For vain is the answer of Idols. The soothsayers see lies, and tell but vain dreams. The comfort that they give, is nothing worth. Therefore go they astray like a flock of sheep, and are troubled, because they have no shepherd.

They shall be as the giants, which in the battle tread down the mire upon the streets. They shall fight, for the LORD shall be with them, so that the horsemen shall be confounded.

I will sow them among the people, that they may think upon me in far countries: they shall live with their children, and turn again.

He shall go upon the sea of trouble, and smite the sea waves: so that all the deep floods shall be dried up. The proud boasting of Assyria shall be cast down, and the scepter of Egypt shall be taken away.

I will comfort them in the LORD, that they may walk in his name," sayeth the LORD.

Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may consume thy cedar trees.

which shall be slain of those that possess them. Yet they take it for no sin, but they that sell them, say, 'The LORD be thanked, I am rich.' Yea, their own shepherds spare them not.

Therefore will I no more spare those that dwell in the land, sayeth the LORD. But lo, I will deliver the people, every man, into his neighbour's hand and into the hand of his king: that they may smite the land. And out of their hands will I not deliver them."

Then said I, "I will feed you no more! The thing that dieth, let it die: and that will perish, let it perish. And let the remnant eat, every one the flesh of his neighbour."

I took also my Loving Meek staff, and brake it, that I might disannul the covenant, which I made with all people.

And so it was broken in that day. Then the poor simple sheep that had a respect unto me, knew thereby that it was the word of the LORD.

And I said unto them, "If ye think it good, bring hither my price: if no, then leave." So they weighed down thirty silver pens, the value that I was prized at.

Then brake I my other staff also, namely Woe, that I might loose the brotherhood betwixt Judah and Israel.

for lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not seek after the things that be lost, nor care for such as go astray: he shall not heal the wounded, he shall not nourish the thing that is whole: but he shall eat the flesh of such as be fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

O idle shepherd, that leaveth the flock! The sword shall come upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be sore blinded."

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of surfeit, unto all the people that are round about her: Yea Judah himself also shall be in the siege against Jerusalem.

At the same time will I make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all people, so that all such as lift it up, shall be torn and rent, and all the people of the earth shall be gathered together against it.

In that day, sayeth the LORD, I will make all horses abashed, and those that ride upon them to be out of their wits. I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and smite all the horses of the people with blindness.

In that time will I make the princes of Judah like a hot burning oven with wood, and like a cresset of fire among the straw: so that they shall consume all the people round about them, both upon the righthand and the left. Jerusalem also shall be inhabited again: namely, in the same place where Jerusalem standeth.

The LORD shall preserve the tents of Judah, like as afore time: so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the citizens of Jerusalem, shall be but little regarded in comparison of the glory of Judah.

In that day shall the LORD defend the citizens of Jerusalem: so that the weakest then among them shall be as David: and the house of David shall be like as God's house, and as the Angel of the LORD before them.

Moreover, upon the house of David and upon the citizens of Jerusalem, will I pour out the spirit of grace and prayer, so that they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced: and they shall beweep him, as men mourn for their only begotten son: Yea, and be sorry for him, as men are sorry for their first child

In that time shall the house of David and the citizens of Jerusalem have an open well, to wash of sin and uncleanness.

And then, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, I will destroy the names of Idols out of the land: so that they shall no more be put in remembrance. As for the false prophets also and the unclean spirit, I shall take them out of the land:

so that if any of them prophesy any more, his own father and mother that begat him, shall say unto him, 'Thou shalt die, for thou speakest lies under the name of the LORD.' Yea, his own father and mother that begat him, shall wound him, when he prophesieth.

And it shall come to pass, sayeth the LORD, that in all the land two parts shall be rooted out, but the third part shall remain therein.

Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, that thou shalt be spoiled and robbed.

For I will gather together all the Heathen, to fight against Jerusalem: so that the city shall be won, the houses spoiled, and the women defiled. The half of the city shall go away into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be carried out of the city.

fter that shall the LORD go forth, to fight against those Heathen, as men used to fight in the day of battle.

Then shall his feet stand upon the mount Olivet, that lieth upon the east side of Jerusalem. And the mount Olivet shall cleave in two, eastward and westward, so that there shall be a great valley: and the half mount shall remove toward the north, and the other half toward the south.

In that day shall it not be light, but cold and frost.

This shall be that special day which is known unto the LORD: neither day nor night, but about the evening time it shall be light.

In that time shall there waters of life run out from Jerusalem: the half part of them toward the east sea, and the other half toward the utmost sea, and shall continue both summer and winter.

And the LORD himself shall be king over all the earth. At that time shall there be one LORD only, and his name shall be but one.

This shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite all people, that have fought against Jerusalem: Namely, their flesh shall consume away, though they stand upon their feet; their eyes shall be corrupt in their holes, and their tongue shall consume in their mouth.

In that day shall the LORD make a great sedition among them, so that one man shall take another by the hand, and lay his hands upon the hands of his neighbour.

And so shall this plague go over horses, mules, camels, asses, and all the beasts that shall be in the host, like as yonder plague was.

Every one that remaineth then of all the people, which came against Jerusalem, shall go up yearly, to worship the King, even the LORD of Hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

If the kindred of Egypt go not up, and come not, it shall not rain upon them neither. This shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all Heathen, that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Yea, this shall be the sin plague of Egypt and the sin plague of all people that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

At that time shall the riding gear of the horses be holy unto the LORD, and the kettles in the LORD's house shall be like the basins before the altar:

yea all the kettles in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy unto the LORD of Hosts: and all they that slay offerings, shall come and take of them, and dight them therein. And at that time there shall be no more Cananites in the house of the LORD.

And though Edom said, "Well, we are destroyed, we will go build up again the places that be wasted": yet sayeth the LORD of Hosts, "What they builded, that brake I down: so that it was called a cursed land and people, whom the LORD hath ever been angry withal."

"Should not a son honour his father, and a servant his master? If I be now a father, where is mine honour? If I be the LORD, where am I feared? sayeth the LORD of Hosts, now, to you priests that despise my name. And if ye say, 'Wherein have we despised thy name?'

In this: that ye offer unclean bread upon mine altar. And if ye will say, 'Wherein have we offered any unclean thing unto thee?' In this that ye say: the altar of the LORD is not to be regarded.

If ye offer the blind, is not that evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is not that evil? Yea offer it unto thy prince: shall he be content with thee, or accept thy person, sayeth the LORD of Hosts?

And now make your prayer before God, that he may have mercy upon us: for such things have ye done. Shall he regard your persons, think ye, sayeth the LORD of Hosts?

Yea, what is he among you, that will do so much as to shut the doors, or to kindle the fire upon mine altar for naught? I have no pleasure in you, sayeth the LORD of Hosts: and as for the meat offering, I will not accept it at your hand.

But ye have unhallowed it, in that ye say, 'The altar of the LORD is not to be regarded, and the thing that is set thereupon, not worthy to be eaten.'

Cursed be the dissembler, which hath in his flock one that is male, and when he maketh a vow, offereth a spotted one unto the LORD. For I am a great King, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, and my name is fearful among the Heathen.

And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you: that my covenant which I made with Levi, might stand, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.

I made a covenant of life and peace with him: this I gave him, that he might stand in awe of me: and so he did fear me, and had my name in reverence.

For the priest's lips should be sure knowledge, that men may seek the law at his mouth, for he is a messenger of the LORD of Hosts.

But the LORD shall destroy the man that doth this, yea both the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacle of Jacob, with him that offereth up meat offering unto the LORD of Hosts.

Now have ye brought it to this point again, that the altar of the LORD is covered with tears, weeping, and mourning: so that I will no more regard the meat offering, neither will I receive or accept anything at your hands.

And yet ye say, 'Wherefore?' Even because that whereas the LORD made a covenant betwixt thee and the wife of thy youth, thou hast despised her: Yet is she thine own companion and married wife.

Ye grieve the LORD with your words, and yet ye say, 'Wherewithal have we grieved him?' In this, that ye say: 'All that do evil are good in the sight of God, and such please him.' Or else where is the God that punisheth?

Who shall endure in the day of his coming, or who shall stand to behold him? For he is as trying fire, and as the herb that fullers scour withal.

And the sacrifice of Judah and of Jerusalem shall be delicious unto the LORD as in the old time and in the years that were at the beginning.

I will come and punish you, and I myself will be a swift witness against the witches, against the adulterers, against false swearers: yea, and against those that wrongfully keep back the hireling's duty, which vex the widows and the fatherless, and oppress the stranger, and fear not me, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.

For I am the LORD that change not, and ye, O children of Jacob, will not leave off.

Bring every tithe into my barn, that there may be meat in mine house: and prove me withal, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven unto you, and pour you out a blessing with plenteousness.

Yea, I shall reprove the consumer for your sakes, so that he shall not eat up the fruit of your ground, neither shall the vineyard be barren in the field, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.

Insomuch that all people shall say that ye be blessed, for ye shall be a pleasant land, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.

Therefore may we say, that the proud are happy, and that they which deal with ungodliness, are set up: for they tempt God and yet escape.'

But they that fear God, say thus one to another, 'The LORD considereth and heareth it. Yea, it is before him a memorial book, written for such as fear the LORD, and remember his name.'

And in the day that I will make, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, they shall be mine own possession: and I will favour them, like as a man favoureth his own son, that doth him service.

Turn you therefore, and consider what difference is betwixt the righteous and ungodly: betwixt him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.

For mark, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven: and all the proud, yea and all such as do wickedness, shall be straw: and the day that is for to come, shall burn them up, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, so that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of righteousness arise, and health shall be under his wings: ye shall go forth, and multiply as the fat calves.

Ye shall tread down the ungodly: for they shall be like the ashes under the soles of your feet, in the day that I shall make, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.

He shall turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, that I come not and smite the earth with cursing."

Jesse begat David the king: David the king begat Solomon of her that was the wife of Uriah:

Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born that Jesus, that is called Christ.

While he thus thought, Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: For that which is conceived in her is of the holy ghost.

All this was done, to fulfill that which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying,

saying, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him."

'And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Jewry, art not the least concerning the Princes of Judah: For out of thee shall come the captain, that shall govern my people Israel.'"

Then Herod privily called the wise men, and diligently enquired of them the time of the star that appeared,

and sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child. And when ye have found him, bring me word, that I may come and worship him also."

And after they were warned of God in a dream that they should not go again to Herod, they returned into their own country another way.

and was there unto the death of Herod: to fulfill that which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, which sayeth, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."

Then Herod, perceiving that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, as many as were two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently searched out of the wise men.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah, saying,

But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Jewry in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, after he was warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

and went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: to fulfill that which was spoken by the Prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarite."

And see that you think not to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father': for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Even now is the axe put unto the root of the trees: so that every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

I baptise you in water in token of repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you with the holy ghost and with fire:

And, lo, there came a voice from heaven, saying, "This is that, my beloved son, in whom is my delight."

Then came to him the tempter, and said, "If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread."

He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'"

and said unto him, "If thou be the son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, 'He shall give his angels charge over thee: and with their hands they shall hold thee up, that thou dash not thy foot against a stone.'"

When Jesus had heard that John was taken, he departed into Galilee;

to fulfill that which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, saying,

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

And his fame spread abroad throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and gripings, and them that were possessed with devils and those which were lunatic and those that had the palsy: and he healed them.

And there followed him a great number of people from Galilee, and from the ten cities, and from Jerusalem, and from Jewry, and from the regions that lie beyond Jordan.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill, cannot be hid,