The Hebrew Prophets

As birds that flie, so shall the Lord of hostes defend Ierusalem by defending and deliuering, by passing through and preseruing it.

O ye children of Israel, turne againe, in as much as ye are sunken deepe in rebellion.

For in that day euery man shall cast out his idoles of siluer, and his idoles of golde, which your handes haue made you, euen a sinne.

Then shall Asshur fall by the sworde, not of man, neither shall the sworde of man deuoure him, and hee shall flee from the sworde, and his yong men shall faint.

And he shall go for feare to his towre, and his princes shall be afraide of the standart, sayeth the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his fornace in Ierusalem.

Behold, a King shall reigne in iustice, and the princes shall rule in iudgement.

And that man shall bee as an hiding place from the winde, and as a refuge for the tempest: as riuers of water in a drie place, and as the shadowe of a great rocke in a weary land.

The eyes of the seeing shall not be shut, and the eares of them that heare, shall hearken.

And the heart of the foolish shall vnderstand knowledge, and the tongue of the stutters shalbe ready to speake distinctly.

A nigard shall no more be called liberall, nor the churle riche.

But the nigarde will speake of nigardnesse, and his heart will worke iniquitie, and do wickedly, and speake falsely against the Lord, to make emptie the hungrie soule, and to cause the drinke of the thirstie to faile.

For the weapons of the churle are wicked: hee deuiseth wicked counsels, to vndoe the poore with lying words: and to speake against the poore in iudgement.

But the liberall man will deuise of liberall things, and he will continue his liberalitie.

Rise vp, ye women that are at ease: heare my voyce, ye carelesse daughters: hearken to my wordes.

Yee women, that are carelesse, shall be in feare aboue a yeere in dayes: for the vintage shall faile, and the gatherings shall come no more.

Yee women, that are at ease, be astonied: feare, O yee carelesse women: put off the clothes: make bare, and girde sackcloth vpon the loynes.

Men shall lament for the teates, euen for the pleasant fieldes, and for the fruitefull vine.

Vpon the lande of my people shall growe thornes and briers: yea, vpon all the houses of ioye in the citie of reioysing,

Because the palace shalbe forsaken, and the noise of the citie shalbe left: the towre and fortresse shalbe dennes for euer, and the delite of wilde asses, and a pasture for flockes,

Vntill the Spirit be powred vpon vs from aboue, and the wildernes become a fruitfull fielde, and the plenteous fielde be counted as a forest.

And iudgement shall dwel in the desert, and iustice shall remaine in the fruitfull fielde.

And the worke of iustice shall bee peace, euen the worke of iustice and quietnesse, and assurance for euer.

And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace, and in sure dwellings, and in safe resting places.

When it haileth, it shall fall on the forest, and the citie shall be set in the lowe place.

Blessed are ye that sowe vpon all waters, and driue thither the feete of the oxe and the asse.