The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And all that flee from him with all his hoste, shall fall by the sword, and they that remaine, shalbe scattered towarde all the windes: and ye shall know that I the Lord haue spoken it.

Thus saith the Lord God, I wil also take off the top of this hie cedar, and wil set it, and cut off the top of the tender plant thereof, and I wil plant it vpon an hie mountaine and great.

Euen in the hie mountaine of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughes and beare fruite, and be an excellent cedar, and vnder it shall remaine all birds, and euery foule shall dwell in the shadow of the branches thereof.

And all the trees of the fielde shall knowe that I the Lord haue brought downe the hie tree, and exalted the lowe tree, that I haue dried vp the greene tree, and made the drie tree to florish: I the Lord haue spoken it, and haue done it.

The worde of the Lord came vnto me againe, saying,

What meane ye that ye speake this prouerbe, concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge?

As I liue, sayth the Lord God, ye shall vse this prouerbe no more in Israel.

Beholde, all soules are mine, both the soule of the father, and also the soule of the sonne are mine: the soule that sinneth, it shall die.

But if a man be iust, and doe that which is lawfull, and right,

And hath not eaten vpon the mountaines, neither hath lift vp his eyes to the idoles of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbours wife, neither hath lyen with a menstruous woman,

Neither hath oppressed any, but hath restored the pledge to his dettour: he that hath spoyled none by violence, but hath giuen his bread to the hungry, and hath couered the naked with a garment,

And hath not giuen foorth vpon vsurie, neither hath taken any increase, but hath withdrawen his hand from iniquitie, and hath executed true iudgement betweene man and man,

And hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my iudgements to deale truely, he is iust, he shall surely liue, sayth the Lord God.

If he beget a sonne, that is a thiefe, or a sheader of blood, if he do any one of these things,

Though he doe not all these things, but either hath eaten vpon the mountaines, or defiled his neighbours wife,

Or hath oppressed the poore and needy, or hath spoyled by violence, or hath not restored the pledge, or hath lift vp his eyes vnto the idoles, or hath committed abomination,

Or hath giuen forth vpon vsurie, or hath taken increase, shall he liue? he shall not liue: seeing he hath done all these abominations, he shall die the death, and his blood shall be vpon him.

But if he beget a sonne, that seeth all his fathers sinnes, which he hath done, and feareth, neither doeth such like,

That hath not eaten vpon the mountaines, neither hath lift vp his eyes to the idols of ye house of Israel, nor hath defiled his neighbours wife,

Neither hath oppressed any, nor hath withholden the pledge, neither hath spoyled by violence, but hath giuen his bread to the hungry, and hath couered the naked with a garment,

Neither hath withdrawen his hand from the afflicted, nor receiued vsurie nor increase, but hath executed my iudgements, and hath walked in my statutes, he shall not die in the iniquitie of his father, but he shall surely liue.

His father, because he cruelly oppressed and spoyled his brother by violence, and hath not done good among his people, loe, euen he dyeth in his iniquitie.

Yet say ye, Wherefore shall not the sonne beare the iniquitie of the father? because ye sonne hath executed iudgement and iustice, and hath kept all my statutes, and done them, he shall surely liue,

The same soule that sinneth, shall die: the sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father, neither shall the father beare the iniquitie of the sonne, but the righteousnes of the righteous shall be vpon him, and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon him selfe.

But if the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that he hath committed, and keepe all my statutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, he shall surely liue, and shall not die.

All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned vnto him, but in his righteousnes that he hath done, he shall liue.

Haue I any desire that the wicked should die, sayth the Lord God? or shall he not liue, if he returne from his wayes?

But if the righteous turne away from his righteousnes, and commit iniquitie, and doe according to all the abominations, that the wicked man doeth, shall he liue? all his righteousnes that he hath done, shall not be mentioned: but in his transgression that he hath committed, and in his sinne that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equall: heare now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?

For when a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnes, and committeth iniquitie, he shall euen die for the same, he shall euen die for his iniquitie, that he hath done.

Againe when the wicked turneth away from his wickednes that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawfull and right, he shall saue his soule aliue.

Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that hee hath committed, he shall surely liue and shall not die.

Yet saith ye house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equall. O house of Israel, are not my wayes equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?

Therefore I will iudge you, O house of Israel, euery one according to his wayes, sayth the Lord God: returne therefore and cause others to turne away from all your transgressions: so iniquitie shall not be your destruction.

Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye haue transgressed, and make you a newe heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

For I desire not the death of him that dyeth, sayth the Lord God: cause therefore one another to returne, and liue ye.

Thou also, take vp a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

And say, Wherefore lay thy mother as a lyonesse among the lyons? she nourished her yong ones among the lyons whelps,

And she brought vp one of her whelps, and it became a lyon, and it learned to catch the praye, and it deuoured men.

The nations also heard of him, and he was taken in their nets, and they brought him in chaines vnto the land of Egypt.

Nowe when she sawe, that she had waited and her hope was lost, she tooke another of her whelps, and made him a lyon.

Which went among the lyons, and became a lyon, and learned to catch the praye, and he deuoured men.

And he knew their widowes, and he destroyed their cities, and the land was wasted, and all that was therein by the noyse of his roaring.

Then the nations set against him on euery side of the countreys, and laide their nets for him: so he was taken in their pit.

And they put him in prison and in chaines, and brought him to the King of Babel, and they put him in holdes, that his voyce should no more be heard vpon the mountaines of Israel.

Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she brought foorth fruite and branches by the abundant waters,

And she had strong rods for the scepters of them that beare rule, and her stature was exalted among the branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

But she was plucked vp in wrath: she was cast downe to the ground, and the East winde dried vp her fruite: her branches were broken, and withered: as for the rod of her strength, the fire consumed it.

And now she is planted in the wildernes in a drie and thirstie ground.

And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath deuoured her fruite, so that she hath no strong rod to be a scepter to rule: this is a lamentation and shalbe for a lamentation.

And in the seuenth yeere, in the fift moneth, the tenth day of the moneth, came certaine of the elders of Israel to enquire of the Lord, and sate before me.

Then came the worde of the Lord vnto me, saying,

Sonne of man, speake vnto the Elders of Israel, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Are ye come to enquire of me? as I liue, sayth the Lord God, when I am asked, I wil not answer you.

Wilt thou iudge them, sonne of man? wilt thou iudge them? cause them to vnderstand the abominations of their fathers,

And say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, In the day when I chose Israel, and lift vp mine hand vnto the seede of the house of Iaakob, and made my selfe knowen vnto them in the land of Egypt, when I lift vp mine hand vnto them, and sayd, I am the Lord your God,

In the day that I lift vp mine hand vnto them to bring them forth of the land of Egypt, into a land that I had prouided for them, flowing with milke and hony which is pleasant among all lands,

Then sayd I vnto them, Let euery man cast away the abominations of his eyes, and defile not your selues with the idols of Egypt: for I am the Lord your God.

But they rebelled against me, and would not heare me: for none cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idoles of Egypt: then I thought to powre out mine indignation vpon them, and to accomplish my wrath against them in the mids of the land of Egypt.

But I had respect to my Name, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whome they were, and in whose sight I made my selfe knowen vnto them in bringing them forth of the land of Egypt.

Nowe I caried them out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wildernes.

And I gaue them my statutes, and declared my iudgements vnto them, which if a man doe, he shall liue in them.

Moreouer I gaue them also my Sabbaths to be a signe betweene me and them, that they might knowe that I am the Lord, that sanctifie them.

But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wildernes: they walked not in my statutes, and they cast away my iudgements, which if a man doe, he shall liue in them, and my Sabbaths haue they greatly polluted: then I thought to powre out mine indignation vpon them in the wildernes to consume them,

But I had respect to my Name, that it shoulde not bee polluted before the heathen in whose sight I brought them out.

Yet neuerthelesse, I lift vp mine hande vnto them in the wildernes that I would not bring them into the lande, which I had giuen them, flowing with milke and hony, which was pleasant aboue all landes,

Because they cast away my iudgments, and walked not in my statutes, but haue polluted my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idoles.

Neuerthelesse, mine eye spared them, that I would not destroye them, neither would I consume them in the wildernes.

But I said vnto their children in the wildernes, Walke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers, neither obserue their maners, nor defile your selues with their idoles.

I am the Lord your God: walke in my statutes, and keepe my iudgements and doe them,

And sanctifie my Sabbaths, and they shall bee a signe betweene mee and you, that ye may knowe that I am the Lord your God.

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against mee: they walked not in my statutes, nor kept my iudgements to doe them, which if a man doe, hee shall liue in them, but they polluted my Sabbaths: then I thought to powre out mine indignation vpon them, and to accomplish my wrath against them in the wildernes.

Neuerthelesse I withdrew mine hand and had respect to my Name that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them foorth.

Yet I lift vp mine hande vnto them in the wildernes, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countreys,

Because they had not executed my iudgements, but had cast away my statutes and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers idoles.

Wherefore I gaue them also statutes that were not good, and iudgements, wherein they should not liue.

And I polluted them in their owne giftes in that they caused to passe by the fire all that first openeth ye wombe, that I might destroy them, to the ende, that they might know that I am ye Lord.

Therefore, sonne of man, speake vnto the house of Israel, and say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Yet in this your fathers haue blasphemed me, though they had before grieuously transgressed against me.

For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted vp mine hand to giue it to them, then they saw euery hie hill, and all the thicke trees, and they offred there their sacrifices, and there they presented their offering of prouocation: there also they made their sweete sauour, and powred out there their drinke offerings.

Then I saide vnto them, What is the hie place whereunto ye goe? And the name thereof was called Bamah vnto this day.

Wherefore, say vnto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Are ye not polluted after the maner of your fathers? and commit ye not whoredome after their abominations?

For when you offer your giftes, and make your sonnes to passe through the fire, you pollute your selues with all your idoles vnto this day: shall I answere you when I am asked, O house of Israel? As I liue, saith the Lord God, I wil not answere you when I am asked.

Neither shall that be done that commeth into your minde: for ye say, We wil be as the heathen, and as the families of the countreys, and serue wood, and stone.

As I liue, saith the Lord God, I will surely rule you with a mightie hand, and with a stretched out arme, and in my wrath powred out,

And will bring you from the people, and will gather you out of the countreys, wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arme, and in my wrath powred out,

And I will bring you into the wildernes of the people, and there wil I pleade with you face to face.

Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernes of the lande of Egypt, so will I pleade with you, saith the Lord God.

And I wil cause you to passe vnder the rod, and wil bring you into the bond of the couenant.

And I wil chuse out from among you the rebels, and them that transgresse against mee: I will bring them out of the land where they dwel, and they shall not enter into the lande of Israel, and you shall knowe that I am the Lord.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, Goe you, and serue euery one his idole, seeing that ye will not obey me, and pollute mine holy Name no more with your giftes and with your idoles.

For in mine holy mountaine, euen in the hie mountaine of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, and all in the lande, serue me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offrings and the first fruites of your oblations, with all your holy things.

I will accept your sweete sauour, when I bring you from the people, and gather you out of the countreys, wherein ye haue bene scattered, that I may be sanctified in you before ye heathen.

And ye shall knowe, that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the land, for the which I lifted vp mine hande to giue it to your fathers.

And there shall ye remember your wayes, and all your workes, wherein ye haue bene defiled, and ye shall iudge your selues worthy to be cut off, for all your euils, that ye haue committed.

And ye shall knowe, that I am the Lord, when I haue respect vnto you for my Names sake, and not after your wicked wayes, nor according to your corrupt workes, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

Sonne of man, set thy face toward the way of Teman, and drop thy word toward the South, and prophecie towarde the forest of the fielde of the South,

And say to the forest of the South, Heare the worde of the Lord: thus saith the Lord God, Beholde, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall deuoure all the greene wood in thee, and all the drie wood: the continuall flame shall not bee quenched, and euery face from the South to the North shall be burnt therein.

And all flesh shall see, that I the Lord haue kindled it, and it shall not bee quenched. Then saide I, Ah Lord God, they say of me, Doeth not he speake parables?

The word of ye Lord came to me againe, saying,

Sonne of man, set thy face toward Ierusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophecie against the land of Israel.