The blessedness of the church. CHAP. LXII, LXIII. The office of ministers.

ness, The planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

4 ¶ And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vine-dressers.

peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

I

8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the 6 But ye shall be named the Priests of stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the the LORD: men shall call you the Minis-which thou hast laboured:

ters of our God: ye shall eat the riches of 9 But they that have gathered it shall the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that boast yourselves. have brought it together shall drink it in

10 ¶ Go through, go through the gates;

7¶ For your shame ye shall have double; the courts of my holiness. and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, shall possess the double: everlasting joy cast up the highway; gather out the stones; shall be unto them. lift up a standard for the people.

8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate 11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed robbery for burnt-offering; and I will di- unto the end of the world, Say ye to the rect their work in truth, and I will make daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation an everlasting covenant with them. cometh; behold, his reward is with him,

9 And their seed shall be known among and his work before him. the Gentiles, and their offspring among the 12 And they shall call them, The holy people all that see them shall acknow-people, The redeemed of the LORD and ledge them, that they are the seed which thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city the LORD hath blessed. not forsaken.

WHO

10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, CHAP. LXIII. my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he HO is this that cometh from Edom, hath clothed me with the garments of sal- with dyed garments from Bozrah? vation, he hath covered me with the robe this that is glorious in his apparel, travelof righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh ling in the greatness of his strength? I that himself with ornaments, and as a bride speak in righteousness, mighty to save. adorneth herself with her jewels.

2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat?

11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the 3 I have trodden the wine-press alone; Lord God will cause righteousness and and of the people there was none with me: praise to spring forth before all the nations. for I will tread them in mine anger, and CHAP. LXII. trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and will stain all my raiment.

FOR

OR Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

I

4 For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5 And I looked, and there was none to

2 And the Gentiles shall see thy right-help; and I wondered that there was none eousness, and all kings thy glory and to uphold: therefore mine own arm thou shalt be called by a new name, which brought salvation unto me; and my fury, the mouth of the LORD shall name. it upheld me.

3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory 6 And I will tread down the people in in the hand of the LORD, and a royal dia- mine anger, and make them drunk in my dem in the hand of thy God. fury, and I will bring down their strength

:

4 Thou shalt no more be termed For-to the earth. saken; neither shall thy land any more be 7 ¶ I will mention the loving-kindnesses termed Desolate but thou shalt be cailed of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for the according to all that the LORD hath bestow LORD delighteth in thee, and thy landed on us, and the great goodness toward shall be married. the house of Israel, which he hath bestow

5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, ed on them according to his mercies, and so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the according to the multitude of his lovingbridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so kindnesses. shall thy God rejoice over thee.

8 For he said, Surely they are my peo6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, ple, children that will not lie: so he was O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their their Saviour.

The loving-kindness of God.

ISAIAH. The complaint of the church.

9 In all their affliction he was afflict-wroth; for we have sinned: in those is ed, and the angel of his presence saved continuance, and we shall be saved. them: in his love and in his pity he re- 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, deemed them; and he bare them, and and all our righteousnesses are as filthy carried them all the days of old. rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and 10 But they rebelled, and vexed his our iniquities, like the wind, have taken Holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be us away.

their enemy, and he fought against them. 7 And there is none that calleth upon 11 Then he remembered the days of thy name, that stirreth up himself to take old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face is he that brought them up out of the sea from us, and hast consumed us, because of with the shepherd of his flock? where is our iniquities. he that put his Holy Spirit within him?

12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?

13 That led them through the deep as a horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?

8 But now, O LORD, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter ; and we all are the work of thy hand.

9¶ Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, 14 As a beast goeth down into the val- Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a descley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to lation.

rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to 11 Our holy and our beautiful house, make thyself a glorious name. where our fathers praised thee, is burned

15 ¶ Look down from heaven, and be-up with fire: and all our pleasant things hold from the habitation of thy holiness are laid waste.

and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and 12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and of thy mercies toward me? are they and afflict us very sore?

restrained?

I

CHAP. LXV.

16 Doubtless thou art our Father, though AM sought of them that asked not for Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel me; I am found of them that sought me acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is a nation that was not called by my name. from everlasting. 2 I have spread out my hands all the

17¶ O LORD, why hast thou made us day unto a rebellious people, which walkto err from thy ways, and hardened our eth in a way that was not good, after their heart from thy fear? Return, for thy ser-own thoughts;

vants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 3 A people that provoketh me to anger 18 The people of thy holiness have pos- continually to my face; that sacrificeth in sessed it but a little while: our adversa-gardens, and burneth incense upon altars ries have trodden down thy sanctuary. of brick;

19 We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.

CHAP. LXIV.

H wouldest rend the hea

4 Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

5 Which say, by thyself,

that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,

7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. 4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, be- 8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new sides thee, what he hath prepared for him wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, that waiteth for him. Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, and will I do for my servants' sake, that I may worketh righteousness, those that remem- not destroy them all.

ber thee in thy ways: behold, thou art 9 And I will bring forth a seed out of

The Jews are rejected.

CHAP. LXVI.

The humble comforted. Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of fore they call, I will answer; and while my mountains and mine elect shall in- they are yet speaking, I will hear. herit it, and my servants shall dwell there. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed to10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, gether, and the lion shall eat straw like the and the valley of Achor a place for the bullock and dust shall be the serpent's herds to lie down in, for my people that meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in have sought me. all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. CHAP. LXVI.

11 But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that THUS saith the LORD, The heaven is prepare a table for that troop, and that furmy throne, and the earth is my footnish the drink-offering unto that number. stool where is the house that ye build 12 Therefore will I number you to the unto me? and where is the place of my rest? sword, and ye shall all bow down to the 2 For all those things hath my hand slaughter: because when I called, ye did made, and all those things have been, saith not answer; when I spake, ye did not the LORD: but to this man will I look, even hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, did choose that wherein I delighted not. and trembleth at my word. 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GoD, 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he be hungry: behold, my servants shall cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be he that burneth incense, as if he blessed ashamed: an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own 14 Behold, my servants shall sing for ways, and their soul delighteth in their joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of abominations.

heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. 4 I also will choose their delusions, and 15 And ye shall leave your name for a will bring their fears upon them; because curse unto my chosen for the Lord GoD when I called, none did answer; when I shall slay thee, and call his servants by spake, they did not hear: but they did evil another name: before mine eyes, and chose that in which delighted not.

16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth, shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

I

5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glori fied: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

6 A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child.

8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

I

20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days for the child shall die a hundred years old: but the sinner being hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses and in- 10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be habit them; and they shall plant vine- glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice yards, and eat the fruit of them. for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

a

22 They shall not build, and another 11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied inhabit; they shall not plant, and another with the breasts of her consolations; that eat for as the days of a tree are the days ye may milk out, and be delighted with of my people, and mine elect shall long the abundance of her glory. enjoy the work of their hands.

12 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor will extend peace to her like a river, and bring forth for trouble; for they are the the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be offspring with them. borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon

24 And it shall come to pass, that be- her knees.

An exhortation to repentance.

JEREMIAH.

Idolatry threatened. 27 I have set thee for a tower and a 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, fortress among my people; that thou may- as I have cast out il your brethren, even est know and try their way. the whole seed of Ephraim.

28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away.

30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them. CHAP. VII.

T

THE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

16 Therefore pay not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

17 ¶ Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drinkofferings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

2 Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Ju- the LORD: do they not provoke themselves dah, that enter in at these gates to worship to the confusion of their own faces? the LORD. 20 Therefore thus saith the Lord God;

3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, poured out upon this place, upon man, and and I will cause you to dwell in this place. upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, 4 Trustye not in lying words, saying, The and upon the fruit of the ground; and it temple of the LORD, The temple of the shall burn, and shall not be quenched. LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the 5 For if ye thoroughly amend your ways God of Israel; Put your burnt-offerings and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. judgment between a man and his neighbour;

6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt;

7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.

8 T Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices:

23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

24 But they hearkened not, nor incl ned their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

I

25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day 10 And come and stand before me in have even sent unto you all my servants this house, which is called by my name, the prophets, daily rising up early and and say, We are delivered to do all these sending them: abominations?

26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor 11 Is this house, which is called by my inclined their ear, but hardened their name, become a den of robbers in your neck: they did worse than their fathers. eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith 27 Therefore, thou shalt speak all these the LORD. words unto them; but they will not heark12 But go ye now unto my place which en to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the but they will not answer thee. first, and see what I did to it for the wick- 28 But thou shalt say unto them, This edness of my people Israel. is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of

13 And now, because ye have done all the LORD their God, nor receiveth corthese works, saith the LORD, and I spake rection: truth is perished, and is cut off unto you, rising up early and speaking, from their mouth. but ye heard not; and I called you, but 29 Cut off thy hair, O Jerusalem, ye answered not; and cast it away, and take up a lamenta 14 Therefore will I do unto this house, tion on high places; for the LORD hath rewhich is called by my name, wherein ye jected and forsaken the generation of his trust, and unto the place which I gave to wrath. you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have

The impenitent Jews upbraided. CHAP. VIII, IX.

set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.

Their judgment shewed.

9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have re 31 And they have built the high places jected the word of the LORD; and what 10 Therefore will I give their wives of Tophet, which is in the valley of the wisdom is in them? son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I com- unto others, and their fields to them that manded them not, neither came it into my shall inherit them for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to heart. 32 Therefore, behold, the days come, covetousness, from the prophet even unto 11 For they have healed the hurt of the saith the LORD, that it shall no more be the priest every one dealeth falsely. called Tophet,norThe valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of Slaughter: for daughter of my people slightly, saying, they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 12 Were they ashamed when they had place. 33 And the carcasses of this people shall committed abomination? nay, they were be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and not at all ashamed, neither could they them that fall in the time of their visitafor the beasts of the earth; and none shall blush: therefore shall they fall among fray them away. 13 I will surely consume them, saith 34 Then will I cause to cease from the tion they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the voice of gladness, the voice of the bride- vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf them shall pass away from them. groom, and the voice of the bride for the shall fade; and the things that I have given land shall be desolate.

A

CHAP. VIII.

14 Why do we sit still? assemble yourT that time, saith the LORD, they selves, and let us enter into the defenced shall bring out the bones of the kings cities, and let us be silent there for the of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and LORD our God hath put us to silence, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of given us water of gall to drink, because 15 We looked for peace, but no good the prophets, and the bones of the inhabit-we have sinned against the LORD. ants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: 2 And they shall spread them before the came; and for a time of health, and besun, and the moon, and all the host of hold, trouble! heaven, whom they have loved, and whom

16 The snorting of his horses was heard they have served, and after whom they from Dan; the whole land trembled at the have walked, and whom they have sought, sound of the neighing of his strong ones: and whom they have worshipped: they for they are come, and have devoured the shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they land, and all that is in it; the city, and 17 For behold, I will send serpents, shall be fordung upon the face of the earth. those that dwell therein. 3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain cockatrices, among you, which will not be of this evil family, which remain in all the charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the places whither I have driven them, saith LORD. the LORD of hosts.

18 When I would comfort myself 19 Behold the voice of the cry of the 4 Moreover, thou shalt say unto them, against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and that dwell in a far country: Is not the not arise? shall he turn away, and not daughter of my people because of them return?

5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem LORD in Zion? is not herKing in her? Why slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? have they provoked me to anger with their they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. graven images, and with strange vanities? 6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

21 For the hurt of the daughter of my ment hath taken hold on me. people am I hurt; I am black; astonish

22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there 7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and no physician there? why then is not the the crane, and the swallow, observe the health of the daughter of my people retime of their coming; but my people covered?

know not the judgment of the LORD.

8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, cer

H

CHAP. IX.

eyes a fountain of tears, that I might that my head were waters, and mine

tainly in vain made he it; the pen of the weep day and night for the slain of the scribes is in vain.

daughter of my people!

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