THE PRIDE OF THE ASSYRIAN KING

10 5 Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger,

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the staff in whose hand is mine indignation!

I will send him against a profane nation,

and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge,

To take the spoil, and to take the prey,

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and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so,

neither doth his heart think so;

But it is in his heart to destroy,

and to cut off nations not a few.

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For he saith, Are not my princes all of them kings?

Is not Calno as Carchemish ?

Is not Hamath as Arpad ?

is not Samaria as Damascus ?

By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom; for I am prudent:

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And I have removed the bounds of the peoples,
and have robbed their treasures,
And I have brought down as a valiant man
them that sit on thrones :

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And my hand hath found as a nest
the riches of the peoples;

And as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken,
have I gathered all the earth:

And there was none that moved the wing,

or that opened the mouth, or chirped.

Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith?

Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh

it ?

As if a rod should shake them that lift it up,

Or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

THE FOLLY OF TRUSTING IN EGYPT

30 1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD,
that take counsel, but not of me;

And that cover with a covering,1 but not of my spirit,
that they may add sin to sin :

1 For cover with a covering read make a league (R).

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That walk to go down into Egypt,

and have not asked at my mouth;

To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh,1 and to trust in the shadow of Egypt:

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Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame,

and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

For his princes are at Zoan,

and his ambassadors are come to Hanes.

They shall all be ashamed

of a people 2 that cannot profit them,

That are not an help nor profit,

but a shame, and also a reproach.

THE DOOM OF JERUSALEM

29 1 Ho Ariel, Ariel,

the city where David encamped!

Add

ye year to year;

let the feasts come round:

Then will I distress Ariel,

and there shall be mourning and lamentation : And she shall be unto me as Ariel.

And I will camp against thee round about,

And will lay siege against thee with a fort,

and I will raise siege works against thee.

And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground,

and thy speech shall be low out of the dust.

31 1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help,
and stay on horses;

And trust in chariots because they are many,

and in horsemen, because they are very strong; But they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil,

and will not call back his words;

2 For They shall . . . people read They all bring gifts to a people.

But will arise against the house of the evil-doers,
and against the help of them that work iniquity.
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;
and their horses flesh, and not spirit:

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And when the LORD shall stretch out his hand,
both he that helpeth shall stumble,

And he that is holpen shall fall,

and they all shall fail together.

to fight upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof.

1 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,
for the LORD hath spoken:

I have nourished and brought up children,1
and they have rebelled against me.

The ox knoweth his owner,

and the ass his master's crib :

But Israel doth not know,

my people doth not consider.

Ah sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity,

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A seed of evil-doers,

children that deal corruptly;

They have forsaken the LORD,

they have despised the Holy One of Israel.

1 For children read sons.

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Why 1 will ye be still stricken,

that ye revolt more and more? The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint.

From the sole of the foot even unto the head

there is no soundness in it;

But wounds, and bruises,

and festering sores :

They have not been closed, neither bound up,
neither mollified with oil.

Your country is desolate;

your cities are burned with fire;

Your land, strangers devour it in your presence,
and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
And the daughter of Zion is left

as a booth in a vineyard,

As a lodge in a garden of cucumbers,

10 Hear the word of the LORD,

ye rulers of Sodom;

Give ear unto the law of our God,

ye people of Gomorrah.

To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices
unto me? saith the LORD:

I am full of the burnt offerings of rams,

and the fat of fed beasts;

And I delight not in the blood of bullocks,

or of lambs, or of he-goats.

When ye come to appear

before me,

who hath required this at your hand,

To trample my courts ? 2

Bring no more vain oblations;

1 For Why read On what part.

2 For When . . . courts? read When ye come to see my face, who hath required this at your hands? Trample my courts no more (R and S).

Incense is an abomination unto me;

new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies,

I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting.

Your new moons and your appointed feasts

my soul hateth :

They are a trouble unto me;

I am weary to bear them.

And when ye spread forth your hands,
I will hide mine eyes from you:

Yea, when ye make many prayers,

I will not hear:

Your hands are full of blood.

Wash you, make you clean;

Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;

cease to do evil: learn to do well;

Seek judgement, relieve the oppressed,

judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

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THE GREAT DELIVERANCE

9 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light :

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They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined.

Thou hast multiplied the nation,

thou hast increased their joy:

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They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest,

For all the armour of the armed man in the tumult,
and the garments rolled in blood,

Shall even be for burning,

for fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given;
And the government shall be
upon his shoulder:

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