CHAPTER
XI

The invasion

the Romanes.

end shall bee at the time appointed. Then shall hee returne into his land with great riches, and his heart shall be against the holy covenant: and he shall doe exploits, and returne to his owne land. At the time appointed he shall returne, and come toward the South: but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he and tyrannie of shall be grieved and returne, and have indignation against the holy Covenant: so shal he doe, he shall even returne, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy Covenant. And armes shal stand on his part, and they shall pollute the Sanctuarie of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shal place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as doe wickedly against the covenant, shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God, shall be strong and doe exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivitie, and by spoile many dayes. Now when they shall fall, they shalbe holpen with a litle help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to trie them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. And the king shall doe according to his will, and he shall exalt himselfe, and magnifie himselfe above every god, and shall speake marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined, shall be done. Neither shall hee regard the god of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnifie himselfe above all. But in his estate shall he honour the god of forces and a God whome his fathers knew not, shall hee honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall hee doe in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gaine. And at the time of the end shall the king of the South push at him, and the king of the North shal come against him like a whirlewind with charets, and with horsemen, and with many ships, and he shall enter into the countreys, and shall overflow and passe over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countreys shall be overthrowen: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chiefe of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch foorth his hand also upon the countreys, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of

XI

Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shalbe at his steps. CHAPTER But tidings out of the East, and out of the North shall trouble him therefore he shall goe foorth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And hee shall plant the tabernacles of his palace betweene the seas in the glorious holy mountaine, yet he shall come to his end, and none shall helpe him.

A

CHAPTER XII

from their

ND at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince Michael shall which standeth for the children of thy people, and there deliver Israel shalbe a time of trouble, such as never was since there was troubles. a nation, even to that same time: and at that time thy people shalbe delivered, every one that shalbe found written in the booke. And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament, and they that turne many to righteousnesse, as the starres for ever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the wordes, and seale the booke even to the time of the ende: many shall runne to and fro, and knowledge shall bee increased.

the times.

Then I Daniel looked, and behold, there stood other two, the Daniel is one on this side of the banke of the river, and the other on that informed of side of the banke of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linnen, which was upon the waters of the river; How long shall it bee to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linnen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand, and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever, that it shalbe for a time, times, and an halfe and when hee shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall bee finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shalbe the end of these things? And he said, Goe thy way, Daniel: for the wordes are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shalbe purified, and made white and tried: but the wicked. shall doe wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the dayly sacrifice shalbe taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shalbe a thousand two hundred and ninetie dayes. Blessed is he that waiteth, and commeth to the thousand, three hundred and five and thirtie dayes. But goe thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in the lot at the end of the dayes.

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289

Hosea to shew Gods iudgement for spirituall whoredome, taketh Gomer,

and hath by her Iezreel,

Lo-ruhamah,

and Lo-ammi.

The restauration of Iudah and Israel.

HOSEA

CHAPTER I

HE word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the sonne of Beeri, in the dayes of Uzziah, Iotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah kings of Iudah, and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel. The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea: and the LORD sayd to Hosea, Goe, take unto thee a wife of whoredomes, and children of whoredomes: for the land hath committed great whoredome, departing from the LORD. So he went and tooke Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, which conceived and bare him a sonne. And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Iezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu, and will cause to cease the kingdome of the house of Israel. And it shall come to passe at that day, that I will breake the bow of Israel in the valley of Iezreel.

And shee conceived againe and bare a daughter, and God sayd unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel: but I will utterly take them away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Iudah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battell, by horses nor by horsemen.

Now when shee had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bare a sonne. Then sayde God, Call his name Lo-ammi: 2 for yee are not my people, and I will not be your God.

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot bee measured nor numbred, and it shall come to passe, that in the place where it was said unto them, Yee are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sonnes of the living God. Then shall the children of Iudah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shalbe the day of Iezreel.

1 That is, not having obtained mercie. 2 That is, not my people.

SA

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER

II

AY ye unto your brethren, Ammi,1 and to your sisters, Ru- The idolatrie hamah : 2 plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my of the people. wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whordomes out of her sight, and her adulteries from betweene her breasts; lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that shee was borne, and make her as a wildernesse, and set her like a drie land, and slay her with thirst. And I will not have mercy upon her children, for they be the children of whordomes. For their mother hath played the harlot : shee that conceived them hath done shamefully for shee sayd, I will goe after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wooll and my flaxe, mine oyle, and my drinke.

them.

Therefore behold, I wil hedge up thy way with thornes, and Gods iudgemake a wall, that she shall not find her pathes. And she shall ments against follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them, and she shall seeke them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will goe and returne to my first husband, for then was it better with me then now. For she did not know that I gave her corne, and wine, and oyle, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. Therefore will I returne, and take away my Corne in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and wil recover my wooll and my flaxe given to cover her nakednesse. And now will I discover her lewdnesse in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast daies, her new moones, and her Sabbaths, and all her solemne feasts. And I will destroy her vines and her figge trees, whereof she hath said; These are my rewards that my lovers have given me and I will make them a forrest, and the beasts of the field shall eate them. And I will visite upon her the daies of Baalim, wherein she burnt incense to them, and she decked her selfe with her eare-rings, and her lewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgate me, saith the LORD. Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the His promises of reconciliawildernesse, and speake comfortably unto her. And I wil give tion with them. her, her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a doore of hope, and she shall sing there, as in the dayes of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call mee Ishi; and shalt call mee no more Baali. For I will

1 That is, my people.
3 That is, my husband.

2 That is, having obtained mercy.

4 That is, my Lord.

II

CHAPTER take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shal no more be remembred by their name. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the foules of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will breake the bow and the sword, and the battell out of the earth, and will make them to lie downe safely. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse, and in iudgement, and in loving kindnesse, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse, and thou shalt know the LORD. And it shall come to passe in that day, I will heare, saith the LORD, I will heare the heavens, and they shall heare the earth, and the earth shall heare the corne, and the wine, and the oyle, and they shall heare Iezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy, and I will say to them which were not my people; Thou art my people, and they shall say, Thou art my God.

By the expiation of an adulteresse,

is shewed the desolation of Israel before their restauration.

Gods iudgements against the sinnes of

the people,

T

CHAPTER III

HEN said the LORD unto me, Goe yet, love a woman (beloved of her friend, yet an adulteresse) according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who looke to other gods, and love flagons of wine. So I bought her to me for fifteene pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley and an halfe homer of barley. And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many dayes, thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for an other man, so will I also be for thee. For the children of Israel shall abide many dayes without a King, and without a Prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an Ephod, and without Teraphim. Afterward shall the children of Israel returne, and seeke the LORD their God, and David their King, and shall feare the LORD, and his goodnesse in the latter dayes.

H

CHAPTER IIII

EARE the worde of the LORD, yee children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no trueth, nor mercie, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adulterie, they breake out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourne, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beastes of the field, and with the foules of heaven, yea the fishes of the Sea also shall be taken away. Yet let no man strive, nor reprove