The most sacred Bible, whiche is the Holy Scripture conteyning the Old and New Testament / translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

¶ The synnes for whiche Ierusalem is afflycte. Vncircumcysed eares. Couetousnesse. Disceyte. The Lorde reiecteteh the sacrifyces of the Iewes. The commynge of the Babylonyans is prophecyed agayne.

CAPI. VI.

COme forth of Ierusalem, ye strong chil¦dren [ A] of BenIamin: blow vp the trom∣pettes ye Tecuites, set vp a token vnto Bethcarem, for a plage and a greate miserye bursteth out from the North.

I wyll lyken the doughter of Syon to a fayre and tendre woman, & to her shall come the shepeherdes with theyr flockes. Theyr tentes shall they pytche rounde aboute her, and euerye one shall fede them that are vn∣der his hande. Make battayle agaynste her (shall they saye.) Aryse, let vs go vp, whyle i•• is yet daye.

Alas, the daye goeth awaye, and the [ B] nyght shadowes fall downe: Aryse, lette vs go vp by nyght, and destroye her stronge hol∣des: for thus hath the Lorde of hostes com∣maunded.

Hewe downe her trees, and set vp bul∣workes agaynste Ierusalem. This is the ci∣tye that muste be punysshed, for in her is all lyciousnesse. Lyke as a Condyte aboundeth in water, euen so this citye aboundeth in wyckednesse. Robberye and vnryghtousnes is herde in her, sorow and woundes are euer there in my syght. Amende the, O Ierusalem, lest I withdraw my hert from the, and make the desolate: and thy land also, that no man [ C] dwel in it. For thus sayth the Lord of hostes: The resi••ue of Israel shal be gathered as the remnaunt of grapes.

And therfore tourne thyne hande agayne in to the basket, lyke the grape gatherer. But vnto whom shall I speake, whom shal I warne, that he maye take hede? Theyr eares are so vncircumcysed, that they maye not heare.

Beholde, they take y^e word of God but for

a scorne, and haue no lust therto. And therfore I am so ful of indignaciō, o Lord, that I may suffre no longer. Shede out thy wrathe vpon the chyldren that are withoute, and vpon all yonge men.

Yea the man muste be taken prysoner with the wyfe, and the aged with the creple. Their houses with their landes and wyues shall be turned vnto straungers, when I stretche oute myne hande vpon the inhabitauntes of this lande, saythe the Lorde. For frome the leest, vnto the mooste, they hange all vpon couetousnesse: and frome the Prophete vn∣to the Preest, they goo all aboute with false∣heed and lyes.

[ D] And besyde that, they heale the hurte of my people with swete wordes, sayinge: peax peax, when there is no peax at all. Therfore they muste be ashamed, for they haue com∣mytted abhominacion. But howe shoulde they be ashamed, when they knowe nothing, neyther of shame, nor of good nourtoure? And therfore they shall fall amonge the slayne: and in the houre when I shall vy∣syt them, they shall be brought downe, sayth the Lorde.

Thus saythe the Lorde: goo in to the stretes, consydre and make inquisicion for the olde way, and yf it be the good and right waye: then goo therin, that ye maye fynde rest for your soules. But they saye: we will not walke therin, and I wyll set watche men [ E] ouer you, and therfore take heed vnto the voyce of the trompet: But they saye we wil not take hede. Heare therfore ye Gentyles, and thou congregacion shalte knowe, what I haue deuysed for them. Heare thou earth also: beholde, I wyll cause a plage come vpon this people, euen the frute of their own ymaginacions.

For they haue not bene obedient vnto my wordes, and to my lawe, but abhorred them. Wherfore brynge ye me incense frome Sa∣ba, and swete smellynge Calamus frome farre countreyes? Youre burnte offerynges displease me, and I reioyse not in youre sacri∣fices.

And therfore thus saythe the Lorde: be∣holde, I wyl make this people fal, and there shal fall from amonge them the father with the chyldren, one neyghboure shall perysshe with an other.

[ F] Moreouer thus sayth the Lorde: Beholde there shal come a people from the North, and a great people shall aryse frome the endes of the earth, with bowes and with dartes shall they be weapened: It is a roughe and fearce people, an vnmercyfull people: theyr voyce roreth lyke the see, they ryde vpon horses well appoynted to the batayle agaynst the, o doughter Sion.

Then shall this crye be hearde: Oure armes are feble, heuynesse and sorowe is come vpon vs, as vpon a woman trauey∣lynge with chylde. No man goo forthe in to the feld, no man come vpon the hye strete / for the swerde and feare of the ennemye shall be on euery syde.

Wherfore gyrde a sacke clothe aboute the [ G] (O thou doughter of my people) sprynckle thy selfe with asshes, mourne and wepe byt∣terly, as vpon thy onely beloued sonne: For the destroyer shall sodeynly fall vpon vs. The haue I set for a prouer of my hard peo∣ple, to seke out, and to trye theyr wayes. For they are all vnfaythfull and fallen awaye, they hange vpon fylthy lucre, they are clene brasse and yron, for they hurte and destroye euerye man. The bellous are brente in the fire, the lead is consumed, the melter mel∣teth in vayne, for the euyll is not taken a∣waye from them. Therfore shall they be called noughtye syluer, bycause the Lorde hathe caste them oute.

Notes

• 〈…〉〈…〉. d. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 .viii▪ d.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Amos .viij. b.