The Hebrew Prophets

Heare ye therefore the word of the Lord all ye of the captiuitie, whome I haue sent from Ierusalem to Babel.

Thus saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, of Ahab the sonne of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the sonne of Maaseiah, which prophecie lyes vnto you in my Name, Beholde, I will deliuer them into the hande of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, and he shall slay them before your eyes.

And al they of the captiuitie of Iudah, that are in Babel, shall take vp this curse against them, and say, The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whome the King of Babel burnt in the fire,

Because they haue committed vilenie in Israel, and haue committed adulterie with their neighbours wiues, and haue spoken lying words in my Name, which I haue not commanded them, euen I knowe it, and testifie it, saith the Lord.

Thou shalt also speake to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,

Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy Name vnto all the people, that are at Ierusalem, and to Zephaniah the sonne of Maaseiah the Priest, and to all the Priests, saying,

The Lord hath made thee Priest for Iehoiada the Priest, that yee should bee officers in the House of the Lord, for euery man that raueth and maketh himselfe a Prophet, to put him in prison and in the stockes.

Nowe therefore why hast not thou reproued Ieremiah of Anathoth, which prophecieth vnto you?

For, for this cause hee sent vnto vs in Babel, saying, This captiuitie is long: buyld houses to dwell in, and plant gardens, and eate the fruites of them.

And Zephaniah the Priest red this letter in the eares of Ieremiah the Prophet.

Then came the worde of the Lord vnto Ieremiah, saying,

Send to all them of the captiuitie, saying, Thus saith the Lord of Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah hath prophecied vnto you, and I sent him not, and hee caused you to trust in a lye,

Therefore thus saieth the Lord, Behold, I wil visite Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seede: hee shall not haue a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he beholde the good, that I will doe for my people, sayth the Lord, because he hath spoken rebelliously against the Lord.

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

Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the wordes, that I haue spoken vnto thee in a booke.

For loe, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I wil bring againe the captiuitie of my people Israel and Iudah, saith the Lord: for I will restore them vnto the lande, that I gaue to their fathers, and they shall possesse it.

Againe, these are the wordes that the Lord spake concerning Israel, and concerning Iudah.

For thus saith the Lord, wee haue heard a terrible voyce, of feare and not of peace.

Demand now and beholde, if man trauayle with childe? wherefore doe I beholde euery man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in trauaile, and all faces are turned into a palenesse?

Alas, for this day is great: none hath bene like it: it is euen the time of Iaakobs trouble, yet shall he be deliuered from it.

For in that day, sayth the Lord of hostes, I will breake his yoke from off thy necke, and breake thy bondes, and strangers shall no more serue themselues of him.

But they shall serue the Lord their God, and Dauid their King, whom I will raise vp vnto them.

Therefore feare not, O my seruant Iaakob, saith the Lord, neither be afrayde, O Israel: for loe, I will deliuer thee from a farre countrey, and thy seede from the lande of their captiuitie, and Iaakob shall turne againe, and shalbe in rest and prosperitie and none shall make him afraide.

For I am with thee, sayth the Lord, to saue thee: though I vtterly destroy all the nations where I haue scattered thee, yet will I not vtterly destroy thee, but I will correct thee by iudgement, and not vtterly cut thee off.

For thus saith the Lord, Thy bruising is incurable, and thy wound is dolorous.