Let their table be made a snare to take themselves withal; and let the things that should have been for their wealth be unto them an occasion of falling.

"Tush," say they, "How should God perceive it? Is there knowledge in the most high?"

Wherefore should I be then punished daily, and be chastened every morning?"

Yea, I had almost also said even as they do; but lo, then should I have condemned the generation of thy children.

that we should not hide them from the children of the generations to come but to show the honour of the LORD, his mighty and wonderful works that he hath done.

He brought them out safely, that they should not fear, and overwhelmed their enemies with the sea.

I should soon have put down their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

The haters of the LORD should have been found liars; but their time should have endured for ever.

He should have fed them also with the finest wheat-flour; and with honey out of the stony rock should I have satisfied thee."

Therefore I said unto them in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.

Thou hast laid the foundations of the earth, that it never should move at any time.

So he said he would have destroyed them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in that gap; to turn away his wrathful indignation, lest he should destroy them.

Thy words have I hid within my heart, that I should not sin against thee.

If my delight were not in thy law, I should perish in my trouble.

O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning; for in thee is my trust. Show thou me the way that I should walk in; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

The LORD upholdeth all such as should fall, and lifteth up all those that be down.

Refuse not to do good unto him that should have it, so long as thine hand is able to do it.

When he shut the sea within certain bounds, that the waters should not go over their marks. When he laid the foundations of the earth,

The way of life leadeth unto heaven; that a man should beware of hell beneath.

It is a great abomination when kings are wicked; for a king's seat should be holden up with righteousness.

If thou teachest a child in his youth what way he should go; he shall not leave it when he is old.

Yea, I was weary of all my labour, which I had taken under the Sun, because I should be fain to leave them unto another man, that cometh after me.

Forsomuch as a man should weary himself with wisdom, with understanding and opportunity, and yet be fain to leave his labours unto another, that never sweat for them. This is also a vain thing and a great misery.

All this hath he ordained marvelous goodly, to every thing his due time. He hath planted ignorance also in the hearts of men, that they should not find out the ground of his works, which he doth from the beginning to the end.

I considered also that whatsoever God doth, it continueth forever, and that nothing can be put unto it, nor taken from it: And that God doth it to the intent that men should fear him.

The sight of the eyes is better, then that the soul should so depart away. Howbeit, this is also a vain thing and a disquietness of mind.

so that many waters are not able to quench love, neither may the streams drown it. Yea, if a man would give all the good of his house for love, he should count it nothing.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; this vineyard delivered he unto the keepers, that every one for the fruit thereof should give him a thousand pieces of silver.

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

And except the LORD of Hosts had left us a few alive, we should have been as Sodom, and like unto Gomorrah.

This he hedged, this he walled round about, and planted it with goodly grapes. In the midst of it builded he a tower, and made a wine press therein. And afterward when he looked that it should bring him grapes, it brought forth thorns.

Wherefore the LORD said, "Hearken, ye of the house of David: Is it so small a thing for you, to be grievous to men, but that ye should also be painful unto God?

For the LORD chastised me, and took me by the hand, and warned me, saying unto me that I should not walk in the ways of this people. He said moreover,

And therefore if they say unto you, "Ask counsel at the soothsayers, witches, charmers and conjurers," then make them this answer: "Is there a people anywhere, that asketh not counsel at his God? Should they run unto the dead for the living?"

But doth the axe boost itself, against him that heweth therewith? Or doth the saw make any bragging, against him that ruleth it? That were even like as if the rod did exalt itself against him that beareth it: or as though the staff should magnify itself, as who say it were not wood.

I hear no evil will in my mind. Who will compel me that I, greatly forgetting all faithfulness, should burn it up at once with thorns and bushes?

For the LORD shall give you a hard-sleeping spirit, and close your eyes. Your Prophets also, and heads which should see; them shall he cover.

For the Egyptian's help shall be but vain and lost. Therefore I told you also that your pride should have an end.

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.

Wherefore woe be unto thee, O robber: shalt not thou be robbed also? And unto thee that layest wait: as who say there should no wait be laid for thee? Woe unto thee which doest hurt: even so shalt thou be hurt also. And as thou layest wait, so shall wait be laid for thee also.

Or which, of all the Gods of the lands, hath delivered their country out of my power, so that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

Unto this Hezekiah's messengers held their tongues, and answered not one word: for the king had charged them that they should give him none answer.

"I thought I should have gone to the gates of hell in my best age, and have wanted the residue of my years.

The Smith comforted the molder, and the Ironsmith the hammer man, saying, 'It shall be good, that we fasten this cast work,' and then they fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

I have long time holden my peace, sayeth the LORD, should I therefore be still, and keep silence for ever? I will cry like a travailing woman, and at once will I destroy, and devour.

If thou goest through the water, I will be with thee, that the strong floods should not pluck thee away. When thou walkest in the fire, it shall not burn thee, and the flame shall not kindle upon thee.

yea, and that without any fear or stop. For have not I ever told you hitherto, and warned you? Ye can bear me record yourselves. Is there any God except me? Or any maker, that I should not know him?

Who should now make a God, or fashion an Image, that is profitable for nothing?

Yet must he be taken on men's shoulders and borne, and set in his place, that he may stand and not move. Alas that men should cry unto him, which giveth no answer; and delivereth not the man that calleth upon him, from his trouble.

And thou thoughtest thus, "I shall be lady forever." And beside all that, thou hast not regarded these things, neither cast, what should come after.

It cometh on fast, it maketh haste to appear: It shall not perish, that it should not be able to destroy, neither shall it fail for fault of nourishing.

He came up as a spray before him, and as a root out of a dry land. There was neither fashion or beauty on him. And when we looked on him, there was no godliness that we should lust after him.

Thy part shall be with the stony rocks by the river: Yea, even these shall be thy part. For there thou hast poured meat and drink offerings unto them. Should I delight in that?

Should it be such a manner of fast that I should chose? A day that a man should hurt his soul in? Or to bow down his head like a bulrush? Or to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Shouldest thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable unto the LORD?

Or is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? To loose wicked bonds, and to unbind bundles of oppression? And to let the bruised go free? And that ye should break all manner yokes?

Then should the light break out as doth the dayspring, and then health should shortly bud out. And thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the LORD would come upon thee.

how he led them in the deep, as a horse is led in the plain, that they should not stumble.

Commonly, when a man putteth away his wife, and she goeth from him, and marrieth with another, then the question is: should he resort unto her any more after that? Is not this field then defiled and unclean? But as for thee, thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet turn again to me, sayeth the LORD.

Hast thou seen also, when she had done all this, how I said unto her that she should turn again unto me, and yet she is not returned? Judah, that unfaithful sister of hers also saw this:

"Should I then, for all this, have mercy upon thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. And albeit they were bound to me in marriage, yet they fell to adultery, and hunted harlots' houses.

Should I not correct this, sayeth the LORD? Should I not be avenged of every people, that is like unto this?

Should I not punish these things, sayeth the LORD? Should I not be avenged of all such people as these be?"

Therefore they must be ashamed, for they have committed abomination. But how should they be ashamed, when they know nothing, neither of shame nor good nurture? And therefore they shall fall among the slain; and in the hour when I shall visit them, they shall be brought down," sayeth the LORD.

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, "Behold, I will melt them, and try them, for what should I else do to my people?

Should I not punish them for these things, sayeth the LORD? Or should I not be avenged of any such people as this?

O LORD, thou art more righteous than that I should dispute with thee: Nevertheless, let me talk with thee in things reasonable. How happeneth it, that the way of the ungodly is so prosperous? And that it goeth so well with them, which without any shame offend and live in wickedness?

And I enforced not to be a shepherd that should not follow thee: and the day of destruction have I not desired, thou knowest. And that proceeded out of my mouth was right in thy sight.

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and the people of Judah put him to death for this? No verily, but rather feared the LORD, and made their prayer unto him. For the which cause also the LORD repented of the plague, that he had devised against them. Should we then do such a shameful deed against our souls?"

And beside all this, he hath sent us word unto Babylon, and told us plainly, that our captivity shall long endure: that we should build us houses to dwell therein, and to plant us gardens, that we might enjoy the fruit thereof.'

"Thus sayeth the LORD: May the covenant which I have made with day and night be broken, that there should not be day and night in due season?

These are the words that the LORD spake unto Jeremiah the prophet, when Zedekiah was agreed with all the people at Jerusalem, that there should be proclaimed a liberty:

so that every man should let his servant and handmaid go free, Hebrew and Hebrewess, and no Jew to hold his brother as a bond man.

"Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers, when I brought them out of Egypt, that they should no more be bondmen: saying,

The words which Jonadab the son of Rechab commanded his sons, that they should drink no wine, are fast and surely kept: for unto this day they drink no wine but obey their father's commandment. But as for me, I have stood up early, I have spoken unto you, and given you earnest warning: and yet have ye not been obedient unto me.

And this was done in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, when it was commanded that all the people of Jerusalem should fast before the LORD, and they also that were come from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

For though ye had slain the whole host of the Chaldeans that besiege you, and every one of the slain lay in his tent, yet should they stand up, and set fire upon this city.'"

Where are your prophets which have prophesied unto you, and said that the king of Babylon should not come against you and this land?

and caused him be let out of the fore entry of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan: that he should carry him home, and so he dwelt among the people.

Now when the captains of the Host of Judah, which with their fellows were scattered abroad on every side in the land, understood that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and that man, wife and child, yea and the poor men in the land that were not led captive to Babylon should be under his Jurisdiction:

that the LORD thy God may show us a way to go in, and tell us what we should do."

Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah with all the proud persons, said unto Jeremiah, "Thou liest! The LORD our God hath not sent thee to speak unto us, that we should not go into Egypt, and dwell there:

The Heathen shall hear of thy shame, and the land shall be full of thy confusion: for one strong man shall stumble upon another. How then should they not fall both together?"

If the grape gathers come upon thee, should they not leave some grapes? If the night robbers came upon thee, should they not take so much as they thought were enough?

But how should so worshipful and glorious a city be forsaken?

Jeremiah wrote in a book all the misery that should come upon Babylon; yea, and all these sermons that be written against Babylon;

{Ayin} Therefore do I weep, and mine eyes gush out of water: for the comforter that should quicken me is far from me. My children are driven away. For why? The enemy hath gotten the over hand.

{Mem} What is he then that sayeth, "There should something be done without the LORD's commandment:

Thou hast hid thyself in a cloud, that our prayer should not go through.

{Lamed} Neither the kings of the earth, nor all the inhabiters of the world, would have believed that the enemy and adversary should have come in at the gates of the city of Jerusalem.

And he said unto me, "Hast thou seen this thou son of man? Thinketh the house of Israel that it is but a trifle to do these abominations here? Should they fill the land full of wickedness, and undertake to provoke me unto anger? Yea, and purposely to cast up their noses upon me?

How should I circumcise thine heart, sayeth the LORD God, seeing thou doest all these things, thou precious whore?

Should I make my wrath to be still, take my jealousy from thee, be content, and no more to be displeased?

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.

Nevertheless it was planted upon a good ground beside great waters: so that by reason it should have brought out branches and fruit, and have been a goodly vine.'

But he fell from him, and sent his Ambassadors into Egypt that he might have horses and much people. Should that prosper? Should he be kept safe, that doth such things? Or should he escape, that breaketh his covenant?

And yet say ye, 'Wherefore then should not this son bear his father's sin?' Therefore, because the son hath done equity and right, hath kept all my commandments and done them: therefore shall he live indeed.

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

So they bound him with chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: which put him in prison, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

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.