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¹ Wo vnto the shepheardes that destroy and scatter my flocke, saith the Lorde.² Wherefore this is the saying of the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepheardes that feede my people, Ye scatter and thrust out my flocke, and loke not vpon them: therefore nowe wyll I visite the wickednesse of your imaginations, saith the Lorde.³ And I wyll gather together the remnaunt of my flocke from all landes that I had driuen them vnto, and will bring them agayne to their foldes, that they may growe and increase.⁴ I wyll set shepheardes also ouer them, whiche shall feede them: they shall no more feare and dread, and there shall none of them be loste, saith the Lorde.⁵ Beholde, the tyme commeth saith the Lorde, that I wyll rayse vp the righteous braunche of Dauid, whiche kyng shall beare rule, and he shall prosper with wisdome, and shal set vp equitie and righteousnesse agayne in the earth.⁶ In his tyme shall Iuda be saued, and Israel shall dwell without feare: and this is the name that they shall call hym, euen the Lorde our righteousnesse.⁷ And therefore beholde the time commeth saith the Lorde, that it shalbe no more sayde, the Lorde liueth whiche brought the chyldren of Israel out of the lande of Egypt:⁸ But the Lorde liueth which brought foorth and led the seede of the house of Israel out of the north lande, and from all countreys where I had scattred them: and they shal dwel in their owne lande agayne.

⁹ My heart breaketh in my body, because of the false prophetes all my bones shake, I am become like a drunken man that by the reason of wine can take no rest, for very feare of the Lorde and his holy wordes.¹⁰ Because the lande is full of adulterers, and thorowe swearing it mourneth, and the pleasaunt pastures of the desert are dryed vp: yea the way that men take is wicked, and their power is nothing right.¹¹ For the prophetes and the priestes them selues are polluted hypocrites, and their wickednesse haue I founde in my house, saith the Lorde.¹² Wherefore their way shalbe slipperie in the darknesse, wherein they may stacker and fall: for I wyll bryng a plague vpon them, euen the yere of their visitation, saith the Lorde.¹³ I haue seene folly among the prophetes of Samaria, that preached for Baal, and deceaued my people of Israel.¹⁴ I haue seene also among the prophetes of Hierusalem foule adultrie, and presumptuous lyes: they take the most shamefull men by the hande, flattering them, so that they can not returne from their wickednes: all these with their citizens are vnto me as Sodom, and as the inhabitours of Gomorre.¹⁵ Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes concerning these prophetes: Beholde, I wyll feede them with wormewood, and make them drinke the water of gall: For from the prophetes of Hierusalem is hypocrisie come into all the lande.¹⁶ And therfore the Lorde of hoastes geueth you this warning: Heare not the wordes of the prophetes that preache vnto you and deceaue you, truely they reache you vanitie: for they speake the meaning of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lorde.¹⁷ They say vnto them that despise me, The Lorde hath spoken it, tushe, ye shall prosper right well: and vnto all them that walke after the lust of their owne heart, they say, tushe, there shall no misfortune happen you.¹⁸ For who hath sitten in the counsayle of the Lorde, that he hath hearde and vnderstande what he is about to do? who hath marked his deuice, and hearde it?¹⁹ Beholde, the stormie weather of the Lorde [that is] his indignation, shall go foorth, and a violent whirlewinde shall fall downe vpon the head of the vngodly.²⁰ And the wrath of the Lorde shall not turne agayne, vntill he perfourme and fulfill the thought of his heart: and in the latter dayes ye shall knowe his meaning.²¹ I haue not sent these prophetes [saith the Lorde] and yet they ranne, I haue not spoken to them, and yet they preached.²² But if they had continued in my counsayle, they had opened to my people my wordes, and they had turned my people from their euyll wayes, and wicked imaginations.²³ Am I then God that seeth but the thing whiche is nye at hande, and not that is farre of, saith the Lorde?²⁴ May any man hide him selfe so, that I shall not see hym saith the Lorde? do not I fulfill heauen and earth saith the Lorde?²⁵ I haue hearde well inough what the prophetes say that preache lyes in my name, saying, I haue dreamed, I haue dreamed.²⁶ Howe long wyll this continue in the prophetes heart to tell lies, and preache the craftie subtiltie of their owne heart?²⁷ Whose purpose is with the dreames that euery one tell, to make my people forget my name, as their fathers dyd when Baal came vp.²⁸ The prophete that hath a dreame, let hym tell it, and he that vnderstandeth my worde, let hym shewe it faythfully: for what hath chaffe and wheate to do together saith the Lorde?²⁹ Is not my worde like a fire saith the Lorde? and like an hammer that breaketh the harde stone?³⁰ Therefore thus saith the Lodre: beholde, I wyll vpon the prophetes that steale my worde priuilie from euery man.³¹ Beholde, here am I saith the Lorde, against the prophetes that make tongues tender to speake, and to say, The Lorde hath saide it.³² Beholde, here am I saith the Lorde, against those prophetes that dare prophecie lying dreames, and deceaue my people with their vanities and inconstant deuices, yet I neuer sent nor commaunded them: They shall do this people no good at all, saith the Lorde.

³³ If this people, eyther any prophete or priest aske thee, and say: What is the burthen of the Lord? Thou shalt say vnto them: what burthen? I wyll forsake you saith the Lorde.³⁴ And the prophete, priest, or people that vseth this tearme, The burthen of the Lorde: him wyll I visite, and his house also.³⁵ But thus shall ye say euery one to another, and euery man to his brother: what aunswere hath the Lorde geuen? or what is the Lordes commaundement?³⁶ And as for the burthen of the Lorde, ye shall speake no more of it, for euery mans owne worde is his burthen: because ye haue altred the wordes of the liuing God, the Lorde of hoastes, our God.³⁷ Thus shall euery man say to the prophetes: what aunswere hath the Lorde geuen thee? or what saith the Lorde?³⁸ And not once to name the burthen of the Lorde. Therefore thus saith the Lord: Forasmuch as ye haue vsed this terme (the burthen of the Lord) where as I notwithstanding sent vnto you and forbad you to speake of the Lordes burthen:³⁹ Beholde therefore, I wyll take you vp as a burthen, and wyl cast you farre of from my presence, yea and the citie also that I gaue you and your fathers:⁴⁰ And wyll bryng you to an euerlasting confusion, and into a shame that shall neuer be forgotten.