The Worthless Treaty with Egypt

1Wo be to those shrenkinge children (saieth the LORDE) which seke councel, but not at me: which take a webbe in honde, but not after my will: that they maye heape one synne vpon another.

2They go downe in to Egipte, (and axe me no councel) to seke helpe at the power of Pharao, and coforte in the shadowe of the Egipcias.

3But Pharaos helpe shalbe youre cofucion, and the comforte in the Egipcians shadowe shalbe youre owne shame.

4Youre rulers haue bene at Zoan, and yor messaungers came vnto Hanes.

5But ye shal all be ashamed of the people yt maye not helpe you, which shal not bringe you strength or comforte, but shame and confucion.

6Youre beastes haue borne burthens vpo their backes towarde the South, thorow the waye that is ful of parell and trouble, because of the lyo and lyones, of the Cockatrice and shutynge dragon. Yee the Mules bare youre substaunce, and the Camels brought yor treasure vpon their croked backes, vnto a people that can not helpe you.

7For the Egipcians helpe shalbe but vane and lost. Therfore I tolde you also yt youre pryde shulde haue an ende.

8Wherfore go hece, and write them this in their tables, and note it in a booke: that it maye remayne by their posterite, and be stil kepte.

9For it is an obstinate people, vnfaithful children, children that will not heare the lawe of the LORDE.

10They darre saye to the prophetes: Intromitte youre selues with nothinge, and vnto ye Soythsayers: tell us of nothinge for to come, but speake frendly wordes vnto vs, and preach vs false thinges.

11Treade out of the waye, go out of the path, turne the holy one of Israel from vs.

12Therfore thus saieth the holy one of Israel: In as moch as ye haue cast of youre bewtie, and conforted youre selues with power and nymblenesse, and put youre confidence therin:

13therfore shal ye haue this myschefe agayne for youre destruction and fall, like as an hie wall, that falleth because of some rift (or blast,) whose breakinge cometh sodenly.

14And youre destruction shalbe like as an erthe pot, which breaketh no man touchinge it, yee and breaketh so sore, that a man shal not fynde a sheuer of it to fetch fyre in, or to take water with all out of the pyt.

15For the LORDE God, euen the holy one of Israel hath promised thus: With stilsittinge and rest shal ye be healed, In quyetnesse and hope shal youre strength lie.

16Notwithstondinge ye regarde it not, but ye will saie: No, for thus are we costrayned to fle vpo horses. (And therfore shall ye fle) we must ryde vpon swift beastes, and therfore youre persecutours shal yet be swifter.

17A thousand of you shal fle for one, or at the most for fyue, which do but only geue you euell wordes: vntil ye be desolate, as a shipmast vpon an hie mountayne, and as a beaken vpon an hill.

God Will Be Gracious

18Yet stondeth the LORDE waitinge, that he maye haue mercy vpon you, and lifteth him self vp, that he maye receaue you to grace. For the LORDE God is rightuous. Happie are all thei that wate for him.

19For thus (o thou people of Sion and ye citisens of Ierusalem) shal ye neuer be in heuynes, for doutlesse he will haue mercy vpon the. As soone as he heareth the voyce of thy crie, he will helpe the. 20The LORDE geueth you the bred of aduersite, and the water of trouble. But thine instructer fleyth not farre from the, yf thine eyes loke vnto thine instructer, 21and thine eares harken to his worde, that crieth after the and saieth: This is the waye, go this, and turne nether to the right honde nor the leffte. 22Morouer yf ye destroye the syluer workes of youre Idols, and cast awaye the golden coapes that ye deckt them withall (as fylthynes) and saie, get you hence:

23The wil he geue rayne to the sede, that ye shal sowe in the earth, and geue you breade of the encrease of the earth, so that all shalbe plenteous aud abundaunt. Thy catel also shal he fede in the brode medowes. 24yee thyne oxe and Mules that till the grounde, shal eate good fodder, which is pourged wt ye fanne. 25Goodly ryuers shal flowe out of all his mountaynes and hilles. In the daye of the greate slaughter when the towers shal fall, 26the Moone shal shyne as the Sonne and ye Sone shyne shalbe seuefolde, and haue as moch shyne, as in seuen dayes beside. In that daye shal the LORDE bynde vp ye brussed sores of his people, and heale their woundes.

27Beholde, the glory of the LORDE shal come from farre, his face shal burne, that no man shalbe able to abyde it, his lippes shal wagge for very indignacion, and his tunge shal be as a consumynge fyre.

28His breath like a vehement floude of water, which goeth vp to the throte. That he maye take awaye ye people, which haue turned them selues vnto vanite, and the brydle of erroure, that lieth in other folkes chawes.

29But ye shal synge, as the vse is in ye night of the holy solempnite. Ye shal reioyse from youre hert, as they that come with the pipe, when they go vp to the mount of the LORDE, vnto ye rock of Israel.

30The LORDE also shal set vp the power of his voyce, and declare his terrible arme, with his angrie countenaunce, yee and the flame of the consumynge fyre, with earth quake, tempest of wynde, and hale stones.

31Then shal the Assirian feare also, because of the voyce of the LORDE, which shal smyte him with the rodde.

32And the same rodde which the LORDE wil sende vpon him, shal moue the whole foundacion: with trompet, with noyse of warre and batell to destroye.

33For he hath prepared the fyre of payne from the begynnynge, yee euen for kynges also. This hath he made depe & wyde, ye norishinge therof is fyre and wodde innumerable, which the breath ofte LORDE kyndleth, as it were a match of brymstone.