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¹ O Lorde thou art more righteous, then that I shoulde dispute with thee: neuerthelesse, let me talke with thee in thynges reasonable. Howe happeneth it that the way of the vngodly is so prosperous? and that it goeth so well with them which without any shame offend and liue in wickednesse,² Thou plantest them, they take roote, they growe, and bryng foorth fruite: they boast much of thee, yet art thou farre from their raynes.³ But thou Lorde to whom I am well knowen, thou that hast sene and proued my heart, take them away, like as a flocke is caryed to the slaughter house, & appoynt them for the day of slaughter.⁴ Howe long shall the lande mourne, and all the hearbes of the fielde perishe for the wickednesse of them that dwell therin? The cattell and the birdes are gone, yet say they, tushe, God wyll not destroy vs vtterly.⁵ Seyng thou art weery in runnyng with the footmen, howe wilt thou then runne with horses? In a peaceable sure lande thou mayest be safe: but howe wylt thou do in the furious pride of Iordane?⁶ For thy brethren and thy kinrede haue altogether dispised thee, and cryed out vpon thee altogether: Beleue them not, though they speake faire wordes to thee.

⁷ As for me [I say] I haue forsaken mine owne dwellyng place, and left mine heritage: my lyfe also that I loue so well, haue I geuen into the handes of myne enemies.⁸ Myne heritage is become vnto me as a lion in the wood: it cryed out vpon me, therfore haue I forsaken it.⁹ Is not mine heritage vnto me as a speckled birde? are not the birdes round about agaynst her? Come and gather ye together all the beastes of the fielde, come, that ye may eate it vp.¹⁰ Diuers heardmen haue broke downe my vineyarde, and troden vpon my portion: of my pleasaunt portion they haue made a wildernesse and desert.¹¹ They haue layde it waste, and nowe that it is waste it sigheth vnto me: yea the whole lande lyeth waste, and no man regardeth it.¹² The destroyers come ouer the borders in the desert euery way: for the sworde of the Lorde doth consume from the one ende of the lande to the other, and no fleshe hath rest.¹³ They haue sowen wheate, and reaped thornes, they haue taken heritage in possession, but it doth them no good: and they were ashamed of your fruites, because of the great wrath of the Lord.

¹⁴ Thus saith the Lord vpon all my euyl neighbours that lay hande on mine heritage which I haue possessed, euen my people of Israel: Beholde, I wyll plucke them [namely Israel] out of their lande, and put out the house of Iuda from among them.¹⁵ And when I haue rooted them out, I will be at one with them agayne, and I wyll haue mercie vpon them, and bryng them agayne euery man to his owne heritage, and into his lande.¹⁶ And yf they [namely that trouble my people] wyll learne the wayes of them to sweare by my name, the Lorde lyueth, lyke as they learned my people to sweare by Baal, then shall they be built among my people:¹⁷ But yf they wyll not obey, then wyll I roote out the same folke, and destroy them, saith the Lorde.