Hear O heaven, and hearken O earth, for the LORD hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they are fallen away from me.

Alas for this sinful nation, which are expert in blasphemies; a seed of ungracious people, corrupt in their ways. They have forsaken the LORD; they have provoked the holy one of Israel unto anger, and are gone backward.

Wherefore should ye be plagued any more? For ye are ever falling away. The whole head is sick, and the heart is very heavy.

From the sole of the foot unto the head, there is no whole part in all your body: but all are wounds, botches, sores and stripes, which can neither be helped, bound up, mollified, nor eased with any ointment.

Your land lieth waste, your cities are burnt up, your enemies devour your land, and ye must be fain to stand, and look upon it: and it is desolate, as it were with enemies in a battle.

Offer me no more oblations, for it is but lost labour. I abhor your incense. I may not away with your new moons, your Sabbaths and solemn days. Your fastings are also in vain.

When ye hold out your hands, I will turn my eyes from you. And though ye make many prayers, yet will I hear nothing at all; for your hands are full of blood.

Thy princes are traitors and companions of thieves. They love gifts altogether, and gape for rewards. As for the fatherless, they help him not to his right, neither will they let the widows causes come before them.

For the transgressors and ungodly, and such as are become unfaithful unto the LORD, must altogether be utterly destroyed.

Ye shall be as an oak whose leaves are fallen away, and as a garden that hath no moistness.

For Jerusalem is overthrown, and Judah must fall to the ground, because that both their words and counsels are against the LORD, they provoke the presence of his Majesty unto anger.

Children are extortioners of my people, and women have rule of them. O my people, thy leaders deceive thee, and tread out the way of thy footsteps.

Moreover, thus sayeth the LORD, "Seeing the daughters of Zion are become so proud, and come in with stretched out necks, and with vain wanton eyes; seeing they come in tripping so nicely with their feet:

Then shall the remnant in Zion and the remnant at Jerusalem be called holy - namely, all such as are written among the living at Jerusalem -

Woe unto them that rise up early to use themselves in drunkenness, and yet at night are more superfluous with wine.

In those companies are harps and lutes, tabrets and pipes, and wine. But they regard not the work of the LORD, and consider not the operation of his hands.

Woe be unto them that are wise in their own sight, and think themselves to have understanding.

Woe be unto them that are cunning men to sup out wine and expert to set up drunkenness.

Their arrows are sharp, and their bows bent. Their horses' hoofs are like flint, and their cart wheels like a stormy wind.

For at the same time shall the LORD whistle for the flies that are about the water of Egypt, and for the bees in the Assyrian land.

And as for all hills that now are hewn down, thou shalt not come upon them, for fear of briers and thorns. But the cattle shall be driven thither, and the sheep shall feed there."

"Round with none of them, whosoever say, 'Yonder people are bound together.' Nevertheless fear them not, neither be afraid of them,

But lo, as for me, and the children which the LORD hath given me: we are a token and a wonder in Israel, for the LORD of Hosts' sake, which dwelleth upon the hill of Zion.

For all they which inform the people that they be in a right cause, such be deceivers. Such as men think also to be perfect among these, are but cast aways.

Therefore shall the LORD have no pleasure in their young men, neither favour their fatherless and widows. For they are all together hypocrites and wicked, and all their mouths speak folly. After all this shall not the LORD's wrath cease, but yet his hand shall be stretched out still.

wherethrough the poor are oppressed on every side, and the innocents of my people are therewith robbed of judgment: that widows may be your prey, and that ye may rob the fatherless.

for he sayeth, "Are not my princes all kings?

My hand hath found out the Hosts of the people, as it were a nest. And like as eggs, that were laid here and there, are gathered together: So do I gather all countries. And there is no man, that dare be so bold as to touch a feather, that dare open his mouth, or once whisper."

After that day shall the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped out of the house of Jacob, seek no more comfort at him that smote them, but shall comfort themselves with faithfulness and truth in the LORD, the holy one of Israel.

Madmannah shall tremble for fear, but the citizens of Gebim are manly,

At the same time shall the LORD take in hand again, to conquer the remnant of his people which are left alive: From the Assyrians, Egyptians, Arabians, Ethiopians, Elamites, Chaldeans, Antiochians and Islands of the sea.

and thou art cast out of thy grave like a wild branch - like as dead men's raiment that are shot through with the sword, as they that go down to the stones of the deep, as a dead corpse that is trodden under feet -

Because the waters of Dimon were full of blood, I will add more unto Dimon: and lions upon the remnant of the land, and on them that are escaped.

Gather your counsel, come together in judgment; cover us with your shadow in the midday, as the night doth: hide the chased, and betray not them that are fled.

We have heard of the pride of Moab: it is well known. He is very proud, presumptuous, arrogant, and full of indignation, and vain are his lies.

Therefore shall Moab make lamentation because of the Moabites that shall be slain: yea, they shall wail all together. Because of the foundations of the city of brick shall ye complain, even ye lame people that are left only behind.

And shall not turn to the altars that are the work of his own hands, neither shall he look upon groves and images, which his fingers have wrought.

I am come of the old regal Progeny"? Where are they? Where are now thy wise men? Let them tell thee, if they can, what the LORD of Hosts hath taken in hand against Egypt.

The princes of Zoan are become fools, and the princes of Noph are deceived: yea, they deceive Egypt with their nobility of their stock.

Moreover, they that dwell in the Isles shall say even the same day, 'Behold, thus are we regarded! Whither shall we fly for help, that we might be delivered from the king of the Assyrians? How will we escape?'"

And behold, here cometh a chariot of men with two horsemen." And he answered and said, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen! She is turned upside down, and all the images of her gods are smitten to the ground!"

Meet the thirsty with water, O ye citizens of Tema; meet those with bread that are fled.

O thou city of miracles, seditious and willful? Thy slain men are neither killed with sword, nor dead in battle.

For all thy Captains gat them to their horses from the ordinance, yea they are all together ridden away, and fled far off.

Therefore hath the curse consumed the earth; and they that dwell therein are fallen into trespass. Wherefore the inhabiters of the earth are perished with drought, and those that remain shall be very few.

For it shall happen unto all lands and to all people, like as when a man smiteth down the olives, that are left upon the tree: or seeketh after grapes, when the wine gathering is out.

Fearfulness, the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O thou that dwellest upon the earth.

Upon the hill shall he take away the side veil that hangeth before the face of all people, and the covering wherewith all Gentiles are covered.

The malicious tyrants when they die, are neither in life nor in the resurrection, for thou visitest them and rootest them out, and destroyest all the memorial of them.

Like as a woman with child, when her travail cometh upon her, is sorry and crieth in her pains: Even so are we, O LORD, in thy sight.

But as for thy dead men and ours, that be departed, they are in life and resurrection. They lie in the earth, they wake, and have joy: for thy dew is a dew of life and light. But the place of the malicious Tyrants is fallen away.

For behold, the LORD will go out of his habitation, and visit the wickedness of them that dwell upon earth. The earth also shall disclose her own blood, and shall no more hide those that are slain in her.

Woe be to the crown of pride, even to the drunken people of Ephraim, whose great pomp is as a flower that fadeth away upon the head of the valley of such as be in wealth, and are overladen with wine.

But they go wrong by the reason of wine, they fall and stagger because of strong drink. Yea even the priests and prophets themselves go amiss, they are drunken with wine, and weak brained through strong drink. They fail in prophesying, and stumble in judgment.

For all tables are so full of vomit and filthiness, that no place is clean.

Whom then shall such one teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand the thing that he heareth? For they are as ignorant as young children, which are weeded from suck or taken from the breasts.

For ye comfort yourselves thus: "Tush, we have made a covenant with death, and with hell we are at an agreement. Though there break out any sore plague, it shall not come upon us. For with deceit will we escape, and with nimbleness will we defend ourselves."

Ponder these things once in your mind, and wonder: Blinded are they themselves, and the blind guides of others; they are drunken, but not with wine; they are unstable, but not through strong drink.

Yet standeth the LORD waiting, that he may have mercy upon you, and lifteth himself up, that he may receive you to grace. For the LORD God is righteous. Happy are all they that wait for him.

Now the Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit. And as soon as the LORD stretcheth out his hand: then shall the helper fall, and he that should have been helped, and they shall all together be destroyed.

These are the perilous weapons of the covetous, these be his shameful counsels: that he may beguile the poor with deceitful works, yea, even there as he should give sentence with the poor.

For as the infants weep when their mothers' teats are dried, so shall you weep for your fair fields and fruitful vineyards.

and that their spoil may be gathered, as the grasshoppers are commonly gathered together into the pit.

Let truth and faithfulness be in her time: power, health, wisdom, knowledge and the fear of God are her treasure.

The streets are waste, there walketh no man therein; the covenant is broken, the cities are despised; they are not regarded,

the desolate earth is in heaviness. Lebanon taketh it but for a sport, that it is hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness: Bashan and Carmel are turned upside down.

And the people shall be burnt like lime, and as thorns burn that are hewn off, and cast in the fire."

Now hearken to, ye that are far off, how I do with them; and consider my glory, ye that be at hand.

The sinners at Zion are afraid, and a sudden fearfulness is come upon the hypocrites. "What is he among us," say they, "that will dwell by that consuming fire? Which of us may abide that everlasting heat?"

For the glorious Majesty of the LORD shall there be present among us. In that place, where fair broad rivers and streams are, shall neither Galley row, nor great ship sail.

There are the cords so laid abroad, that they cannot be better; The mast set up of such a fashion, that no banner nor sail hangeth thereon; but there is dealt great spoil: yea, lame men run after the prey;

When kings are called upon, there shall be none, and all princes shall be away.

Say unto them that are of a fearful heart, "Be of good cheer, and fear not. Behold, your God cometh, to take vengeance, and to reward, God cometh his own self, and will deliver you."

The LORD thy God, no doubt, hath well considered the words of Rabshakeh, whom his lord the king of the Assyrians hath sent, to defy and blaspheme the living God: with such words as the LORD thy God hath heard right well. And therefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that yet are left.'"

And such of the house of Judah as are escaped, shall come together, and the remnant shall take root beneath, and bring forth fruit above.

Behold, all people are in comparison of him, as a drop to a bucketful, and are counted as the least thing that the balance weigheth. Behold, the Isles are in comparison of him, as the shadow of the sunbeam.

Lebanon is not sufficient to minister fire for his offering, and all the beasts thereof are not enough to one sacrifice.

All people in comparison of him are reckoned as nothing, yea vain vanity and emptiness.

That he sitteth upon the Circle of the world, and that all the inhabiters of the world are, in comparison of him, but as grasshoppers; That he spreadeth out the heavens as a covering, he stretcheth them out as a tent to dwell in;

"How may then Jacob think, or how may Israel say, 'My ways are hid from the LORD, and my God knoweth not of my judgments.'

Children are weary and faint, and the strongest men fall:

Let the gods come forth themselves, and show us the things that are past, what they be: let them declare them unto us, that we may take them to heart, and know them hereafter.

Behold, ye gods are of naught, and your making is of naught; yea, abominable is the man that hath chosen you.

The first is he that shall say unto Zion, "Behold, behold, they are present!" And to Israel itself will I give an Evangelist.

Lo, wicked are they and vain, with the things also that they take in hand: yea, their images are but wind and emptiness.

Behold, old things are come to pass, and new things I do declare; and before they come I tell you of them."

I will bring the blind into the street, that they know not: and lead them in to a foot path, that they are ignorant in. I shall make darkness light before them, and the thing that is crooked to be straight. These things will I do, and not forget them.

And therefore let them convert, and be ashamed earnestly, that hope in Idols and say to fashioned images, "Ye are our gods."

They are like, as if thou understoodest much, and keptest nothing: or if one heard well, but were not obedient.

But I bring you witnesses, sayeth the LORD: even those that are my servants, whom I have chosen - to the intent that ye might be certified and give me faithful credence. Yea, and to consider, that I am he before whom there was never any God, and there shall be none after me.

Thus sayeth the LORD the holy one of Israel, your redeemer, "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and brought down the strongest of them. All they are fugitive with the Chaldeans that boast them of their ships:

For what is he that ever was like me, which am from everlasting? Let him show his name, and do wherethrough he may be likened unto me. Let him tell you forth, plainly, things that are past, and for to come:

All carvers of Images are but vain, and the carved images that they love can do no good. They must bear record themselves, that seeing they can neither see nor understand they shall be confounded.

Yet men neither consider nor understand; because their eyes are stopped that they cannot see, and their hearts, that they can not perceive.

Be glad ye heavens, whom the LORD hath made, let all that is here beneath upon the earth, be joyful. Rejoice ye mountains and woods, with all the trees that are in you: for the LORD shall redeem Jacob, and show his glory upon Israel.

Let them be gathered and come together, let them draw nigh hither, that are escaped of the people: Have they any understanding, that set up the stocks of their Idols, and praise unto a god, that cannot help them?

They are sunk down, and fallen together; for they may not ease them of their burden, therefore must they go into captivity.

Remember the things which are past, since the beginning of the world: that I am God, and that there is else no God, yea, and that there is nothing like unto me.

In the beginning of a thing, I show the end thereof: and I tell before, things that are not yet come to pass. With one word is my device accomplished, and fulfilleth all my pleasure.

Hear me, O ye that are of a high stomach, but far from righteousness: