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THE PROPHECIE for these thinges at your handes, that you should walke in my courtes? Offer sacrifice no more in vaine: incense is abomination to me. The Newe moone, and the Sabbath, and other festiuities I wil not abide, your assemblies are wicked. My soule hateth your Calendes, and your solemnities: they are become tedious to me, I haue laboured in susteyning. And when you shal streach forth your hands, I will turne away mine eies from you: & when you shal multiplie prayer, I will not heare: for your handes are ful of bloud. Wash you, be cleane, take away the euil of your cogitations from mine eies: cease to doe peruersely. Lerne to doe good: seeke iudgment, succour the oppressed, iudge for the pupil, defend the widow. And come, and accuse me, sayth our Lord: if your sinnes shal be as scarlet, they shal be made white as snow: and if they be red as vermelon, they shal be white as wooll. If you be willing, and wil heare me, you shal eate the good things of the earth. But if you wil not, and wil prouoke me to wrath: the sword shal deuoure you; because the mouth of our Lord hath spoken. How is the faythful citie, full of iudgement, become an harlot? iustice hath dwelled in it, but now mankillers. Thy siluer is turned into drosse: thy wine is mingled with water. Thy princes are unfaithful, companions of theues: al loue giftes, folow rewardes. They iudge not for the pupil: and the widowes cause goeth not in to them. For this cause sayth our Lord the God of hostes the mightie one of Israel: Alas; I wil comfort myselfe vpon mine aduersaries: and will be reuenged of mine enemies. And I wil turne mine hand to thee, and I wil boyle out thy drosse til it be pure, & wil take away al thy sinne. And I wil restore thy iudges as they haue beene before, and thy counselers as of old. After these thinges thou shalt be called the iust, a faithful citie. Sion shal be redeemed in iudgement, and they shal bring her backe in iustice. And he shal destroy the wicked, and the sinners together: and they that haue forsaken our Lord, shal be consumed. For they shal be confounded for the idols, to which they haue sacrificed, and you shal be ashamed of the gardens, which you chose. When you shal be as an oke the leaues falling of, and as a garden without water. And your strength shal be, as the isles of towe, and your worke as a sparke: and both shal be set on fire together, and there shal be none to quench it.

CHAP.