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

The .xvi. Chapter.

1 Against Babylon, Asia, Egypt, and Syria. 18.38. Of the euils that shal come vpon the world, with admonition how to gouerne them selues in afflictions. 54 To acknowledge their sinnes, and to commit them selues to the Lorde, 55 whose mightie prouidence and iustice is to be reuerenced.

[unspec A]

1 WO be vnto thee Baby∣lon and Asia, wo be vn∣to thee Egypt & Syria:

2 Girde your selues with clothes of sacke and heare, & mourne your children, be sory: for your destruction is at hande.

3 A sword is sent vpon you, and who will turne it backe?

4 A fire is sent among you, and who will quench it?

5 Plagues are sent vnto you, and what is he that will dryue them away?

6 May any man dryue away an hungry lion in the wood? Or may any man quench the fire in stubble when it hath begunne to burne?

[unspec B] 7 May one turne againe the arrowe that is shot of a strong archer?

8 The mightie Lord sendeth the plagues, & what is he that wil dryue them away?

9 The fire is kindled and gone foorth in his wrath, and what is he that may quench it?

10 He shal cast lighteninges, and who shal not feare? He shall thunder, and who shall not be afrayde?

11 The Lord shall threaten, and who shal not vtterly be beaten to powder at his presence?

12 The earth quaketh and the founda∣tions therof, the sea ariseth vp with waues from the deepe, and the waues of it are vnquiete, and the fishes therof also before the Lorde, and before the glorie of his power:

13 For strong is his right hande that ben∣deth the bowe, his arrowes that he sho∣teth are sharpe, and shall not misse when they begin to be shot into the endes of the worlde.

14 Behold the plagues are sent, & shall not [unspec C] turne againe till they come vpon earth.

15 The fire is kindled, and shall not be put out till it consume the foundations of the earth.

16 Like as an arrowe whiche is shot of a mightie archer returneth not backward: euen so the plagues that shall be sent vpon the earth, shall not turne againe.

17 Wo is me, wo is me, who will deliuer me in those dayes?

18 The beginning of sorowes and great mourning, the beginning of dearth and great death, the beginning of warres, and the powers shall stande in feare, the beginning of euyls, and they shall trem∣ble euery one.

19 What shal I do in these thinges, when the plagues come?

20 Beholde, hunger and plague, trouble and anguishe, are sent as scourges for a∣mendement:

21 But for all these thinges they shall not turne from their wickednesse, nor be al∣way mindefull of the scourges. [unspec D]

22 Behold, vittayles shalbe so good cheape vpon earth, that they shall thinke them selues to be in good case: and euen then shall mischiefe growe vpon earth, warres, dearth, and great “ 1.1 disquietnes.

23 For many of them that dwell vpon earth shall perishe of hunger, and the o∣ther that escape the hunger, shall the sword destroy:

24 And the dead shalbe cast out as doung, and there shalbe no man to comfort them: For the earth shalbe wasted, and the cities shalbe cast downe.

25 There shalbe no man left to till the earth, and to sowe it.

26 The trees shall geue fruite, and who shall plucke them of and gather them?

27 The grapes shalbe ripe, and who shall treade them? For all places shalbe deso∣late of men:

28 So that one man shall desire to see ano∣ther, [unspec E] or to heare his voyce.

29 For of one whole citie there shall be ten left, and two of the fielde whiche shall hyde them selues in the thycke “ 1.2 busshes, and in the cliftes of stones.

30 Like as when there remayne three or foure oliues in the place were oliues growe, or among other trees,

31 Or as when a vineyarde is gathered there are left some grapes of them that diligently sought through the vineyard:

32 Euen so in those dayes there shalbe three of foure left by them that search their houses with the sworde.

33 And the earth shalbe left waste, and the fieldes thereof shall waxe olde, and her wayes and all her pathes shall growe full of thornes, because no man shall tra∣uayle

there through.

34 The virgins shall mourne hauing no bridegromes, the women shall make la∣mentation hauing no husbandes, their daughters shal mourne hauing no hel∣pers.

35 In the warres shall their bridegromes be destroyed, & their husbandes shall pe∣rish of hunger.

36 But ye seruauntes of the Lord, heare these thinges, and marke them.

37 Behold the worde of the Lorde, O re∣ceaue it: beleue not the gods of whom the Lorde spake,

38 Behold the plagues drawe nie, and are not slacke in tarying.

39 Like as a trauayling woman whiche in the nynth moneth bringeth foorth a [unspec G] sonne, when the houre of the byrth is come, an houre two or three afore that, the paynes come vpon her body, & when the childe commeth to the byrth they ta∣ry not the twinckling of an eye:

40 Euen so shall not the plagues be slacke to come vpon the earth, and the worlde shall mourne, and sorowes shall come vpon it on euery side.

41 O my people, heare my worde, make you redy to the battayl, and in al euill be euen as pilgrimes vpon earth.

42 * 1.3He that selleth, let him be as he that fleeth his way: and he that bi••th, as one that will leese.

43 Who so occupieth marchaundise, as he that winneth not: and he that buyldeth, as he that shall not dwell therin,

44 He that soweth, as one that shall not reape, he that cutteth the vineyarde, as he that shall not gather the grapes:

45 They that mary, as they that shall get no children: and they that mary not, as the widdowes.

46 And therfore * 1.4 they that labour, labour in vayne.

47 For straungers shall reape their fruites, and spoyle their goodes, ouer∣through their houses, and take their chil∣dren captiue: for in captiuitie and hunger shall they get children.

48 And they that occupie their marchaun∣dise with robberie, the more they decke their cities, their houses, their posses∣sions, and their owne persons,

49 The more will I punishe them for their sinnes, sayth the Lorde.

50 Like as an whore enuieth an honest and vertuous woman:

51 So shal righteousnesse hate iniquitie when she decketh her selfe, and shall ac∣cuse her to her face when he commeth that shall bridle the auctour of all sinne vpon earth.

52 And therfore be not ye like therevnto, nor to the workes therof:

53 For or euer it be long iniquite shalbe ta∣ken away out of the earth, and righte∣ousnesse shall raigne among you.

54 Let not the sinner say, that he hath not sinned: for coles of fire shall burne vpon his head which sayth, Before the Lord God and his glorie I haue not sinned.

55 Beholde, the Lorde knoweth all the workes of men, their imaginations, their thoughtes, and their heartes.

56 * 1.5For he spake but the worde, Let the earth be made, and it was made, Let the heauen be made, and it was created.

57 In his worde were the starres made, * 1.6and he knoweth the number of them.

58 He searcheth the grounde of the deepe and the treasures therof, he hath mea∣sured the sea, and what it conteyneth.

59 He hath shut the sea in the middest of the waters, and with his worde hath he hanged the earth vpon the waters.

60 He spreadeth out the heauen like a vaut, vpon the waters hath he founded it:

61 In the desert and drye wildernesse hath he made springes of water, and pooles vpon the top of the mountaynes, that the fluddes might poure downe from the stony rockes, to water the earth.

62 He made man, and put his heart in the middes of the body, & gaue him breath, life, and vnderstanding.

63 Yea and the spirite of the almightie God which made all thinges, and hath searched the ground of al the secretes of the earth.

64 He knoweth your imaginations and in∣uentions, and what ye thincke when ye sinne and woulde hyde your sinnes.

65 Therfore hath the Lorde searched and sought out all your workes, and he shall bewray you all:

66 And when your sinnes are brought foorth, ye shalbe ashamed before men, and your owne sinne shalbe your accu∣sers in that day.

67 What will ye do? Or how will ye hyde your sinnes before God and his angels?

68 Behold, God him selfe is y^e iudge, feare him: leaue of from your sinnes, and for∣get your vnrighteousnesses, and meddle

no more with them: so shall God leade you foorth, and deliuer you from al trou∣ble.

69 For beholde, the heate of a great mul∣titude is kindled ouer you, and they shal take away certayne of you, and shal slay for meate to the idols:

70 And they that consent vnto them, shal∣be had in derision, laughed to scorne, and troden vnder foote.

71 For there shalbe in euery place, and in the next cities a great insurrection vpon those that feare the Lorde.

72 They shall be like mad men, they shal spare no man, they shall spoyle and wast such as yet feare the Lorde:

73 For their goods shall they take from them, and shut them out of their houses.

74 Then shall it be knowen who are my chosen, and they shalbe tryed as the golde in the fire.

75 Heare O ye my beloued, sayth the Lorde: behold, the dayes of trouble are at hande, but I will deliuer you from the same.

76 Be not ye afrayde, dispaire not: for God is your captayne.

77 Who so kepeth my commaundementes and preceptes sayth the Lorde God, let not your sinnes waygh you downe, and let not your vnrighteousnesse be lift vp.

78 Wo be vnto them that are bound with their sinnes, and couered with their wickednesse, lyke as a fielde is hedged in with bushes, and the path therof co∣uered with thornes that no man may trauayle through: it is shut vp, and is cast into the fire for euer to be consumed therewith.

Notes

• “ 1.1

  Or, confu∣sion.
• “ 1.2

  Or, woods
• * 1.3

  i. Cor. vii. d.
• * 1.4

  Psal 27. a. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 x c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 x. b.
• * 1.5

  Gen. i. a.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 146. a.