The Hebrew Prophets

For loe, they are gone from destruction: but Egypt shall gather them vp, and Memphis shall burie them: the nettle shall possesse the pleasant places of their siluer, and the thorne shall be in their tabernacles.

The daies of visitation are come: the daies of recompence are come: Israel shall knowe it: the Prophet is a foole: the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquitie: therefore the hatred is great.

The watchman of Ephraim shoulde bee with my God: but the Prophet is the snare of a fouler in all his waies, and hatred in the House of his God.

They are deepely set: they are corrupt as in the daies of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquitie, he will visite their sinnes.

I found Israel like grapes in the wildernes: I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the figge tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-Peor, and separated themselues vnto that shame, and their abominations were according to their louers.

Ephraim their glorie shall flee away like a birde: from the birth and from the wombe, and from the conception.

Though they bring vp their children, yet I will depriue them from being men: yea, woe to them, when I depart from them.

Ephraim, as I sawe, is as a tree in Tyrus planted in a cottage: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murtherer.

O Lord, giue them: what wilt thou giue them? giue them a baren wombe and drie breasts.

All their wickednesse is in Gilgal: for there doe I hate them: for the wickednesse of their inuentions, I will cast them out of mine House: I will loue them no more: all their princes are rebels.

Ephraim is smitten, their roote is dried vp: they can bring no fruite: yea, though they bring foorth, yet will I slaie euen the dearest of their bodie.

My God will cast them away, because they did not obey him: and they shall wander among the nations.

Israel is a emptie vine, yet hath it brought foorth fruite vnto it selfe, and according to the multitude of the fruite thereof he hath increased the altars: according to the goodnesse of their lande they haue made faire images.

Their heart is deuided: nowe shall they be founde faultie: he shall breake downe their altars: he shall destroy their images.

For now they shall say, We haue no King because we feared not the Lord: and what should a King doe to vs?

They haue spoken woordes, swearing falsly in making a couenant: thus iudgement groweth as wormewoode in the furrowes of the fielde.

The inhabitants of Samaria shall feare because of the calfe of Beth-auen: for the people thereof shall mourne ouer it, and the Chemarims thereof, that reioyced on it for the glorie thereof, because it is departed from it.

It shall bee also brought to Asshur, for a present vnto King Iareb: Ephraim shall receiue shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his owne counsell.

Of Samaria, the King thereof is destroyed as the some vpon the water.

The hie places also of Auen shall be destroied, euen the sinne of Israel: the thorne and the thistle shall growe vpon their altars, and they shall say to the mountaines, Couer vs, and to the hils, Fall vpon vs.

O Israel, thou hast sinned from the daies of Gibeah: there they stoode: the battell in Gibeah against the children of iniquitie did not touch them.

It is my desire that I should chastice them, and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall gather themselues in their two furrowes.

And Ephraim is as an heifer vsed to delite in threshing: but I will passe by her faire necke: I will make Ephraim to ride: Iudah shall plowe, and Iaakob shall breake his cloddes.

Sowe to your selues in righteousnes: reape after the measure of mercy: breake vp your fallowe grounde: for it is time to seeke the Lord, till he come and raine righteousnesse vpon you.

But you haue plowed wickednesse: ye haue reaped iniquitie: you haue eaten the fruite of lies: because thou didest trust in thine owne waies, and in the multitude of thy strong men,