The Bible Part 177

8:8 Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

8:9 For they are gone up to a.s.syria, a wild a.s.s alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

8:10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

8:11 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.

8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

8:13 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

8:14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

9:1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy G.o.d, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.

9:2 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

9:3 They shall not dwell in the LORD's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in a.s.syria.

9:4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

9:5 What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD? 9:6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

9:7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the mult.i.tude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

9:8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my G.o.d: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his G.o.d.

9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

9:11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

9:12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! 9:13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

9:14 Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

9:15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

9:16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.

9:17 My G.o.d will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

10:1 Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the mult.i.tude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.

10:2 Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.

10:3 For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us? 10:4 They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

10:5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

10:6 It shall be also carried unto a.s.syria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

10:7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.

10:8 The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

10:9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.

10:10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

10:11 And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I pa.s.sed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.

10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the mult.i.tude of thy mighty men.

10:14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

10:15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.

11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

11:2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

11:3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, and the a.s.syrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.

11:6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.

11:7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.

11:8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

11:9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am G.o.d, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

11:10 They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.

11:11 They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of a.s.syria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.

11:12 Ephraim compa.s.seth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with G.o.d, and is faithful with the saints.

12:1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the a.s.syrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.

12:2 The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.

12:3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with G.o.d: 12:4 Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; 12:5 Even the LORD G.o.d of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.

12:6 Therefore turn thou to thy G.o.d: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy G.o.d continually.

12:7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

12:8 And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.

12:9 And I that am the LORD thy G.o.d from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.

12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.

12:11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

12:12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

12:13 And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.

12:14 Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his LORD return unto him.

13:1 When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.

13:2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

13:3 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew that pa.s.seth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

13:4 Yet I am the LORD thy G.o.d from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no G.o.d but me: for there is no saviour beside me.

13:5 I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.

13:7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: 13:8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.

13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

13:10 I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? 13:11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

13:12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.

13:13 The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

13:15 Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.

13:16 Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her G.o.d: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

14:1 O israel, return unto the LORD thy G.o.d; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

14:3 a.s.shur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our G.o.ds: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

14:5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

14:6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

14:7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

14:8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.

14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

Joel 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

1:2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.

Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? 1:3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

1:4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

1:5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

1:6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.

1:7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

1:8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

1:9 The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD's ministers, mourn.

1:10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

1:11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.

1:12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

1:13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my G.o.d: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your G.o.d.

1:14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn a.s.sembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your G.o.d, and cry unto the LORD, 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

1:16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our G.o.d? 1:17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

1:18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

1:19 O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.