Study Desk

For it is an obstinate people, vnfaithful children, children that will not heare the lawe of the LORDE.

They darre saye to the prophetes: Intromitte youre selues with nothinge, and vnto ye Soythsayers: tell us of nothinge for to come, but speake frendly wordes vnto vs, and preach vs false thinges.

therfore shal ye haue this myschefe agayne for youre destruction and fall, like as an hie wall, that falleth because of some rift (or blast,) whose breakinge cometh sodenly.

For the LORDE God, euen the holy one of Israel hath promised thus: With stilsittinge and rest shal ye be healed, In quyetnesse and hope shal youre strength lie.

Notwithstondinge ye regarde it not, but ye will saie: No, for thus are we costrayned to fle vpo horses. (And therfore shall ye fle) we must ryde vpon swift beastes, and therfore youre persecutours shal yet be swifter.

A thousand of you shal fle for one, or at the most for fyue, which do but only geue you euell wordes: vntil ye be desolate, as a shipmast vpon an hie mountayne, and as a beaken vpon an hill.

Yet stondeth the LORDE waitinge, that he maye haue mercy vpon you, and lifteth him self vp, that he maye receaue you to grace. For the LORDE God is rightuous. Happie are all thei that wate for him.

For thus (o thou people of Sion and ye citisens of Ierusalem) shal ye neuer be in heuynes, for doutlesse he will haue mercy vpon the. As soone as he heareth the voyce of thy crie, he will helpe the.

Beholde, the glory of the LORDE shal come from farre, his face shal burne, that no man shalbe able to abyde it, his lippes shal wagge for very indignacion, and his tunge shal be as a consumynge fyre.

For he hath prepared the fyre of payne from the begynnynge, yee euen for kynges also. This hath he made depe & wyde, ye norishinge therof is fyre and wodde innumerable, which the breath ofte LORDE kyndleth, as it were a match of brymstone.

Wo vnto them that go downe in to Egipte for helpe, and trust in horses, and conforte them selues in Charettes, because they be many, and in horse me because they be lustie and stronge. But they regarde not the holy one of Israel, and they aske no question at the LORDE.

For thus hath the LORDE spoke vnto me: Like as the Lyon or lyos whelpe roareth vpon the pray that he hath gotten, and is not afrayde, though ye multitude of shepardes crie out vpon him, nether abashed for all the heape of them: So shal the LORDE of hoostes come downe from the mount Sion, and defende his hill.

For in yt daye euery man shal cast out his Idols of syluer and golde, which ye haue made with youre synful hondes.

He shal go for feare to his stronge holdes, and his prynces shal fle from his badge. This hath ye LORDE spoke, whose light burneth in Sion, and his fyre in Ierusalem.

He shalbe vnto me, as a defence for the wynde, and as a refuge for the tempest, like as a ryuer of water in a thurstie place, and ye schadowe of a greate rock in a drie lode.

After yeares and dayes shal ye be brought in feare, o ye carelesse cities. For Haruest shalbe out, and the grape gatheringe shal not come.

My peoples felde shal bringe thornes and thistels, for in euery house is voluptuousnes & in the cities, wilfulnes.

The palaces also shalbe broken, and the greatly occupide cities desolate. The towers and bulwerckes shalbe become dennes for euermore, the pleasure of Mules shalbe turned to pasture for shepe:

Vnto the tyme that ye sprete be poured vpon vs from aboue. Then shal the wildernesse be a fruteful felde & the plenteous felde shalbe rekened for a wodde.

And the rewarde of rightuousnesse shalbe peace, and hir frute rest and quietnesse for euer.