The Babylonian Exile

I haue made thy forehead as the adamant, and harder then the flint: feare them not therefore, neither be afraid at their lookes: for they are a rebellious house.

He said moreouer vnto me, Sonne of man, receiue in thine heart al my words that I speake vnto thee, and heare them with thine eares,

And goe and enter to them that are led away captiues vnto the children of thy people, and speake vnto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God: but surely they will not heare, neither will they in deede cease.

Then the spirite tooke me vp, and I heard behinde me a noise of a great russhing, saying, Blessed be ye glorie of the Lord out of his place.

I heard also the noyse of the wings of the beasts, that touched one another, and the ratling of the wheeles that were by them, euen a noyse of a great russhing.

So the spirit lift me vp, and tooke me away and I went in bitternesse, and indignation of my spirite, but the hand of the Lord was strong vpon me.

Then I came to them that were led away captiues to Tel-abib, that dwelt by the riuer Chebar, and I sate where they sate, and remained there astonished among them seuen dayes.

And at the ende of seuen dayes, the worde of the Lord came againe vnto me, saying,

Sonne of man, I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israel: therefore heare the worde at my mouth, and giue them warning from me.

When I shall say vnto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, and thou giuest not him warning, nor speakest to admonish the wicked of his wicked way, that he may liue, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquitie: but his blood will I require at thine hande.

Yet if thou warne the wicked, and he turne not from his wickednesse, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquitie, but thou hast deliuered thy soule.

Likewise if a righteous man turne from his righteousnesse, and commit iniquitie, I will lay a stumbling blocke before him, and he shall die, because thou hast not giuen him warning: he shall die in his sinne, and his righteous deedes, which he hath done, shall not be remembred: but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Neuerthelesse, if thou admonish that righteous man, that the righteous sinne not, and that he doeth not sinne, he shall liue because he is admonished: also thou hast deliuered thy soule.

And the hande of the Lord was there vpon me, and he said vnto me, Arise, and goe into the fielde, and I will there talke with thee.

So when I had risen vp, and gone foorth into the fielde, beholde, the glorie of the Lord stoode there, as the glorie which I sawe by the riuer Chebar, and I fell downe vpon my face.

Then the Spirit entred into me, which set me vp vpon my feete, and spake vnto me, and said to me, Come, and shut thy selfe within thine house.

But thou, O sonne of man, beholde, they shall put bandes vpon thee, and shall binde thee with them, and thou shalt not goe out among them.

And I will make thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dume, and shalt not be to them as a man that rebuketh: for they are a rebellious house.

But when I shall haue spoken vnto thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, He that heareth, let him heare, and he that leaueth off, let him leaue: for they are a rebellious house.

Thou also sonne of man, take thee a bricke, and lay it before thee, and pourtray vpon it the citie, euen Ierusalem,

And lay siege against it, and builde a fort against it, and cast a mount against it: set the campe also against it, and lay engins of warre against it rounde about.

Moreouer, take an yron pan, and set it for a wall of yron betweene thee and the citie, and direct thy face towarde it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it: this shall be a signe vnto the house of Israel.

Sleepe thou also vpon thy left side, and lay the iniquitie of the house of Israel vpon it: according to the nomber of the dayes, that thou shalt sleepe vpon it, thou shalt beare their iniquity.

For I haue layed vpon thee the yeeres of their iniquitie, according to the nomber of the dayes, euen three hundreth and ninetie dayes: so shalt thou beare the iniquitie of the house of Israel.

And when thou hast accomplished them, sleepe againe vpon thy right side, and thou shalt beare the iniquitie of the house of Iudah fourtie dayes: I haue appointed thee a day for a yeere, euen a day for a yeere.