The Hebrew Prophets

Anger is not in mee: who would set the briers and the thornes against me in battel? I would go through them, I would burne them together.

Or will he feele my strength, that he may make peace with me, and be at one with me?

Hereafter, Iaakob shall take roote: Israel shall florish and growe, and the world shall be filled with fruite.

Hath hee smitten him as hee smote those that smote him? or is hee slaine according to the slaughter of them that were slaine by him?

In measure in the branches thereof wilt thou contende with it, when he bloweth with his rough winde in the day of the East winde.

By this therefore shall the iniquitie of Iaakob be purged, and this is all the fruit, the taking away of his sinne: whe he shall make all the stones of the altars, as chalke stones broken in pieces, that the groues and images may not stand vp.

Yet the defenced citie shalbe desolate, and the habitation shalbe forsaken, and left like a wildernes. There shall the calfe feede, and there shall he lie, and consume the branches thereof.

When the boughes of it are drie, they shalbe broken: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of none vnderstading: therefore hee that made them, shall not haue compassion of them, and he that formed them, shall haue no mercie on them.

And in that day shall the Lord thresh from the chanell of the Riuer vnto the riuer of Egypt, and ye shalbe gathered, one by one, O children of Israel.

In that day also shall the great trumpet be blowen, and they shall come, which perished in the land of Asshur: and they that were chased into the lande of Egypt, and they shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Ierusalem.

Woe to the crowne of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim: for his glorious beautie shall be a fading flowre, which is vpon the head of the valley of them that be fat, and are ouercome with wine.

Beholde, the Lord hath a mightie and strong hoste, like a tempest of haile, and a whirlewinde that ouerthroweth, like a tempest of mightie waters that ouerflowe, which throwe to the ground mightily.

They shall be troden vnder foote, euen the crowne and the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim.

For his glorious beautie shall be a fading floure, which is vpon the head of the valley of them that be fatte, and as the hastie fruite afore sommer, which when hee that looketh vpon it, seeth it, while it is in his hand, he eateth it.

In that day shall the Lord of hostes be for a crowne of glory, and for a diademe of beautie vnto the residue of his people:

And for a spirite of iudgement to him that sitteth in iudgement, and for strength vnto them that turne away the battell to the gate.

But they haue erred because of wine, and are out of the way by strong drinke: the priest and the prophet haue erred by strong drinke: they are swallowed vp with wine: they haue gone astraye through strong drinke: they faile in vision: they stumble in iudgement.

For all their tables are full of filthy vomiting: no place is cleane.

Whome shall he teache knowledge? and whome shall he make to vnderstand the thinges that hee heareth? them that are weyned from the milke, and drawen from the breastes.

For precept must be vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vnto line, line vnto line, there a litle, and there a litle.

For with a stammering tongue and with a strange language shall he speake vnto this people.

Vnto whome hee saide, This is the rest: giue rest to him that is weary: and this is the refreshing, but they would not heare.

Therefore shall the worde of the Lord be vnto them precept vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vnto line, line vnto line, there a litle and there a litle, that they may goe, and fall backward, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

Wherefore, heare the worde of the Lord, ye scornefull men that rule this people, which is at Ierusalem.

Because ye haue said, We haue made a couenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement: though a scourge runne ouer, and passe through, it shall not come at vs: for we haue made falshood our refuge, and vnder vanitie are we hid,