The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

The .xxiij. Chapter.

1 He speaketh against euill curates that make hauocke of the flocke of the Lord. 3 Of the conuersion of the remnaunt of the Iewes to the fayth. 5 The comming of the true shephearde Christe is prophecied. 9 Against false prophetes. 22 When a pro∣phete preacheth the worde of God, God conuerteth the heartes of the hearers. 26 Against prophetes that preache lies vnder the name of God. 32 The miracles of false prophetes.

[unspec A] 1 WO * 1.1 vnto the shep∣heardes that de∣stroy and scatter my flocke, saith the Lorde.

2 Wherefore this is the saying of the Lord God of Israel concer∣ning the shepheardes that feede my people, Ye scatter and thrust out my flocke, and loke not vpon them: there∣fore nowe wyll I visite the wicked∣nesse of your imaginations, saith the Lorde.

3 And I wyll gather together the rem∣naunt of my flocke from all landes that I had driuen them vnto, and will bring them agayne to their foldes, that they may growe and increase.

4 I wyll set shepheardes also ouer them, whiche shall feede them: they shall no more feare and dread, and there shall none of them be loste, saith the Lorde.

5 * 1.2Beholde, the tyme commeth saith the Lorde, that I wyll rayse vp the righteous braunche of Dauid, * 1.3 whiche kyng shall beare rule, and he shall pros∣per with wisdome, and shal set vp equi∣tie and righteousnesse agayne in the earth.

6 In his tyme shall Iuda be saued, * 1.4and Israel shall dwell without feare: and this is the name that they shall call hym, * 1.5euen the Lorde our righte∣ousnesse.

[unspec B] 7 * 1.6And therefore beholde the time com∣meth saith the Lorde, that it shalbe no more sayde, the Lorde liueth whiche brought the chyldren of Israel out of the lande of Egypt:

8 But the Lorde liueth which brought foorth and led the seede of the house of Israel out of the north lande, and from all countreys where I had scattred them: and they shal dwel in their owne lande agayne.

9 My heart breaketh in my body, be∣cause of the false prophetes all my bones shake, I am become like a drun∣ken man that by the reason of wine can take no rest, for very feare of the Lorde and his holy wordes.

10 Because the lande is full of adulte∣rers, and thorowe swearing it mour∣neth, * 1.7 and the pleasaunt pastures of the desert are dryed vp: yea the way that men take is wicked, and their pow∣er is nothing right.

11 For the prophetes and the priestes them selues are polluted hypocrites, and their wickednesse haue I founde in my house, saith the Lorde.

12 Wherefore their way shalbe slipperie [unspec C] in the darknesse, wherein they may stacker and fall: for I wyll bryng a plague vpon them, euen the yere of their visitation, saith the Lorde.

13 I haue scene folly among the pro∣phetes of Samaria, that preached for Baal, and deceaued my people of Is∣rael.

14 I haue seene also among the pro∣phetes of Hierusalem foule adultrie, and presumptuous lyes: they take the most shamefull men by the hande, flattering them, so that they can not returne from their wickednes: all these with their ci∣tizens are vnto me as Sodom, and as the inhabitours of Gomorre.

15 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes concerning these prophetes: * 1.8Beholde, I wyll feede them with wormewood, and make them drinke the water of gall: For from the pro∣phetes of Hierusalem is hypocrisie come into all the lande.

[unspec C] 16 And therfore the Lorde of hoastes ge∣ueth you this warning: * 1.9Heare not the wordes of the prophetes that preache vnto you and deceaue you, truely they teache you vanitie: for they speake the meaning of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lorde.

17 * 1.10They say vnto them that despise me, The Lorde hath spoken it, tushe, ye shall prosper right well: and vnto all them that walke after the lust of their owne heart, they say, tushe, there shall no misfortune happen you.

18 For who hath sitten in the counsayle of the Lorde, that he hath hearde and vnderstande what he is about to do? who hath marked his deuice, and hearde it?

19 * 1.11Beholde, the stormie weather of the Lorde [that is] his indignation, shall go foorth, and a violent whirlewinde shall fall downe vpon the head of the vn∣godly.

20 And the wrath of the Lorde shall not turne agayne, vntill he perfourme and fulfill the thought of his heart: * 1.12and in the latter dayes ye shall knowe his meaning.

[unspec D] 21 I haue not sent these prophetes [saith the Lorde] and yet they ranne, * 1.13 I haue not spoken to them, and yet they preached.

22 But if they had continued in my coun∣sayle, they had opened to my people my wordes, and they had turned my peo∣ple from their euyll wayes, and wicked imaginations.

23 * 1.14Am I then God that seeth but the thing whiche is nye at hande, and not that is farre of, saith the Lorde?

24 * 1.15May any man hide him selfe so, that I shall not see hym saith the Lorde? * 1.16do not I fulfill heauen and earth saith the Lorde?

25 I haue hearde well inough what the prophetes say that preache lyes in my name, saying, I haue dreamed, I haue dreamed.

26 Howe long wyll this continue in the prophetes heart to tell lies, and preache the craftie subtiltie of their owne heart?

27 Whose purpose is with the dreames that euery one tell, to make my people forget my name, as their fathers dyd when Baal came vp.

28 The prophete that hath a dreame, let hym tell it, * 1.17 and he that vnderstandeth my worde, let hym shewe it faythfully: for what hath chaffe and wheate to do together saith the Lorde?

29 Is not my worde like a fire saith the [unspec E] Lorde? and like an hammer that brea∣keth the harde stone?

30 Therefore thus saith the Lodre: beholde, I wyll vpon the prophetes that steale my worde priuilie from euery man.

31 Beholde, here am I saith the Lorde, against the prophetes that make ton∣gues tender to speake, and to say, The Lorde hath saide it.

32 Beholde, here am I saith the Lorde, against those prophetes that dare pro∣phecie lying dreames, and deceaue my people with their vanities and incon∣stant deuices, yet I neuer sent nor com∣maunded them: They shall do this people no good at all, saith the Lorde.

33 If this people, eyther any prophete or priest aske thee, and say: What is the (a) 1.18 burthen of the Lord? Thou shalt say vnto them: what burthen? I wyll for∣sake you saith the Lorde.

34 And the prophete, priest, or people that vseth this tearme, The burthen of the Lorde: him wyll I visite, and his house also.

35 But thus shall ye say euery one to another, and euery man to his brother: [unspec F] what aunswere hath the Lorde geuen? or what is the Lordes commaunde∣ment?

36 And as for the burthen of the Lorde, ye shall speake no more of it, for euery mans owne worde is his burthen: be∣cause ye haue altred the wordes of the liuing God, the Lorde of hoastes, our God.

37 Thus shall euery man say to the pro∣phetes: what aunswere hath the Lorde geuen thee? or what saith the Lorde?

38 And not once to name the burthen of the Lorde. Therefore thus saith the Lord: Forasmuch as ye haue vsed this terme (the burthen of the Lorde) where as I notwithstanding sent vnto you and forbad you to speake of the Lordes burthen:

39 Beholde therefore, I wyll take you vp as a burthen, and wyl cast you farre of from my presence, yea and the citie al∣so

that I gaue you and your fathers:

40 And wyll bryng you to an euerlasting confusion, and into a shame that shall neuer be forgotten.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ezech. 34. a.
• * 1.2

  Ier. xxxiii. c
• * 1.3

  Esai. xi. a.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 33. c.
• * 1.5

  i. Cor. i. d.
• * 1.6

  Iere. xvi. c.
• * 1.7

  Iere. xiiii. a.
• * 1.8

  Iere. ix. b.
• * 1.9

  Iere. xxv. b and .xxix. b
• * 1.10

  Iere. xii. ••. and .xiiii. b. Sopho. i. c.
• * 1.11

  Iere. xxx. d.
• * 1.12

  Iere. xxx. d.
• * 1.13

  Iere. xiiii. b.
• * 1.14

  Psal. 139. a. Ezech. viii. b
• * 1.15

  Psal. 129. a. Amos. ix. a.
• * 1.16

  Esai. lxxi. a. Act. vii. f. and .xvii. b.
• * 1.17

  ii. Cor. ii. a. i. Pet ••
• (a) 1.18

  The wic∣ked mens heartes were so heardened against the trueth, that they vsed scornefully to scoffe at Gods threat∣ning prophe∣chies in moc∣kage: calling them Gods fardle or bur∣then.