| At the same time, saith the Lord: the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of his princes, the bones of the priests, and prophets, yee and the bones of the citizens of Jerusalem, shall be brought out of their graves and layed against the Sun, the Moon and all the heavenly host: whom they loved, whom they served, whom they ran after, whom they sought and worshipped. They shall neither be gathered together ner buried, but shall lay upon the earth, to their shame and despising.
And all that remain of this wicked generation, shall desire rather to die than to live: wheresoever they remain, and where as I scatter them, saith the Lord of Hosts.
This shalt thou say unto them also: Thus saith the Lord: Do men fall also, that they arise not up again? And turn they so far away, that they never convert? Wherefore then is this people and Jerusalem gone so far back, that they turn not again. They are ever the longer the more obstinate, and will not be converted.
For I have looked, and considered: but there is no man that speaketh a good word: there is no man that taketh repentance for his sin, that will so much as say: wherefore have I done this? But every man ( as soon as he is turned back ) runneth forth still, like a wild horse in battle. The Stork knoweth his appointed time, the Turtledove, the Swallow and the Crane consider the time of travail: but my people will not know the time of the punishment of the Lord. How dare ye say then: we are wise, we have the law of the Lord among us?
Behold, the deceitful pen of the scribes, setteth forth lies: therefore shall the wise be confounded, they shall be afraid and taken: for lo, they have cast out the word of the Lord: what wisdom can then be among them? Wherefore, I will give their wives unto aliens, and their fields to destroyers.
From the lowest to the highest, they follow all filthy lucre: and from the Prophet unto the priest, they deal with all lies. Nevertheless, they heal the hurt of my people with sweet words, saying peace, peace where there is no peace at all.
*Fie for shame, how abominable things do they? and yet they be not ashamed, yee they know no shame.
Wherefore in the time of their visitation, they shall fall among dead bodies, sayeth the Lord.
Moreover I will gather them in ( sayeth the Lord ) so that there shall not be one grape upon the vine, neither one fig upon the fig tree, and the leaves shall be plucked off.
Then will I cause them to depart, and say: why prolong we the time? Let us gather ourselves together, and go into the strong city, there shall we be in rest: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water mixed with gall, to drink: because we have sinned against him.
We looked for peace, and we fair not the better, we waited for the time of health, and lo, there is nothing but trouble.
Then shall the noise of his horses be heard from Dan, the whole land shall be afraid at the neighing of his strong horses: for they shall go in, and devour the land, with all that is in it: the cities, and those that dwell therin. Moreover , I will send Cockatrices and serpents among you ( which will not be charmed ) and they shall bite you sayeth the Lord.
Sorrow is come upon me, and heaviness vexeth my heart: for lo, the voice of the crying of my people is heard from a far country: Is not the Lord in Sion? Is not the king in her? Wherefore then have they grieved me ( shall the Lord say ) with their images and foolish strange fashions? The harvest is gone, the Summer hath an end, and we are not helped. I am sore vexed, because of the hurt of my people: I am heavy and abashed, for there is no more *Tryacle at Gilaad, and there is no Physician, that can heal the hurt of my people. |
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