Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 19 · Chapter 30 – Chapter 32
CAP. XXX.
1 Woe to the rebellious childrē, saith the Lord, that take counsell, but not of me, and that cover, with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may adde sinne to sinne.WOe to these rebellious Jewes (saith the Lord) that will be consulting with flesh and blood, in their affaires; & hiding their plots, as if they could keep them from mine eyes; and seeking other protections, then my spirit hath suggested unto them, they doe herein but adde one sinne to another.
2 That walke to goe downe into Aegypt, and have not asked at my mouth, to strengthē themselves in the strength of PharaohThat without ever asking counsell of me, go to crave aide, and succour of the Aegyptians; and make account to strengthen themselves with the forces of Pharoah, &c.
For, no meane men, but the very Princes of Judah were sent as ambassadors,4 For his Princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadours came to Hanes. to the furthest parts of Aegypt to treat with them upon this businesse.
5 They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor bee an helpe nor profit, but a shame and also a reproach.But the end of that ambassage, is but shame and disappointment; for it will appeare that those Aegyptians shall not be able to helpe them, yea, that their assistance shall turne to a reproach, and disadvantage unto them.
6 The burden of the beasts of the south into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the yong and old Lion, the viper and fierce flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of yong asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of Camels, to a people that shall not profit them.The sad tidings that are sent to the men of Judah, under the name of those beasts, which shall be sent by them with presents into Aegypt; even into Aegypt which hath beene of old, a land of trouble, & anguish to Israel; from whence ravenous, and venomous beasts have wont too frequently to annoy, and indanger all passengers; yet thither will the men of Judah needs carry their rich gifts, upon the backs of asses, and the bunches of camels, to fee a people that cannot, that shall not availe them.
The Aegyptians helpe shall be utterly in vaine; and therefore have I earnestly warned,7 For the Aegyptians shall helpe in vaine, and to no purpose, therefore have I cried concerning this, their strength is to sit still. and admonished the people of Judah; that their best strength had beene in sitting still, and trusting to their God, without the imployment of these untrusty assistants.
Prophesie to us those newes that may please us; and,10 Prophesie not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesie deceits. tell us plausible tidings, how false and deceitfull soever.
Let not the holy one of Israel trouble us any more,11 Cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us. with these harsh, and unwelcome prophesies.
Your state shall be, for this iniquity of yours,13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking commeth suddenly at an instant. like to the case of a riven wall, whereof one part is ready to fall from the other; which buncheth out in the rupture therof, as continually threatning a certaine ruine, that shall come suddenly upon it, and in the fall, a breaking in peeces.
Thus are yee, and thus shall yee bee;14 And he shall breake it as the breaking of the potters vessell, that is broken in peeces. yea he shall yet breake you into smaller sheards; even like to the sheards of a broken pitcher, &c.
Thus saith the Lord; did not I tell you,15 For thus saith the Lord God, the holy one of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietnesse and in confidence shal be your strength, and yee would not. that your safest, and surest way was to call backe your messengers from Aegypt, and to rest quietly and confidently upon the assured protection of your God; yet yee would not doe so; but would needs follow your owne projects.
No, said ye; we will send speedy messengers to our neighbour Princes, and will trust to their aide,16 But ye said, No, for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee. therefore shall ye make as much haste to flee before your enemies, &c.
For the Lord is a God,18 For the Lord is a God of Iudgement. full of mercifull moderation in the proceedings of his judgements, &c.
Thou shalt enjoy the presence of thy priests,20 Thine eyes shall see thy teachers. and prophets.
And God shall blesse thee with pure,21 And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee, saying, this is the way walke ye in it. and wholesome doctrine, directing thee in the way of truth, and holines, saying to thee, upon all occasions of thy doubts, or tentations, This is the way, walke in it, &c.
Thou shalt then,22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten Images of gold. in an holy indignation conceived against thy former Idolatry, defile, and deface all the ornaments, and appurtenances of thy late images, of silver and gold, &c.
VponUpon which act of detestation of that Idolatry,23 Then shall hee give the raine of thy seed that thou shalt sow the ground withall. God shall blesse thee with a sensible benediction; he shall give sweet and seasonable raine to that seed thou hast fowne, &c.
Thy very cattell shall be full fed,24 Shall eate clean provender which hath beene winnowed with the shovell and with the fanne. even with well fanned and pure graine, &c.
Even upon the dry and barren hils, which are wont to be patched with a droughty heat,25 And there shall bee upon every high mountain and upon every high hill, rivers and streames of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall. shall springs of living waters breake forth, which shall flow forth into cleare and plentifull rivers; So will God have this land of his to be richly refreshed, even then, whē the towers of their enemies shall be ruined, and demolished.
26 Moreover the light of the Moone, shall bee as the light of the Sunne, and the light of the Sunne shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven dayes, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of the wound.And so glorious shall that restitution of the Church be, as that the estate thereof shall bee seven times more bright, and beautifull then it was before; and whereas formerly God gave illuminations to men in a weake imperfect degree, like to the light of the Moone, now he shall give them cleare and perfect, like the Sun; and if any were clearly inlightned before, now they shall bee raised to an height of knowledge, seuen sold more; and this shall be in the dayes of that blessed Gospel of peace, wherein God will bind up, and heale the wounds of his afflicted ones.
27 Behold, the name of the Lord commeth from farre, burning with his anger.In the meane time, behold the power of the Lord shall manifest it selfe in grievous judgements upon the Assyrians, and those other banded enemies of his Church; so as, they shall see, and feele him comming against them in a terrible manner, burning with anger, &c.
28 To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, and there shall be a bridle in the lawes of the people, causing them to erre.To sift the nations with that sieve, which shall discry their vanity, and cause their utter dispersion; and that bridle of correction, which is wont, in the mouth of tractable creatures to guide them; and keepe them in order, shall, in his judgement upon these stubborne enemies, be an occasion of their erring out of the way.
29 As when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountaine of the Lord to the mightie one of Israel.As when a man goes with holy triumph, and melodious exultation up to the Temple of God, in an holy solemnity, &c.
And the Lord shall let the world see that this revenge upon the Assyrians,30 And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard; and shall shew the lighting downe of his arme. is his owne worke: which he shall declare, both by his fearefull thunders out of heaven, as also by that dreadfull execution which his powerfull arme shall performe amongst them, &c.
31 Which smite with a rod.Which was a cruell scourge unto other nations.
So shall the Lord smite him againe, and smite him soundly, and deepe, so as the prints of his staffe shall be seene upon him;32 And in every place, where the grounded staffe shall passe which the Lord shall lay upon it, it shall be with Tabrets and Harpes, and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. and, wheresoever the Lord shall lay this heavy hand upon him, the judgement shall be entertained with the joy, and acclamation of all his oppressed neighbours, as a benefit to themselves; & in all his terrifying battles, will the Lord, with this staffe of vengeance fight against him.
For God, from the foundations of the world hath ordained a place,33 For Tophet is ordained of old, yea for the King it is prepared, he hath made it deepe and large, the pile thereof is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord, like a streame of brimstone, doth kindle it. and state of torment for his wicked, and reprobate enemies; yea; for the proud King of Assyria, and all those cruell tyrans, which doe here oppresse his Church, hath God prepared, a wofull, and inconceivably dreadfull damnation, in hell fire; which is poorely represented in that hidious vally of Benhinnom, wherein with much shrieking and horror, the bodyes of men are consumed in the fire; but alas, what is that flame, to this unquenchable one, which is kindled by the breath of the Lord, as with streames of brimstone; and therefore never can goe out, never can be abated.
CAP. XXXI.
YEt, they shall finde that,2 Yet he is also wise, and will bring evill, and will not call backe his words. though they vainly hoped to hide their counsells from the Lord, they shall have to doe with a God wiser then themselves; who will resolutely bring evill upon them, and not retract it, &c.
The Lord will no more forbeare to fight for Zion against the Assyrian,4 So shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. then a Lyon will forbeare his prey for the voyce of a shepheard.
Yea, as we see some fowles,5 As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Ierusalem. in a care to preserve their yong, flie about the head of him that is climbing up to scale their nest, so carefull is the Lord to defend his Jerusalem, &c.
The Assyrian shall fall by the sword,8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man, and the sword not of a meane man shall devour him. not of a mighty man, but of a mighty Angell; and the sword, not of a meane man, but of a spirituall executioner shall devour him, &c.
And Senacherib shall passe over to Ninive his strong hold, for feare, and with shame;9 And hee shall passe over to his strong hold for feare, and his Princes shall be afraid of the ensigne, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his fornace in Ierusalem. and his Princes and Captaines shall bee afraid to gather any more under his ensigne, saith God, who dwelling in his Temple at Ierusalem, sends forth from thence his just vengeance upon his enemies.
CAP. XXXII.
BEhold the Messiah,1 Behold, a King shal reigne in righteousnesse, and Princes shall rule in judgement. the true King of his Church shall raigne in righteousnesse, and those who shall have the administration thereof, under him, shall rule in due equity and moderation.
And that man (God,2 And a man shall bee as an hiding place from the winde, and a covert from the tempest: as rivers of water in a drie place, as the shadow of a great rocke in a weary land. and man) shall be a sure refuge to his elect, in all their distresses, & calamities; and shall be a gracious refreshing to them, even as a cleare river in a dry wildernes, is to the thirsty traveller; or as the shadow of a great rock, in an hote scorching season, and climate, is to the weary passenger.
5 The vile person shall be no more called liberall, nor the churle said to be bountifull.There shall be so right a discerning of all things, that vertues shall not passe for vices, nor vices be mistaken for vertues; but men shall be esteemed as they are.
9 Rise up ye women that are at ease, heare my vioce ye careless daughters give eare unto my speech.Rise up, ye nice and dainty dames of Judah, and Jerusalem, and give eare to this speech of mine, O ye carelesse women, who have given your selves hitherto, onelyonly to ease, and delicacy.
10 For the vintage shal faile, the gathering shall not come.God will hold you short of those meanes of your riot, for the vintage shall faile, the harvest shall disappoint you.
12 They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitfull vine.They shall lament for those plentifull meanes of sustenance, for the corne, and for the vines; the fruit of both which shall come short of their hopes.
15 Vntill the spirit be powred upon us, from on high, and the wildernesse be a fruitfull field, and the fruitfull field be counted for a forrest.Vntill the spirit of renovation bee poured upon us from God; untill it please him to breath comfortably upon us, so as our wildernesse may be turned into a fruitfull field, and that field, which now goes for fruitfull, be in comparison thereof accounted but as a desert forrest.
16 Then judgement shall dwell in the wildernesse.Then there shall be an holy & wise administration of justice in those places, which were before reputed wild and desert, &c.
19 When it shall haile, coming downe on the forrest, and the cities shall be low, in a low place.When violent stormes shall bluster upon the earth; and fall both upon the forrest, and townes, with such fury, that the citie shall be uncovered therewith, & utterly abased.
20 Blessed are yee that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the oxe and the asse.Ye shall in the meane time be so blessed with increase, that wheresoever you sow your seed (though in morish and watry fennes) yet it shall abundantly prosper, and grow so ranke, as that ye shall be faine to send in your cattle to eate downe the first head thereof.