Chapter 4

Divers great sins of both Kingdoms, ℣.3 are the cause of great punishments threatened, ℣.15 yet the sins of Juda are less excusable, because they have more means to serve God.

1. 1

   Hear the word of our Lord ye children of Israel, because there is judgement to our Lord with the inhabitants of the land: for there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land.

2. 2

   Cursing, and lying, and manslaughter, & theft, and adultery have overflowed, & blood hath touched blood.

3. 3

   For this shall the land mourn, and every one shall be weakened that dwelleth in it, in the beast of the field, and in the fowl of the heaven: yea and the fishes of the sea shall be gathered together.

4. 4

   But yet let not every man judge: and let not a man be rebuked: for the people are as those, that gainsay the Priest.

5. 5

   And thou shalt fall to day, and the Prophet also shall fall with thee: in the night I made thy mother hold her peace.

6. 6

   My people have held their peace, because they had not knowledge: because thou hast repelled knowledge, I will repel thee, that thou do not the function of priesthood unto me: and thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.

7. 7

   According to the multitude of them so have they sinned to me: their glory I will change into ignominy.

8. 8

   They shall eat the sins of my people, and at their iniquity shall lift up their souls.

9. 9

   And as the people, so shall the Priest be: and I will visit their ways upon them, and their cogitations I will render to them.

10. 10

    And they shall eat and shall not be filled: they have fornicated, & have not ceased: because they have forsaken our Lord in not observing.

11. 11

    Fornication, & wine, & drunkenness take away the heart.

12. 12

    My people hath asked in their wood, & their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornications hath deceived them, & they have fornicated from their God.

13. 13

    Upon the heads of mountains they did sacrifice, and upon little hills they burnt incense: under the oak, and the poplar-tree, and the terebinth, because the shadow thereof was good: therefore shall your daughters fornicate, and your spouses shall be adulteresses.

14. 14

    I will not visit upon your daughters when they shall fornicate, and upon your spouses when they shall commit adultery: because they themselves converst with harlots, and with the effeminate they did sacrifice, and the people not understanding shall be beaten.

15. 15

    If thou fornicate o Israel, at the least let not Juda offend: and enter ye not into Galgal, and go not up into Bethaven, neither swear ye: Our Lord liveth.

16. 16

    Because Israel hath declined as a wanton cow: now will our Lord feed them, as a lamb in latitude.

17. 17

    Ephraim is partaker of idols, let him alone.

18. 18

    Their banquet is separated, with fornication they have fornicated: the protectors thereof loved to bring ignominy.

19. 19

    The spirit hath bound him in his wings, and they shall be confounded at their sacrifices.