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For though they can saye: the LORDE lyueth, yet do they sweare to disceaue:

Where as thou (o LORDE) lokest only vpon faith and treuth. Thou hast scourged them, but they toke no repentaunce: thou hast correcte them for amendemet, but they refused thy correction. They made their faces harder then a stone, and wolde not amende.

Wherfore a lyon out of the wod shal hurte them, and a wolfe in the euenynge shal destroye them. The cat of the mountayne shal lie lurkinge by their cities, to teare in peces all them, that come therout. For their offences are many, and their departinge awaye is greate.

Shulde I then for all this haue mercy vpon the? Thy children haue forsaken me, and sworne by them that are no goddes. And albeit they were bounde to me in mariage, yet they fell to aduoutrie, and haunted harlottes houses.

For vnfaithfully hath the house of Israel and Iuda forsaken me, saieth the LORDE.

As for the warnynge of the prophetes, they take it but for wynde, yee there is none of these, which will tell them, that soch thinges shal happen vnto them.

This people shal eate vp thy frute & thy meate, yee they shal deuoure thy sonnes and thy doughters, thy shepe and thy bullockes. They shall eate vp thy grapes & fyges. As for thy stronge and well fensed cities, wherin thou didest trust, they shal destroye them with the swearde.

Feare ye not me, saieth the LORDE? Are ye not ashamed, to loke me in the face? which bynde the see with the sonde, so that it can not passe his boundes: For though it rage, yet can it do nothinge: and though the wawes therof do swell, yet maye they not go ouer.

They thinke not in their hartes: O let vs feare the LORDE oure God, that geueth vs rayne early and late, when nede is: which kepeth euer still the haruest for vs yearly.

For amonge my people are founde wicked personnes, that priuely laye snares and waite for men, to take them, and destroye them.

Come out of Ierusalem, ye stronge childre of BenIamin: blowe vp the trompettes ye Tecuites, set vp a token vnto Bethacarem, for a plage and a greate misery pepeth out from the North.

for thus hath the LORDE of hoostes commaunded. Hew downe hir trees, and set vp bulworkes agaynst Ierusale. This is the cite that must be punished, for in her is all maliciousnes.

For thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes: The residue of Israel shalbe gathered, as the remnaunt of grapes. And therfore turne thine honde agayne in to the ba?ket, like the grape gatherer.

But vnto whom shal I speake? whom shal I warne, that he maye take hede? Their eares are so vncircumcised, that they maye not heare. Beholde, they take the worde of God but for a scorne, and haue no lust therto.

For from the leest vnto the most, they hange all vpon covetousnes: and from the prophet vnto the prest, they go all aboute with falsede and lyes.

Therfore they must be ashamed, for they haue comitted abhominacion. But how shulde they be ashamed, when they knowe nothinge, nether of shame ner good nurture? And therfore they shal fall amonge the slayne, and in the houre when I shall viset them, they shalbe brought downe, saieth the LORDE.

Thus saieth the LORDE: go into the stretes, considre and make inquisicion for the olde waye: and yf it be the good and right waye, then go therin, that ye maye fynde rest for youre soules. (But they saye: we will not walke therin)

Heare therfore ye Gentiles, and thou congregacion shalt knowe, what I haue deuysed for them.

Heare thou earth also: beholde, I will cause a plage come vpon this people, euen the frute of their owne ymaginacions. For they haue not bene obedient vnto my wordes and to my lawe, but abhorred them.

Noman go forth in to the felde, no man come vpon the hie strete: for the swearde and feare of the enemie shalbe on euery side.