The Hebrew Prophets

Therefore night shalbe vnto you for a vision, and darkenesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination, and the sunne shall goe downe ouer the prophets, and the day shalbe darke ouer them.

Then shall the Seers bee ashamed, and the southsayers confounded: yea, they shall all couer their lippes, for they haue none answere of God.

Yet notwithstanding I am full of power by the Spirite of the Lord, and of iudgement, and of strength to declare vnto Iaakob his transgression, and to Israel his sinne.

Heare this, I pray you, ye heades of the house of Iaakob, and princes of the house of Israel: they abhorre iudgement, and peruert all equitie.

They build vp Zion with blood, and Ierusalem with iniquitie.

The heads thereof iudge for rewardes, and the Priestes thereof teache for hyre, and the prophets thereof prophecie for money: yet wil they leane vpon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among vs? no euill can come vpon vs.

Therefore shall Zion for your sake bee plowed as a field, and Ierusalem shalbe an heape, and the mountaine of the house, as the hye places of the forest.

But in the last dayes it shall come to passe, that the mountaine of the House of the Lord shall be prepared in the toppe of the mountaines, and it shall bee exalted aboue the hilles, and people shall flowe vnto it.

Yea, many nations shall come and say, Come, and let vs goe vp to the Mountaine of the Lord, and to the House of the God of Iaakob, and hee will teache vs his wayes, and we wil walke in his pathes: for the Lawe shall goe forth of Zion, and the worde of the Lord from Ierusalem.

And he shall iudge among many people, and rebuke mightie nations a farre off, and they shall breake their swordes into mattockes, and their speares into sithes: nation shall not lift vp a sword against nation, neither shall they learne to fight any more.

But they shall sit euery man vnder his vine, and vnder his figge tree, and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hostes hath spoken it.

For all people will walke euery one in the name of his God, and we will walke in the Name of the Lord our God, for euer and euer.

At the same day, saith the Lord, will I gather her that halteth, and I will gather her that is cast out, and her that I haue afflicted.

And I will make her that halted, a remnant, and her that was cast farre off, a mightie nation: and the Lord shall reigne ouer them in Mount Zion, from hence forth euen for euer.

And thou, O towre of the flock, the strong holde of the daughter Zion, vnto thee shall it come, euen the first dominion, and kingdome shall come to the daughter Ierusalem.

Nowe why doest thou crie out with lamentation? is there no King in thee? is thy counseller perished? for sorowe hath taken thee, as a woman in trauaile.

Sorow and mourne, O daughter Zion, like a woman in trauaile: for nowe shalt thou goe foorth of the citie, and dwel in the field, and shalt goe into Babel, but there shalt thou be deliuered: there the Lord shall redeeme thee from the hand of thine enemies.

Nowe also many nations are gathered against thee, saying, Zion shalbe condemned and our eye shall looke vpon Zion.

But they knowe not the thoughtes of the Lord: they vnderstand not his counsell, for he shall gather them as the sheaues in the barne.

Arise, and thresh, O daughter Zion: for I will make thine horne yron, and I will make thine hooues brasse, and thou shalt breake in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their riches vnto the Lord, and their substance vnto the ruler of the whole worlde.

Nowe assemble thy garisons, O daughter of garisons: he hath layed siege against vs: they shall smite the iudge of Israel with a rod vpon the cheeke.

And thou Beth-leem Ephrathah art litle to bee among the thousandes of Iudah, yet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me, that shalbe the ruler in Israel: whose goings forth haue bene from the beginning and from euerlasting.

Therefore will he giue them vp, vntill the time that shee which shall beare, shall trauaile: then the remnant of their brethren shall returne vnto the children of Israel.

And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, and in the maiestie of the Name of the Lord his God, and they shall dwel still: for now shall he be magnified vnto the ends of the world.

And hee shall be our peace when Asshur shall come into our lande: when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seuen shepheardes, and eight principall men.