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¹ Woe to the crowne of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim: for his glorious beautie shall be a fading flowre, which is vpon the head of the valley of them that be fat, and are ouercome with wine.² Beholde, the Lorde hath a mightie and strong hoste, like a tempest of haile, and a whirlewinde that ouerthroweth, like a tempest of mightie waters that ouerflowe, which throwe to the ground mightily.³ They shall be troden vnder foote, euen the crowne & the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim.⁴ For his glorious beautie shall be a fading floure, which is vpon the head of the valley of them that be fatte, and as the hastie fruite afore sommer, which when hee that looketh vpon it, seeth it, while it is in his hand, he eateth it.⁵ In that day shall the Lord of hostes be for a crowne of glory, and for a diademe of beautie vnto the residue of his people:⁶ And for a spirite of iudgement to him that sitteth in iudgement, and for strength vnto them that turne away the battell to the gate.⁷ But they haue erred because of wine, and are out of the way by strong drinke: the priest and the prophet haue erred by strong drinke: they are swallowed vp with wine: they haue gone astraye through strong drinke: they faile in vision: they stumble in iudgement.⁸ For all their tables are full of filthy vomiting: no place is cleane.

⁹ Whome shall he teache knowledge? and whome shall he make to vnderstand the thinges that hee heareth? them that are weyned from the milke, and drawen from the breastes.¹⁰ For precept must be vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vnto line, line vnto line, there a litle, and there a litle.¹¹ For with a stammering tongue and with a strange language shall he speake vnto this people.¹² Vnto whome hee saide, This is the rest: giue rest to him that is weary: and this is the refreshing, but they would not heare.¹³ Therefore shall the worde of the Lord be vnto them precept vpon precept, precept vpo precept, line vnto line, line vnto line, there a litle and there a litle, that they may goe, and fall backward, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

¹⁴ Wherefore, heare the worde of the Lorde, ye scornefull men that rule this people, which is at Ierusalem.¹⁵ Because ye haue said, We haue made a couenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement: though a scourge runne ouer, and passe through, it shal not come at vs: for we haue made falshood our refuge, & vnder vanitie are we hid,¹⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will laye in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. Hee that beleeueth, shall not make haste.¹⁷ Iudgement also will I laye to the rule, and righteousnesse to the balance, and the haile shall sweepe away the vaine confidence, and the waters shall ouerflowe the secret place.¹⁸ And your couenant with death shalbe disanulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand: when a scourge shall runne ouer and passe through, then shall ye be trode downe by it.¹⁹ When it passeth ouer, it shall take you away: for it shall passe through euery morning in the day, and in the night, and there shalbe onely feare to make you to vnderstand the hearing.²⁰ For the bed is streight that it can not suffice, and the couering narowe that one can not wrappe himselfe.²¹ For the Lord shall stand as in mount Perazim: hee shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his worke, his strage worke, and bring to passe his acte, his strange acte.²² Nowe therefore be no mockers, least your bondes increase: for I haue heard of the Lorde of hostes a consumption, euen determined vpon the whole earth.

²³ Hearken ye, and heare my voyce: hearken ye, and heare my speach.²⁴ Doeth the plowe man plowe all the day, to sowe? doeth he open, and breake the clots of his ground?²⁵ When he hath made it plaine, wil he not then sowe the fitches, and sowe cummin, and cast in wheat by measure, and the appointed barly and rye in their place?²⁶ For his God doeth instruct him to haue discretion, and doeth teach him.²⁷ For fitches shall not be threshed with a threshing instrument, neither shall a cart wheele be turned about vpon the cummin: but ye fitches are beaten out with a staffe, and cummin wt a rod.²⁸ Bread corne when it is threshed, hee doeth not alway thresh it, neither doeth the wheele of his cart still make a noyse, neither will he breake it with the teeth thereof.²⁹ This also commeth from the Lorde of hostes, which is wonderfull in counsell, and excellent in workes.