Study Desk

In the yere that kyng Oziah dyed, I sawe also the Lorde sitting vpon an high and glorious seate, and his trayne filled the temple.

And about hym stoode Seraphims, whereof one had sixe winges, with twayne eche couered his face, with twayne his feete, and with twayne did he flee.

They cryed also eche one to another on this maner, Holy, holy, holy is the Lorde of hoastes: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And the lintels of the doore checkes moued at his crying, and the house was full of smoke.

Then sayd I, Wo is me, for I am lost, in as much as I am a man of vncleane lippes, and dwell among people that hath vncleane lippes also: for mine eyes haue seene the kyng the Lorde of hoastes.

Then flewe one of the Seraphims vnto me, hauing a hote cole in his hand, whiche he had taken from the aulter with the tongues,

And layde it vpon my mouth, and sayde: Lo, [this] hath touched thy lippes, and thine vnrighteousnesse shalbe taken away, and thy sinne forgeuen.

Also I hearde the voyce of the Lorde on this maner: whom shall I sende, and who wyll be our messenger? Then I sayde, Here am I, sende me.

And he sayd, Go and tell this people: Heare in deede, yet vnderstande not, ye shall playnely see, and yet perceaue not.

Harden the heart of this people, stop their eares, and shut their eyes: lest they see with their eyes, heare with their eares, and vnderstande with their heartes, and conuert and be healed.

Then spake I, Lord, howe long? He aunswered, vntill the cities be vtterly wasted without inhabiters, and the houses without men, and tyll the lande be also vtterly desolate.

For the Lorde shall put the men farre away, and [there shalbe] great waste in the middest of the lande.

Yet in it shall succeede ten kinges, and it shall returne and be afterwarde wasted: [But] as the Teyle tree and the Oke in the fall of their leaues haue yet the sappe remayning in them, [euen so] the holy seede shalbe the stay therof.

It happened in the tyme of Ahaz ye sonne of Iotham, whiche was the sonne of Uziah king of Iuda, that Razin the kyng of Syria, and Pechah the sonne of Romeliah kyng of Israel, went vp towarde Hierusalem to besiege it: but Razin was not able to winne it.

Nowe when the house of Dauid hearde worde thereof, that Syria and Ephraim was cofederate together, his heart quaked, yea and the heartes also of his people, lyke as when the trees of the wood are moued with the winde.

Then sayd God vnto Esai: Go meete Ahaz thou and thy sonne Sear Iasub, at the head of the ouer poole in the footepath by the fullers grounde,

And say vnto him: Take heede to thy selfe and be styll, feare not, neither be faynt hearted, for these two tayles, that is, for these two smoking firebrandes, the wrath and furiousnesse of Razin the Syrian, and Romelies sonne:

Because that the Syrian, Ephraim, and Romelies sonne haue wickedly conspired against thee,

Saying, we wyll go vp against Iuda, vexe them, and bryng them vnder vs, and set a kyng there, euen the sonne of Tabel:

Thus saith the Lorde God thereto, It shal not so go foorth, neither so come to passe.

For the head citie of the Syrians is Damascus, but the head of Damascus is Razin: And after threscore and fiue yeres shall Ephraim be no more a people.

And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, but the head of Samaria is Romelies sonne: if ye beleue not, surely ye shall not be established.

Moreouer, God spake agayne vnto Ahaz, saying:

Require to thy selfe a token of the Lorde thy God, whether it be towarde the depth beneath, or toward the height aboue.

Then said Ahaz, I will require none, neither wyll I tempt the Lorde.

The prophete aunswered, Then heare ye of the house of Dauid: Is it not inough for you that ye be greeuous vnto me, but ye must greeue my God also?

Therefore the Lorde hym selfe shall geue you a token: Beholde, a virgin shall conceaue and beare a sonne, and shall call his name Emmanuel.

Butter and honye shall he eate, vntill he knowe to refuse the euyll and choose the good.

For or euer the chylde come to knowledge to eschewe the euil and choose the good, the lande that thou so abhorrest shalbe desolate of both her kynges.

The Lord also shall sende a tyme vppon thee, vpon thy people, and vpon thy fathers house, such as neuer came since the tyme that Ephraim departed from Iuda, namely thorowe the kyng of the Assyrians.

For at the same tyme shall the Lorde hisse for the flyes that are about the water of Egypt, and for the bees in the Assyrians lande:

These shall come and shall light all in the desolate valleys, in the holes of stones, and vpon all thornie and bushie places.

At the same time shal the Lord shaue the heere of the head, and the feete, and the bearde cleane of, with the raser that he shall hyre beyonde the waters: namely with the king of the Assyrians.

At the same time shal a man nurrishe a young cowe, and two sheepe.

Then because of the aboundaunce of mylke that they geue he shall eate butter: so that euery one which remayneth in the lande shall eate butter and hony.

At the same time al vineyardes wherin there shalbe a thousand vines worth a thousande siluerlinges, shalbe turned to bryers and thornes.

They shall come into the lande with arrowes and bowes, because all the lande shall become bryers and thornes.

As for all hilles that shalbe digged with the mattocke, there shall not come vpon them any feare of bryers and thornes: but the cattell shalbe driuen thyther, and the sheepe shal feede there.

Moreouer the Lorde sayde vnto me, Take thee a great roule, and wryte in it as men do with a pen: make hastie speede to rob, and haste to the spoyle.

And I called vnto me faythfull witnesses to recorde, Uriah the priest, and Zachariah the sonne of Barachiah.

After that went I vnto the prophetisse, and she conceaued & bare a sonne: Then sayde the Lord to me, Geue him his name, a speedie robber, an hastie spoyler.

For why, or euer the chylde shall haue knowledge to crye my father and mother, shall the riches of Damascus and the spoyle of Samaria be taken away before the kyng of the Assyrians.

The Lorde spake also vnto me agayne, saying:

Forsomuche as this people refuseth the styll running water of Silo, and put their delight in Razin and Romelies sonne:

Beholde, the Lord shall bryng mightie and great fluddes of water vpon them, namely the king of the Assyrians with all his power, whiche shall climbe vp vpon all his fluddes, and runne ouer all his bankes,

And shall breake in vpon Iuda, he shall flowe and passe thorowe, tyll he come vp to the necke thereof: he shall fill also the widenesse of thy lande with his wynges O Emmanuel.

Breake downe O ye people, and ye shalbe broken downe, hearken to all ye of farre countreys: muster you, and you shalbe broken downe, prepare you, and you shalbe torne in peeces.

Take your counsell together, yet shall your counsell come to naught: determine the matter, yet shall it not prosper: for God is with vs.

For the Lorde spake thus to me in a mightie prophesie, and warned me that I should not walke in the way of this people, saying:

Ye shall not speake [wordes] of conspiracie in all thinges, when this people shall say conspiracie: feare them not, neither be afraide of them.

But sanctifie the Lorde of hoastes, let him be your feare and dread.

For he shalbe the holy place to flee to, and stone to stumble at, the rocke to fall vpon, a snare and net to both the houses of Israel, and the inhabitours of Hierusalem:

And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, yea they shalbe snared and taken.

Binde vp the testimonie, seale the law in my disciples.

And I wyll wayte vpon the Lorde that hideth his face from the house of Iacob, and I wyll loke for him.

But lo, as for me and the chyldren whiche the Lorde hath geuen me, we are to be a token and a wonder in Israel from the Lorde of hoastes, whiche dwelleth vpon the hill of Sion.

And if they say vnto you, Aske counsayle at the Soothsayers, Witches, Charmers, and Coniurers: [then make them this aunswere,] Is there a people any where that asketh not counsayle at his God? shoulde men runne vnto the dead for the liuing?

Get thee to the lawe, and the testimonie: and if they speake not after this worde, there is no light in them.

And they shall wander thorowe this lande hardly besteade and hungry, and when they suffer hunger, they wyll be out of pacience, and curse their king and their God, and shall loke vpwarde and downewarde to the earth,

And beholde there is trouble and darknesse, dymnesse is rounde about him, & he shalbe driuen into darknesse.

Neuerthelesse, the darknesse shall not be suche as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the lande Zabulon, and the lande of Nephthali, and afterwarde dyd more greeuously afflict her by the way of the sea beyond Iordane in Galilee of the heathen.

The people that walked in darknesse, haue seene a great light: As for them that dwell in the lande of the shadowe of death, vpon them hath the light shined.

Thou hast multiplied the people, and not increased their ioy: they reioyce before thee, euen as men make merie in haruest, and they be ioyfull as men that do deuide the spoyle [after the victorie.]

For thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen, the staffe of his shoulder, and the rod of his oppressour, as in the day of Madian.

And truely euery battayle that the warrier maketh, is done with confused noyse: and defiling their garmentes with blood [but this battayle] shalbe with burning and consuming of fire.

For vnto vs a chylde is borne, and vnto vs a sonne is geuen, vpo his shoulder doth the rule lye, and he is called with his owne name wonderfull, the geuer of counsell, the mightie God, the euerlasting father, the prince of peace.

He shall make no ende to encrease the rule & peace, and shall sit vpon the seate of Dauid, and in his kingdome, to order the same, and to stablishe it with equitie and righteousnesse from hence foorth for euermore: This shall the zeale of the Lorde of hoastes bring to passe.

The Lorde sent a worde into Iacob, the same is come into Israel.

And all the people of Ephraim shall knowe, and they that dwell in Samaria that say with pryde and high stomackes [on this maner,]

The tyle worke is fallen downe, but we wyll buylde it with squared stones: the Mulberie timber is broken, but we shall set it vp agayne with Cedar.

But the Lorde shall strengthen the enemies of Razin, and ioyne his aduersaries together against him.

The Syrians before, and the Philistines behinde, and shall deuour Israel with open mouth: After all this is not the wrath of the Lorde ceassed, but yet his hande stretched out styll.

For the people turneth not vnto hym that chastiseth them, neither do they seeke the Lorde of hoastes.

Therefore hath the Lorde rooted out of Israel both head and tayle, bough and reede in one day.

By the head, is vnderstande the senatour and honourable man, and by the tayle, the prophete that preached lyes.

For the guides of this people are deceauers, and those that be gouerned are vtterly lost.

Therefore shall the Lorde haue no pleasure in their young men, neither haue pitie of their fatherlesse and wydowes: for they are altogether hypocrites and wicked, and al their mouthes speake folly: After all this is not the Lordes wrath ceassed, but yet his hand is stretched out styll.

For vngodlynesse burneth as a fire, and shall deuour bryers and thornes, and it shall burne as in the thicket of a wood, and [the wicked] aduaunce them selues, as the smoke is caryed vp.

Thorowe the wrath of the Lorde of hoastes is the lande full of darknesse, and the people be consumed as it were with fire: no man doth spare his brother.

But he robbeth on the right hande, and doth famishe, he eateth on the left hande, and he shall not haue inough: euery man shall eate the fleshe of his owne arme.

Manasses [shall eate] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasses, and they both together shall eate Iuda: After all this is not the Lordes wrath ceassed, but yet his hande stretched out styll.

Wo be vnto them that make vnrighteous lawes, and that causeth their actuaries to wryte greeuousnesse,

Where thorowe the poore are put from their right, and my seelie people robbed of iudgement, that wydowes may be their pray, and that they may rob the fatherlesse.

What wyll ye do in the tyme of visitation, and when destruction shall come from farre? to whom wyll ye runne for helpe? and where wyll you leaue your glory?

That when I withdrawe my hand, ye come not among the prysoners, nor lye among the dead? After all this doth not the wrath of the Lorde ceasse, but yet is his hande stretched out styll.

O Assur whiche art the staffe of my wrath, in whose hand is the rod of mine indignation.

I wyll sende hym among those hypocritishe people: among the people that haue deserued my disfauour wyll I sende hym, that he vtterly rob them, spoyle them, and treade them downe lyke the myre in the streete.

Howbeit, his meaning is not so, neither thinketh his heart on this fashion: But he imagineth howe he may roote out and destroy muche people.

For he saith, Are not my princes all kynges?

Is not Chalno as easie to winne, as Charchamis? Is it harder to conquer Hamath, then Arphad? or is it lighter to ouercome Damascus, then Samaria?

[As who say] I were able to winne the kyngdomes of the idolaters and their gods, but not Hierusalem and Samaria.

Shall I not do vnto Hierusalem and her images, as I dyd vnto Samaria and her idols?

Wherefore it shall come to passe, that assoone as the Lorde hath perfourmed his whole worke vpon the hill of Sion and Hierusalem, then wyll I visite the fruite of the stoute heart of the kyng of Assyria with his proude lookes.

For he standeth thus in his owne conceipt, This do I thorowe the power of myne owne hande, & thorowe my wysdome: for I am wyse, I am he that remoue the landes of the people, I rob their treasure, and haue pulled downe the inhabitauntes like a valiaunt man.

My hand hath found out the strength of the people as it were a nest: and like as egges that were layde here and there, are gathered together, so do I gather all countreys, and there was none [so bolde] as to moue the winge, that dare open his mouth, or once whisper.

Shall the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therwith? or shal the sawe make any bragging against hym that ruleth it? That were euen lyke as if the rod did exalt it selfe against him that beareth it, or as though the staffe should magnifie it selfe [as who say] it were no wood.

Therefore shall the Lorde the God of hoastes sende among his fatlinges leanenesse, and burne vp his glory as it were with a fire.

And the light of Israel shalbe that fire, and his holy one shalbe the flambe: and it shall kindle and burne vp his thornes and bryers in one day.

Yea all the glory of his wooddes and fieldes shalbe consumed with body and soule, and they shalbe as an hoast of men, whose standard bearer fayleth.

The trees also of his wood whiche remayne shalbe of such a number that a chylde may tell them.

After that day shall the remnaunt of Israel, and suche as are escaped out of the house of Iacob, seeke no more comfort at him that smote them: but vnfaynedly shall they trust vnto the Lorde, the holy one of Israel.

The remnaunt, euen the posteritie of Iacob, shall conuert vnto God the mightie one.

For though thy people O Israel be as the sande of the sea, yet shal the remnaunt of them conuert vnto him: The decreed consumption ouerfloweth with righteousnesse.

And therefore the Lorde of hoastes shall perfectly fulfill the thing that he hath determined in the middest of the whole worlde.

Therefore thus saith the Lorde God of hoastes: Thou my people that dwellest in Sion, be not afraide for the king of the Assirians: he shall smyte thee with a rod, and shall lyft vp his staffe against thee, as the Egyptians dyd sometime.

But very soone after shall my wrath and indignation be fulfilled in the destruction of them:

Moreouer, the Lorde of hoastes shall stirre vp a scourge for him, like as was the slaughter of Madian vpo the rocke Oreb, and as the destruction of the Egyptians when he lyfted vp his rod vpon the sea.

Then shal his burthen be taken from thy shoulders, and his yoke from thy necke, yea the same yoke shalbe destroyed because of the vnction.

He shal come to Aiath, and go thorow towarde Migron, at Michmas shall he lay vp his harnesse.

They shall go ouer the foorde, Geba shalbe their resting place, Rhama shalbe afraide, Gibea Saul shall flee away.

Lift vp thy voyce O daughter Gallim, geue eare to Laisa thou poore Anathoth.

Madmena shall tremble for feare, but the citizens of Gabim are manly.

Yet shall he remaine at Nob that day: after that shall he lyft vp his hande against the mount of the daughter Sion the hyll of Hierusalem.

But see, the Lord God of hoastes shall breake downe the bough with feare, he shall hewe downe the proude, and fell the high minded.

The thickets also of the wood shall he roote out with iron, and Libanus shall haue a fall thorowe the mightie.