Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 29
MICAH.
CAP. I.
THe Lord will, in a terrible sort,3 For behold, the Lord commeth forth out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. manifest his power from heaven; and, as in the height of his furie, comming downe from above, will trample upon the loftiest tops of the mountaines.
In such manner, as that the great mountaines shall (as it were) melt, and dissolve under his feet,4 And the mountaines shal be molten under him, and the valleyes shall bee cleft, as waxe before the fire, and as waters that are powred downe a steepe place. and the deepe vallies shall be cleft asunder, and severed from the hills; the mountaines (I say) shall melt like waxe, and the valleyes shall run from the hils, as waters that are powred out from a steep place, run downe from the place where they are powred.
In short, all the …hole earth shall be exceedingly moved, and affected with the dreadfull presence of God descending to punish the wickednesses of his people.
5 For the transgression of Iacob is all this, and for the sinnes of the house of Israel, what is the transgression of Iacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Iudah? are they not Ierusalem?And all these judgements shal be for the Idolatries of Israel, and Judah: What then or who is the authour of this great sin of Israel? Is it not the mother city Samaria, whose princes have erected and maintained those golden calves? And who is the authour of those offensive high places of Judah? Is not Jerusalem, and those her Kings that have set them up, and countenanced them?
6 Therefore I will make Samaria as an heape of the field, and as planting of a vineyard, and I will powre downe the stones thereof into the valley.Therefore, I will raze and pull downe Samaria, by the hands of the Assyrians; and make that high built city as an heape of stones laid together carelesly in the field; or as those hillocks of earth which are cast up for the planting of a vineyard; And I will cause the goodly stones of their stately palaces to be tumbled downe into the valley, &c.
7 And all the heires thereof shal be burnt with the fire, and all the Idols thereof wil I lay desolate, for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall returne to the hire of an harlot.And all those costly offerings, and presents that were brought to their Idolls, as the hire of their spirituall fornication, shall be burnt with fire &c. as they have imagined foolishly that they have received their wealth, as the reward of their Idoll-service, which they have borrowed of the heathen; so shall they know, that it shall goe backe againe the same way; for the Assyrians, who shall carry it away, shall impute it to their gods, as a reward of their Idolatry.
8 Therefore I will waile and howle, I will go stript, and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owles.Therefore, since these great evills are comming upon my nation, I, for my part, will spend my time in mourning, and bitter lamentation; I will lay downe my Prophets weed; and goe up and downe heavily, and forelornely.
This destruction by the hand of the Assyrians is uncurable;9 For her wound is incurable, for it is come unto Iudah, he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Ierusalem. for it is passed from Samaria, and is comne forward to Judah; and is now drawing on, towards the very gates of Jerusalem.
Let no man tell the newes of this calamity at Gath, the city of the Philistims,10 Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all, in the house of Aphrah roule thy selfe in the dust. lest they rejoyce, and triumph in our misery; oh let no man there bemoane our sorrowes; & ye inhabitants of Aphrah (a city of Benjamin) rowle your selves in the dust, for the miserable desolation that is comming upon you.
11 Passe ye away thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked, the inhabitant of Zaana came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel, he shall receive of you his standing.Passe ye away into a wofull captivity, O yee inhabitants of the beautifull city of Saphir, passe along in your shame and nakednesse; The inhabitants of Zaanan stood upon their gard, and came not forth as yeelding to the enemy, upon the sad taking in of Bethezel; the enemie shall therefore receive of you, O Zaananites, the full recompence of that long siege, to which ye have put him.
The inhabitants of Maroth,12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good, but evill came downe from the Lord unto the gate of Ierusalem. shall bee much grieved for the failing, and disappointment of their hopes; they made account to have escaped this misery, but evill came downe upon them from the Lord, and shall not stay there, but shall proceed on, till it come to the very gates of Jerusalem.
As for you, O ye inhabitants of Lachish,13 O thou inhabitant of Lachish, binde the chariot to the swift beast, she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee. make all possible speed to escape by flight; put your swiftest beasts into your chariots, and drive away hastily; taking the advantage of your remotenesse; Try if you can thus avoide the judgement, who were the authours of sin to the rest of Judah, next after the revolt of the ten tribes to their molten calves. Lachish was the first of the tribe of Juda, that both received, and diffused the infection to the daughter of Zion; The Idolatries of Israel were first found in thee, O Lachish.
Therefore shalt thou be faine to give vaine presents unto the Philistims to helpe thee,14 Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth Gath, the houses of Achizib shall be a lie to the Kings of Israel. thou shalt have recourse to those false, and lying succours, which have beene ever deceitfull to the Kings of Judah, and so shall be still unto thee.
As for thee O Mareshah,15 Yet will I bring an heire unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, he shall come unto Adullam, the glory of Israel. which hast thy name from inheritance, I will bring such an heire to thee, for thy land, as thou shalt never be able to dispossesse, even the enemy which shall seize thee for ever; And he that is the glory and God of Israel shall execute his justice upon Judah, even as farre as Adullam, the utmost coast thereof.
Make thee balde, O land of Israel,16 Make thee balde, & poll thee for thy delicate children, inlarge thy baldnesse as the Eagle, for they are gone into captivity from thee. in token of extreame mourning; and cut off thine hayre in sorrow for thy delicate children which are slaine, and captived; yea, inlarge thy baldnesse (the signe of thy griefe) as the Eagle, which moults with age, being left without feathers, till her renovation; so doe thou leave thy selfe without haire, or comfort for thy children, for they are gone into captivity from thee.
CAP. II.
3 An evill from which ye shall not remove your neckes, neither shal ye goe haughtily, for this time is evill.AN evill which shall presse you so heavily, that you shall neither be able to remove your necks from under it, nor lift them up in an haughty carriage; for it is a time of exceeding great affliction.
4 We be utterly spoyled, he hath changed the portion of my people, how hath hee removed it from me? turning away he hath divided our fields.Wee be utterly spoyled, he hath altered the property of the land, and the condition of the people; for he hath put Assyrians into the possessions of Israel, and hath removed Israel into Assyria; yea, rather instead of returning to us in mercy, and restoring our land, he hath divided our fields to our enemies.
5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord.Therefore when this judgement shall bee effected, there shall none remaine of you, who shall have any lot or inheritance in the land of Israel.
6 Prophesie ye not, say they to them that prophesie; they shall not prophesie to them that they shall not take shame.Yet they are ready to say unto my Prophets, (who fore-tell these judgements) prophesie not; neither will they allow my Prophets to say, that this shamefull foile shall happen unto them.
7 O thou that art named the house of Iacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitned are these his doings? doe not my words doe good to him that walketh uprightly?O thou, that wouldst bee named the house and seed of Jacob, is it for thee to hinder the spirit of prophesie? Is it not Gods doing to put these words into their mouthes? And if ye were so affected to God as yee ought, and so well disposed, as ye pretend, surely my predictions of these judgements would be greatly for your good.
8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy, ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that passe by securely, as men averse from warre.Now of late, my people (as if they needed no enemie) are turned enemies to each other; yee strip the garments from the backs of travellers, that passe by securely, without any thought of such cruell, and hostile measure.
And, as not content with this cruelty tow…rds men, ye offer violence to the women also; whom ye have forceably taken from their owne houses,9 The women of my people have yee cast out from their pleasant, houses from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. where they lived contentedly with their husbands; and to their children also, from whom ye have taken those priviledges, & liberties of freeborne Israelites, which was the glory of that nation, and for which I had wont to receive glory frō them.
10 Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you even with a sore destruction.Away therefore, arise, and get you into captivity; for this land is no place for you; since ye have thus defiled it by your sinnes; it shall cast you out; and deliver you up to be destroyed by your enemies.
11 If a man walking in the spirit & falsehood doe lie, saying, I will prophesie unto thee of wine and of strong drinke, hee shall even be the prophet of this people.I know well enough how I might please you; If a man would walke in a vaine light fashion; and yeeld to prophesie nothing but lies unto you; and sooth you up in gluttonie & drunkennesse; and tell you of that free scope ye shall have to wine, and strong drinke; he should be a welcome prophet to this people.
But for me, I am not of that straine;12 I will surely disemble O Iacob, all of thee: I will surely gather the remnant of Israel, I will put them together as the sheepe of Bozrah, as the flocke in the midst of their fold. They shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. I have other tidings to deliver to you, from the Lord; which is this; I will (saith God) gather up all my people of Israel together, as a shepheard gathers his whole flocke together into a fold; and (as it uses to be in such concourse) there shall be a great noyse, and murmure in that thronged multitude.
But this assembly shall not bee for their ease or comfort, but rather for their more full destruction;13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up and have passed thorow the gate, and are gone out by it, and their King shall passe before them, and the Lord on the head of them. The Assyrian shall come in upon them, and breake into this fold, and spoile and ravine, as he pleaseth; and my people shall be carried away through those breaches, into a miserable captivity, and their King shall be led manicled before them; and the Lord of hoasts (who hath justly contrived this desolation of his unworthy people) shall leade the way to the accomplishing thereof.
CAP. III.
O Ye rulers,1 And I said, heare I pray you, O …eads of Iacob, and yee Princes of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know judgement? and governors of Israel (to you I speake) is it not your part both to know how to doe justice to the oppressed, and to performe it accordingly?
How is it then that you doe contrarily? yee hate the good, and love the evill,2 Who hate the good and love the evill, who pluckt off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones. and offer all cruelty and violence to them; as some unfaithfull shepheard, who in stead of feeding his flocke, fleas off their skinnes, and devoureth their flesh.
So also verse 3.
Who,5 That bite with their teeth and cry peace, and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare warre against him. so as they may bee fed up with the largesses of the people, cry peace and happinesse; but if they have not their mouthes filled with gifts, are ready to load their niggardly hearers with threates of judgements.
I will therefore utterly withdraw from you all vision,6 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision, & it shall be darke unto you, that ye shall not divine, and the Sunne shal goe down over the Prophets, and the day shal be darke over them. and ye shall no more see ought from me, than a man can see ought before him in the darkest night, my Spirit, which is as the Sunne, shall be fully set, and gone downe upon your Prophets and there shal be nothing but darknesse of ignorance before them.
So also verse 7.
But as for me, I am none of your soothing Prophets,8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgement, and of might to declare unto Iacob his transgression. no I am by the Spirit of the Lord filled with courage, and undaunted zeale; with true judgement, and bold resolution to declare unto Jacob his transgression, &c.
They build them stately houses in Zion, and in Jerusalem,10 They build up Zion with blood, and Ierusalem with iniquitie. with those summes which they have extorted from the very bowells of the oppressed innocents.
Therefore, for your sakes shall mount Zion be so rased and levelled by the Chaldees,12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Ierusalem shall become heapes, and the mountaines of the house as the high places of the forrest. that it may be plowed as a field; and Jerusalem shall become heapes of rubbidge; and mount Moriah shall lie like the rockey, and wild hills of the desert.
CAP. IV.
1 But in the last daies it shall come to passe that the mountaine of the, &c.See Isa. 2.2.
2 He shall judge among the people, &c. and they shall beate their swords into plowshares.See Isa. 2.4.
5 For all people will walke every one in the name of his God, and wee will walke in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.WHiles those that are without the pale of the Church walke after the false religion of their Idol-gods, we will walke in the profession of the holy truth of God for ever.
6 In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted.In those dayes of the Gospell, will I call home to my Church, the Synagogues of the Jewes; even those despised people, which are justly driven out of their land, and deservedly afflicted by me.
7 And I wil make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast farre off a strong nation, and the Lord shall reigne over them in mount Zion from henceforth even for ever.And I will reduce those rebellious, and out-cast people, to the profession of my truth; and will make them true members of my Church; and the Lord Christ shall reigne over that Evangelicall Church of mine, (consisting of Jewes and Gentiles) in his heavenly Zion, from henceforth, even forever.
8 And thou O towre of the stocke, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion, the kingdome shall come to the daughter of Ierusalem.And to thee, O thou famous hill of earthly Zion, shall this blessing first come; there shall be the first beginning of this glorious and powerfull Gospell, and Kingdome of Christ; and from thee shall goe forth to the whole Church of God.
9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee, is thy counseller perished, for pangs have taken thee, as a woman in travell.Now therefore why art thou dejected, as if thou wert utterly cast off, as if there were no King to uphold and defend thee, no counseller to take care for thee? Why art thou in these pangs of distresse, as a woman in travell?
And indeed, O my Church of Judea,10 Be in paine and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travell, for now shalt thou goe forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon, there shalt thou be delivered, there the Lord shall redeeme thee from the hand of thine enemies. I give thee leave to be grieved, and pained for a time; for thou shalt be driven forth of thy cities, and carryed away into the captivity of Babylon; but thou shalt not long lie under this affliction; the Lord thy God shall fetch thee thence, in his appointed time, and shall redeeme thee from the hand of thine enemies; and all this shall be, in a type of the state, and deliverance of my Church, from the hands of their spirituall enemies.
Even at this time many nations of the Assyrians and their assistants are conspiring together against thee;11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, let her bee defiled, and let our eyes looke upon Zion. that say, let us defile her streets with blood; and let our eye see Zion razed, and ruined.
Bur they little know what the Lord hath designed to them; they know not his counsell and purpose;12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsell, for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floore. viz. that he intends their destruction, and will suddainly gather them into their graves, as the sheaves, in the time of harvest, into the barne.
Arise then, O Jerusalem,13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make thine horne yron, and I will make thy hooves brasse, and thou shalt beate in pieces many people, and I will consecrate their gaine unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. the type of my Evangelicall Church; and be victorious over thine enemies, bee not thou wanting to the exercise of that power, which I have given thee; for I have made thee able to subdue all that rise up against thee, in which successefull victories, thou maist not challenge ought unto thy selfe, but shalt ascribe the gaine, and praise thereof wholly unto the Lord of the whole earth.
CAP. V.
NOw, O ye troupes of Assyrians, and Babylonians,1 Now gather thy self in troupes, O daughter of troupes, he hath laid siege against us, they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheeke gather your selves together, to lay your siege against Jerusalem; they shall offer scornfull usages to Ezekiah King of Judah.
And thou Bethleem Ephratah, though thou bee but one of the smallest cities, both for extent,2 But thou Bethleem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Iudah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have beene from of old, from everlasting. and for number of inhabitants, amongst all those of Judah; and therefore art easily taken, and over-runne by the great Assyrian invader; yet thou hast wherein thou maist exceedingly comfort thy selfe, and rejoyce above all other cities upon earth; for in thee shall the great Saviour of the world be borne; even that glorious King of his Church, who after his eternall generation of his Father, hath from the first beginnings of the world manifested and revealed himselfe to men.
3 Therefore will hee give them up untill the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth; then the remnant of his brethren shall returne unto the children of Israel.But in the meane time, he shall suffer his Israel to be grievously afflicted; his Church shall be in travaile of great sorrow, till she have received a deliverance thereof, by the birth of the blessed Messiah, who shall bee borne into the world; And then, the elect amongst the Gentiles, shall joyne themselves with the beleeving Israelites, and both shall make up the Church, and kingdome of Christ.
4 And he shall stand & feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majestie of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall abide, for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.And that great redeemer of the world shall continue and grow mighty in and through the strength of the Lord, and the Majesty and power of the Lord his God, wherewith his humane nature is inseparably united for ever; and shall be received, and adored to the very ends of the earth.
5 And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when hee shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seaven shepheards, and eight principall men.And this Saviour shall be our peace, and deliverance from all our enemies, even from the Assyrians, when they shall invade our land, and when they, and the Babylonians shall have taken our palaces and possessed them, then shall the power of Christ raise up unto us, many gracious Kings and Princes of the Medes and Persians which shall procure our restauration.
6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof.And those Persian Kings shall make waste the land of Assyria, with the sword, and the land of Babylon in the entrances thereof, &c.
7 And the remnant of Iacob shall be in the midst of many people, as a dew from the Lord, as the showres upon the grasse, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sonnes of men.And those Jewes which shall be called into the Church, shall be dispersed amongst many people, for their conversion; even as the dew or showers that God sends downe upon earth to fruiten it, without the aide or labour of man; so shall they be a meanes from God to diffuse the Gospell all over the world to the great behoofe and comfort of mankinde.
8 And the remnant of Iacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people, as a Lyon among the beasts of the forrest.And those that are converted to the Church, shall be so strong, and powerfull amongst the Gentiles, in the greatest part of the world, as that they shall bee able to prevaile against their opposers, and shall be awfull unto them, even as a Lyon amongst the beasts of the forrest, &c.
Thine hand, O my Church,9 Thine hand shall bee lift up upon thine adversaries. shall prevaile against thine adversaries, &c.
And in those daies of the Gospell, I will give an happy peace unto thee, O my Church,10 And it shall come to passe in that day, saith the Lord, that I wil cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy Chariots. so as thou shalt have no use of horses, or chariots for thy defence.
And I will take from thee all use of thy walled cities, and strong holds; since my protection, and thy peace shall be guard enough for thee.11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds.
Or, I will take from thee all confidence in thy horses and chariots, and defenced cities; and thy trust shall be wholly set upon me.
As for those wicked practises of sorcerers,12 And I will cut off witch-crafts out of thine hand, and thou shalt have no more soothsaiers. and soothsayers, whereof thou hadst wont to make use in thy doubts, and extremities, thou shalt have no more recourse unto them; but thou shalt consult with me in all occasions.
When all this shall be performed on thy part,14 So will I destroy thy cities. I will not be wanting unto thee; but will then destroy those cities of thine enemies which shall rise up against thee.
CAP. VI.
ARise (saith God to me) and call the very senselesse earth; even the hils and mountaines to record,1 Heare ye now what the Lord saith arise, contend thou before the moūtaines and let the hills heare the voice. of what I have to say against my people.
Now therefore, O ye mountaines of Israel and Judah whose roots seeme to reach downe to the foundations of the earth, heare ye, since men will not heare;2 Heare ye, O mountaines, the Lords controversie and the strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversie with his people. for the Lord hath a just quarrell against his people, &c.
Remember what answeres I did put into the mouth of Balaam, the son of Beor; how I drew blessings, even from his mouth, upon you, in stead of the curses,5 O my people, remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousnesse of the Lord. which Balak would have hired him, to utter against you; remember all my gracious dealings with thee in all the passages of the wildernesse, even from Shittim unto Gilgal, till thy very entrance into the land of promise; that ye may acknowledge the righteous proceedings of the Lord with you.
And that, in a true remorse of soule,6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord. ye may humble your selves before him, and say within your selves, wherewith shall I come before the Lord, &c.
And if thou shalt once enter into these holy,8 Hee hath shewed thee, O man, what is good. and penitent thoughts, O man, thou shalt not need to stay for a cleare and full direction from him; Loe, he hath already shewed thee what course to take; hee hath taught thee what is good, and acceptable to him, &c.
9 The Lords voice cryeth unto the city, and the man of wisedome shall see thy name, heare ye the rod and who hath appointed itThe voice of the Lord calleth (by me his Prophet) to the city of Jerusalem (and those that are wise-hearted will have a due and awfull respect to thy name, O Lord,) heare O Jerusalem, heare thou the sad newes of that sharpe rod of affliction, which is prepared for thee; and consider, who it is that hath appointed it, for thy correction.
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable.Notwithstanding all the reproofes, and menaces of my Prophets, are there not ill gotten goods scraped together, and hoarded up in the houses of thy wicked inhabitants? are there not false and scant measures which are abominable?
13 Therefore also will I make thee sicke in smiting thee.I will make thee sicke (even to death) with my sharpe and wounding stripes of affliction, &c.
14 And thy casting downe shall bee in the middest of thee, and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver, & that which thou deliverest, will I give up to the sword.Thy casting downe shall be in the midst of thine own streets, thou shalt fall, even within thine owne walls; and thou shalt take hold on thy children, to deliver them from the enemie, but thou shalt not rescue them; and those, whom thou hast obtained to deliver from the present slaughter, will I soone after give up to the sword.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the workes of the house of Ahab, and ye walke in their counsels, that I should make thee a desolation, & the inhabitants thereof an hissing, therefore ye shall beare the reproach of my people.For those impious statutes of Omri the Idolatrous King of Israel, the father of Ahab, are still kept by you and all the wicked practises of the house of Ahab, and Jezebel, are in use amongst you; and ye walke in their counsells, &c. Therefore ye shall justly undergoe that reproach, which is due to a people, of whom I have deserved so well, and have beene so ill requited.
CAP. VII.
1 Woe is me, for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage, there is no cluster to eate, my soule desired the first ripe fruit.WOe is me, that I can finde so small comfort of my labours; it is with me, as with a man that after the vintage is past, seeks for a cluster of grapes, but can finde none to eate; even so hath my soule desired (after all my preaching) to finde some godly men, (which would have beene to mee no lesse pleasing than the first ripe grape is to the palate) and behold, there is none to be found.
3 That they may doe evill with b…th hands earnestly, the Prince asketh, & the Iudge asketh for a reward: and the great man he uttereth his mischievous desires, so they wrap it up.That there may be no slackening of their indevours to doe evill, on all hands; the very Princes and Judges of my people seeke after bribes, to corrupt justice; the great man doth not modestly smother his wicked desires of unlawfull gaine, but openly professeth it; and so they contrive their mischiefe accordingly.
The very best of them teares,4 The best of them is as a brier the most upright is sharper then a thorne hedge, the day of thy watchmen, and thy visitation commeth, now shall be their perplexity. and scratches like a brier; the most upright wounds, and prickes deeper then a thorne hedge; therefore there is judgement ready at hand for them, the day is comming of thy sharp visitation, wherein thy rulers, and false prophets shall be plagued for their corruption; even now is their perplexity at hand.
Ye shall be put to such straits,5 Trust ye not in a friend put ye not confidence in a guide, keepe the doores of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosome. that every one shall be glad to shift for himselfe in silence; not daring to trust to a friend, or to a guide; or to disclose his counsell to the wife that lies in his bosome.
But every one shall be so intent upon his owne escape,6 For the sonne dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law, a mans enemies are the men of his owne house. and preservation, as that the sonne will not spare the honor of his Father, if that shall lie in his way; the daughter will be casting off the respects due to her mother, and much more the daughter in law will put off all regard of her mother in law; and a man shall be justly suspicious of his owne followers, and domesticke servants, lest they shall betray him.
Thus shall men be distracted with their feares,7 Therefore I will look unto the Lord. but as for me, I will looke unto the Lord, &c.
Rejoyce not too much in my misery, O Idumea,8 Rejoyce not against me, O mine enemy, when I fall, I shall arise. and Babylon; though I fal into captivity, yet I shal arise, &c.
Now shall Babylon be subdued,10 Now shall shee bee troden downe as the mire of the streets. and trampled under feet by the Medes and Persians.
In that day that thy walls,11 In the day that the walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. O Jerusalem are to be re-edifyed, in that day shall the decree that was procured, for the hinderance of the worke, be laid aside, and the indeavour of thine opposites shall be frustrated.
In that day shall those of Juda, and Israel,12 In that day also hee shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortresse, even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountaine to mountaine. flocke to thee out of Assyria, and from the strong cities of Aegypt and shall be re-established in their wonted fortresses, even as farre as to the bounds of Euphrates, and from one sea to another, all the land over.
Notwithstanding, in the meane time, for a space the land shall be desolate, &c.13 Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate.
In this meane time, O God, take thou care of thy people; Oh doe thou feede, and governe them;14 Feede thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage which dwel solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel, let them feede in Bashan and Gilead, as in the daies of old. by thy gracious protection; lead thou this flocke of thine heritage, which now dwell solitarily in the wildernesse of their captivity, into the midst of thy fruitfull pastures of Carmel; let them feed in the rich fields of Balan, and Gilead, as in former times.
Thy prayer is heard (saith the Lord;) I will doe thus for thee, O my people;15 According to the daies of thy comming out of the land of Aegypt will I shew unto him marvellous things. and as I did in the daies of thy comming out of Aegypt doe marvellous things for thee, so will I doe againe in thy comming out of Babylon.
17 They shall licke the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like wormes of the earth.The nations shall be humbled under the hand of my Church; they shall give way to them, to take possession of their former inheritance, and shall therefore move out of their places, as wormes move out of the holes of the earth, &c.