Wherefore I gave them also commandments that were not good, and laws through the which they should not live,

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.

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.

Then said I, "O LORD, they will say of me, 'Tush, they are but fables that he telleth.'"

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.'"

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.

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.

In thee have they despised father and mother, in thee have they oppressed the stranger, in thee have they vexed the widow and the fatherless.

Murderers are there in thee, that shed blood, and eat upon the hills, and in thee they use unhappiness.

In thee have they discovered their fathers' shame, in thee have they vexed women in their sickness.

"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.

thy Prophets that are in thee are sworn together to devour souls, like as a roaring Lion that liveth by his prey. They receive riches and good, and make many widows in thee.

Thy priests break my law, and defile my Sanctuary. They put no difference between the holy and unholy, neither discern between the clean and unclean: they turn their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am unhallowed among them.

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.

The people in the land useth wicked extortion and robbery. They vex the poor and needy and oppress the stranger against right.

These, when they were young, began to play the harlots in Egypt. There were their breasts bruised, and the paps of their maidenhead destroyed.

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.

These discovered her shame, took her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword: An evil name gat she of all people, and they punished her.

Then I saw, that they both were defiled alike.

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,

Now when the Babylonians came to her, they lay with her, and defiled her with their whoredom, and so was she polluted with them. And when her lust was abated from them,

These shall come upon thee with horses, chariots, and a great multitude of people: which shall be harnessed about thee on every side, with breastplates, shields and helmets. I will punish thee before them; yea, they themselves shall punish thee according to their own judgment.

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.

They shall strip thee out of thy clothes, and carry thy costly jewels away with them.

Which shall deal cruelly with thee: All thy labour shall they take with them, and leave thee naked and bare, and thus the shame of thy filthy whoredom shall come to light.

namely, that they have broken their wedlock, and stained their hands with blood: yea even with their idols have they committed adultery, and offered them their own children to be devoured, whom they have born unto me.

Yea, and this have they done unto me also: they have defiled my Sanctuary in that same day, and have unhallowed my Sabbath.

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.

And they went into her, as unto a common harlot: Even so went they also to Oholah and Oholibah those filthy women.

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."

In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, that thou mayest speak, and be no more dumb: Yea, and thou shalt be their show token, that they may know how that I am the LORD."

and say unto the Ammonites, 'Hear the word of the LORD God. Thus sayeth the LORD God: Forsomuch as thou speakest over my Sanctuary, 'Aha,' I trow it be now suspended; and over the land of Israel, I trow it be now desolate; yea, and over the house of Judah, I trow they be now led away prisoners.

Behold, I will deliver thee to the people of the east, that they may have thee in possession: these shall set their castles and houses in thee. They shall eat thy fruit, and drink up thy milk.

These will I open unto them of the east, that they may fall upon the Ammonites: and will give it them in possession: so that the Ammonites shall no more be had in remembrance among the Heathen.

Even thus will I punish Moab also, that they may know how that I am the LORD.

therefore thus sayeth the LORD: I will reach out mine hand upon Edom, and take away man and beast out of it. From Teman unto Dedan will I make it desolate; they shall be slain with the sword.

Through my people of Israel will I avenge me again upon Edom: they shall handle him, according to my wrath and indignation, so that they shall know my vengeance, sayeth the LORD God.

A great vengeance will I take upon them, and punish them cruelly: that they may know how that I am the LORD, which have avenged me of them.'"

her daughters upon the field shall perish with the sword, that they may know how that I am the LORD.

The dust of his horses shall cover thee, they shall be so many: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, chariots and wheels when he cometh to thy ports, as men do into an open city.

They shall waste away thy riches, and spoil thy merchandise. Thy walls shall they break down, and destroy thy houses of pleasure. Thy stones, thy timber and foundations shall they cast in the water.

Thus will I bring the melody of thy songs, and the voice of thy minstrelsy to an end, so that they shall no more be heard.

All kings of the sea shall come down from their seats regal: they shall lay away their robes, and put off their costly clothing. Yea, with trembling shall they be clothed, they shall sit upon the ground: they shall be afraid at thy sudden fall, and be abashed at thee.

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?'

All thy tables have they made of Cypress trees of the mount Senir. From Lebanon have they taken Cedar trees, to make the masts:

and the Oaks of Bashan to make the rowers. Thy boards have they made of ivory, and of costly wood out of the Isle of Chittim.

They of Sidon and Arvad were thy mariners, and the wisest in Tyre were thy shipmasters.

The eldest and wisest at Gebal were they, that mended and stopped thy ships. All ships of the sea with their shipment occupied their merchandise in thee.

They of Arvad were with thine host round about thy walls, and were thy watchmen upon thy towers, these hanged up their shields round about thy walls, and made thee marvelous goodly.

They of the house of Togarmah brought unto thee at the time of thy mart, horse, horsemen and mules.

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

The merchants of Sheba and Raamah have occupied also with thee, in all costly spices, in all precious stones and gold, which they brought unto thy markets.

They shall lift up their voice because of thee, and make a lamentable cry. They shall cast dust upon their heads, and lie down in the ashes.

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

All they that dwell in the Isles are abashed at thee, and all their kings are afraid; yea, their faces have changed colour.

They shall cast thee down to the pit, so that thou shalt die in the midst of the sea,

as they that be slain. Let see, if thou wilt say then, before them that slay thee, 'I am God' - whereas thou art but a man and not God, in the hands of them that slayeth thee.

All they that have been acquainted with thee among the Heathen, shall be abashed at thee: seeing thou art so clean brought to naught, and comest no more up.'"

For I will send pestilence and blood shedding into her streets, so that those which be slain with the sword shall lie round about in the midst of her: and they shall know, that I am the LORD.

She shall no more be a pricking thorn, and a hurting brier unto the house of Israel, nor unto them that lie round about her and hate her: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Thus sayeth the LORD God: When I gather the household of Israel together again from the nations among whom they be scattered: then shall I be sanctified in them in the sight of the Gentiles, and they shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob.

They shall dwell safely therein, build houses, and plant vineyards. Yea, safely shall they dwell therein, when I have punished all those that despise them round about: and then shall they know that I am the LORD their God.

that all they which dwell in Egypt, may know, that I am the LORD: because thou hast been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

When they took hold of thee with their hand thou breakest and prickest them on every side: and if they leaned upon thee, thou brakest and hurtest the reins of their backs.

Yea, the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste, and they shall know that I am the LORD: Because he said, 'The water is mine, I myself have made it.'

Again, thus sayeth the LORD God: When the forty years are expired I will gather the Egyptians together again, out of the nations, among whom they were scattered,

and will bring the prisoners of Egypt again into the land of Pathros their own native country, that they may be there a lowly small kingdom:

Yea, they shall be the smallest among the other kingdoms, lest they exalt themselves above the Heathen, for I will so diminish them,

that they shall no more rule the Heathen. They shall no more be a hope unto the house of Israel, neither provoke them any more to wickedness, to cause them turn back, and follow them: and they shall know, that I am the LORD God.'"

For the work which he wrought about it, I have given him the land of Egypt, because they wrought for me, sayeth the LORD God.

At the same time will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to grow forth, and open thy mouth again among them: that they may know how that I am the LORD."

Thus sayeth the LORD: The maintainers of the land of Egypt shall fall, the pride of her power shall come down: even unto the tower of Syene shall they be slain down with the sword, sayeth the LORD God.

Among other desolate countries they shall be made desolate, and among other waste cities they shall be wasted.

And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I kindle a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers are destroyed.

he and his people with him. Yea, and the cruel tyrants of the Heathen shall be brought to destroy the land. They shall draw out their swords upon Egypt and fill the land full of slain men.

Thus will I punish Egypt, that they may know how that I am the LORD."

And that when I scatter the Egyptians among the Gentiles, and straw them in the lands about, they may know that I am the LORD."

so that from henceforth, no tree in the water shall attain to his highness, nor reach his top unto the clouds, neither shall any tree of the water stand so high, as he hath done. For unto death shall they all be delivered under the earth, and go down to the grave, like other men.

I will make the Heathen shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell, with them that descend into the pit. All the trees of Eden, with all the chosen and best trees of Lebanon, yea, and all they that are planted upon the waters, shall mourn with him also in the lower habitations:

for they shall go down to hell with him, unto them that be slain with the sword, which dwelt afore under the shadow of his arm among the Heathen.

Yea, I will make many people with their kings so afraid through thee, that their hair shall stand up, when I shake my sword at their faces. Suddenly shall they be astonished, every man in himself, at the day of thy fall.

with the swords of the worthies will I smite down thy people. All they that be mighty among the Gentiles, shall waste the proud pomp of Egypt, and bring down all her people.

All the cattle also of Egypt will I destroy, that they shall come no more upon the waters: so that neither man's foot nor beasts claw, shall steer them any more.

when I make the land of Egypt desolate, and when the country with all that is therein, shall be laid waste: and when I smite all them which dwell in it, that they may know that I am the LORD.

This is the mourning that the daughters of the Heathen shall make: Yea and sorrow and lamentation shall they take up, upon Egypt and all her people, sayeth the LORD God.'"

Among those that be slain with the sword, shall they lie. The sword is given already: he shall be drawn forth and all his people.

There is Elam also with all his people, and their graves round about: which all being wounded and slain with the sword, are gone down uncircumcised under the earth. Which, nevertheless, sometime brought fear into the land of the living: for the which they bear their shame, with the others that be gone down to the grave.

Their burial is given them and all their people, among them that be slain. Their graves are round about all them, which be uncircumcised, and with them that be slain through the sword: for seeing that in times past they made the land of the living afraid, they must now bear their own shame, with them that go down to the pit, and lie among them, that be slain.

There is Meshech also and Tubal, and their people, and their graves round about. These all are among the uncircumcised, and them that be slain with the sword, because afore time they made the land of the living afraid.

Should not they then lie also among the worthies, and uncircumcised Giants which with their weapons are gone down to hell? Whose swords are laid under their heads, whose wickedness is upon their bones, because that as worthies they have brought fear in to the land of the living.

Moreover, there be all the princes of the north, with all of the Sidonians, which are gone down to the slain. With their fear and strength they are come to confusion, and lie there uncircumcised, among those that be slain with the sword: and bear their own shame, with them that be gone down to the pit.

Then shall they learn to know, that I am the LORD, when I make the land waste and desolate, because of all their abominations, that they have wrought.'

These come unto thee, after the manner of a great people: yea, my people sit down before thee, and hear thy words, but they do not thereafter: for in their mouths they show themselves, as though they were fervent, but their heart goeth after their own covetous lucre.

And as a ballad that hath a sweet tune, and is pleasant to sing, so shalt thou be unto them: thy words shall they hear, but they will not do thereafter.

When this cometh to pass - for lo, it cometh indeed - then shall they know that there hath been a prophet among them."