we reioyce? for it contemneth the rod of my sonne, as all other trees.

And he hath giuen it to be fourbished, that he may handle it: this sword is sharpe, and is fourbished, that he may giue it into ye hand of the slayer.

Cry, and houle, sonne of man: for this shall come to my people, and it shall come vnto all the princes of Israel: the terrours of the sword shall be vpon my people: smite therefore vpon thy thigh.

For it is a triall, and what shall this be, if the sworde contemne euen the rodde? It shall be no more, saith the Lord God.

Thou therefore, sonne of man, prophecie, and smite hand to hand, and let the sworde be doubled: let the sworde that hath killed, returne the third time: it is the sword of the great slaughter entring into their priuie chambers.

I haue brought the feare of the sword into all their gates to make their heart to faint, and to multiplie their ruines. Ah it is made bright, and it is dressed for the slaughter.

Get thee alone: goe to the right hande, or get thy selfe to the left hande, whithersoeuer thy face turneth.