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¹ O Lorde, thou art more rightuous, then that I shulde dispute with the: Neuertheles, let me talke with the in thinges reasonable. How happeneth it, that the waye off the vngodly is so prosperous? and that it goeth so wel with them, which (with out eny shame) offede and lyue in wickednesse?² Thou plantest them, they take rote, they growe, and bringe forth frute. They boost moch off the, yet doest thou not punysh them.³ But thou LORDE (to whom I am well knowne) thou that hast sene, & proued my herte, take them awaye, like as a flock is caried to the slaughter house, and apoynte them for the daye off slaughtinge.⁴ How longe shall the londe mourne, and all the herbes off the felde perish, for the wickednes off them that dwell therin? The catell and the byrdes are gone, yet saye they: tush, God will not destroye vs vtterly.⁵ Seinge thou art weery in runnynge with the fote men, how wilt thou then runne wt horses? In a peaceable sure londe thou mayest be safe, but how wilt thou do in the furious pryde of Iordane?⁶ For thy brethren ad thy kynred haue altogether despised the, and cried out vpon the in thine absence. Beleue them not, though they speake fayre wordes to the.

⁷ As for me (saye I) I haue forsaken myne owne dwellinge place, and left myne heretage. My life also that I loue so wel, haue I geuen in to the hodes of myne enemies.⁸ Myne heretage is become vnto me, as a Lyon in the wod. It cried out vpon me, therfore haue I forsaken it.⁹ Myne heretage is vnto me, as a spreckled byrde, a byrde of dyuerse coloures is vpon it. Go hence, and gather all the beastes of the felde together, that they maye eate it vp.¹⁰ Dyuerse hyrdme haue broken downe my vynyarde, and troden vpon my porcion. Of my pleasaunt porcion, they haue made a wildernes & deserte.¹¹ They haue layed it waist: and now that it is waist, it sigheth vnto me. Yee the whole londe lieth waist, and no man regardeth it.¹² The distroyers come ouer the heeth euery waye, for the swearde off the LORDE shal consume from the one ende of ye lode to the other, and no flesh shal haue rest.¹³ They shal sowe wheat, and reepe thornes. They shal take heretage in possession, but it shal do them no good. And ye shalbe confounded of youre owne wynnynges, because of the greate wrath of the LORDE.

¹⁴ Thus saieth the LORDE vpon all myne euel neghbours, that laye honde on myne heretage, which I haue geuen my people of Israel: Beholde, I wil plucke them (namely Israel) out of their londe, and put out the house of Iuda from amonge them.¹⁵ And whe I haue rooted the out, I wilbe at one with the agayne, and wil haue mercy vpon them: and brynge them agayne, euery man to his owne heretage, and in to his lode.¹⁶ And yf they (namely that trouble my people) wil lerne ye wayes of them, to sweare by my name: The LORDE lyueth (like as they lerned my people to sweare by Baal) the shal they be rekened amoge my people.¹⁷ But yf they wil not obeye, the will I rote out the same folke, and destroye them, saieth the LORDE,