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HOSEA
Chapter
1
1
This is the worde of the LORDE, that came vnto Oseas the sonne of Beeri, in the
dayes of Osias, Ioathan, Achas & Ezechias kinges of Iuda: and in the tyme of
Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas kynge of Israel.
2 First, when the LORDE spake vnto Oseas, he saide vnto him: Go thy waye,
take an harlot to thy wife, and get childre by her: for the lode hath comitted
greate whordome agaynst the LORDE.
3 So he wente, and toke Gomer ye doughter of Deblaim: which conceaued, and
brought forth a sonne.
4 And the LORDE sayde vnto him: call his name Iesrael, for I wil shortly
auenge the bloude of Iesrael vpon the house of Iehu, and will bringe the
kingdome of the house of
Israel
to an ende.
5 Then will I breake the bowe of
Israel
, in the
valley
of
Iesrael
.
6 She conceaued yet agayne, and bare a doughter. And he sayde vnto him:
Call hir name Loruhama (that is, not opteyninge mercy) ofr I wil haue no pyte
vpon the house of
Israel
, but forget them, and put them clene out of remembraunce.
7 Neuerthelesse I wil haue mercy vpon the house of Iuda, & wil saue
them, euen thorow the LORDE their God. But I wil not delyuer them thorow eny
bow, swearde, batel, horses or horsmen.
8 Now when she had weened Loruhama, she conceaued agayne, & bare a sonne.
9 Then sayde he: call his name Lo Ami (that is to saye, not my people.)
For why? ye are not my people, therfore will not I be yours.
10 And though the nombre of the children of
Israel
be as the sonde of the see, which can nether be measured ner tolde: Yet in the
place where it is sayde vnto them, ye be not my people: euen there shall it be
thus reported of them: they be ye childre of the lyuynge God.
11 Then shal the children of Iuda and the childre of
Israel
be gathered together agayne, & chose them selues one heade, and then
departe out of the londe: for greate shalbe the daye of Iesrael.
Chapter
2
1
Tell youre brethren, that they are my people: and youre sisteren, that they
haue optayned mercy.
2 As for youre mother, ye shal chyde with her, and reproue her: for she is
not my wife, nether am I hir husbode: vnlesse she put awaye hir whordome out of
my sight, and hir aduoutry from hir brestes.
3 Yf no, I shal strype her naked, & set her, euen as she came in to ye
worlde: Yee I shal laye hir waist, and make her like a wildernesse, and slaye
her for thyrste.
4 I shal haue no pite also vpon hir children, for they be the children of
fornicacion.
5 Their mother hath broken hir wedlocke, and she that bare them, is come
to cofucion. For she sayde: I wil go after my louers, that geue me my water and
my bred, my woll & my flax, my oyle and my drynke.
6 But I will hedge hir waye with thornes, and stoppe it, that she shal not
fynde hir fotestoppes:
7 and though she runne after hir louers, yet shall she not get them: she
shal seke them, but not fynde them. Then shal she saye: well, I will go turne
agayne to my first husbonde, for at yt tyme was I better at ease, then now:
8 But this wolde she not knowe, where as I yet gaue her corne, wyne, oyle,
syluer and golde, which she hath hanged vpon Baal.
9 Wherfore now will I go take my corne & wyne agayne in their season,
and fet agayne my woll and my flax, which I gaue her, to couer hir shame.
10 And now will I dyscouer hir foolishnesse, euen in the sight of hir
louers, and no man shal delyuer her out of my hondes.
11 Morouer, I wil take awaye all hir myrth, hir holy dayes, hir newmoones,
hir Sabbathes and all hir solempne feastes:
12 I will destroye hir vynyardes and fyge trees, though she saieth: lo,
here are my rewardes, that my louers haue geuen me. I wil make it a wodde, and
the wylde beestes shall eate it vp:
13 I will punysh her also for the dayes of Baal, wherin she censed him,
deckynge him with hir earynges and cheynes: when she folowed hir louers, and
forgat me, saieth the LORDE.
14 Wherfore beholde, I wil call her againe, bringe her in to a wildernes,
and speake frendly vnto her:
15 there wil I geue her hir vynyardes agayne, yee and the
valley
of
Achor
also, to shewe hir hope & comforte. Then shal she synge there as in the
tyme of hir youth, & like as in the daye when she came out of the londe of
Egipte.
16 Then (saieth the LORDE) she shal saye vnto me: O my housbande, &
shal call me nomore Baal:
17 for I wil take awaye those names of Baal from hir mouth, yee she shal
neuer remembre their names eny more.
18 Then will I make a couenaunt with them, with the wylde beastes, with
the foules of the ayre, & with euerythinge that crepeth vpon the earth. As
for bowe, swerde and batel, I will destroye soch out of the londe, & wil
make them to slepe safely.
19 Thus wil I mary the vnto myne owne self for euermore: yee euen to my
self wil I mary the, in rightuousnesse, in equyte, in louynge kyndnesse and
mercy.
20 In faith also will I mary the vnto my self, & thou shalt knowe the LORDE.
21 At the same tyme wil I shewe my self frendly and gracious vnto ye
heauens, saieth the LORDE: & the heauens shal helpe the earth,
22 and the earth shal helpe the corne, wyne and oyle, and they shal helpe
Iesrael.
23 I wil sowe them vpo earth, for a sede to myne owne self, & wil haue
mercy vpon her, yt was without mercy. And to the which were not my people, I wil
saye: thou art my people. And he shal saye: thou art my God.
Chapter
3
1 Then sayde ye LORDE to me: Go yet yi waye & wowe an aduouterous woma,
who thy neghboure loueth, as ye LORDE doth the childre of
Israel
: how be it they haue respecte to straunge goddes, and loue the wyne kannes.
2 So I gat her for xv. syluerlinges, and for an Homer and an half of barlye,
3 & sayde vnto her: Thou shalt byde with me a longe season, but se
that thou playest not the harlot, and loke thou medle with none other man, &
then wil I kepe my self for the.
4 Thus the childre of
Israel
shal syt a greate whyle without kinge and prynce, without offerynge and aulter,
without prest and reuelacion.
5 But afterwarde shal the children of
Israel
conuerte, and seke the LORDE their God, and Dauid their kinge: and in ye latter
dayes they shal worshipe the LORDE, and his louynge kyndnesse.
Chapter
4
1 Heare ye worde of the LORDE, o ye children of
Israel
: For the LORDE must punysh the, yt dwel in the londe. And why? There is no
faithfulnesse, there is no mercy, there is no knowlege of God in the lode:
2 but swearinge, lyege, maslaughter, theft and aduoutry haue gotten the
ouerhande, & one bloudgiltynesse foloweth another.
3 Therfore shal the londe be in a miserable case, and all they that dwell
therin, shal mourne. The beastes in the felde, the foules in ye ayre, and the
fishes in the see shall dye.
4 Yet is there none, that wil chaste nor reproue another. The prestes
which shulde refourme other me, are become like the people.
5 Therfore stomblest thou in ye daye tyme &, the prophet with the in
the night. I wil bringe thy mother to sylence, & why?
6 my people perish, because they haue no knowlege. Seinge then that thou
hast refused vnderstondinge, therfore wil I refuse ye also: so that thou shalt
nomore be my prest. And for so moch as thou hast forgotten the lawe of thy God,
I wil also forget thy childre.
7 The more they increased in multitude, the more they synned agaynst me,
therfore wil I chaurge their honoure in to shame.
8 They eate vp the synnes of my people, & corage them in their wickednesse.
9 Thus the prest is become like the people. Wherfore I will punysh them
for their wicked wayes, & rewarde them acordinge to their owne ymaginacions.
10 They shal eate, & not haue ynough: They haue vsed whordome,
therfore shall they not prospere: & why? they haue forsaken the LORDE, &
not regarded him.
11 Whordome, wyne and dronckennesse take the herte awaye.
12 My people axe councel at their stockes, their staffe must tell them.
For an whorish mynde hath disceaued them, so yt they comitte fornicacion agaynst
their God.
13 They make sacrifice vpon the hie mountaynes, & burne their incense
vpon the hilles, yee amonge the okes, groues & busshes, for there are good
shadowes. Therfore yor doughters are become harlottes, and youre spouses haue
broke their wedlocke
14 I wil not punish yor doughters for beinge defyled, & yor brydes
that became whores: seinge the fathers themselues haue medled with harlottes,
and offered with vnthriftes: but the people that wil not vnderstonde, must be
punyshed.
15 Though thou
Israel
art disposed to playe ye harlot, yet shuldest not thou haue offended, o Iuda:
thou shuldest not haue runne to Galgala, ner haue gone vp to Bethaue, ner haue
sworne: the LORDE lyueth.
16 For
Israel
is gone backe, like a waton cowe. The LORDE therfore shal make hir fede, as ye
labe
yt goeth astraye.
17 And where as Ephraim is become partaker of Idols, wel, let him go.
18 Their dronckenesse hath put the backe, & brought them to whordome.
Their rulers loue rewardes, brynge (saye they,) to their owne shame.
19 A wynde shall take holde of their fethers, & they shall be
cofounded in their offeringes.
Chapter
5
1 Heare this, o ye prestes: take hede, o thou housholde of
Israel
: geue eare, o thou kingly house: for this punyshment wil come vpon you, that
are become a snare vnto Myspa, and a spred net vnto the mount of Thabor.
2 They kyll sacrifices by heapes, to begyle the people therwith: therfore
wil I punysh them all.
3 I knowe Ephraim well ynough, &
Israel
is not hyd fro me: for Ephraim is become an harlot, and
Israel
is defyled.
4 They are not mynded to turne vnto their God, for they haue an whorish
herte, so yt they can not knowe the LORDE.
5 But the pryde of
Israel
wil be rewarded him in his face, yee both
Israel
and Ephraim shal fall for their wickednesse, and Iuda with them also.
6 They shall come with their shepe & bullockes to seke ye LORDE, but
they shal not fynde him, for he is gone from them.
7 As for the LORDE, they haue refused him, and brought vp bastarde
children: a moneth therfore shall deuoure them with their porcions.
8 Blowe with the shawmes at Gabea, and with the trumpet in Rama, crie out
at Bethauen vpon the yonside of Ben Iamin.
9 In the tyme of ye plage shal Ephraim be layed waist, therfore dyd I
faithfully warne the trybes of
Israel
.
10 Yet are the prynces of Iuda become like them, that remoue the
londemarckes, therfore wil I poure out my wrath vpon them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, and can haue no right of the lawe: for why? they
folowe ye doctrynes of men.
12 Therfore will I be vnto Ephraim as a moth, & to the house of Iuda
as a caterpiller.
13 When Ephraim sawe his sicknesse, and Iuda his disease: Ephraim wente
vnto Assur, and sent vnto kinge Iareb: yet coude not he helpe you, ner ease you
of youre payne.
14 I am vnto Ephraim as a lyon, and as a
lyons
whelpe to the house of Iuda. Euen I, I wil spoyle them, & go my waye. I wil
take them with me, and no man shal rescue them.
15 I wil go, and returne to my place, till they waxe faynt, and seke me.
Chapter
6
1 In their aduersite they shall seke me, and saye: come, let vs turne
agayne to the LORDE: for he hath smytten vs, and he shal heale vs:
2 He hath wounded vs, & he shal bynde vs vp agayne: after two dayes
shal he quycken vs, in the thirde daye he shal rase vs vp, so that we shal lyue
in his sight.
3 Then shal we haue vnderstondinge, & endeuoure oure selues to knowe
the LORDE. He shal go forth as the sprynge of the daye, and come vnto vs as the
euenynge and mornynge rayne vpon the earth.
4 O Ephraim, what shal I do vnto the? O Iuda, how shal I intreate the?
seynge youre loue is like a mornynge cloude, & like a dew yt goeth early
awaye.
5 Therfore haue I cut downe the prophetes, & letten them be slayne for
my wordes sake: so that thy punyshment shal come to light.
6 For I haue pleasure in louynge kyndnesse, and not in offerynge: Yee in
the knowlege of God, more then in burntsacrifice.
7 But euen like as Adam dyd, so haue they broken my couenaunt, and set me
at naught.
8 Galaad is a cite of wicked doers, of malicious people and bloudshedders.
9 The multitude of the prestes is like an heape of theues, murtherers
& bloudthurstie: for they haue wrought abhominacion.
10 Horrible thinges haue I sene in the house of
Israel
, there playeth Ephraim the harlot, and
Israel
is defyled:
11 but Iuda shall haue an haruest for himself, when I returne the
captiuyte of my people.
Chapter
7
1 When I vndertake to make
Israel
whole, then the vngraciousnesse of Ephraim and the wickednes of
Samaria
commeth to light: then go they aboute with lyes. At home, they be theues: and
without, they fall to robbynge.
2 They cosidre not in their hertes, that I remebre all their wickednes.
They go aboute wt their owne ynuencios, but I se them wel ynough.
3 They make the kinge and the princes, to haue pleasure in their wickednes
& lyes.
4 All these burne in aduoutry, as it were an ouen yt the baker heateth,
whe he hath lefte kneadinge, till the dowe be leuended.
5 Euen so goeth it this daye with oure kinges and prynces, for they
begynne to be woode droncken thorow wyne: they vse familiarite with soch as
disceaue the.
6 They with the ymaginacion of their herte are like an oue, their slepe is
all ye night like the slepe of a baker, in the mornynge is he as hote as the
flame of fyre:
7 they are altogether as hote as an ouen. They haue deuoured their owne
iudges, all their kinges are falle: yet is there none of the yt calleth vpon me.
8 Therfore must Ephraim be mixte amonge ye Heithen. Ephraim is become like
a cake, yt no man turneth:
9 straungers haue deuoured his strength, yet he regardeth it not: he
waxeth ful of gray haires, yet wil he not knowe it:
10 & ye pride of Israel is cast downe before their face, yet wil they
not turne to the LORDE their God, ner seke him, for all this.
11 Ephraim is like a doue, that is begyled, and hath no herte. Now call
they vpon the Egipcians, now go they to the Assirians:
12 but whyle they be goinge here and there, I shal sprede my net ouer
them, & drawe them downe as ye foules of the ayre: and acordinge as they
haue bene warned, so will I punysh them.
13 Wo be vnto them, for they haue forsake me. They must be destroyed, for
they haue set me at naught. I am he that haue redemed them, and yet they
dyssemble wt me.
14 They call not vpon me with their hartes, but lye youlinge vpon their
beddes. Where as they come together, it is but for meate & drincke, and me
will they not obeye.
15 I haue taught them, and defended their arme, yet do they ymagin
myschefe agaynst me.
16 They turne them selues, but not a right, & are become as a broken
bowe. Their prynces shalbe slayne wt the swearde, for the malice of their tunges,
soch blasphemies haue they lerned in the londe of Egipte.
Chapter
8
1 Set the horne to thy mouth, and blowe: get the swiftly (as an Aegle)
vnto the house of the LORDE: for they haue broken my couenannt, and transgressed
my lawe.
2 Israel
can saye vnto me: thou art my God, we knowe the:
3 but he hath refused the thinge that is good, therfore shall the enemye
folowe vpon him.
4 They haue ordened kinges, but not thorow me: they haue made prynces, and
I must not knowe of it. Of their syluer and golde haue they made them ymages, to
bringe them selues to destruccion.
5 Thy calfe (O Samaria) shalbe taken awaye. for my wrothfull indignacion
is gone forth agaynst the. How longe wil it be, or they can be clensed?
6 For the calfe came from Israel, the worke man made it, therfore can it
be no God, but euen to a spyders webbe shal ye calfe of Samaria be turned.
7 They haue sowne wynde, therfore shal they reepe a storme. Their sede
shal beare no corne, there shal no meel be made of their increase: though yere
be, yet shall straungers deuoure it vp.
8 Israel
shall perish, the Gentiles shall entreate him as a foule vessel.
9 Sens they went vp to the Assirians, they are become like a wylde asse in
the deserte. Ephraim geueth rewardes to get louers,
10 therfore are they scatred amoge the Heithe, there wil I gather them vp.
They shal soone be weery of the burthen of kinges & prynces.
11 Ephraim hath made many aulters to do wickednes, therfore shal the
aulters turne to his synne.
12 Though I shewe the my lawe neuer so moch, they counte it but straunge
doctrine.
13 Where as they do sacrifice, offeringe the flesh and eatinge it: the
LORDE will haue no pleasure therin: but will remembre their wickednes, and
punysh their synnes.
Israel
turneth agayne in to Egipte,
14 they haue forgotten him that made them, they buylde churches, and Iuda
maketh many stronge cities: therfore wil I sende a fyre in to their cities, and
it shal consume their places.
Chapter
9
1 Do not thou triumphe (O Israel) make no boostinge more then the Heithen,
for thou hast comitted aduoutry agaynst yi God: straunge rewardes hast thou
loued, more the all corne floores.
2 Therfore shall they nomore enioye the cornefloores and wyne presses, and
their swete wyne shal fayle the.
3 They wil not dwel in the LORDES londe, but Ephraim turneth agayne in to
Egipte, & eateth vncleane thinges amonge the Assirians.
4 They poure out no wyne for a drinkofferinge vnto the LORDE, nether geue
they him their slayne offeringes: but they be vnto them as mourners meates,
wherin all they that eate them, are defyled. For the bred that they haue soch
lust vnto, shal not come in the house of the LORDE.
5 What wil ye do then in the solempne dayes, and in the feast of the LORDE?
6 lo, they shall get them awaye for the destruccion, Egypte shal receaue
them, & Noph shal bury them. The nettles shall ouergrowe their pleasaunt
goodes, and burres shalbe in their tabernacles.
7 Be ye sure (O Israel) the tyme of visitacion is come, the dayes of
recompencinge are at honde. As for the prophet, ye holde him for a foole: and
him that is rich in the sprete, for a mad man: so greate is youre wickednes and
malice.
8 Ephraim hath made himself a watchman of my God, a prophet yt is become a
snare to do hurte in euery strete, and abhominacion in the house of his God.
9 They be gone to farre, & haue destroied the selues, like as they dyd
afore tyme at Gabaa. Therfore their wickednes shal be remebred, and their synnes
punyshed.
10 I fande
Israel
like grapes in the wildernes, & sawe their fathers as the first fyges in ye
toppe of ye fyge tre. But they are gone to Baal Peor, & runne awaie fro me
to yt shamefull Idoll, & are become as abhominable as their louers
11 Ephraim flieth like a byrde, so shal their glory also: In so moch, yt
they shal nether begette, coceaue ner beare children.
12 And though they bringe vp eny, yet will I make them childlesse amonge
men. Yee wo shall come to them, when I departe from them.
13 Ephraim (as me thinke) is planted in welthinesse, like as Tyrus, but
now must she bringe hir owne children forth to the manslayer.
14 O LORDE thou shalt geue them: what shalt thou geue them? geue them an
vnfrutefull wombe and drye brestes.
15 All their wickednesse is done at Galgal, there do I abhorre them. For
the vngraciousnes of their owne inuencions, I wil dryue them out of my house. I
will loue them nomore, for all their prynces are vnfaithfull.
16 Ephraim is hewen downe, their rote is dryed vp, so yt they shal bringe
nomore frute: yee and though they bringe forth eny, yet wil I slaye euen the
best beloued frute of their body.
17 My God shall cast them awaye, for they haue not bene obediet vnto him,
therfore shal they go astraye amonge the Heithen.
Chapter
10
1
Israel
was a goodly vyne, but he hath brought forth vnprofitable frute: yee the more
frute he had, the mo aulters he made: ye more good I dyd to their londe, the
more frendshipe shewed they to their ymages.
2 Their herte is deuyded, therfore wil they be destroyed. The LORDE shall
breake downe their ymages, he shal destroye their aulters.
3 Then shal they saye: we haue no kinge, for why? we haue not feared the
LORDE. And what shal then the kinge do to vs?
4 They comon together, and sweare vayne oothes: they be cofederate
together, therfore groweth their punyshment, as the wedes in the forowes of the
londe.
5 They that dwell in
Samaria
haue worshipped the calfe of Bethaue: therfore shall the people mourne ouer
them, yee and the prestes also, that in their welthynesse reioysed with them:
and why? it shal passe awaye from them.
6 It shalbe brought to the Assirian, for a present vnto kinge Iareb.
Ephraim shal receaue full punishment:
Israel
shalbe confounded for his owne ymaginacions,
7
Samaria
wt his kinge shall vanish awaye, as the scomme vpon the water.
8 The hye places of Auen where
Israel
do synne, shal be cast downe: thistles and thornes shal growe vpon their
aulters. Then shal they saye to ye mountaynes: couer vs, and to the hilles: fall
vpon vs.
9 O
Israel
, thou hast synned as Gabaa dyd afore tyme, where they remayned: shulde not the
batel then come vpon the wicked children, as wel as vpon the Gabaonites?
10 I wil chasten them, euen after myne owne desyre, the people shal be
gathered together ouer them, whe I punysh them for their greate wickednesse.
11 Ephraim was vnto me, as a cow that is vsed to go to plowe, therfore I
loued him, and fell vpon his fayre neck. I droue Ephraim, Iuda plowed, &
Iacob played the husbode man:
12 that they might sowe vnto rightuousnes, and reape the frutes of
weldoynge: yt they might plowe vp their fresh londe, and seke the LORDE, till he
came, and lerned them rightuousnes.
13 But now they haue plowed them wickednesse, therfore shal they reepe
synne, and eate the frute of lyes. Seinge thou puttest thy cofidence in thine
owne wayes, and leanest to ye multitude of thy worthies:
14 there shal growe a sedicion amonge thy people. All yi stroge cities
shalbe layed waist, euen as Salmana was destroyed with his familiers, thorow him
that was auenged of Baal, in the daye of batel, where ye mother perished with
hir childre.
15 Euen so shal it go with you (o
Bethel
) because of youre malicious wickednes. Like as the mornynge goeth awaye, so
shal the kinge of
Israel
passe.
Chapter
11
1 When Israel was yoge, I loued him: and called my sonne out of the londe
of Egipte.
2 But ye more they were called, the more they wente backe: offerynge vnto
Idols, and censynge ymages.
3 I lerned Ephraim to go, and bare them in myne armes, but they regarded
not me, that wolde haue helped them.
4 I led them with coardes of frendshipe, & with bondes of loue. I was
euen he, that layed the yocke vpon their neckes. I gaue them their fodder my
self,
5 yt they shulde not go agayne in to Egipte: And now is Assur their kinge:
For they wolde not turne vnto me.
6 Therfore shal ye swearde begynne in their cities, the stoare that they
haue lickened vnto, shall be destroyed and eaten vp: and that because of their
owne ymaginacions.
7 My people hath no lust to turne vnto me, their prophetes laye the yocke
vpon the, but they ease them not of their burthen.
8 What greate thinges haue I geuen the, o Ephraim? how faithfully haue I
defended the, o
Israel
? haue I dealt with the as with Adama? or haue I intreated the like Seboim? No,
my hert is otherwise mynded. Yee my mercy is to feruent:
9 therfore haue I not turned me to destroye Ephraim in my wrothful
displeasure. For I am God and no man, I am euen that holy one in the myddest of
the, though I came not within the cite.
10 The LORDE roareth like a lyon, that they maye folowe him: Yee as a
lyon roareth he, that they maye be afrayed, like the children of the see:
11 that they maye be scarred awaye from Egipte, as men scarre byrdes:
& frayed awaye (as doues vse to be) from the Assirias londe: and that
because I wolde haue them tary at home, saieth the LORDE.
12 But Ephraim goeth aboute me with lies, and the house of
Israel
dyssembleth. Only Iuda holdeth him with God, and with the true holy thinges.
Chapter
12
1 Ephraim kepeth the ayre, and foloweth after the east wynde: he is euer
increasinge lyes & destruction. They be confederate with the Assirians,
their oyle is caried in to Egipte.
2 The LORDE hath a courte to holde with Iuda, and wil punysh Iacob: After
their owne waies and acordinge to their owne inuencions, shal he recompence
them.
3 He toke his brother by the hele, when he was yet in his mothers wombe:
and in his strength he wrestled with God.
4 He stroue with the Angel, and gat the victory: so that he prayde and
desyred him. He fande him at
Bethel
, & there he talked wt vs.
5 Yee the LORDE God of hoostes, euen ye LORDE him self remembred him:
6 Then turne to thy God, kepe mercy and equyte, and hope still in thy
God.
7 But the marchaunt hath a false weight in his honde, he hath a pleasure
to occupie extorcion.
8 Ephraim thinketh thus: Tush, I am rich, I haue good ynough: In all my
workes shal not one fawte be founde, that I haue offended.
9 Yet am I the LORDE thy God, eue as when I brought the out of the londe
of Egipte, and set the in thy tentes, and as in the hye feast dayes.
10 I haue spoke thorow the prophetes, and shewed dyuerse visions, and
declared my self by the ministracion of ye prophetes.
11 But at Galaad is the abhominacion, they are fallen to vanyte. At
Galgal they haue slayne oxen: and as many heapes of stones as they had in their
lode forowes, so many aulters haue they made.
12 Iacob fled into the londe of Siria, and
Israel
serued for a wife, and for a wife he kepte shepe.
13 By a prophet the LORDE brought them out of Egipte, and by a prophet he
preserued the.
14 But Ephraim hath prouoked him to displeasure thorow his abhominacions:
therfore shal his bloude be poured vpon him self, and the LORDE his God shal
rewarde him his blasphemies.
Chapter
13
1 The abhominacion of Ephraim is come also in to
Israel
. He is gone backe to Baal, therfore must he dye.
2 And now they synne more and more: of their syluer, they make them
molten ymages, like the Idols of the Heithen, and yet all is nothinge but the
worke of the craftesman. Notwithstodinge they preach of the same: who so wil
kysse the calues, offreth to men.
3 Therfore they shalbe as the mornynge cloude, and as the dew that early
passeth awaye: and like as dust that ye wynde taketh awaye from the floore, and
as smoke that goeth out of ye chymney.
4 I am the LORDE thy God, which brought the out of the londe of Egipte:
that thou shuldest knowe no God but me only, & that thou shuldest haue no
Sauioure but only me.
5 I toke diligent hede of the in the wildernesse that drye londe.
6 But when they were wel fedde and had ynough, they waxed proude, and
forgat me.
7 Therfore will I be vnto them as a
lyon
, and as a leoparde in ye waye to the Assirians.
8 I wil come vpon them as a she beer, that is robbed of hir welpes, and I
wil breake that stubburne herte of theirs. There wil I deuoure them as a
lyon
: yee the wylde beastes shal teare them.
9 O Israel, thou doest but destroyeth thyself, In me only is thy helpe.
10 Where are thy kinges now, that shulde helpe the in all thy cities? Yee
and thy iudges, of whom thou saydest: geue me a kinge and prynces?
11 well, I gaue the a kinge in my wrath, and in my displeasure will I
take him from the agayne.
12 The wickednesse of Ephraim is bounde together, & his synne lieth
hyd.
13 Therfore shall sorowes come vpon him, as vpon a woman that traualeth.
An vndiscrete sonne is he: for he considreth not, that he shulde not haue bene
able to haue endured in the tyme of his byrth,
14 had not I defended him from the graue, and delyuered him from death. O
death, I wil be thy death: o hell, I wil be thy stynge.
15 Yet can I se no comforth, for when he is now the goodliest amonge the
brethren, the east wynde (euen the wynde of the LORDE) shal come downe from the
wildernesse, and drye vp his condytes, and drynke vp his welles: he shal spoyle
the treasure of all pleasaunt vessels.
16 As for
Samaria
, they shalbe made waist, & why? they are disobedient vnto their God. They
shal perish with the swearde, their children shalbe slayne, and their women bygg
with childe shalbe rypte vp.
Chapter
14
1 Tvrne the now (o
Israel
) vnto ye LORDE thy God, for thou hast taken a greate fall thorow thy
wickednesse.
2 Take these wordes with you, when ye turne to the LORDE, & saye vnto
him: O forgeue vs all oure synnes, receaue vs graciously, & then wil we
offre ye bullockes of oure lyppes vnto the.
3 Assur shalbe no more oure helper, nether will we ryde vpon horses eny
more. As for the workes of oure hondes, we wil nomore call vpon them: For it is
thou that art oure God, thou shewest euer mercy vnto the fatherlesse.
4 O (yf they wolde do this) I shulde heale their sores: yee with all my
herte wolde I loue them: so yt my wrath shulde clene be turned awaye from them.
5 Yee I wolde be vnto
Israel
as the dewe, and he shulde growe as ye lylie, & his rote shulde breake out
as Libanus.
6 His braunches shulde sprede out abrode, & be as fayre as the olyue
tre, & smel as Libanus.
7 They that dwel vnder his shadowe, shulde come agayne, & growe vp as
the corne, & florish as the vyne: he shulde haue as good a name, as the wyne
of Libanus.
8 O Ephraim, what haue I to do with Idols eny more? I wil graciously
heare him, & lede him forth. I wil be vnto the as a grene Fyrre tre, vpon me
shalt thou fynde thy frute.
9 Who so is wyse, shal vnderstonde this: & he yt is right enstructe,
wil regarde it. For ye wayes of the LORDE are rightuous, soch as be godly wil
walke in them: As for the wicked, they wil stomble therin.
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