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For this shall the earth mourne, and the heauens aboue be blacke: because I haue spoken it, I haue purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turne backe from it.

For I haue heard a voice as of a woman in trauel, and the anguish as of her that bringeth foorth her first childe, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth her selfe, that spreadeth her hands, saying; Woe is me now, for my soule is wearied because of murderers.

Wherfore a lyon out of the forrest shall slay them, and a wolfe of the euenings shall spoile them, a leopard shall watch ouer their cities: euery one that goeth out thence shalbe torne in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their backeslidings are increased.

Wherfore thus saith the Lord God of Hostes; Because yee speake this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth, fire, and this people wood, and it shall deuoure them.

Heare, O earth, behold, I will bring euill vpon this people, euen the fruit of their thoughts, because they haue not hearkened vnto my wordes, nor to my law, but reiected it.

Reprobate siluer shall men call them, because the Lord hath reiected them.

And now because ye haue done all these workes, saith the Lord, and I spake vnto you, rising vp earely, and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not:

Why doe wee sit still? Assemble your selues, and let vs enter into the defenced cities, and let vs be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put vs to silence, and giuen vs waters of gall to drink, because we haue sinned against the Lord.

Behold the voice of the crie of the daughter of my people because of them that dwel in a farre countrey: Is not the Lord in Zion? is not her king in her? why haue they prouoked me to anger with their grauen images, and with strange vanities?

For the mountaines will I take vp a weeping and wayling, and for the habitations of the wildernesse a lamentation, because they are burnt vp, so that none can passe through them, neither can men heare the voyce of the cattell, both the foule of the heauens, and the beast are fled, they are gone.

And the Lord saith; Because they haue forsaken my law, which I set before them, and haue not obeyed my voyce, neither walked therein;

For a voyce of wayling is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled? wee are greatly confounded, because wee haue forsaken the land, because our dwellings haue cast vs out.

They are vpright as the palme tree, but speake not: they must needes bee borne, because they cannot goe: be not afraid of them, for they cannot doe euil, neither also is it in them to doe good.

How long shall the land mourne, and the herbes of euery field wither, for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein? The beasts are consumed, and the birds, because they said; He shall not see our last end.

They haue made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth vnto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

They haue sowen wheate, but shall reape thornes: they haue put themselues to paine, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your reuenues, because of the fierce anger of the Lord.

But if ye will not heare it, my soule shall weepe in secret places for your pride, and mine eye shall weepe sore, and run downe with teares, because the Lords flocke is caried away captiue.

This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord, because thou hast forgotten mee, and trusted in falshood.

Because the ground is chapt, for there was no raine in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they couered their heads.

Yea the hinde also calued in the field, and forsooke it, because there was no grasse.