¶ The Prophete maruayleth greately at the prosperite of the wycked, all thoughe he confesse God to be ryghtuous. The Iewes are forsaken of the Lorde. He speaketh agaynst Curates and Preachers that seduce the people. The Lorde threateneth destruccyon vnto the nacyons that bordered v∣pon Iewry••, whiche troubled and vexed it.
CAPI. XII. [unspec A]
O LORDE, thou art more ryghtuous, then that I shulde dispute with the. Neuerthelesse, let me talke with the in thin∣ges reasonable. ‡ 1.1 Howe happeneth it, that the waye of the vngodly is so prosperous? and that it goeth so well with them, whiche (without any shame) offende and lyue in wic¦kednes? Thou plantest them, they take rote they growe, and brynge forth fruyte. They boste much of the / yet doest thou not punysh them. But thou Lorde (to whom I am well knowen) thou that hast sene, and proued my herte, ‡ 1.2 take them awaye, lyke as a flocke is caryed to the slaughter house, and apoynte them for the daye of slaughter.
Howe long shal the lande mourne, * 1.3 and all the herbes of the felde perish, for the wyc¦kednes of them that dwell therin.
The catell and the byrdes are gone / yet [unspec B] saye they tushe, * 1.4 God wyll not destroye vs vtterly.
Seynge, thou arte wery in running with the foote men, howe wylte thou then runne with horses? In a peaceable sure lande thou mayest be safe / but howe wylte thou do in the furyous pryde of Iordane? For thy bre∣thren and thy kynred haue all together de∣spised the / and cryed out vpon the in thyne absence. * 1.5 Beleue them not / thoughe they speake fayre wordes to the. As for me (I saye) I haue forsaken myne owne dwellyng place, and lefte myne heritage. My lyfe also that I loue so well, haue I geuen into the handes of myne enemyes. * 1.6 Myne hery∣tage is become vnto me, as a Lyon in the wod. It cryed out vpon me, therfore, haue I forsaken it. Myne herytage is vnto me, as