Chapter 15

Though Moyses and Samuel should pray for his people, yet God hath determined to punish them with plague, war, famine, and captivity, ℣.6 for their impenitency. ℣.10 The Prophet lamenteth that for his preaching the people is become worse, ℣.15 and persecuteth him: ℣.19 but God promiseth to deliver and to reward him.

1. 1

   And our Lord said to me: If Moyses & Samuel shall stand before me, my soul is not toward this people: cast them out from my face, and let them go forth.

2. 2

   And if they shall say unto thee: Whither shall we go forth? Thou shalt say to them: Thus saith our Lord: They that to death, to death, & they that to sword, to sword: & they that to famine, to famine: & they that to captivity, to captivity.

3. 3

   And I will visit upon them four kinds, saith our Lord: The sword to kill, and dogs to tear, and the fowls of the air, and beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy.

4. 4

   And I will give them into rage to all the kingdoms of the earth: because of Manasses the son of Ezechias the king of Juda, for all things that he did in Jerusalem.

5. 5

   For who shall have pity on thee Jerusalem? Or who shall be sorry for thee? Or who shall go to pray for thy peace?

6. 6

   Thou hast forsaken me, saith our Lord, thou hast gone backward: and I will stretch forth my hand upon thee, & will kill thee: I am weary in praying thee.

7. 7

   And I will scatter them with a fan in the gates of the land: I have slain and destroyed my people, and yet they are not returned from their ways.

8. 8

   Their widows are multiplied unto me above the sand of the sea: I have brought into them upon the mother of the young man a waster at noon day: I have cast terror suddenly upon the cities.

9. 9

   She is weakened that bare seven, her soul hath fainted: the sun went down to her, when it was yet day: she is confounded, and ashamed: and the residue of them I will give unto the sword in the sight of their enemies, saith our Lord.

10. 10

    Woe is me, my mother: why hast thou born me a man of brawling, a man of discord in all the earth? I have not lent to usury, neither hath any man lent unto me to usury: all curse me.

11. 11

    Our Lord saith: if thy remnant shall not be to good, if I have not holpen thee in the time of affliction, and in the time of tribulation against the enemy.

12. 12

    Why, shall iron be confederate with the iron from the North, and also brass?

13. 13

    Thy riches & thy treasures I will give into spoil for naught for all thy sins, and in all thy borders.

14. 14

    And I will bring thine enemies out of a land, which thou knowest not: because a fire is kindled in my fury, it shall burn upon you.

15. 15

    Thou knowest o Lord, be mindful of me, and visit me, and defend me from them, that persecute me: do not receive me in thy patience, know that I have sustained reproach for thee.

16. 16

    Thy words were found, and I did eat them, & thy word was made to me a joy & gladness of my heart: because thy name is invocated upon me, o Lord God of hosts.

17. 17

    I sat not in the councel of jesters, & I have gloried at the face of thy hand: I sat alone, because thou hast fillest me with threatening.

18. 18

    Why is my sorrow made perpetual, and my desperate plague refuseth to be cured? It is become unto me as a lie of unfaithful waters.

19. 19

    For this cause thus saith our Lord: If thou wilt be converted, I will convert thee, & thou shalt stand before my face: & if thou wilt separate the precious thing from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: they shall be turned to thee, & thou shalt not be turned to them.

20. 20

    And I will give thee unto this people as a brazen wall, strong: and they shall fight against thee, and shall not prevail: because I am with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee, saith our Lord.

21. 21

    And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the most wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of strong.