if these three men also were in the land, as truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God, they shall save neither sons nor daughters, but be only delivered themselves: and as for the land, it shall be waste.

Moreover, thus sayeth the LORD God: Though I send my four troublous plagues upon Jerusalem - the sword, hunger, perilous beasts, and pestilence, to destroy man and beast out of it -

Behold, it is cast into the fire to be burnt; the fire consumeth both the ends of it, the midst is burnt to ashes. Is it mete then for any work? No.

Seeing then, that it was mete for no work, being whole: much less may there anything be made of it, when the fire hath consumed and burnt it.

And therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Like as I cast the vine into the fire for to be burnt, as other trees of the wood: Even so will I do with them that dwell in Jerusalem,

and set my face against them: they shall go out from the fire, and yet the fire shall consume them. Then shall ye know that I am the LORD: when I set my face against them,

No man regarded that so much, as to do any of these things for thee, or to show thee such favour, but thou wast utterly cast out upon the field: yea, despised wast thou in the day of thy birth.

Insomuch, that thy beauty was spoken of among the Heathen, for thou wast excellent in my beauty, which I put upon thee, sayeth the LORD God.

My meat which I gave thee, as simnels, oil and honey to feed thee withal, that hast thou set before them, for a sweet savour. And this came also to pass, sayeth the LORD God.

I will give thee over into their power, that shall break down thy stews, and destroy thy brothel houses: they shall strip thee out of thy clothes, all thy fair and beautiful Jewels shall they take from thee, and so let thee sit naked and bare.

Therefore thou which didst condemn thy sister: bear thine own shame, for thine own offences that thou hast committed - more abominable than they did, which indeed are more righteous than thou art. Be thou, I say, ashamed; and bear thy shameful rebuke, seeing that thou has proven thy sisters in comparison of the righteous.

As for their captivity, namely the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters: I will bring them again. So will I also bring again thy captivity among them:

For thus sayeth the LORD God: I should, by right, deal with thee, as thou hast done. Thou hast despised the oath, and broken the covenant.

Neither shall Pharaoh, with his great host and multitude of people, maintain him in the war: when they cast up ditches, and set up bulwarks to destroy much people.

For seeing he hath despised the oath, and broken the covenant - whereas he yet gave his hand thereupon - and done all these things, he shall not escape.

As for those that flee from him out of the host, they shall be slain with the sword. The residue shall be scattered toward all the winds: and ye shall know, that I the LORD have spoken it.

As for his father, because he oppressed and spoiled his brother, and did wickedly among his people: Lo, he is dead in his own sin.

For I desire not the death of a sinner, saith the Lord Jehovah, but rather that he should turn from his way, and live.

"As for me, I will judge every man, according to his ways, O ye house of Israel, sayeth the LORD God. Wherefore be converted, and turn you clean from all your wickedness, so shall there no sin do you harm.

But mourn thou for the princes of Israel,

Then came the heathen together on every side out of all countries against him, laid their nets for him, and took him in their pit.

"As for thy mother, she is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waterside: her fruits and branches are grown out of many waters,

her stalks were so strong that men might have made staves thereof for officers, she grew so high in her stalks. So when men saw that she exceeded the height and multitude of her branches,

she was rooted out in displeasure, and cast down to the ground. The East wind dried up her fruit; her strong stalks were broken off, withered, and burnt in the fire.

And there is a fire gone out of her stalks, which hath burnt up her branches and her fruit: so that she hath no more strong stalks, to be staves for officers. This is a piteous and miserable thing."

In the seventh year, the tenth day of the fifth Month, it happened that certain of the elders of Israel came unto me, for to ask counsel at the LORD, and sat them down by me.

even in the day that I lift up mine hand over them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, into a land that I have provided for them, which floweth with milk and honey, and it is a pleasant land among all others:

Then said I unto them, 'Cast away every man the abominations that he hath before him, and defile not yourselves with the Idols of Egypt, for I am the LORD your God.'

But I would not do it, for my name's sake: that it should not be unhallowed before the Heathen, among whom they dwelt, and among whom I showed myself unto them, that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt.

Yet I would not do it, for my name's sake: lest it should be dishonored before the Heathen, from the which I had carried them away.

And that because they refused my laws, and walked not in my commandments, but had unhallowed my Sabbaths - for their heart was gone after their Idols.

for I am the LORD your God. But walk in my statutes; keep my laws and do them;

hallow my Sabbaths: for they are a token betwixt me and you, that ye may know how that I am the LORD.'

Nevertheless, I withdrew my hand for my name's sake, lest it should be unhallowed among the Heathen, before whom I had brought them forth.

and I unhallowed them in their own gifts when I appointed for myself all their firstborn, to make them desolate: that they might know, how that I am the LORD.'

For after I had brought them into the land that I promised to give them, when they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees: they made there offerings, and provoked me with their oblations, making sweet savours there, and poured out their drink offerings.

And as for the thing that ye go about, it shall not come to pass, whereas ye say, 'We will be as the Heathen, and do as other people in the land: wood and stone will we worship.'

The forsakers also and the transgressors will I take from among you, and bring them out of the land of your habitations: As for the land of Israel, they shall not come in it: that they may know how that I am the LORD.

There shall ye call to remembrance your own ways and all your imaginations, wherein ye have been defiled: and ye shall be displeased with your own selves, for all your wickedness, that ye have done.

and say to the wood toward the south, 'Hear the word of the LORD, thus sayeth the LORD God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, that shall consume thee green trees with the dry. No man shall be able to quench his flame, but all that looketh from the south to the north shall be burnt therein.

Mourn therefore, O thou son of man, that thy loins crack withal; yea mourn bitterly for them.

And if they say, 'Wherefore mournest thou?' Then tell them, 'For the tidings that cometh, at the which all hearts shall melt, all hands shall be letten down, all stomachs shall faint, and all knees shall wax feeble.' Behold, it cometh, and shall be fulfilled, sayeth the LORD God.'"

Sharpened is it for the slaughter, and scoured that it may be bright. O, the destroying staff of my son shall bring down all wood.

Cry, O thou son of man, and howl: for this sword shall smite my people, and all the rulers in Israel, which with my people shall be slain down to the ground through this sword. Smite therefore thou upon thy thigh, for it is gone forth to make a trial.

to make them abashed and faint at the hearts, and in all gates to make some of them fall. O how bright and sharp is it, how well dight and mete for the slaughter.

For the king of Babylon shall stand in the turning of the way, at the head of the two trees: to ask counsel at the soothsayers, casting the lots with his arrows; to ask counsel at the Idols, and to look in the liver.

Nevertheless, as for the soothsaying, they shall hold it but for vanity; even as though a jest were told them. Yea and they themselves remember their wickedness, so that by right they must be taken and won.

and pour my indignation upon thee, and will blow upon thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee unto cruel people, which are learned to destroy.

Thou shalt feed the fire and thy blood shall be shed in the land, that thou mayest be put out of remembrance. Even I the LORD have spoken it.'"

Whether they be nigh or far from thee, they shall laugh thee to scorn; thou that hast gotten thee so foul a name, and art full of mischief.

"Thou son of man, the house of Israel is turned to dross. All they that should be brass, tin, iron and lead, are in the fire become dross.

like as silver, and brass, iron, tin, and lead, are put together in the furnace and the fire blown there under to melt them: Even so will I gather you, put you in together, and melt you in my wrath and indignation.

I will bring you together, and kindle the fire of my cruel displeasure under you, that ye may be melted therein.

Like as the silver is melted in the fire, so shall ye also be melted therein: that ye may know, how that I the LORD have poured my wrath upon you."

Thy rulers in thee are like ravishing wolves, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, for their own covetous lucre.

As for thy Prophets, they daub with untempered clay, they see vanities, and prophesy lies unto thee, saying, 'The LORD God sayeth so,' where as the LORD hath not spoken.

And I sought in the land for a man, that would make up the hedge, and set himself in the gap before me in the lands behalf, that I should not utterly destroy it: but I could find none.

Therefore will I poured out my cruel displeasure upon them, and burn them in the fire of my wrath: their own ways will I recompense upon their heads, sayeth the LORD God.'"

As for Oholah, she began to go a whoring, when I had taken her to me. She was set on fire upon her lovers the Assyrians,

which had to do with her: even the princes and lords, that were decked in costly array: fair young men, lusty riders of horses.

Neither ceased she from the fornication, that she used with the Egyptians: for in her youth they lay with her, they bruised the breasts of her maidenhead, and poured their whoredom upon her.

she loved the Assyrians, which also lay with her: namely, the princes and great lords, that were clothed with all manner of gorgeous apparel, all lusty horsemen and fair young persons.

But she increased still in whoredom: for when she saw men painted upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans set forth with fresh colors,

with fair girdles about them, and goodly bonnets upon their heads, looking all like princes after the manner of the Babylonians and Chaldeans in their own land, where they be born,

immediately, as soon as she saw them, she burnt in love upon them, and sent messengers for them into the land of the Chaldeans.

Namely, the Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans: Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, with all the Assyrians: all young and fair lovers, princes and lords, knights and gentlemen, which be all good horsemen.

I will put my jealousy upon thee, so that they shall deal cruelly with thee. They shall cut off thy nose and thine ears, and the remnant shall fall through the sword. They shall carry away thy sons and daughters, and the residue shall be burnt in the fire.

For thus sayeth the LORD: Behold, I will deliver thee into the hands of them whom thou hatest: yea, even into the hands of them with whom thou hast fulfilled thy lust.

Thus sayeth the LORD God: Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup, how deep and far soever it be to the bottom. Thou shalt be laughed to scorn, and had as greatly in derision, as is possible.

Thou shalt be full of drunkenness and sorrow, for the cup of thy sister Samaria is a cup of destruction and wasting:

The same shalt thou drink, and sup it out even to the dregs. Yea, thou shalt eat up the broken pieces of it, and so tear thine own breasts: for even I have spoken it, sayeth the LORD God.

For when they had slain their children for their idols, they came the same day into my Sanctuary to defile it. Lo, this have they done in my house.

Beside all this, thou hast sent thy messengers for men out of far countries: and when they came, thou hast bathed, trimmed and set forth thyself of the best fashion.

Then was there great cheer with her: and the men that were sent from far countries over the desert, unto these they gave bracelets upon their hands, and set glorious crowns upon their heads.

O ye all that love virtue and righteousness, judge them! Punish them as adulterers and murderers ought to be judged and punished. For they are breakers of wedlock, and the blood is in their hands.

these shall stone them and gore them with their swords. They shall slay their sons and daughters and burn up their houses with fire.

And so they shall lay your filthiness upon your own selves, and ye shall be punished for the sins that ye have committed with your Idols: and ye shall know that I am the LORD."

for the blood is yet in it. Upon a plain dry stone hath she poured it, and not upon the ground, that it might be covered with dust.

Wherefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: O woe be unto that bloodthirsty city, for whom I will prepare a heap of wood.

Bear thou the bones together, kindle thou the fire, seeth the flesh, let all be well sodden, that the bones may be sucked out.

Thy filthiness is abominable, for I would have cleansed thee, but thou wouldest not be cleansed. Thou canst not be purged from thine uncleanness, till I have poured my wrathful indignation upon thee.

Thus Ezekiel is your show token. For look, as he hath done, so, when this cometh, ye shall do also: that ye may learn to know that I am the LORD God.'"

Then shall there one escape, and come unto thee, for to show thee.

As for Rabbah, I will make of it a stall for camels, and of Ammon a sheepfold: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

For thus sayeth the LORD God: Insomuch as thou hast clapped with thine hands, and stamped with thy feet; yea, rejoiced in thine heart over the land of Israel with despite;

"'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Forsomuch as Moab and Seir do say, 'As for the house of Judah, it is but like as all other Gentiles be,'

"Thou son of man, because that Tyre hath spoken upon Jerusalem, 'Aha, now I trow the ports of the people be broken, and she turned unto me, for I have destroyed my belly full.'

For thus sayeth the LORD God: Behold, I will bring hither Nebuchadnezzar, which is the king of Babylon and a king of kings, from the North upon Tyre: with horses, chariots, horsemen, and with a great multitude of people.

His slings and battle-rams shall he prepare for thy walls, and with his weapons break down thy towers.

I will make a bare stone of thee; yea, a drying place for nets, and shall never be builded again: For even I the LORD have spoken it, sayeth the LORD God.

They shall mourn for thee, and say unto thee, 'O thou noble city, that hast been so greatly occupied of old, thou that hast been the strongest upon the sea with thine inhabiters of whom all men stood in fear: How art thou now so utterly destroyed?'

Now at the time of thy fall the inhabiters of the Isles, Yea, and the Isles themselves, shall stand in fear at thine end.

For thus sayeth the LORD God: when I make thee a desolate city, as other cities be, that no man dwell in, and when I bring the deep upon thee, that great waters may cover thee:

I will make an end of thee, and thou shalt be gone. Though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou not be found for evermore, sayeth the LORD God."

Javan, Tubal and Meshech were thy merchants, which brought the men, and ornaments of metal for thy occupying.

They of Dedan were thy merchants: and many other Isles that occupied with thee, brought thee wethers, elephant bones and Peacocks for a present.

Dedan occupied with thee, in fair tapestry work and cushions.

They shall shave themselves, and put sackcloth upon them for thy sake. They shall mourn for thee with heartful sorrow

and heavy lamentation; yea, their children also shall weep for thee. Alas, what city hath so been destroyed in the sea, as Tyre is?

Die shalt thou, even as the uncircumcised in the hands of the enemies: for I myself have spoken it, sayeth the LORD God.'"