¶ He sheweth that the people shall be plaged for the synne of Idolatrye. He prophecyeth the repen∣taunce of the remnaunt of the people, and theyr de∣lyueraunce. The destruction of the frowarde is pro¦phecyed.
CAPI. VI.
[ A] ANd the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, sayinge: Thou son of man, turne thy face to the mountaynes of Israel, that thou mayste prophecye vnto them,* 1.1 and saye: Heare the worde of the Lorde God, o ye mountaynes of Israell: Thus hath ye Lorde God spoken to the mountaynes, hylles, va∣leys and dales.
Beholde, I wyll brynge a swerde ouer you, and destroye youre hye places: I wyll cast downe your aulters, and breake downe your temples. Youre flayne men wyll I laye before youre goddes, and the deed carkases of the chyldren of Israel wyll I caste before theyr ymages, youre bones wyll I destroye rounde aboute youre aulters and dwellynge places.
The cityes shall be desolate, the hyll cha∣pels [ B] layde waste: youre aulters destroyed, and broken: youre goddes caste downe, and taken awaye, your temples layd eauen with the grounde, your owne workes clene rooted oute.
Your slayne men shal lye among you, that ye maye lerne to knowe howe that I am the Lord.* 1.2 Those that amonges you haue escaped the swerde wil I leaue among the Geni••les, for I wil scatre you among the nacions. And they that escape from you shall thynke vpon me amonges the Heathen, where they shalbe in captiuitie.
As for that hoorisshe and vnfaythful hert of theirs, wherwith they run awaye fro me, I wil breake it: yea and put oute those eyes of theyrs, that commit fornicacion with theis ydolles.
Then shal they be ashamed, and displeased [ C] with their selues, for the wickednesse and ab¦hominacions which they haue done, and shall lerne to knowe howe that it is not in vayne that I the Lorde spake to brynge suche mise∣rye vpon them.
The Lorde said moreouer vnto me: Smite thyne handes togyther, and stampe with thy fete, and saye: Wo worth all the abhomina¦ciōs and wickednesses of the house of Israel, for bicause of them they shal perysh with the swerde, with hongre, & with pestilence. Who so is farre of, shall dye of the pestilence: he that is nye at hande, shall perysshe with the swerde / and the other that be besieged, shall dye of hongre.
Thus wyll I satisfye my wrothfull dis∣pleasure [ D] vpon them. And so shall ye lerne to know that I am the Lorde, when your slayne men lye amonge youre goddes, and aboute youre aulters: vpon all hye hylles and top∣pes of mountaynes, amonge all grene trees, amonge all thycke okes: euen in the places where they dyd sacrifyce to all theyr ydolles. I wyll stretche myne hande oute vpon them, and wyll make the lande waste: so that it shall lye desolate and voyde, from the wyl∣dernesse of Deblathath forthe, thorowe all their habitacions, to lerne them for to know that I am the Lorde.