viol, the tabret and pipe, and 36 By swearing, and ly: wine, are in their feasts; but ing, and killing, and stealing,

, they regard not the work of and committing adultery, they the Lord, neither consider the break out, and blood toucheth operation of his hands.

blood. 26 Behold, ye trust in lying 37 Therefore shall the land words, that cannot profit. mourn, and every one that 27 Will ye steal, murder, dwelleth therein shall languish,

' and commit adultery, and swear and the destruction of the transfalsely, and burn incense unto gressors and of the sinners shall Baal, and walk after other gods be together, and they that forwhom ye know not,

sake the Lord shall be con28 And come and stand be. sumed. fore me in this house, which is 38 Neither their silver, nor called by my name, and say, We their gold shall be able to dea are delivered to do all these liver them in the day of the abominations ?

Lord's wrath. 29 Is this house, which is 39 Wo unto them! for they called by my name, become a have fled from me: destruction den of robbers in your eyes ? unto them ! because they have behold, even I have seen it, transgressed against me: though saith the Lord.

I have redeemed them, yet they 30 My people are destroyed have spoken lies against me. for lack of knowledge: because 40 And they have not cried thou hast rejected knowledge, unto me with their heart. I will also reject thee : seeing thou hast forgotten the law of LESSON XLII. thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up 31 As they were increased, thy voice like a trumpet, and So they sinned against me: shew my people their transtherefore will I change their gression, and the house of Jaglory into shame.

cob their sins. 32 They eat up the sin of my 2 Yet they seek me daily, people, and they set their heart and delight to know my ways, on their iniquity.

as a nation that did righteous33 And I will punish them ness, and forsook not the ordifor their ways, and reward them nance of their God: they ask for their doings.

of me the ordinances of justice : 34 They will not frame their they take delight in approachdoings to turn unto their God. ing to God :

35 The Lord hath a con- 3 Wherefore have we fasttroversy with the inhabitants ed, say they, and thou seest not? of the land, because there is no wherefore have we afflicted our truth, nor mercy, nor know- soul, and thou takest no know. ledge of God in the land. ledge ? Behold, in the day of

in.

your fast you find pleasure, and 11 And the Lord shall guide
exact all
your labours.

thee continually, and satisfy thy 4 Behold, ye fast for strife soul in drought, and make fat and debate, and to smite with thy bones, and thou shalt be the fist of wickedness; ye shall like a watered garden, and like not fast as ye do this day, to a spring of water, whose waters make your voice to be heard on

fail not. high.

12 And they that shall be of 5 Is it such a fast that I have thee, shall build the old waste chosen? a day for a man to afflict places : thou shalt raise up the his soul? is it to bow down his foundations of many generahead as a bulrush, and to spread tions; and thou shalt be callsackcloth and ashes under him? ed, The repairer of the breach, wilt thou call this a fast, and an the restorer of paths to dwell acceptable day to the Lord ?

6 Is not this the fast that I | 13 Hear, O ye that swalhave chosen? to loose the bands low up the needy, even to make of wickedness, to undo the heavy the poor of the land to fail ; burdens, and to let the oppressed making the ephah small and the go free, and that ye break every shekel great, and falsifying the yoke?

balances by deceit : 7 Is it not to deal thy bread 14 The Lord hath sworn by to the hungry, and that thou the excellency of Jacob, Surely bring the poor that are cast out I will never forget any of your to thy house? when thou seest works. I will turn your feasts the naked, that thou cover him, into mourning, and all your and that thou hide not thyself songs into lamentation; and I from thine own flesh?

will make it as the mourning T 8 Then shall thy light break of an only son, and the end forth as the morning, and thine thereof as a bitter day. health shall spring forth speed- | 15 The fool hath said in ily: and thy righteousness shall his heart, There is no God, go before thee, the glory of the they are corrupt; they have Lord shall be thy reward. done abominable works; there

9 Then shalt thou call, and is none that doeth good. the Lord shall answer : thou 16 The Lord looked down shalt

cry, and he shall say, Here from heaven upon the children I am: if thou take away from of men, to see if there were any the midst of thee the yoke, the that did understand, and seek putting forth of the finger, and God. speaking vanity:

17 They are all gone aside; :10 And if thou draw out thy they are all together become soul to the hungry, and satisfy filthy: there is none that doeth the afflicted soul; then shall thy good, no not one. light rise in obscurity, and thy 18 The transgression of the darkness be as the noon day,

wicked saith within his heart,

fore his eyes.

that there is no fear of God be- ness, and his chambers by

wrong; that useth his neigh19 For he flattereth himself bour's service without wages, in his own eyes, until his ini- and giveth him not for his work. quity be found to be hateful. 28 Wo to him that coveteth

20 The words of his mouth an evil covetousness to his house, are iniquity and deceit: he hath that he may set his nest on high, left off to be wise, and to do that he may be delivered from good.

the power of evil. 21 He deviseth mischief up- 29. Wo to him that buildeth on his bed : he setteth himself a town with blood, and stablishin a way that is not good; he eth a city by iniquity. abhorreth not evil.

30 Behold, is it not of the 22 Behold, his soul which is Lord of hosts, that the people lifted up is not upright in him: shall labour in the very fire, and but the just shall live by his the people shall weary them, faith.

selves for very vanity? 23 Yea also, because he 31 For the earth shall be filled transgresseth by wine, he is a with the knowledge of the glory proud man, neither keepeth at of the Lord, as the waters cover home; who enlargeth his desire the sea. as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gather- LESSON XLIII. eth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: Thus saith the Lord God unto

24 Shall not all these take the shepherds, Wo be to the up a parable against him, and shepherds of Israel, that do feed a taunting proverb against him, themselves: should not the shepand say, Wo to him that in- herds feed the flocks ? creaseth that which is not his : 2 Ye eat the fat, and ye

clothe how long? and to him that you with the wool: ye kill them ladeth himself with thick clay. that are fed, but ye feed not the

25 Shall they not rise up flock. suddenly that shall bite thee, 3 The diseased have, ye not and awake that shall vex thee, strengthened, neither have ye and thou shalt be for booties healed that which was sick, unto them?

neither have

ye
bound

up

that 26 Because thou hast spoiled which was broken, neither have many nations, all the remnant ye brought again that which of the people shall spoil thee; was driven away, neither have because of men's blood, and ye sought that which was lost: for the violence of the land, of but with force and with cruelty the city, and of all that dwell have ye ruled them, therein.

4 And they were scattered, T27 Wo unto him that build- because there is no shepherd : eth his house by unrighteous, and they became meat to all

the beasts of the field, when will bring them to their own they were scattered.

land, and feed them upon the 5 Mysheep wandered through mountains of Israel by the rie all the mountains, and upon vers, and in all the inhabited every high hill; yea, my flock places of the country. was scattered upon all the face 13 I will feed them in a good of the earth, and none did search pasture, and upon

the high or seek after them.

mountains of Israel shall their 6 Therefore, ye shepherds, fold be: there shall they lie in hear the word of the Lord. a good fold, and in a fat pasture

7 As I live, saith the Lord shall they feed upon the mounGod, surely because my flock tains of Israel. became a prey, and my flock 14 I will feed my flock, and became meat to every beast of I will cause them to lie down, the field, because there was no saith the Lord God: shepherd neither did my shep- 15 I will seek that which was herds search for my flock, but lost, and bring again that which the shepherds fed themselves, was driven away, and will bind and fed not my flock;

up that which was broken, and 8 Therefore, O ye shepherds, will strengthen that which was hear the word of the Lord. sick: but I will destroy the fat

9 Thus saith the Lord God, and the strong, I will feed them Behold, I am against the shep- with judgement. herds, and I will require my 16 Seemeth it a small thing flock at their hand, and cause unto you, to have eaten up the them to cease from feeding the good pasture, but ye must tread flock, neither shall the shep- down with your feet the residue herds feed themselves any more: of your pastures ? and to have for I will deliver my flock from drunk of the deep waters, but their mouth, that they may not ye must foul the residue with be meat for them.

| 10 For thus saith the Lord 17 And as for my flock, they God, Behold, I, even I will both eat that which ye have trodden search my sheep, and seek them with your feet; and they drink out.

that which ye have fouled with 11 As a shepherd seeketh out your feet. his flock, in the day that he is 18 Because ye have thrust among his sheep that are scata with side, and with shoulder, tered; so will I seek out my and pushed all the diseased with sheep, and will deliver them your horns, till ye have scat. out of all places where they tered them abroad : have been scattered in the 19 Therefore will I save my cloudy and dark day.

flock, and they shall no more 12 And I will bring them out be a prey, and I will judge befrom the people, and gather tween cattle and cattle. them from the countries, and 20 And I will make with

a

your feet?

:

them a covenant of peace, and cease, and will lay low the will cause the evil beasts to haughtiness of the terrible, cease out of the land : and they 4 Hear, I pray you, O heads shall dwell safely in the wilder- of Jacob, and ye princes of the ness, and sleep in the woods. house of Israel, Is it not for you

21 And I will make them, to know judgement ? and the places round about my 5 Who hate the good and hill, a blessing: and I will cause love the evil; who pluck off the shower to come down in his the skin of my people from season ; there shall be showers them, and their flesh from .off. of blessing

their hones; 22 And the tree of the field 6 They shall cry unto the shall yield her fruit, and the Lord, but he shall not hear them; earth shall yield her increase, he will hide his face from them. and they shall be safe in their at that time as they have beland, and shall know that I am haved themselves ill in their the Lord, when I have broken doings : they abhor judgement the bands of their yoke, and and pervert all equity. delivered them out of the hand 7 The heads of the house of of those that served themselves Jacob judge for reward, and the of them.

priests thereof teach for hire, 23 Thus shall they know that and the prophets thereof divine I the Lord their God am with for money: yet will they lean them, and that they are my peo- upon the Lord and say, Is not ple, saith the Lord God. the Lord among us ? none evil

24 And ye my flock, the flock can come upon us. of my pasture, are men, and I 18 Hear, O my people, and I am your God, saith the Lord will speak; O Israel, and I will God.

testify against thee: I am God,

éven thy God. LESSON XLIV.

9 I will not reprove thee for

thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerGod standeth in the congrega- ings, to have been continually tion of the mighty; he judgeth before me. among the gods.

10 I will take no bullock out 2 How long will ye judge of thy house, nor he-goats out unjustly, and accept the persons of thy folds. of the wicked? Ye know not, 11 For every beast of the neither will ye understand; ye forest is mine, and the cattle: walk on in darkness : all the upon a thousand hills. foundations of the earth are 12 I know all the fowls of out of course.

the mountains : and the wild 3 I will punish the world for beasts of the field are mine. their evil, and the wicked for 13 If I were hungry, I would their iniquity; and I will cause not tell thee : for the world is the arrogancy of the proud to mine, and the fullness thereof.