Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 19 · Chapter 23 – Chapter 27
CAP. XXIII.
1 The burden of Tyre, Howl ye ships of Tarshish for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entring in; from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.THe heavie tidings sent to Tyre, That famous and rich city of Tyre shall be laid waste; howle therefore, and lament, O all ye sea-faring men, which had wont to make your traffique there; for now there is no harbour for you any more; they shall heare of this fearefull newes from the Grecians, and other westerne nations, whose helpe shall be used by Nebuchadnezar, in this warre.
2 Ye inhabitants of the isle, thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that passe over the sea, have replenished.Ye inhabitants of Tyre, and the neighbouring Isles, which have had so rich trading with the Zidonian merchants, may now sit still at home, there shall be no more worke for you.
And by the commodity of the sea, on which it stands, the flaxe that growes in Sihor,3 And by great waters, the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river is her revenue, and she is a mart of nations. and all other the profits that are brought downe by the waters of Nilus, have beene, as it were, a constant revenue to it; and it hath beene the universall staple of trade for all nations.
4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon, for the sea hath spoken even the strength of the sea, saying, I travell not, nor bring forth children, neither doe I nourish up yong men, nor bring up virgins.And thou the famous port of Zidon neare adjoyning, be thou also out of countenance; for the sea, over which Tyre hath wont to rule, hath now disclaimed all benfit of trade, and intercourse; and hath professed a barrennesse of all further profits, and a cessation of navigation hereafter; whether for the increase of wealth, or for the multiplying of colonies, deduced thence.
As these bordering nations were troubled at the newes of Aegypts overthrow,5 As at the report concerning Aegypt, so shall they be sorely pined at the report of Tyre. so they shall be extreamely afflicted at the like report, concerning Tyre.
All ye inhabitants, and neighbour merchants,6 Passe yee over to Tarshish; Howle yee inhabitants of the isle, &c. now turne your trade another way, passe over to Cilicia, and there fixe your traffique, &c.
Is this the glorious, and jocond city,7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquitie is of ancient daies? her owne feet shall carry her afar off to sojourne. that was wont so to boast of her antiquity above all others, as founded by the ancient Phenicians, beyond the memory of records? now, shee shall be pulled low enough, for her owne feet shall carry her afarre off into captivity, and exile.
Say then, in whose power was it,8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, crowning the city, whose merchants are Princes, &c? or can it be to bring this desolation upon the mighty and rich state of Tyre, that royall city, whose merchants are as wealthy as the Princes of other countries, &c?
Passe away through thine owne land into captivity,10 Passe through thy land, as a river, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no more strength. O thou renowned daughter of the sea, as swiftly, as an headlong river through his channell; There is no more strength in thee to hold out, or subsist any longer.
Get thee for shelter to Cilicia, or to Greece,12 Passe over to Chittim, there also shalt thou have no rest. but there thou shalt have no rest.
Behold the Chaldeans and Assyrians; they shall be thy destroyers, neither thinke thou strange of this, O Tyre;13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, this people was not till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wildernesse, they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof, and he brought it to ruine. for consider well, the Chaldees were no people of note, till the Assyrians raised them up from a wilde unsetled course of life in the wildernesse; yet now these Chaldees shall be imployed for to overthrow the Assyrians, how much more shall both of them bee able to overthrow thee?
Tyre shall lie waste, and remaine in bondage, according to the just number of yeares of the captivity of my people, even for the space of seventy yeares,15 That Tyre shall bee forgotten seventy yeares, according to the daies of one King, after the end of seventy yeares shall Tyre sing as an harlot. according to the utmost extent of the life and raigne of any one King, in common account, and after that seaventy yeares expired, Tyre shall beginne to draw customers to her, by her plausible allurements, even as a beautifull harlot entiseth her lovers by the voice of her singing.
So verse 16.
She shall returne to her wonted trading;17 She shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornicatiō with all the Kingdomes of the world, upon the face of the earth. and shall exercise her deceitfull, and meretricious traffique with all the nations of the world; enriching her selfe by the uttering of those adulterated commodities, which shee shall put off to all other Kingdomes.
But, at last, both Tyre it selfe, and her merchandise,18 And her merchandize, and hire shall be holinesse to the Lord: it shall not be treasured, nor laid up, for her merchandise shall bee for them that dwell before the Lord, to eate sufficiently, and for durable clothing. and trade shall be sincerely consecrated unto the Lord; shee shall not covetously scrape together, and lay up treasure for the inriching of her selfe, but shall distribute it rather, and lay it forth for the benefit and behoof of Gods Saints.
CAP. XXIV.
1 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, &c.BEhold, the Lord will bring great judgements, and fearefull desolation, upon all the regions round about, &c.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the Priest.All shall fare alike from the hand of God, for they shall be swept away at once, as well the people, as the Priest, &c.
10 The citie of confusion is broken downe: every house is shut up, &c.And as other nations about shall be thus plagued, so even Jerusalem it selfe shall be broken downe, and laid in confused heapes, &c.
13 There shall bee as the shaking of an Olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.Yet, there shall be reserved a small number, on whom I will have mercy, as some few olives, that are left upon the tree after the shaking thereof, and some few grapes left growing after the vintage.
14 They shall cry aloude from the sea.They shall sound forth their thankfull acknowledgements of Gods mercy, and the professions of their holy confidence in him, even from remote countries.
16 From the uttermost parts of the earth, have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous: but I said, my leannes, my leannes, Wo unto me: the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, ye the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.Even from the Gentiles in all parts of the world have we heard songs of rejoycing, and praises given to the righteous and mercifull God. But, yet I felt within me a sensible apprehension of the secret complaints of Gods Church, in the sense whereof, I could not but cry out, Woe is me, I am even consumed with sorrow, to see the miscarriage of men, to see the bosome-enemies of the Church, trecherously conspiring against her.
17 Feare, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.O yee inhabitants of the earth, there are unavoidable judgements prepared for you; ye shall be sure not to escape the hand of God; he will certainly meete with you; and if you can eschew one plague, yet ye shall bee sure to fall into another.
So verse 18.
18 For the windowes from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth doe shake.For, be ye assured that the Lord will arme heaven and earth against you; neither shall any place be able to secure you from his judgements.
20 The earth shall reele to and fro, like a drunkard, and shal be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavie upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise againe.I will testifie my wrath by fearefull earth-quakes, whereby the earth shall be so moved, as that it shall totter and reel on all sides, like a drunken man; and so will I revenge the sinnes of the inhabitants thereof, upon them, as that they shall bee pressed downe under the weight thereof, and not be able to rise any more.
And it shall come to passe in that day, that the Lord shall not forbeare to punish the greatest Potentates of the earth, as well as the meanest of their subjects;21 And it shall come to passe in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the Kings of the earth upon the earth all shall tast alike of his wrath.
They shall be all shut up in one common destruction, reserved for the just revenge of God;22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many dayes shal they be visited. But yet after the patient induring of many calamities, shall God, in his great mercy, condescend to have compassion on the remnant of them.
Then the Lord shall be pleased to erect such a glorious government in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem,23 Then the Moone shall be confounded, and the Sunne ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reigne in mount Zion, and and in Ierusalem, and before his anciēts gloriously. as that it shall put downe the glory and brightnesse of the Sun, and Moone in the heavens, it shal out-shine those bright, and lightsome planets; whē the Messiah shall raigne with power, and majesty in his Church, before his holy, and eminent ministers.
CAP. XXV.
O God, this is thy just and mighty worke,2 For thou hast made of a citie, an heape: of a defenced citie, a ruine: a palace of strangers, to bee no citie, it shall never bee built. thou canst and dost demolish great and strong cities, at pleasure, thou hast made goodly palaces to be the lodgings of strangers; and those piles againe hast thou ruined, never to be repayred.
Thou art a sure refuge for the poore oppressed;4 When the blast of the terrible ones is as a storme against the wall. when the blast of fierce and terrible tyrans beats upon them furiously, as a storme beates against a wall.
Thou shalt abate the rage of violent enemies;5 Thou shalt bring downe the noise of strangers, as a heat in a dry place, even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. if their fury be as some scorching heat in a dry soile, thy mercy shall be as the shadow of a comfortable cloud, to refresh them; so as those that made account to triumph, and tyrannize over thy Church, shall be confounded.
And in this mountaine (the figure of the Church) shall the Lord of hosts make a gracious,6 And in this mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. and blessed feast to both Jewes, and Gentiles, in which he shall feed them with all spirituall delicates, whereby they shall be nourished to everlasting life.
And he will by that Gospell, which shall goe forth from his mountaine of Zion,7 And he will destroy in this mountaine the face of the covering cast over all people; and the vaile that is spread over all nations. remove all that vaile of ignorance, which is cast over the faces of all people; So as they shall clearely see the great and wonderfull mysteries of salvation.
8 He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord God, will wipe away teares from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.And the life that he will give to his chosen, shall bee a glorious, and perpetuall one, such a one, as shall tryumph over death, and alteration; in the issue whereof, all causes of mourning, and all pretences of reproach (which are wont to be cast upon Gods people) shall bee utterly and fully removed.
For God shall settle his abode in his Church, for ever,10 For in this mountaine shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be troden downe under him, even as straw is troden for the dunghill. and shall tread downe all the most malicious enemies thereof, even as straw is troden in the dunghill, to make compost for the earth.
And he shall stretch forth his hand against them for their destruction,11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim. to enwrap them in his judgements; even as, &c.
And the strong fortresse of that high fort of thine, O Moab,12 And the fortresse of the high fort of thy walls shall hee bring downe, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust. wherein thou didst so much pride thy selfe, as impregnable, shall he bring downe and lay levell with the dust.
CAP. XXVI.
1 In that day shall this song bee sung in the land of Iudah, we have a strong citie, salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarkes.IN the day of the returne frō captivitie, shall my people sing in the land of Judah, where they are replanted, this song: We have now a strong city; Jerusalem is abundantly fortified; the protection and safegard of the Lord shall bee, and are the walls and bulwarks thereof.
2 Open yee the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.Jerusalem hath beene leudly inhabited; but now after the gates thereof have beene so long broken downe, and are reedified, they shall be set open to receive righteous, inoffensive, and conscionable inhabitants.
3 Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace, whose minde is staied on thee.O God, thou wilt continue true peace, and happinesse, to that man, whose heart is fastned upon thee, &c.
9 With my soule have I desired thee in the night, yea with my spirit within me will I seeke thee early.There is no time, that I have held unseasonable to thinke of thee, and to long for thee; even in the night season, when others sleepe, hath my soule beene taken up with thee, &c.
10 Let favour bee shewed to the wicked, yet will hee not learne righteousnesse, in the land of uprightnesse will hee deale unjustly.Howsoever it pleaseth the long-suffering and mercifull God to shew favour to the wicked, in forbearing them, in provoking them with benefits, yet will they not be reclaimed and amended; but in the holiest place, and notwithstanding the most powerfull meanes, will they practice leudnesse, &c.
Yea,11 Yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devoure them. that fire of thy wrath which thou reservest for thine enemies, shall devoure them.
Lord thou wilt worke out our peace and felicity, and wilt accordingly continue it to us;12 Lord, thou wilt ordaine peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our workes in us. for thou also hast done great things for us, and hast brought about all our affaires.
O Lord, we,13 O Lord our God, other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us: but by thee onelyonly will we make mention of thy name. who had not the grace to submit our selves wholly to thy governance, have been justly given over to the tyranny of wicked rulers, who have exacted sinfull obedience from us; but we will sticke close unto thee alone, and through thy gracious aid, will hold firme to thy truth, and yeeld to no other religion, but that which thou hast prescribed us.
They, even our enemies,14 They are dead, they shall not live, they are deceased, they shall not rise, therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them. are dead without hope of reviving againe; so are they brought downe by thy hand, that they shall never be restored, &c.
Alas,18 Wee have not wrought any deliverance in the earth, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. it was not in our power to worke any deliverance for our selves, upon earth; neither was it in our power to defeat the force of our enemies, and to discomfit them.
But it was thou, O Lord, that hast wrought it for us;19 Thy dead men shall live together, with my dead body shal they arise: awake and sing yee that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbes; and the earth shall cast out the dead. thou then in mercy, saidst; Be of good cōfort; Those whō thou gavest up for dead men, shall yet bee revived; yea, those that sleepe in the dust, yet shall one day arise, and live; with this body of mine, which I shall ere long lay downe, shall they arise from their graves; Awake therefore, and rejoyce, O ye my faithfull ones, who are now resolved to the very dust of the earth; for ye shall be happily restored; as ye see the hearbs, which in winter lay as dead, by the sweet dewes of the spring are revived, so shall it be with you; ye shall then spring up gloriously, the earth cannot hold you from your happy resurrection.
Betake thy selfe to a sure confidence in mine assured mercy, and protection, and retyre thy selfe a little,20 Hide thy selfe as it were for a little moment, untill the indignation bee over-past: till I have executed mine indignation upon thine enemies.
For the Lord from heaven his dwelling place,21 For behold, the Lord commeth out of his place to punish the inhabitāts of the earth, for their iniquitie. manifesteth his power, and justice, in executing judgements upon the inhabitants of the earth.
CAP. XXVII.
IN that day, the Lord, by his mighty power,1 In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent, &c. shall execute his due vengeance upon Satan, that old, and subtill serpent, and all his complices, the Kings of Aegypt, and those other malignant enemies of his Church.
2 In that day, sing yee unto her; A vineyard of red wine.In that day sing ye unto her; My Church is as a vineyard of the most rich, and precious wine.
Howsoever I am provoked, yet I am patient; and give not way to a just fury;4 Fury is not in me: who would set the bryars and thornes against me in battle: I would go through them, I would burne them together. Oh that I had to doe rather with thornes, & bryers, then with my vineyard; I would soone make an end with them, and burne them at once;
But, for my owne Israel, if (as he doth) he know my omnipotence,5 Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me: and he shall make peace with me. and how easily I can revenge my selfe, and thereupon bee desirous to humble himselfe, and make peace with me; let him make peace with me, I am ready to accept it.
6 He shall cause them that come of Iacob to take root: Israel shall blosome and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.And though the Lord might justly pull up the house of Jacob by the rootes, that it might never sprout againe, yet he remembring his mercy, shall onelyonly so loppe the posterity of Israel, that they shall blossome, and budde forth againe, and fill the world with their increase.
7 Hath he smittē him, as he smote those that smote him, or is he slaine according to the slaughter of thē that are slaine by him?Hath not God put a difference betwixt his correcting of them, and his punishing their enemies? or hath he destroyed them, in the same manner that he hath destroyed those whom he intends utterly to root out?
8 In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it, he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East wind.When this house of Jacob then shooteth foorth, thou wilt not deale in rigor with it; if it beare not as it shold, thou wilt not cut it up by the rootes: And if thy cold and pinching winde blow upon this herbe, so that it withers the leafe, yet thou wilt so call in those bitter blasts, that they shall not utterly nippe that plant of thine, and bereave it of life.
9 By this therefore shall the iniquitie of Iacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne, when he maketh all the stones of the altar as Chalke stones, that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up:It is onelyonly Gods intention, that by these afflictions the iniquity of his people may be purged away; this is all the fruit he expects of his fatherly chastisements, to take away their sinnes; and namely, their idolatrie; which they shall so detest, that they shall make all the stones of their idolatrous altars, as chalke stones, beaten to powder; and shall cut downe, and deface the groves, and Images which had formerly deluded, and bewitched them.
10 Yet the defenced citie shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, & left like a wildernesse: there shall the calfe feed, & there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.Yet, though God will at last shew this mercy, for all this, in the meane time, Jerusalem shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wildernesse; the beasts shall feed, and lodge there, as in a waste ground; and the grasse, and bushes shall grow so ranke there, that the beasts shall onelyonly crop the tops thereof.
11 When the boughes thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come and set them on fire, for it is a people of no understanding.And when the boughes so browsed on, shall wither, they shall be broken downe; the very women shall burne them; this must be done; for it is an ignorant and disobedient people; so as, for the time, God will be very severe against them, &c.
And it shall come to passe in that day, that since the house of Jacob is now as a little corne,12 And it shall come to passe in that day, that the Lord shall beate off from the channell of the river unto the streame of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. left in a chaffe-heape, the Lord in his threshing floore shall beat off all the drosse from that graine of his; and shall call them home; both from the channell of Euphrates, and from the streames of Nilus, out of Assyria, and Aegypt, and ye shall be gathered, though not all at once, yet one by one, O yee children of Israel.
So verse 13.