shall they turne their faces, saying: Come, and we wyll cleaue to the Lorde in a couenaunt that neuer shalbe broken.
6 My people haue ben a lost flocke, my sheepheardes haue deceaued them, and haue made them go astray vpon the hylles, they haue gone from the moun∣tayne to the litle hyl, and forgotten their folde.
[unspec B] 7 All they that came vpon them haue deuoured them, and their enemies said, We haue made no fault agaynst them, for they haue displeased the Lorde, [yea euen the Lorde which is] the habitation of their righteousnesse, and the hope of their fathers.
8 Flee from Babylon, and depart out of the lande of the Chaldees, and be ye as the rammes that go before the flocke.
9 For lo, I wyll wake vp an hoast of people from the northren lande, & bryng them vpon Babylon, these shal lay siege to it, and winne it: their arrowes shall not misse, like as a cunnyng archer shooteth not wrong.
10 And the Chaldees shalbe spoyled, and all they that spoyle them, shalbe satisfied saith the Lorde:
11 Although ye were so chearfull & glad, to treade downe myne heritage, and fulfylled your pleasures as the calues in the grasse, and triumphed ouer them like bulles [when ye had gotten the victorie]
12 Your mothers shalbe sore confounded, and they that bare you shall come to shame, she shalbe the least set by among the nations, voyde, wasted, & dryed vp.
13 No man shalbe able to dwell there for the feare of the Lorde, but she shalbe whole desolate: all they that go by Babylon, shall stande styll & be abashed, and shall wonder at all her plagues.
14 Go foorth in your aray agaynst Baby∣lon [unspec C] rounde about all ye that can handle bowes, shoote at her, spare no arrowes: for she hath sinned agaynst the Lorde.
15 Crye out agaynst her rounde about, she shall yelde her selfe, her foundations shall fall, and her walles shall come downe, for it shalbe the vengeaunce of the Lorde, yea vengeaunce shalbe taken of her: and as she hath done, so deale ye with her.
16 Roote out the sower from Babylon, & hym that handleth the sicle in haruest: for feare of the sworde of the enemie euery man shall get hym to his owne people, and euery man shall flee to his owne lande.
17 Israel is a scattered flocke, the lions haue dispearsed them: First the kyng of the Assyrians deuoured them,last of all this Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon hath brused all their bones.
18 Therfore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel, Beholde, I wyll visite the kyng of Babylon and his kyngdome, as I haue visited the kyng of the Assyrians,
19 And wyll bryng Israel agayne to his pleasaunt pasture, that he may feede vpon Charmel and Basan, and be satis∣fied vpon the mount of Ephraim and Galaad.
20 In those dayes and at the same tyme saith the Lorde, yf the offence of Israel be sought for, there shal none be founde, yf men enquire for the sinne of Iuda, there shalbe none: for I wyll be mer∣cifull vnto them whom I suffer to re∣mayne.
21 Go downe [O thou auenger] into the enemies lande, and visite them that [unspec D] dwell therin: downe with them, & smite them vpon the backes saith the Lorde, do accordyng to all that I haue com∣maunded thee.
22 There is gone about the lande a crye of a slaughter and great murther [name∣lye on this maner]
23 Howe happeneth it that the hammer of the whole worlde is thus broken and brused in sunder? Howe chaunceth it that Babylon is become a wildernesse among the heathen [on this maner?]
24 I my selfe haue layde a snare for thee, and thou art taken vnawares, thou art trapped and snared: for why? thou hast contended agaynst the Lorde.
25 The Lorde hath opened his house of ordinaunce, and brought foorth the weapons of his wrath: for the thyng that is done in the land of the Chaldees, it is the Lorde of hoastes worke.
26 Come agaynst her, for this is her ende, breake vp her chestes, threshe her as ye threshe corne, destroy her that nothyng shalbe left.
27 Slay all their mightie souldiers, and put them to death: Wo be vnto them, for the day and tyme of their visitation is at hande.
28 [Me thynke] I heare [alredy] a crye of them that be fled and escaped out of the