¶ An exhortation to heare the iudgemēt against Is¦rael beyng vnkynde▪ what maner of sacrifyces doth please God.
CAPI. VI.
[ A] HErken now what the Lorde saythe: Vp reproue the mountaynes, and let the hylles heare thy voyce.* 1.1 O heare ye punyshment of the Lorde, ye mountaynes and ye myghtye foundacions of the earthe: for the Lord will reproue his people, and rea¦son with Israel: O my people, what haue I done vnto the? or wherin haue I hurt the? gyue me answere.* 1.2 Because I brought the frō [ B] the lande of Egypt, and delyuered the out of the house of bondage? Because I made Mo¦ses,* 1.3 Aron and Miriam to lede the? Remēbre (O my people) what Balach ye king of Mo∣ab had Imagined agaynste the,* 1.4 and what an¦swere that Balaam the sonne of Beor gaue him, frome Sethim vnto Galgall, that ye maye knowe the louinge kindnesses of the Lorde.
What acceptable thinge shall I offre vnto the Lorde? shall I bowe my kne to the high God? Shall I come before him with brente offerynges, and with calues of a yere olde? Hath the Lorde a pleasure in manye thou∣sande rammes, or innumerable streames of o••le? Or shal I gyue my fyrst borne for mine offences, and the frute of my body for the sin of my soule? I wyll shewe the, o man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of the: Namely, to do ryght, to haue pleasure in lo∣uinge [ C] kindnesse, to be lowlye, and to walcke with thy God: that thou mayst be called a citye of the Lord, and that thy name may be ryghtousnesse. He are (O ye tribes) who wold els gyue you suche warnynge?* 1.5 Shulde I not be displeased, for the vnrightous good in the houses of the wicked, and because the mea∣sure is mynyshed? Or shulde I iustyfye the false balaunces and the bagge of disceyt∣full weyghtes, among those that be full of ryches vnryghtously gotten: where the citi∣syns deale with falshed, speake lyes, & haue disceytful tunges in their mouthes?
Therfore I will take in hande to punysh [ D] the & to make the desolate, because of thy sin∣nes. Thou shalt eate, and not haue ynough: yea thou shalte bringe thy self downe. Thou shalt fle, but not escape: and those that thou woldest saue, wyll I delyuer to the swerde. Thou shalt sowe, but not reape:* 1.6 thou shalt presse oute olyues, but oyle shalte thou not haue to anoynte thy self withall: thou shalt treade out swete muste, but shalte drincke no wine. Ye kepe the odynaunces of Amri, and all the customes of the house of Achab:* 1.7 ye fo∣lowe their pleasures, therfore wyll I make the waste, and cause thy inhabyters to be ab∣horred; O my people: and thus shalte thou beare thine owne shame.