The Hebrew Prophets

The Lord of hostes shall defend them, and they shall deuoure them, and subdue them with sling stones, and they shall drinke, and make a noyse as thorowe wine, and they shalbe filled like bowles, and as the hornes of the altar.

And the Lord their God shall deliuer them in that day as the flocke of his people: for they shall be as the stones of the crowne lifted up upon his land.

For howe great is his goodnesse! and howe great is his beautie! corne shall make the yong men cherefull, and newe wine the maides.

Aske you of the Lord raine in the time of the latter raine: so shall the Lord make white cloudes, and giue you showers of raine, and to euery one grasse in the field.

Surely the idols haue spoken vanitie, and the southsayers haue seene a lye, and the dreamers haue tolde a vaine thing: they comfort in vaine: therefore they went away as sheepe: they were troubled, because there was no shepheard.

My wrath was kindled against the shepherdes, and I did visite the goates: but the Lord of hostes will visite his flocke the house of Iudah, and will make them as his beautifull horse in the battell.

Out of him shall the corner come foorth: out of him the nayle, out of him ye bowe of battell, and out of him euery appointer of tribute also.

And they shalbe as the mightie men, which treade downe their enemies in the mire of the streetes in the battell, and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.

And I will strengthen the house of Iudah, and I will preserue the house of Ioseph, and I wil bring them againe, for I pitie them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will heare them.

And they of Ephraim shall be as a gyant, and their heart shall reioyce as thorowe wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad: and their heart shall reioyce in the Lord.

I will hisse for them, and gather them: for I haue redeemed them: and they shall encrease, as they haue encreased.

And I will sowe them among the people, and they shall remember me in farre countreys: and they shall liue with their children and turne againe.

I will bring them againe also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Asshur: and I will bring them into the land of Gilead, and Lebanon, and place shall not be found for them.

And he shall goe into the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waues in the sea, and all the depthes of the riuer shall drye vp: and the pride of Asshur shall be cast downe, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away.

And I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walke in his Name, sayth the Lord.

Open thy doores, O Lebanon, and the fire shall deuoure thy cedars.

Houle, firre trees: for the cedar is fallen, because all the mightie are destroyed: houle ye, O okes of Bashan, for ye defesed forest is cut downe.

There is the voyce of the houling of the shepherdes: for their glorie is destroyed: the voyce of ye roaring of lyons whelpes: for the pride of Iorden is destroyed.

Thus sayeth the Lord my God, Feede the sheepe of the slaughter.

They that possesse them, slay them and sinne not: and they that sell them, say, Blessed be the Lord: for I am riche, and their owne shepherds spare them not.

Surely I wil no more spare those that dwell in the land, sayth the Lord: but loe, I will deliuer the men euery one into his neighbours hand, and into the hand of his King: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hands I wil not deliuer them.

For I fed the sheepe of slaughter, euen the poore of the flocke, and I tooke vnto me two staues: the one I called Beautie, and the other I called Bandes, and I fed the sheepe.

Three shepherdes also I cut off in one moneth, and my soule lothed them, and their soule abhorred me.

Then said I, I will not feede you: that that dyeth, let it dye: and that that perisheth, let it perish: and let the remnant eate, euery one the flesh of his neighbour.

And I tooke my staffe, euen Beautie, and brake it, that I might disanull my couenant, which I had made with all people.