also take thy 'fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest 'for thee images of men, and didst play the harlot with 18 them; and thou tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them, and didst set mine oil and mine in19 cense before them. My 'bread' also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou Ididst even set it before them for a sweet savour, and thus it was; saith 20 the Lord GOD. Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Were thy whore21 doms a small matter, that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them lup, in causing them to pass through 22 the fire unto them? And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast weltering! 23 in thy blood. And it is come to

pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD,) (24 that thou hast built unto thee an

eminent place, and hast made thee a 25 lofty place in every street. Thou

hast built thy lofty place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty an abomination', and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whore26 dom1. Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians, thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast 'multiplied thy whoredom', to pro27 voke me to anger. Behold therefore,

I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine "ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which 28 are ashamed of thy lewd way.

Thou

hast played the harlot also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet thou wast! not 29 satisfied. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy whoredom in the land of Canaan, unto Chaldea; and yet thou 30 wast not satisfied herewith. °How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord

GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious 31 whorish woman; in that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest 'thy lofty' place in every street; and hast not been as Jan harlot, 'in that thou scornest hire. (32 A wife that committeth adultery!

Ithat taketh strangers instead of her 33 husband! "They give gifts to all harlots: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and 'bribest' them, that they may come unto thee on every 34 side for thy whoredoms. And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, 'in that none followeth thee to commit 'whoredom': and whereas thou givest hire', and no hire is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.

35 Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word 36 of the LORD: Thus saith the Lord GOD, Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers; and 'because of all the idols of thy abominations, and for the blood of thy children, which thou 37) didst give unto them; therefore behold, I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them against thee on every side', and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy 38 nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will 'bring upon thee the blood of fury (39) and jealousy. I will also give thee

into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and break down thy lofty places; 'and' they shall strip thee of thy clothes, and take thy fair jewels: and 'they' shall 40 leave thee naked and bare. They shall also bring up an assembly! against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through 41) with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgements upon thee in the sight of many women; and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou shalt also give no hire any

..a;

..

* 42 more.

So will I satisfy my fury upon thee, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, * 43) and will be no more angry. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; therefore behold, I also will bring thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.

44 Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is 45 her daughter. Thou art thy mother's daughter, that loatheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which loathed their husbands and their children: your mother was 'an' Hittite, and your 46) father an Amorite. And thine elder

sister is Samaria, that dwelleth' at thy left hand, she and her daughters : and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her 47 daughters. Yet hast thou not walked

in their ways, nor done after their abominations; but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast more 'cor48 rupt than they in all thy ways. As

I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou 49 and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom; pride, fulness of bread, and 'prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the 50 hand of the poor and needy.

And

they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. 51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins, but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters 'by! all thine abominations which thou hast 52) done. Thou also, bear thine own shame, in that thou hast given judgement for thy sisters; through' thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou also confounded, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy 53 sisters. And I will turn again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity

of Samaria and her daughters, 'and' the captivity of thy captives in the 54 midst of them: that thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be lashamed because of all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort 55 unto them. And thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, and thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate. 56 °For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy 57 pride; before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which Ido despite unto thee round about. 58 Thou hast borne thy lewdness and

thine abominations, saith the LORD. 59 °For thus saith the Lord GOD: I will

even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in break60 ing the covenant. "Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting 61) covenant. Then shalt thou remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder sisters and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daugh62 ters, but not by thy covenant. And

I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the 63 LORD: that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame; when I have forgiven' thee all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.

171 And the word of the LORD came 2 unto me, saying, Son of man, put

forth a riddle, and speak a parable 3 unto the house of Israel; and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions', full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, 4 and took the 'top' of the cedar: he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a 5 city of merchants. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful 'soil'; he placed it 'beside

1many waters; he set it as a willow 6 tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. 7)°There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend its roots toward' him, and shot forth its! branches toward him, 'from the 'beds' of its plantation, that he might water 8 it. It was planted in a good soil by "many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine. *9) °Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD:

Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves 'may wither; even without great power or much people to pluck it 10 up by the roots thereof? "Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the 'beds where it grew.

11

Moreover the word of the LORD 12 came unto me, saying, Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon camel to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon; 13) and he took' of the seed 'royal1, and made a covenant with him; he also 'brought him under an oath, and Itook away the mighty of the land: 14 that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it (15 might stand. But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? shall he break the cove16 nant, and yet escape1? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Baby17 lon he shall die. Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great

VERSION OF 1611.-great

company make for him in the war, when they cast' up mounts and 'build' 18 forts, to cut off many persons. For he hath despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold', he had given his hand, and yet hath done all these things; he shall not 19) escape. "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it upon his own head. 20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against 21 me. And all his fugitives in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered Itoward every wind: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it. (22

о

Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of his young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon * 23 an high mountain and eminent: in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.

18 (1 The word of the LORD came unto 2 me again, saying, "What mean ye, that ye use this proverb "concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the chil3 dren's teeth are set on edge?

As I

live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this 4 proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 5 °But if a man be just, and do that 6 which is lawful and right, and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath

5 Or, linl

Heb. judgement and righteousness.

a.

defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her 7 separation; and hath not 'wronged any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked 8 with a garment; he that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgement between man 9 and man, hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgements, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, (10 saith the Lord GOD. "If he beget

a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and 1that doeth any one of these 11 things, and that doeth not any of

those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neigh12 bour's wife, hath wronged the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath 13 committed abomination, hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase shall he then live? he shall not live he hath done all these abominations he shall surely 2die; his 14 blood shall be upon him. Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins, which he hath done, and feareth', and doeth not such like, 15 that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, 16 neither hath 'wronged' any, hath not

taken aught to pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, 17 that hath withdrawn' his hand from

the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgements, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his 18 father, he shall surely live. "As for

his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, behold', he shall 19 die in his iniquity. "Yet say ye, Wherefore! doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and

right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely 20 live. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of (21 the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he (22 shall not die. None of his transgressions that he hath committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he hath done he 23 shall live. Have I any pleasure lin

the death of the wicked? saith the Lord GOD: and not rather that he should return from his 'way', and live? 24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them 25 shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 26 °When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth therein; in his iniquity that he hath done 27 shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he 28 shall save his soul alive. "Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, 29 he shall not die. "Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways un30 equal? Therefore I will judge you,

O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. 'Return yel, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall 31 not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, 'wherein'

8 Or, so shall they not be la stumblingblock of iniquity unto you! Heb. stumbling block.

ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why (32 will ye die, O house of Israel? °For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live. 191 Moreover, take thou up a lamenta2) tion for the princes of Israel, and say, What was thy mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she 3 nourished her whelps. And she brought up one of her whelps; 'he! became a young lion : and 'he learned to catch the prey, 'he devoured men. 4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit: and they brought him with hooks unto the 5 land of Egypt. Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 6 °And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion: and The learned to catch the prey, 'hel (7 devoured men. "And he knew their 1palaces, and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, 'because of the noise 8 of his roaring. Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their 9 pit. And they put him in la cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strong holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

10

Thy mother was like a vine, 2in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason 11 of many waters. And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick 'boughs', and they were seen in their height with the 12 multitude of their branches. But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them. 13 °And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land'. 14 And fire is gone out of the rods of her branches, it hath devoured her fruit, so that there is in her1 no strong

1 Or, widows

2 See ch. xvi. 6. Or, in thy likeness 3 Heb. his.

VERSION OF 1611.

.32 (ye).

rod to be a sceptre to rule.

This

is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

201 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, 2) and sat before me. And the word

of the LORD came unto me, saying, 3 °Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD: Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of 4 by you. Wilt thou judge them, son

of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of 5 their fathers; and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD: In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your (6) God; in that day I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth lout of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the 7) glory of all lands: land' I said unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. 8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me; they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said I would' pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among whom they were, in whose sight I made my self known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I caused them to go forth out of

the land of Egypt, and brought them (11 into the wilderness. And I gave

them my statutes, and shewed them my judgements, which if a man do, he 12 shall live in them. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanc