Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 25
IOEL.
CAP. I.
4 That which the Palmer worme hath left, hath the Locust eaten; & that which the Locust hath left, hath the cankerworme eaten; & that which the cankerworme hath left, hath the caterpiller eaten.THe famine wherewith I have plagued Israel is very grievous; which I have caused through the strange increase of noysome wormes in the land, all which have as it were agreed to waste all the fruites of the earth; for that which the Palmer worme hath left, the locust hath consumed; & if the locust hath left any thing, the cankerworme shall devoure it, &c. every one of these shall come after other, in a succession of spoyle; and all of them shall destroy the fruits of the land.
5 Awake ye drunkards, and weepe and houle all yee drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth.Even ye drunkards, which are wont to be most insensible of judgements, shall now have reason to howle, and mourne; because the hopes of your new wine is utterly cut off, even, when it was ready to fall into your mouthes; you vintage is forestalled by these consuming vermine, in the very height of your present expectation.
6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a Lyon.For there are infinite troupes of noysome vermine comne upon my land, strong, & numberlesse, which shall so devoure the fruite thereof, as if they had the teeth of Lyons, &c.
The branches thereof appeare white by reason that the barke is eaten off from the boughes.7 The branches thereof are made white.
O destressed Judea,8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth, for the husband of her youth. doe thou mourne and lament for this plague of famine, as a virgin girded with sackcloth, mourneth for the death of her betrothed husband.
The earth yeeldeth not so much,9 The meate offering and the drinke offering is cut off from the house of the Lord; the Priests the Lords ministers mourne. as wherewith to make a meate offering, or drinke offering unto the Lord; the corne, and wine, and oyle is so utterly consumed; so as the Priests, the Lords ministers, have just cause to mourne.
So also verse 10.11.12.13.
Alas, wretched men that we are,15 Alas for the day: for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shal it come. wee doe already indure much misery frō rhe afflicting hand of God, but yet more is comming; Oh (woe to us) how shall we be able to abide the extremity of those his plagues which are at hand-
O Lord, to thee will I cry,19 O Lord to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wildernesse, and the flame hath burnt all the trees of the field. who onelyonly art able to redresse this wofull estate of ours; for the scorching drought hath devoured all the herbage of the wildernes; and the fiery beames have burnt up all the trees of the field.
So also verse 20.
CAP. II.
O Yee Priests and Levites of the Lord,1 Blow ye the Trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarme in my holy Mountaine, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord commeth, for it is nigh at hand? call ye the people together in Zion; give warning to all the inhabitants of Judea, of that sad and fearefull day of revenge, which the Lord denounceth against them; for it is nigh at hand.
A day of heavinesse and sorrow,2 A day of darkenesse and of gloominesse, a day of clouds and of thicke darkenesse, as the morning a spreadeth upō the mountaines: a great people and a strong, there hath beene never the like, neither shal be any more after it, even to the yeares of many generations. a day of utter discomfort, such a one, as is quite over-spred with horrour and darknesse, like a gloomy morning which hides the light of the Sunne from all beholders; or to a world of noysome creatures, in strong & mighty bands, comne upon your land to devoure it; such as the like hath never beene, never shall be in succeeding generations.
3 A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behinde them a desolate wildernesse, yea, and nothing shall escape them.In the fore-part of their troupes, they devoure all before them, like a fire; and behinde them all lookes as if the flames had burnt it up; where they have not yet been, the land lookes richly, & plentifully, and pleasantly, like to the garden of Eden; but where they have passed, it lookes like a desolate wildernesse, all is consumed, nothing can escape them.
4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen so shall they runne.Their appearance shall be terrible to the people, like to the appearance of horses, armed for the warres; and they shall hastily over-runne the land, as if they were horse-men that ranne in their full speed.
5 Like the noise of Chariots on the tops of mountaines shall they leape.The noyse which they shall make in their swarmes, and motions, shall be like to the noyse of chariots on the tops of mountaines, &c.
7 They shall runne like mighty men, they shall climbe the wall like men of warre, and they shall march every one on his wayes, and they shall not breake their rancks.There shall be no place free from their assault and annoyance; they shall creep up the walls of the cities; as valiant men are wont to scale them in a siege; they shall march on in those wayes which God hath appointed them, as if they were men trained to the warres.
So also verse 9.
8 And when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.They shall be such enemies, as the sword cannot bee able to destroy; & such, as if they do fall upon the sword, yet their lightnesse shall deliver them from hurt.
10 The earth shal quake before them, the heavens shall tremble, the Sunne and the Moone shall bee darke, and the starres shall withdraw their shining.They shall come upon you in such number as shall amaze, and affright the world; and shall by their infinite and thicke swarmes, obscure the very light of the Sunne, and Moone, and starres.
11 And the Lord shal utter his voice before his army, for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word, for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can abide it?And the Lord shall, as the great Generall of these his forces, incourage, and stirre them up to this their execution; whereto they shall be inabled by him, both in their number, and power to performe it.
Do not rest in an outward ceremony of sorrow, viz. in the rending of your garments,13 And rent your heart and not your garments: & turne unto the Lord your God. but see that yee humble your hearts and soules before God, &c.
14 Who knoweth if he will returne and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meate offering and a drinke offering, unto the Lord your God.Who knoweth whether your humiliation may not yet prevaile with him, and cause him to deject, and take off his judgements; and in stead thereof, to bestow a blessing of plenty upon us; So as there may be both matter and occasion of the sacrifices of our thanksgiving unto the Lord.
Let al sorts and degrees & ages be assembled together,16 Gather the people, sanctifie the congregatiō: assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that sucke the brests, let the bridgroome goe forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. for a solemne humiliation; both the ancient, and the children, & sucklings; let all be afflicted with a generall abstinence; and let the Bridegroome and the bride forbeare the pleasures of their new-made mariage & shut up their wedding with mourning.
Let the Priests, the ministers of the Lord, weepe,17 Let the Priests, the ministers of the Lord, weepe betweene the poarch and the altar. and mourne, even in that place, where all sorrow and lamentation was wont to be interdicted, betweene the poarch and the altar, &c.
Then will the Lord be graciously affected towards his people, and, in a mercifull compassion of them,18 Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pittie his people. will call off those evills, which they groane under.
But I will remove farre off from you,20 But I will remove farre off from you the Northern armie, and will drive them into a land, barren and desolate, with his face toward the East sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea, and his stinke shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. this mighty armie of noysome creatures, which came upon you, from the Northern coasts; and will drive them into the dry, and barren wildernesse, which lies towards the South, yea I will disperse them into the foure windes, so as the fore-part or van-gard of them shall flie to the East sea; and the hinder part, or the reare shall bee carried to the West-sea; And the stinke of this vermine, where it shall fall, shall be exceeding offensive and contagious, &c.
Be comforted againe, O ye beasts of the field, for now that this plague is removed,22 Bee not affraid yee beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wildernesse doe spring. the grasse of your pastures begins to spring againe, &c.
And he will cause the raine to descend upod the earth,23 And hee will cause to come downe for you the raine; the former raine, and the later raine in the first month. in all fit seasons; both the former raine (which is in autumne after your seed is cast into the earth;) and the later raine, which is in the spring in March or Aprill, for the filling of the eare.
Neither will I content my selfe with the abundance of my temporall blessings conferred upon you,28 And it shall come to passe afterward, that I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh, and your Sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie: your old men shal dreame dreames; your young men shall see visions. but I will poure upon you my spirituall gifts, also; and will, in the daies of the Gospel, give you plentifull revelations; filling your sons and daughters, your young men, and old, with a large measure of the true sauing knowledge of me and my Name; as also inriching them with miraculous graces and abilities by the descending of my Spirit upon them; induing them with power of tongues, and with the gifts of Prophesie.
So also verse 29.
And after those times, both before the destruction of Jerusalem, and before the last judgement,30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens, and in the earthblood, and fire, and pillars of smoake. I will shew wonders, and fearfull signes, both in heaven, and in earth; the heavens shall seeme red, and fiery, and vaporous.
31 The Sunne shall bee turned into darknesse, and the Moone into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.The Sunne shall leese his light, and shall seeme uterly darkened, the Moone shall be turned into the colour of of blood, before that great and terrible day of the Lord come.
32 And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be delivered, for in mount Zion and in Ierusalem shall bee delivernce, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant, whom the Lord shall call.Neither is there any way, or meanes to escape the terriblenesse of this judgement, but by beleeving in the Lord Christ, and calling upon his name; for in the Church of God shall onelyonly Salvation be had, and deliverance from the wrath to come, which salvation shall lie open, both to the beleevers of the Gentiles, and to the remnant of those Jewes, whom the Lord shall call.
CAP. III.
1 For behold in those dayes, and in that time whē I shall bring againe the captivitie of Iudah and Iervsalem.FOr, behold in those dayes of my Gospell, wherein I shall restore my Church, and deliver it from the spirituall captivity wherein it hath lien destressed.
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them downe unto the vallie of Iehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people, and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land,I will gather all nations and will bring them into the face of my Church; and argue there with them, for the wrongs they have offered to my chosen servants, whom they have persecuted in their severall nations; and made havocke of mine inheritance.
And they have scornfully, and proudly tyrannized over my people,3 And they have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girle for wine, that they might drinke. and have cast lots upon them, as some sleight commodities for sale, or exchange; and have given a boy for the price of their lust, to an harlot; and sold a girle onelyonly for a cup of wine, to drinke.
4 Yea, & what have you to doe with me, O Tyre and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine, will ye render me a recompence; and if yee recompence me, swiftly, and speedily will I returne your recompence upon your owne head.And for you, O yee neighbour nations of Tyre and Zidon, and all the coast of Palestine, what can ye have to plead for your selves with me? are yee able to make me amends for the wrongs yee have done mee? or doe ye thinke thus to recompence unto me the hard measure which you may pretend to have received from me? Surely if you thinke thus to recompence mee with injuries to my servants, I shall speedily returne unto you the due recompence of your sinnes, upon your owne heads.
10 Beate your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hookes into speares, let the weake say, I am strong.Turne the instruments of your husbandry into weapons of warres; and let those that are weake and fearefull pull up their spirits and rouze up their courage.
Thy Saints and Angells.11 Thy mighty ones.
Let the heathen bee stirred up,12 Let the heathen bee wakened, and come up to the valley of Iehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge al the heathen round about. by my summons and come together into the valley of judgement, which is in the face of my Church; there will I shew my selfe a just and unpartiall retributor of all the wrongs of the heathen, round about.
Put ye in execution,13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you downe, for the presse is full, the fattes overflow, for the wickednesse is great. those iudgements which I have awarded to the enemies of my Church; for the time of my vengeance is now fully comne; their wickednesse is comne to the height.
Oh what multitudes, what infinite multitudes of wicked sinners shall then, and there be adjudged to torments,14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is neere in the valley of decision. in that place of the great and last judgement; For that great day of the Lord is neare at hand; the terror whereof shall be unspeakeable in that dreadfull place of judicature.
See chapter 2.31.15 The Sunne and the Moone shall bee darkned, &c.
Christ the Lord shall passe a most fearfull sentence of judgement from heaven upon the ungodly;16 The Lord also shall roare out of Zion, and utter his voice from Ierusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake, but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. which shall be so terrible, that even the heavens and the earth shall shake therewith; but the Lord will be a gracious, and mercifull redeemer, and comforter to his chosen ones, in the midst of all those terrors.
So shall ye mine elect know,17 So shall yee know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountaine: then shall Ierusalem bee holy, and there shal no strangers passe through her any more. that I am the Lord your God, who dwell in the highest heaven (figured by Zion in earth;) Then shall my Saints be gathered into that celestiall Jerusalem, which is above, into which no uncleane thing can, or shall enter.
And it shall come to passe in those last times,18 And it shall come to passe in that day, that the mountaines shall drop downe new wine, and the hills shall flow with milke, and all the rivers of Iudah shall flow with waters, and a fountaine shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim. wherein the Gospell shall be published, that God shall give plenty of spirituall nourishment unto his Church; so as every part thereof shall abound with effectuall helpe, and meanes of salvation; and from thence, shall flow forth those waters of like which shall water and refresh the soules of all that pertaine to the election of God.
As for those of Aegypt, and Edom,19 Aegypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wildernesse, for the violence against the children of Iudah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. and all other the professed enemies of his Church, they shall be confounded and brought to nought; for the violences which they have offered to Gods children; and for the innocent blood which they have shed, in their cruell persecutions.
20 But Iudah shall dwell for ever, and Ierusalem from generation to generation.But the elect of God shall dwell for ever in his holy habitation; and after their translation from the Church militant on earth, shall raigne everlastingly in the glory of heaven.
21 For I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed, for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.For I will cleanse, and purge away the sinnes of those mine elect, which I had not before done away; and will deliver the chosen of the Gentiles from those iniquities wherewith they were polluted; which done, and the number of the elect being fully made up the Lord shall dwell everlastingly with them in his heavenly Zion.