Read the Bible

¹ Neuertheles Bel shal fall, & Nabo shalbe broken: whose ymages are a burthe for the beastes and catell, to ouerlade the, and to make them weery.² They shal syncke downe, and fall together: for they maye not ease them of their burthen, therfore must they go in to captiuyte.³ Herken vnto me, o house of Iacob, and all ye that remayne yet of the housholde of Israel: whom I haue borne from youre mothers wombe, and brought you vp from yor byrth, till ye were growen:⁴ I I which shall beare you vnto youre last age: I haue made you, I will also norish you, beare you and saue you.

⁵ Whom will ye make me like, in fashion or ymage, that I maye be like him?⁶ Ye fooles (no doute) wil take out syluer and golde out of youre purses, and weye it, and hyre a goldsmyth to make a god of it, that men maye knele downe and worshipe it.⁷ Yet must he be taken on mens shulders and borne, and set in his place, that he maye stonde and not moue. Alas that men shulde crie vnto him, which geueth no answere: and delyuereth not the man that calleth vpon him, from his trouble.⁸ Considre this well, and be ashamed, Go in to youre owne selues (O ye runnagates).⁹ Remembre the thinges which are past, sence the begynnynge of the worlde: that I am God, and that there is els no God, yee and yt there is nothinge like vnto me.¹⁰ In the begynnynge of a thinge, I shewe the ende therof: and I tel before, thinges that are not yet come to passe. With one worde is my deuyce accomplished, & fulfilleth all my pleasure.¹¹ I call a byrde out of the east, and all that I take in honde, out of farre countrees. As soone as I commaunde, I bringe it hither: as soone as I thinke to deuyse a thinge, I do it.¹² Heare me, o ye that are of an hie stomack, but farre from rightuousnesse.¹³ I shal bringe forth my rightuousnesse, It is not farre, and my health shal not tarie longe awaye. I wil laye health in Sio, and geue Israel my glory.