Study Desk

Wo vnto thee O Ariel Ariel, thou citie that Dauid dwelt in: Go on from yere to yere, and let the lambes be slayne.

I wyll lay siege vnto Ariel, so that there shalbe heauinesse and sorowe in it: and it shalbe vnto me euen an aulter of slaughter.

A will besiege thee rounde about, and fight against thee thorowe a bulwarke, and wyll reare vp diches against thee.

Thou shalt be brought downe, and shalt speake out of the ground, and thy speache shall go lowe out of the dust: Thy voyce also shall come out of the grounde lyke the voyce of a witche, and thy talkyng shall whisper out of the dust:

Moreouer, the noyse of the straunge enemies shalbe like thinne dust, and the multitude of tirauntes shalbe as drye strawe that can not tary: euen sodenly and in haste shall their blast go.

Thou shalt be visited of the Lorde of hoastes with thunder, earthquake, and with a great noyse, with storme and tempest, and with the flambe of a consuming fire.

And the multitude of all nations that fight against Ariel, shalbe as a dreame seene by night: euen so shall they be that make warre against it, and strong holdes to ouercome it, and that lay any siege vnto it.

In conclusion, it shalbe euen as when a hungry man dreameth that he is eating, and when he awaketh, his soule is emptie, or as when a thirstie man dreameth that he is drinking, and when he awaketh, he is yet fainte, and his soule hath appetite: euen so shall the multitude of all nations that fighteth against mount Sion.

Ponder these thinges once in your mindes, and wonder: Blinded are they them selues, and the blinde guides of other: They are drunken, but not with wine: they are vnstable, but not thorow strong drinke.

For the Lorde hath couered you with a slumbring spirite, and hath closed your eyes: your prophetes also and rulers that shoulde see, them hath he couered.

And the vision of all the prophetes is become vnto you as the wordes of a booke that is sealed vp, whiche men deliuer to one that is learned, saying, Reade thou in it: and he saith, I can not, for it is sealed.

And the booke is geuen to him that is not learned, saying, Reade thou in it: and he saith, I am not learned.

Therfore thus hath the Lorde sayd: Forsomuche as this people when they be in trouble, do honour me with their mouth and with their lippes, but their heart is farre fro me, and the feare whiche they haue vnto me proceedeth of a commaundement that is taught of men:

Therefore wyll I do marueyles among this people, euen marueylous thinges [I say] and a wonder: For the wysdome of their wyse men shall perishe, and the vnderstanding of their wittie men shall hyde it selfe.

Wo vnto them that kepe secrete their thoughtes, to hide their counsell from the Lorde, and to do their workes in darknesse, saying: Who seeth vs? and who knoweth vs?

Doubtlesse your destruction is in reputation as the potters clay: And doth the worke say of hym that made it, he made not me? And doth an earthen vessell say of hym that fashioned it, he had no vnderstanding?

Is it not harde at hande that Libanus shalbe turned into a low fielde, and that the lowe fielde shalbe taken as the wood?

And in that day shall deafe men heare the wordes of the booke, and the eyes of the blynde shall see, euen out of the cloude, and out of darknesse.

The meeke spirited also shall be merie in the Lorde, and the poore among them that be lowly shall reioyce in the holy one of Israel:

For he that dyd violence is brought to naught, and the scornefull man is consumed, and they rooted out that made haste early to vnrighteousnesse,

Making a man to sinne in the worde, and that toke him in a snare, whiche reproued them in the open place, and they that haue turned the cause of the righteous to naught.

Therefore thus saith the Lorde to the house of Iacob, euen thus saith he that redeemed Abraham: Iacob shall not nowe be confounded, nor his face pale.

But when he seeth his chyldren the worke of my handes in the middes of hym, they shall sanctifie my name, and prayse the holy one of Iacob, and feare the God of Israel.

They also that haue ben of an erronious spirite shall come to vnderstanding, and they that haue ben scornefull shall learne doctrine.