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¹ As concerning the Ammonites, thus the Lorde saith: Hath Israel no chyldren? or is he without any ayre? Why hath your kyng then taken Gad in? Wherefore doth his people dwell in his cities.² Beholde therefore, the tyme commeth saith the Lord, that I wyll bring a noyse of warre into Rabath of the Ammonites, and it shalbe layde on a desolate heape, and her cities brent vp, and the Israelites shalbe lordes ouer those that had them in possession afore saith the Lorde.³ Hesbon shall mourne, for Ai shalbe rooted out of the grounde, [saith the Lorde]: the citie of Rabbah shall crye out, and gyrde them selues with sackcloth, they shall mourne and runne about the walles, for their kyng shalbe led away prisoner, yea his priestes and princes with hym.⁴ Wherfore gloriest thou in the valley? thy valley hath flowed away O thou rebellious daughter, and thinkest thou that thou art so safe by reason of thy treasure, that no man shall come to thee?⁵ Beholde, I wyll bryng a feare vpon thee saith the Lorde God of hoastes, from all those that be about thee, so that ye shalbe scattred euery man from another, and no man shall gather them together agayne that be fled.⁶ But after that, I will bryng the Ammonites also out of captiuitie agayne, saith the Lorde.

⁷ Upon the Edomites hath the Lord of hoastes spoken on this maner: Is there no more wysdome in Theman? Is there no more good counsayle among his people? Is their wysdome then turned cleane to naught?⁸ Get you hence, turne your backes, creepe downe into the deepe O ye citizens of Dedan: for I wyll bryng destruction vpon Esau, yea and the day of his visitation.⁹ If the grape gatherers come vpon thee, shoulde they not leaue some grapes? If the night robbers come vppon thee, shoulde they not take so much as they thought were inough?¹⁰ But I wyll make Esau bare, and discouer his secretes, so that he shall not be able to byde them: His seede shalbe wasted away, yea his brethren and his neighbours, and he hym selfe shall not be left behynde.¹¹ Thou shalt leaue thy fatherlesse chyldren behynde thee, and I wyll kepe them, and thy wydowes shal take their comfort in me.¹² For thus hath the Lord spoken: Beholde, they that men thought were vnmeete to drinke of the cuppe, haue drunken with the first, and thinkest thou then to be free? No no, thou shalt neither be quit nor free: but thou must drinke also.¹³ For why? I haue sworne by my selfe saith the Lorde, that Bozrah shall become a wyldernesse, an open shame, a laughing stocke, and cursing, and all her cities shalbe a continuall desert.¹⁴ For I am perfectly infourmed of the Lorde, that he hath sent a message alredy vnto the heathen: Gather you together, and go foorth agaynst her, make you redy to battayle.¹⁵ For lo, I wyll make thee but small among the heathen, and litle regarded among men.¹⁶ Thy hye stomacke, and the pryde of thy heart hath deceaued thee, because thou doest dwell in the holes of stonye rockes, and hast the hye mountaynes in possession: Neuerthelesse, though thy nest were as hye as the Egles, yet I wyll cast thee downe saith the Lorde.¹⁷ Moreouer, Idumea shalbe a wyldernesse, whoso goeth by it, shalbe abashed, and wonder at all her miserable plagues.¹⁸ Like as Sodom, Gomor, and the cities that lay there about, were turned vpside downe, saith the Lorde: so shalt no body dwell in Idumea, and no man shall haue his habitation there.¹⁹ Beholde, lyke as the lion, so shall a destroyer come vp from the pleasaunt medowes of Iordane, vnto the strong dwelling place, & when I haue made hym quiet, I wyll make hym to flee from her, and all chosen men wyll I set in aray against her: Who is lyke vnto me? what is he that wyll striue with me? what sheephearde may stande in my handes?²⁰ Therefore heare the counsell of the Lorde that he hath taken vpon Idumea, and his purpose that he hath deuised vpon the citizens of Theman: The least of the flocke shall trayle them, and looke what fayre habitation they haue, they shall make it waste, and them selues also.²¹ At the noyse of their fall the earth shall quake, the crye of their voyce shalbe hearde vnto the red sea.²² Beholde, the enemie shall come and flee vp hyther lyke as it were an Egle, and spreade his winges vpon Bozrah: then shall the heartes of the worthyes in Edom, be as the heart of a woman trauayling of chylde.

²³ Upon Damascus, Hemath, and Arphad, shall come confusion: for they shal heare euyll tidinges, they shalbe tossed to and fro like the sea that can not stand styll.²⁴ Damascus shalbe sore afraide, and shal flee: trembling commeth vpon her, sorowe and payne shall ouertake her, as a woman trauayling of chylde.²⁵ But howe happeneth it that the famous citie, the citie of my ioy, is not spared?²⁶ Her young men shal fal in the streetes, and all her men of warre shalbe taken away in that tyme, saith the Lorde of hoastes.²⁷ I wyll kindle a fire in the walles of Damascus, whiche shall consume the palace of Benhadad.

²⁸ As for Cedar and the kyngdome of Hazor, whom Nabuchodonozor the kyng of Babylon smote, the Lord hath spoken thus vpon them: Aryse, and get you vp vnto Cedar, and destroy the people towarde the east.²⁹ Their tentes and their flockes shall they take away, yea their hanginges and their vessels, their camels also shall they cary away with them: they shall crye to them, feare is on euery syde.³⁰ Flee, get you farre away, creepe into caues, that ye may dwell there O ye inhabiters of Hazor saith the Lorde: for Nabuchodonozor the kyng of Babylon hath holden a counsell concerning you, and concluded his deuice against you.³¹ Aryse and get you vp against yonder rythe and carelesse people saith the Lorde, whiche haue neither gates nor doore barres, but dwell alone.³² Their camels shalbe a pray, and the droues of their cattell driuen awaye: Moreouer, those wil I scatter towarde all the wyndes, and to the farthest partes of the worlde, yea from all the sides therof will I bryng their destruction, saith the Lorde.³³ Hazor also shalbe a dwelling for dragons, and an euerlasting wyldernesse, so that no body shall dwell there, and no man shall haue there his habitation.

³⁴ These are the wordes that the Lord spake to the prophete Ieremie concerning Elam, in the beginning of the raigne of Zedekias kyng of Iuda.³⁵ Thus saith the Lord of hoastes, Beholde, I wyl breake the bowe of Elam, their principall strength.³⁶ And vpon Elam I wyll bryng the foure windes from the foure quarters of heauen, and wyll scatter them against the same foure wyndes: and there shalbe no people, but some of Elam shall flee vnto them.³⁷ For I wyll cause Elam to be afraide of their enemies, and of them that seeke their liues, and wyll bryng vpon them a mischiefe, euen my wrath saith the Lorde: And I wyll persecute them with the sworde so long tyll I haue brought them to naught.³⁸ I wyll set my throne in Elam, I wyll destroy both the kyng and princes from thence saith the Lorde: ³⁹ But in processe of tyme I wyll bryng Elam out of captiuitie agayne, saith the Lorde.