A Call to Repentance
(Jeremiah 3:11–25; Hosea 14:1–3)

1In the eight moneth of the secode yeare of kinge Darius, came the worde of the LORDE vnto Zachary the sonne of Barachias, the sonne of Addo, the prophet, sayenge: 2The LORDE hath bene sore displeased at youre forefathers. 3And saye thou vnto them: thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes. Turne you vnto me (saieth the LORDE of hoostes) and I wil turne me vnto you, saieth the LORDE of hoostes. 4Be not ye like youre forefathers, vnto whom the prophetes cried a fore tyme, sayege: Thus saieth the LORDE God of hoostes: Turne you from youre euell wayes, & from youre wicked ymaginacions. But they wolde not heare, ner regarde me, saieth the LORDE. 5What is now become of youre forefathers and the prophetes? are they yet still alyue? 6But dyd not my wordes & statutes (which I comaunded by my seruauntes ye prophetes) touch yor forefathers? Vpo this, they gaue answere & sayde: like as ye LORDE of hoostes deuysed to do vnto vs, acordinge to or owne wayes & ymaginacions, euen so hath he dealte with vs.

The Vision of the Horses

7Vpon the xxiiij. daye of the xj. moneth (which is the moneth Sebat) in the seconde yeare of Darius, came the worde of the LORDE vnto Zachary the sonne of Barachias, the sonne of Addo the prophete, sayenge: 8I sawe by night, and lo, there sat one vpon a reade horse, and stode still amonge the Myrte trees, that were beneth vpon the grounde: and behynde him were there reade, spreckled and whyte horses. 9Then sayde I: O my LORDE, what are these? And the angel that talked with me, sayed vnto me: I will shewe the what these be. 10And the man that stode amoge the Myrte trees, answered & sayde: These are they, whom the LORDE hath sent to go thorow the worlde. 11And they answered the angel of the LORDE, that stode amonge the Myrte trees, and sayde: We haue gone thorow the worlde: and beholde, all the worlde dwell at ease, and are carelesse.

12Then the LORDES angel gaue answere and sayde: O LORDE of hoostes, how longe wilt thou be vnmercifull to Ierusale and to the cities of Iuda, with whom thou hast bene displeased now these lxx. yeares? 13So the LORDE gaue a louynge and a confortable answere, vnto the angel that talked with me. 14And the angel that commoned with me, sayde vnto me: Crie thou, and speake, thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes: I am exceadynge gelous ouer Ierusalem and Sion, 15and sore displeased at the carelesse Heithen: for where as I was but a litle angrie, they dyd their best that I might destroye them 16Therfore thus saieth the LORDE: I wil turne me agayne in mercy towarde Ierusalem, so that my house shalbe buylded in it, saieth the LORDE of hoostes: yee and the plommet shal be layed abrode in Ierusalem, saieth the LORDE of hoostes. 17Crie also, and speake: thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes: My cities shall be in good prosperite agayne, the LORDE shall yet conforte Sion, and chose Ierusalem.

The Vision of the Horns and the Craftsmen

18Then lift I vp myne eyes and sawe, and beholde, foure hornes. 19And I sayde vnto the angel, that talked with me: what be these? he answered me: These are ye hornes, which haue scatred Iuda, Israel and Ierusalem abrode. 20And ye LORDE shewed me iiij. carpenters. 21Then sayde I: what wil these do? He answered, & sayde: Those are the hornes, which haue so strowed Iuda abrode, that no man durst lift vp his heade: But these are come to fraye them awaye, and to cast out ye hornes of the Gentiles, which lift vp their horne ouer the londe of Iuda, to scatre it abrode.