2 God rehearſeth his benefites done vnto the Iewes. 8 Againſt the Prieſts and falſe prophetes. 12 The Iewes are deſtroyed, becauſe they forſake God.
1.MOreouer, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, ſaying,
2.Go, and cry in the eares of Ieruſalém, ſaying, Thus ſaith the Lord, I remember thee, with the akindenes of thy youth and ye loue of thy mariage, when thou wenteſt after me in the wildernes bin a land that was not ſowen.
3.Iſraél was as a thing chalowed vnto the Lord, & his firſt frutes: all they dthat eat it, ſhal offend. euil ſhal come vpon them, ſaith the Lord.
4.Heare ye the worde of the Lord, ô houſe of Iaakób, and all the families of the houſe of Iſraél.
5.Thus ſaith the Lord, What iniquitie haue your fathers founde in me, that they are gone efarre from me, and haue walked after vanitie, and are become fvaine?
6.For they ſaid not, Where is ye Lord that broght vs vp out of the land of Egypt *that led vs through ye wildernes, through a deſert, and waſte land, through a drye land, and gby the ſhadowe of death, by a land that no man paſſed through, and where no man dwelt?
7.And I brought you into a plentiful countrey, to eat the frute thereof, and the commodities of the ſame: but when ye entred, ye defiled hmy land, and made mine heritage an abominacion.
8.The Prieſts ſaid not, iWhere is the Lord? and they that ſhulde miniſter the kLaw, knewe me not: yelpaſtours alſo offended againſt me, and the prophetes prophecied in mBáal, and went after things that did not profite.
9.Wherefore I wil yet nplead with you, ſaith the Lord, and I wil plead with your childrens children.
10.For go ye to the yles of oChittím, & beholde, and ſend vnto pKedár, and take diligent hede, and ſe whether there be ſuche things.
11.Hathe anie nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people haue chãged their qglorie, for that which doeth not rprofite.
12.O ye sheauens, be aſtonied at this. be afrayed and vtterly cõfounded, ſaith the Lord.
13.For my people haue cõmitted two euils: they haue forſakẽ me tthe fountaine of liuing waters, to digge thẽ pittes, euen broken pittes, that can holde no water.
14.Is Iſraél a uſeruant, or is he borne in the houſe? why then is he ſpoiled?
15.The xlyons roared vpon him & yelled, and they haue made his land waſte: his cities are burnt without yan inhabitant.
16.Alſo the children of zNoph and Tahapanés haue abroken thine head.
17.Haſt not thou procured this vnto thy ſelf, becauſe thou haſt forſaken the Lord thy God, when he bled thee by the way?
18.And what haſt thou now to do in the way of cEgypt? to drinke the water of Nilus? or what makeſt thou in the way of Aſſhúr? to drinke the water of the dRiuer?
19.Thine owne wickednes ſhal ecorrect thee, and thy turnings backe ſhal reproue thee: knowe therefore and beholde, that it is an euil thing, and bitter, that thou haſt forſaken the Lord thy God, and that my feare is not in thee, ſaith the Lord God of hoſtes.
20.For of olde time I haue brokẽ thy yoke, & burſt thy bõds, and thou ſaideſt, fI wil no more trãſgreſſe, but like an harlot thou runneſt about vpon all hie hilles, and vnder all grene trees.
21.Yet I had plãted thee, a noble vine, whoſe *plants were all natural: how then art thou turned vnto me into the plants of a ſtrange vine?
22.Thogh thou waſh thee with gnitre, & take thee muche ſope, yet thine iniquitie is marked before me, ſaithe the Lord God.
23.How canſt thou ſay, I am not polluted, nether haue I hfollowed Baalím? beholde thy wayes in the valley, and knowe, what thou haſt done: thou art like a ſwift idromedarie, that runneth by his wayes.
24.And as a wilde kaſſe, vſed to the wildernes, that ſnuffeth vp the winde by occaſiõ at her pleaſure: who cã turne her backe? all thei that ſeke her, wil not weary them ſelues, but wil finde her in her lmoneth.
25.Kepe thou thy fete from mbarenes, and thy throte from thirſt: but thou ſaidſt deſperatly, No, for I haue loued ſtrangers, & them wil I followe.
26.As the nthefe is aſhamed, when he is founde, ſo is the houſe of Iſraél aſhamed, they, their Kings, their princes and their Prieſts, and their Prophetes,
27.Saying to a tre, Thou art my ofather, & to a ſtone, Thou haſt begotten me: for they haue turned their backe vnto me, and not their face: but in ye time of their trouble they wil ſay, Ariſe, and helpe vs.
28.But where are thy gods, that thou haſt made thee? let them ariſe, if thei can helpe thee in the time of thy trouble: for according pto the number of thy cities, are thy gods, ô Iudáh.
29.qWherefore wil ye pleade with me? ye all haue rebelled againſt me, ſaieth the Lord.
30.I haue ſmitten your children in vaine, they receiued no correction: ryour owne ſwerde hathe deuoured your Prophetes like a deſtroying lyon.
31.O generacion, take hede to the worde of the Lord: haue I bene as a swildernes vnto Iſraél? or a land of darkenes? Wherefore ſaith my people then, We are tlords, we wil come no more vnto thee?
32.Can a maide forget her ornament, or a bride her attire? yet my people haue forgotten me, daies without nomber.
33.Why doeſt thou prepare thy way, to uſeke amitie? euen therefore wil I teache thee, that thy waies are wickednes.
34.Alſo in thy xwings is founde the blood of the ſoules of the poore innocents: I haue not founde it in holes, but vpon all theſe places.
35.Yet thou ſaiſt, Becauſe I am giltles, ſurely his wrath ſhal turne frõ me: beholde, I wil entre with thee into iudgement, becauſe thou ſaieſt, I haue not ſinned.
36.Why runneſt thou about ſo muche to change thy waies? for thou ſhalt be confounded of Egypt, yas thou art confounded of Aſſhúr.
37.For thou ſhalt go forthe from thence, & thine hands vpon zthine head, becauſe the Lord hathe reiected thy confidence, and thou ſhalt not proſper thereby.
According to that grace, and fauour, wc I ſhewed thee from the beginning, when I did firſt chuſe thee to be my people, and maried thee to my ſelf, Ezek. 16.3.
That is, ſpake vaine things, and broght the people from the true worſhip of God to ſerue idoles: for by Báal, which was the chief idole of the Moabites, are ment all idoles.
Signifying, that he wolde not as he might, ſtreight way condemne them, but ſheweth them by euident examples their great ingratitude, that they might be aſhamed, and repent.
That is, God which is their glorie, & who maketh them glorious aboue all other people: reprouing the Iewes, that they were leſſe diligẽt to ſerue ye true God, then were the idolaters to honour their vanities.
Signifying yt when men forſake Gods worde, which is the fountaine of life, they reiect God hĩ ſelf, and ſo fall to their owne inuencions, & vaine confidence, and proceade to their owne deſtructiõ. Iona 2.8. zach. 10.2.
To ſeke helpe of man, as thogh God were not able ynough to defende thee, which is to drinke of the puddels, and to leaue the fountaine, read Iſa. 31.1.
That is, whẽ ſhe is wt fole, & therefore the hũters waite their time: ſo thogh thou canſt not be turned backe now from thine idolatrie, yet when thine iniquitie ſhalbe at the ful, God wil mete with thee.
Hereby he warneth them that thei ſhoulde not go into ſtrange countreis to ſeke helpe: for thei ſhuld but ſpẽd their labour, & hurt them ſelues, which is here ment by the bare fote and thirſt, Iſa. 57, 10.
As a thefe wil not acknowledge his faute, til he be taken with the dede, & ready to be puniſhed, ſo they wil not confeſſe their idolatrie, til the plagues due to ye ſame light vpon them.
Meaning, yt ye idolaters ſpoyle God of his honour: & where as he hathe taught to call him the father of all fleſh, they attribute this title to their idoles.
Thou thoghteſt that thy gods of blockes and ſtones colde haue holpe thee, becauſe they were many in nomber & preſent in euery place: but now let vs ſe whether ether the multitude, or their preſence can deliuer thee from my plague, Chap. 11, 13.
For the Aſſyrians had taken away the ten tribes out of Iſraél, and deſtroyed Iudá, euen vnto Ieruſalém: and the Egyptians ſlewe Ioſiáh, and vexed the Iewes in ſondry ſortes.