¶ He v••on he••yeth that at the commynge of Christe all strength and power shall be put forth of Iurye.
CAPI. III.
EVerye man can eschewe a person moued [ A] in angre, for what dothe he wisely? E∣uen so shall the Lorde of hostes take a∣waye from Ierusalem and Iuda all possessi∣ons and power, all meate and drynke, the ca∣pitayne and the souldyour, the iudge and the Prophete, the wyse and the aged man, the worshipful of fiftie yeres olde, and the honou∣rable: the senatours & men of vnderstanding: the masters of craftes and oratours, and I shall gyue you chyldren to be youre prynces (saythe the Lorde) and babes shall haue the rule of you.* 1.1 One shall euer be doing violence and wronge to another. The boye shall pre∣sume agaynste the elder, and the vyle person [ B] agaynst the honourable. Yea one shall take a frend of his owne kynred by the bosome, and saye: thou hast clothynge, thou shalte be our heed, for thou mayste kepe vs frome this fall and peryll.
Then shall he swere and saye, I can not helpe you. Moreouer there is neither meate ne clothynge in my house, make me no ruler of the people. For Ierusalem and Iuda must decaye, bycause that bothe theyr wordes and counsels are agaynste the Lorde, they pro∣uoke the presence of his maiestie vnto anger. The chaungynge of theyr countenaunce be∣wrayeth them, yea they declare theyr owne synnes them selues, as the Sodomites, and hyde them not. Wo be vnto theyr soules, for they shal be heuily rewarded. Then shal they saye: O happye are the godly, for they maye enioye the frutes of theyr studyes. But woo be to the vngodly and vnryghtous, for they shall be rewarded after theyr workes. O my [ C] people,φ 1.2 rybaudes oppresse the, and women haue rule of the.
O my people, thy leaders disceyue the, and treade out the waye of thy fotesteppes. The Lorde is here to common of the matter, and standeth to gyue iudgement with the people.* 1.3 The Lorde shall come for the to reason with the senatours and prynces of his people, and shal saye thus vnto them: It is ye that haue burne vp my vyneyarde, the robberye of the poore is in your house. Wherfore doo ye op∣presse my people, and marre the faces of the innocentes? thus shall the God of hostes re∣uyle them.
Moreouer thus saythe the Lorde: Se∣ynge the doughters of Syon are become so proude, and come in with stretched oute nec∣kes, and with vayne wanton eyes: seynge they come in cryppynge so nycely with theyr feete: Therfore sh••ll the Lorde shaue the hee••es of the doughters of Sion, and make theyr braurye bare in that daye. In that daye [ D] shall the Lorde take awaye the gorgyous∣nesse of theyr apparell and spanges cheynes, par••••tes, collers, & be••••elettes and hoo∣ues, the goodly flou••ed, w••de and brad••red rayment, brussh•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••••ndes, rynges