1

1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Which was a town five miles from Jerusalem in Judea, but he prophesied in Israel. Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of In his days the kingdom of Israel flourished the most. Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the Which as Josephus writes, was when Uzziah would have usurped the priest's office, and therefore was smitten with leprosy. earthquake. The Argument - Among many other Prophets that God raised up to admonish the Israelites of his plagues for their wickedness and idolatry, he stirred up Amos, who was a herdman or shepherd of a poor town, and gave him both knowledge and constancy to reprove all estates and degrees, and to make known God's horrible judgments against them, unless they repented in time. And he showed them, that if God did not spare the other nations around them, who had lived as it were in ignorance of God compared to them, but for their sins punished them, then they could look for nothing, but a horrible destruction, unless they turned to the Lord in true repentance. And finally, he comforts the godly with hope of the coming of the Messiah, by whom they would have perfect deliverance and salvation.

2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top Whatever is fruitful and pleasant in Israel, will shortly perish. of Carmel shall wither.

3 Thus saith the LORD; For He shows first that all the people round about would be destroyed for their manifold sins: which are meant by three and four, which make seven, so that the Israelites would the more deeply consider God's judgments toward them. three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because they have If the Syrians will not be spared for committing this cruelty against one city, it is not possible that Israel would escape punishment, which has committed so many and such grievous sins against God and man. threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:

4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the The antiquity of their buildings will not avoid my judgments. {{See Jer_49:27}} palaces of Benhadad.

5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Tiglath Pileser led the Assyrians captive, and brought them to Cyrene, which he here calls Kir. Kir, saith the LORD.

6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because they They united themselves with the Edomites their enemies, who carried them away captive. carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver [them] up to Edom:

7 Therefore will I sende a fire vpon the walles of Azzah, and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof.

8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon, and turne mine hande to Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistims shall perish, sayth the Lord God.

9 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the For Esau (from whom came the Edomites) and Jacob were brothers, therefore they ought to have admonished them by their brotherly friendship, and not to have provoked them to hatred. brotherly covenant:

10 Therefore wil I send a fire vpon ye walles of Tyrus, and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof.

11 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath He was a continual enemy to him. for ever:

12 Therefore will I send a fire vpon Teman, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Bozrah.

13 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because they He notes the great cruelty of the Ammonites, that did not spare the women, but most tyrannously tormented them, and yet the Ammonites came from Lot, who was of the household of Abraham. have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:

14 Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battell, and with a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde.

15 And their King shall go into captiuitie, he and his princes together, saith the Lord.

2

1 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because he burned the For the Moabites were so cruel against the King of Edom, that they burnt his bones after he was dead: which declared their barbarous rage, that they would avenge themselves upon the dead. bones of the king of Edom into lime:

2 Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Kerioth, and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet.

3 And I will cut off the iudge out of the mids thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, sayth the Lord.

4 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, Seeing that the Gentiles who did have as much knowledge were punished in this way, Judah which was so fully instructed by the Lord's will, should not think that they would escape. I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:

5 Therefore will I send a fire vpon Iudah, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem.

6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of If he did not spare Judah unto whom his promises were made, much more he will not spare this degenerate kingdom. Israel, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of They esteemed most vile bribes more than men's lives. shoes;

7 That pant after the When they have robbed him and thrown him to the ground, they open wide their mouths for his life. dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the [same] maid, to profane my holy name:

8 And they lay [themselves] down upon clothes laid to pledge Thinking that by these ceremonies, that is, by sacrificing, and by being near my altar, they may excuse all of their other wickedness. by every altar, and they They rob others and offer it to God, thinking that he will exempt them, when he is made partaker of their iniquity. drink the wine of the condemned [in] the house of their god.

9 Yet destroyed I the The destruction of their enemies and his mercy toward them, should have caused their hearts to melt because of love toward him. Amorite before them, whose height [was] like the height of the cedars, and he [was] strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

10 Also I brought you vp from the land of Egypt, and led you fourtie yeres thorowe the wildernesse, to possesse the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of You condemned my benefits, and abused my graces, and craftily went about to stop the mouths of my Prophets. your young men for Nazarites. [Is it] not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.

12 But ye gaue the Nazarites wine to drinke, and commanded the Prophetes, saying, Prophecie not.

13 Behold, I am You have wearied me with your sins; (Isa_1:14). pressed under you, as a cart is pressed [that is] full of sheaves.

14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the None will be delivered by any means. swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

15 Nor he that handleth the bowe, shal stand, and he that is swift of foote, shall not escape, neyther shall he that rideth the horse, saue his life.

16 And he that is of a mighty courage among the strong men, shall flee away naked in that day, sayth the Lord.

3

1 Heare this worde that the Lord pronounceth against you, O children of Israel, euen against the whole familie which I brought vp fro the land of Egypt, saying,

2 You I have only chosen you to be mine among all other people, and yet you have forsaken me. only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

3 Can two walk together, except they be By this the Prophet signifies that he speaks not of himself, but as God guides and moves him, which is called the agreement between God and his Prophets. agreed?

4 Will a Will God threaten by his Prophet, unless there is some great occasion? lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

5 Can anything come without God's providence?Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin [is] for him? shall [one] take up a Will his threatenings be in vain? snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

6 Will the Prophet's threaten God's judgments and the people not be afraid?Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there Does any adversity come without God's appointment? (Isa_45:7) be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done [it]?

7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he God does not deal with the Israelites as he does with other people: for he always warns them before of his plagues by his Prophets. revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but Because the people always murmured against the Prophets, he shows that God's Spirit moved them to speak as they did. prophesy?

9 Publish in the palaces at He calls the strangers, such as the Philistines and Egyptians, to be witness of God's judgments against the Israelites for their cruelty and oppression. Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery The fruit of their cruelty and theft appears by their great riches, which they have in their houses. in their palaces.

11 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, An aduersary shall come euen rounde about the countrey, and shall bring downe thy strength fro thee, and thy palaces shalbe spoyled.

12 Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh When the lion has satisfied his hunger, the shepherd finds a leg or a piece of an ear, to show that the sheep have been torn by his teeth. out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Where they thought to have had a sure stronghold, and to have been in safety. Damascus [in] a couch.

13 Heare, and testifie in the house of Iaakob, saith the Lord God, the God of hostes.

14 Surely in the day that I shal visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him, I wil also visite the altars of Beth-el, and the hornes of the altar shal be broken off, and fall to the ground.

15 And I wil smite the winter house with the sommer house, and the houses of yuorie shal perish, and the great houses shalbe consumed, sayth the Lord.

4

1 Hear this word, ye Thus he calls the princes and governors, who being overwhelmed with the great abundance of God's benefits, forgot God, and therefore he calls them by the name of beasts and not of men. kine of Bashan, that [are] in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, They encourage those who have authority over the people to oppress them, so that they may have profit by it. Bring, and let us drink.

2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with He alludes to fishers, who catch fish by hooks or thorns. hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

3 And ye shal goe out at the breaches euery kowe forward: and ye shal cast your selues out of the palace, saith the Lord.

4 Come to He speaks this in contempt of those who resorted to those places, thinking that their great devotion and good intention was sufficient to have bound God to them. Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, [and] your tithes after three Read (Deu_14:28). years:

5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving As (Lev_7:13). with leaven, and proclaim [and] publish the free offerings: for this You only delight in these outward ceremonies and care for nothing else. liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

6 And I also have given you That is, lack of bread and meat. cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when [there were] yet three I stopped the rain until the fruits of the earth were destroyed with drought, and yet you would not consider to return to me by repentance. months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

8 So two [or] three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were They could not find enough water where they had heard that it had rained. not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

9 I haue smitten you with blasting, and mildewe: your great gardens and your vineyardes, & your figtrees, and your oliue trees did the palmer worme deuoure: yet haue ye not returned vnto me, saith the Lord.

10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of As I plagued the Egyptians; (Exo_9:10). Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

11 I have overthrown [some] of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a You were almost all consumed, and a few of you were wonderfully preserved; (2Ki_14:26). firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: [and] because I will do this unto thee, prepare to Turn to him by repentance. meet thy God, O Israel.

13 For lo, he that formeth the mountaines, & createth the winde, & declareth vnto man what is his thought: which maketh the morning darkenesse, & walketh vpon the hie places of the earth, the Lord God of hostes is his Name.

5

1 Heare ye this worde, which I lift vp vpon you, euen a lamentation of the house of Israel.

2 The He so calls them, because they so boasted of themselves, or because they were given to lustfulness and daintiness. virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; [there is] none to raise her up.

3 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out [by] a thousand shall leave Meaning, that the tenth part would hardly be saved. an hundred, and that which went forth [by] an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

4 For thus saith the Lorde vnto the house of Israel, Seeke ye me, and ye shal liue.

5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into In those places they worshipped new idols, which before served for the true honour of God: therefore he says that these will not save them. Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

6 Seeke the Lorde, and yee shal liue, least he breake out like fire in the house of Ioseph & deuoure it, & there be none to quench it in Beth-el.

7 Ye who turn Instead of judgment and fairness they execute cruelty and oppression. judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

8 [Seek him] that He describes the power of God; (Job_9:9). maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD [is] his name:

9 He strengtheneth the destroyer against the mightie: and the destroyer shal come against the fortresse.

10 They hate him They hate the Prophets, who reprove them in the open assemblies. that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading [is] upon the poor, and You take both his money and also his food, with which he should live. ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

12 For I know your manifold transgressions, and your mightie sinnes: they afflict the iust, they take rewards, & they oppresse the poore in ye gate.

13 Therefore God will so plague them that they will not allow the godly to open their mouths once to admonish them of their faults. the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it [is] an evil time.

14 Seeke good and not euil, that ye may liue: and the Lorde God of hostes shalbe with you, as you haue spoken.

15 Hate the euil, and loue the good, and establish iudgement in the gate: it may bee that the Lorde God of hostes will be mercifull vnto the remnant of Ioseph.

16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing [shall be] in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the So that people of all types will have reason to lament because of the great plagues. husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

17 And in al the vines shalbe lamentation: for I wil passe through thee, saith the Lord.

18 Woe unto you that He speaks in this way because the wicked and hypocrites said they were content to endure God's judgments, whereas the godly tremble and fear; (Jer_30:7; Joe_2:2, Joe_2:11), (Zep_1:15). desire the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light.

19 As if a man did flee from a lyon, & a beare met him: or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

20 Shal not the day of the Lord be darkenes, and not light? euen darkenes and no light in it?

21 I hate and abhorre your feast dayes, and I wil not smell in your solemne assemblies.

22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, Because you have corrupted my true service, and remain obstinate in your vices; (Isa_1:11; Jer_6:10). I will not accept [them]: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

23 Take thou away from me the multitude of thy songs (for I wil not heare the melodie of thy violes)

24 But let judgment run down as Do your duty to God, and to your neighbour, and so you will plentifully feel his grace, if you show your abundant affections according to God's word. waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

25 Haue ye offered vnto me sacrifices and offrings in the wildernesse fourtie yeeres, O house of Israel?

26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your That idol which you esteemed as your king, and carried about as you did Chiun, in which images you thought that there was a certain divinity. Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

27 Therefore wil I cause you to goe into captiuitie beyond Damascus, saith the Lorde, whose Name is the God of hostes.

6

1 Woe to The Prophet threatens the wealthy, who did not regard God's plagues, nor threatenings by his Prophets. them [that are] at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, These two cities were famous from their first inhabitants the Canaanites: and seeing that before they did not avail those that were born here, why should you think that they should save you who were brought in to dwell in other men's possessions? [which are] named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: [be If God has destroyed these excellent cities in three different kingdoms, that is Babylon, Syria, and that of the Philistines, and has narrowed their wide borders more than yours yet are, do you think that you are better, or that you will escape? they] better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

3 Ye that put far away the You that continue still in your wickedness, and think that God's plagues are not at hand, but give yourselves to all idleness, lustfulness, and disorder. evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

4 They lie vpon beddes of yuorie, & stretch themselues vpon their beddes, & eate the lambes of the flocke, and the calues out of the stall.

5 That chant to the sound of the viol, [and] invent to themselves instruments of musick, like As he caused different types of instruments to be made to serve God's glory, so these did strive to invent as many to serve their unrestrained affections and lusts. David;

6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not They did not pity their brethren, of which many were now slain and carried away captive. grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the Some read «the sorrow of them that stretched themselves is at hand». banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

8 Read (Jer_51:14).The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor That is, the riches and pomp. the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

9 And if there remaine ten men in one house, they shal die.

10 And a man's uncle The destruction will be so great, that almost none will be left to bury the dead: and therefore they will burn them at home, to carry out the burnt ashes with more ease. shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that [is] by the That is, to some neighbour that dwells near by. sides of the house, [Is there] yet [any] with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, They will be so astonished at this destruction, that they will not boast any more of the name of God, and that they are his people: but they will be silent when they hear God's name, and abhor it, as those that are desperate, or reprobate. Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.

11 For behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the litle house with clefts.

12 Shall horses He compares them to barren rocks, upon which it is in vain to bestow labour: showing that God's benefits can have no place among them. run upon the rock? will [one] plow [there] with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into Read (Amo_5:7). hemlock:

13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us That is, power and glory. horns by our own strength?

14 But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of From one corner of the country to another. Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.

7

1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed To devour the land: and he alludes to the invading of the enemies. grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, [it was] the latter growth After the public commandment for mowing was given: or as some read, when the kings sheep were shorn. after the king's mowings.

2 And when they had made an ende of eating the grasse of the land, then I saide, O Lorde God, spare, I beseeche thee: who shal raise vp Iaakob? for he is small.

3 The LORD That is, stopped this plague at my prayer. repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.

4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, Meaning, that God's indignation was inflamed against the stubbornness of this people. and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.

5 Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseeche thee: who shal raise vp Iaakob? for he is small.

6 So the Lord repented for this. This also shal not be, saith the Lord God.

7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall [made] by a plumbline, Signifying that this would be the last measuring of the people, and that he would defer his judgment no longer. with a plumbline in his hand.

8 And the Lorde saide vnto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A line. Then said the Lord, Beholde, I wil set a line in the middes of my people Israel, and wil passe by them no more.

9 And the hye places of Izhak shalbe desolate, and the temples of Israel shalbe destroyed: and I wil rise against the house of Ieroboam with the sworde.

10 That is, when Amos had prophesied that the king would be destroyed: for the wicked priest more for hatred he had for the Prophet than for love toward the king, thought this accusation sufficient to condemn him. However, only what the Prophet said could take place.Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.

11 For thus Amos saith, Ieroboam shal die by the sworde, and Israel shalbe led away captiue out of their owne land.

12 Also When this instrument of Satan was not able to accomplish his purpose by the king, he tried by another practice, that was, to scare the Prophet, that he might depart, and not reprove their idolatry there openly, and so hinder his profit. Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

13 But prophecie no more at Beth-el: for it is the Kings chappel, and it is the Kings court.

14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I [was] no Thus he shows by his extraordinary calling, that God had given him a charge, which he must necessarily execute. prophet, neither [was] I a prophet's son; but I [was] an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:

15 And the Lord tooke me as I followed the flocke, and the Lord said vnto me, Go, prophecie vnto my people Israel.

16 Now therefore heare thou the word of the Lord. Thou sayest, Prophecie not against Israel, & speake nothing against the house of Izhak.

17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; In this way God used to approve the authority of his Prophets, by his plagues and judgments against those who were malicious enemies as in (Jer_28:12-17; Jer_29:21-26), as this day he does against those that persecute the ministers of his Gospel. Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.

8

1 Thus hath the Lord God shewed vnto me, & behold, a basket of summer fruite.

2 And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of Which signified the ripeness of their sins, and the readiness of God's judgments. summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.

3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: [there shall be] many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast [them] forth with There will be none left to mourn for them. silence.

4 Hear this, O ye that By stopping the sale of food and necessary things which you have gotten into your own hands, and so cause the poor to spend quickly that little that they have, and at length because of need to become your slaves. swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

5 Saying, When will the When the scarcity had come they were so greedy for gain, that they thought the holy day to be a hindrance to them. new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making That is, the measure small, and the price great. the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

6 That we may buy the poore for siluer, and the needie for shooes: yea, and sell the refuse of the wheate.

7 The Lorde hath sworne by the excellencie of Iaakob, Surely I will neuer forget any of their workes.

8 Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and That is, the inhabitants of the land will be drowned, as the Nile drowns many when it overflows. drowned, as [by] the flood of Egypt.

9 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the In the midst of their prosperity, I will send great affliction. sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:

10 And I will turne your feastes into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation: and I will bring sackcloth vpon all loynes, and baldnes vpon euery head: and I will make it as the mourning of an onely sonne, and the ende thereof as a bitter day.

11 Beholde, the dayes come, sayeth the Lorde God, that I will send a famine in the lande, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.

12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the By which he shows that they will not only perish in body, but also in soul for lack of God's word, which is the food of it. word of the LORD, and shall not find [it].

13 In that day shall the faire virgines and the yong men perish for thirst.

14 They that swear by the sin For the idolaters used to swear by their idols, which here he calls their sin: and the papists yet swear by theirs. of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, That is, the common manner of worshipping, and the service or religion used there. The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

9

1 I saw the Lord standing upon the Which was at Jerusalem: for he did not appear in the idolatrous places of Israel. altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the Both the most important of them, and also the common people. head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

2 Though they digge into the hel, thence shal mine hande take them: though they clime vp to heauen, thence will I bring them downe.

3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the He shows that God will declare himself as an enemy to them in all places, and that his elements and all his creatures will be enemies to destroy them. serpent, and he shall bite them:

4 And though they goe into captiuitie before their enemies, thence wil I commande the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes vpon them for euill, and not for good.

5 And the Lord God of hosts shall touch the land, and it shall melt away, & al that dwel therein shall mourne, and it shall rise vp wholy like a flood, and shall bee drowned as by the flood of Egypt.

6 [It is] he that buildeth his He declares by the wonderful power of God, by the making of the heavens and the elements, that it is not possible for man to escape his judgments when he punishes. stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD [is] his name.

7 [Are] ye not as children of the Ethiopians Am I more bound to you than to the Ethiopians, or other people? Yet I have bestowed upon you greater benefits. unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Read (Jer_47:4). Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?

8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD [are] upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly Though he destroys the rebellious multitude, yet he will always reserve the remnant of his Church to call upon his name. destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.

9 For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as [corn] is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the Meaning that none of his own would perish in his wrath. least grain fall upon the earth.

10 But all the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword, which say, The euill shal not come, nor hasten for vs.

11 In that day will I raise up the I will send the promised Messiah, and restore by him the spiritual Israel; (Act_15:16). tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

12 That they may possess the remnant of Meaning, the very enemies (as were the Edomites) and others would be united with the Jews in one society and body, of which Christ would be the head. Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall Signifying, that there will be great abundance of all things, so that when one type of fruit is ripe, another would follow, and every one in order; (Lev_26:5). overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall Read (Joe_3:18). drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

14 The accomplishment of this is under Christ, when they are planted in this Church, out of which they can never be pulled, after they have once been grafted into it.And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

15 And I wil plant them vpon their land, and they shall no more bee pulled vp againe out of their lande, which I haue giuen them, sayeth the Lord thy God.