10. Then shall the jealousy of Ephraim depart, (Chap. XI; 1-9, 13.) 11. In that day shall a man have regard to his Maker, And his eyes shall look to the Holy One of Israel. 12. He shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, Nor have respect to that which his fingers have made, The images of Astarte and the Sun-pillars. 13 (Chap. XVII; 7-8.) In that day shall there be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, And the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, And the Egytian into Assyria, And the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians. 14. In that day shall Israel be the third In connection with Egypt and Assyria, 15. The LORD of hosts shall bless them, and And Assyria, the work of my hands, say, (Chap. XIX; 23-25.) 1. IV. The parable of the LORD's vineyard. LET me sing now a song respecting my friend, Then he looked that it should bring forth its grapes, But it brought forth sour grapes. 3. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, Judge ye between me and my vineyard! 4. What could have been done for my vineyard That I have not done for it? Why, then, when I looked that it should bring forth its grapes, 5. But come now, and I will tell you What I mean to do with my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten up; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trodden down; 6. And I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned,nor digged, But shall grow up into thorns and briers; 7. (Chap. V; 1-7.) I will also command the clouds, that they shed no rain upon The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah the plant of his delight. He looked for justice, and behold, bloodshed! For righteousness, and behold, outcry! 8. Their very countenance witnesseth against them; They publish their sin like Sodom; they hide it not; Woe to them, for they bring evil upon themselves! 9. Say ye of the righteous that it shall be well with him, For he shall eat the fruit of his doings. 10. Woe to the wicked it shall be ill with him, For the work of his hands shall be repaid him! 11. As for my people, children are their oppressors. And women rule over them. O my people, thy leaders cause thee to err, And destroy the way in which thou walkest! 12. The LORD standeth up to maintain his cause; He standeth up to judge his people. it. 13. The LORD entereth into judgment with the elders of his people, and their princes: "So then ye have consumed the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses! 14. What mean ye, that ye crush my people, And grind the faces of the poor?" Saith the Eternal, the Lord of hosts. (Chap. IV; 9-15.) 1. V. Woes denounced against hypocrisy, injustice and oppression. The future of God's vineyard. THUS saith the LORD, Since this people draweth near to me with their mouth, And honoreth me with their lips, While their heart is far from me, And their worship of me is according to the commandments of men, 2. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to deal marvellously with this people; Marvellously and wonderfully, For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, 3. Woe to them that hide deep their purposes from the LORD, That say, Who seeth us? Who knoweth us? 4. Alas, your perverseness! Is the potter to be esteemed as the clay, That the work should say of its maker, He made me not? 5. Is it not yet a very little while, And Lebanon shall be changed to a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed a forest. 6. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, And out of mist and darkness shall the eyes of the blind see. 7. The afflicted shall exceedingly rejoice in the LORD, And the poor shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. 8. For the oppressor hath come to naught; the scoffer is destroyed; And all that watched for iniquity are cut off; 9. Who condemned a man in his cause, And laid snares for him who defended himself in the gate, 10. And with falsehood caused the righteous to fail. (Chap. XIX; 13-21.) 11. In that day, sing ye thus concerning the vineyard: “I, the LORD, am its guardian; I will water it every moment; That no one may assault it, I will watch it day and night. 12. There is no fury in me; But let me find the thorns and thistles in battle. I will go against them, and burn them up together, 13. Unless they take hold of my protection, And with me make peace, and make peace with me." (Chap. XXVII; 2-5.) 1. VI. Woes denounced against various forms of wickedness. WOE to them that join house to house, 2. To mine ear hath LORD of hosts revealed it : 3. Woe to them that rise early in the morning to follow strong drink, Who sit late in the night, that wine may inflame them! 4. And take away from the righteous his right! But they regard not the work of LORD, Nor attend to the operation of his hands. 5. Therefore shall my people be led captive, when they think not of it; Their honorable men shall be famished with hunger, And their rich men parched with thirst. 6. Therefore doth the under-world enlarge its greedy throat, And stretch open its mouth without measure, And down go her nobility and her wealth, Her busy throng, and all that was joyful within her. 7. The mean man shall be bowed down, And the great man shall be brought low, And the eyes of the haughty shall be humbled; 8. The LORD of hosts shall be exalted through judgment; Yea, God, the Holy One, shall be sanctified through righteousness. 9. Then shall the lambs feed, as in their own pasture, 10. And the deserted fields of the rich shall strangers consume. Wce to them that draw calamity with cords of wickedness, And punishment as with wagon-traces, 11. Who say, Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it! 12. Let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and be Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil, 14. Woe to them that are valiant to drink wine, 15. That clear the guilty for a reward, And the lyre and the harp, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are at their feasts, 16. Therefore, as fire devours stubble, And as the withered grass sinks into the flame, So their root shall become rottenness, And their blossom shall fly up like dust. For they have despised the law of the LORD of hosts, And contemned the word of the Holy One of Israel. (Chap. V; 8-9, 11-24.) 17. Woe to them that make unrighteous decrees, 18. To turn away the needy from judgment, And where will ye leave your glory? (Chap. X; 1-3.) VII. Woes de Complaint against levity and frivolity in time of danger. nounced against disobedience, stubbornness and love of war. 1. YE mark how many are the breaches of the city of David, 2. Ye number the houses of Jerusalem, And ye break down the houses to repair the wall; 3. Ye make a reservoir between the two walls for the waters of the old pool; But ye look not to Him who hath done this; Ye regard not Him that hath prepared this from afar. 4. The LORD, the God of hosts, calleth you this day To weeping and to lamentation, To baldness and to girding with sackcloth. 5. But, behold, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine! "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die ! " 6. Therefore it hath been revealed in mine ears by the LORD of 7. hosts; "This iniquity shall not be forgiven you, till ye die," Saith the Eternal the Lord of hosts. (Chap. XXII; 9-14.) Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, Who form plans, and not from me, And make covenants without my spirit, That they may add sin to sin! 8. For this is a rebellious people, false children, And to the prophets, "Prophesy not right things; |