A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

CHAP. VI.

1. HEar ye now what the Lord saith, A∣rise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

2 Hear ye, O mountains the Lords controversie, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversie with his people: and he will plead with Is∣rael.

3 O my people, what have I done unto thee, & where∣in have I wearied thee? testifie against me.

4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, and I sent before thee Moses, A∣aron, and Miriam.

5 O my people, remem∣ber now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous∣nesse of the Lerd.

6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow my self before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old?

7 Will the Lord be plea∣sed with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of ri∣vers of oyl? shall I give my first born for my trans∣gression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

9 The Lords voice crieth unto the City, and the man of wisdom shal see thy name: hear ye the rod; and who hath appointed it.

10 Are there yet the tre∣sures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abo∣minable?

11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balan∣ces, and with the bag of deceitfull weights?

12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence; and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth.

13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee deso∣late because of thy sins.

14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied, and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee, and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver: and that which thou deli∣verest will I give up to the sword.

15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap: thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oyl; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.

16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their coun∣sels, that I should make thee a desolation, and thē inha∣bitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.