The Hebrew Prophets

Thus sayeth the Lord, Stande in the waies and beholde, and aske for the olde way, which is the good way and walke therein, and yee shall finde rest for your soules: but they saide, We will not walke therein.

Also I set watchmen ouer you, which said, Take heede to the sound of the trumpet: but they said, We will not take heede.

Heare therefore, yee Gentiles, and thou Congregation knowe, what is among them.

Heare, O earth, beholde, I will cause a plague to come vpon this people, euen the fruite of their owne imaginations: because they haue not taken heede vnto my woordes, nor to my Lawe, but cast it off.

To what purpose bringest thou mee incense from Sheba, and sweete calamus from a farre countrey? Your burnt offerings are not pleasant, nor your sacrifices sweete vnto me.

Therefore thus sayeth the Lord, Beholde, I will laie stumbling blockes before this people, and the fathers and the sonnes together shall fall vpon them: the neighbour and his friende shall perish.

Thus sayeth the Lord, Beholde, a people commeth from the North countrey, and a great nation shall arise from the sides of the earth.

With bowe and shield shall they be weaponed: they are cruell and will haue no compassion: their voyce roareth like the sea, and they ride vpon horses, well appointed, like men of warre against thee, O daughter Zion.

We haue heard their fame, and our handes waxe feeble sorrowe is come vpon vs, as the sorrowe of a woman in trauaile.

Goe not foorth into the fielde, nor walke by the way: for the sword of the enemie and feare is on euery side.

O daughter of my people, girde thee with sackecloth, and wallowe thy selfe in the ashes: make lamentation, and bitter mourning as for thine onely sonne: for the destroier shall suddenly come vpon vs.

I haue set thee for a defence and fortresse among my people, that thou maiest knowe and trie their waies.

They are all rebellious traitours, walking craftily: they are brasse, and yron, they all are destroyers.

The bellowes are burnt: the lead is consumed in the fire: the founder melteth in vaine: for the wicked are not taken away.

They shall call them reprobate siluer, because the Lord hath reiected them.

The woordes that came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,

Stand in the gate of the Lordes house and crie this woorde there, and say, Heare the woorde of the Lord, all yee of Iudah that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord.

Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Amend your waies and your woorkes, and I will let you dwell in this place.

Trust not in lying woordes, saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord: this is the Temple of the Lord.

For if you amende and redresse your waies and your woorkes: if you execute iudgement betweene a man and his neighbour,

And oppresse not the stranger, the fatherlesse and the widow and shed no innocent blood in this place, neither walke after other gods to your destruction,

Then will I let you dwell in this place in the lande that I gaue vnto your fathers, for euer and euer.

Beholde, you trust in lying woordes, that can not profite.

Will you steale, murder, and commit adulterie, and sweare falsely and burne incense vnto Baal, and walke after other gods whome yee knowe not?

And come and stande before mee in this House, whereupon my Name is called, and saye, We are deliuered, though we haue done all these abominations?