Idolatrous Elders Condemned
(Romans 14:13–23; 1 Corinthians 8:1–13)

1There resorted vnto me certayne of ye elders of Israel, & sat downe by me. 2Then came the worde of the LORDE vnto me, sayenge: 3Thou sonne of man, these men beare their Idols in their hertes, & go purposly vpon the stomblinge block of their owne wickednesse: how darre they then axe councell at me? 4Therfore speake vnto them, & saye: thus saieth the LORDE God: Euery man of the house of Israel that beareth his Idols in his herte, purposynge to stomble in his owne wickednesse, and commeth to a prophet, to enquere eny thinge at me by him: vnto that man wil I the LORDE myself geue answere, acordinge to the multitude of his Idols: 5that the house of Israel maye be snared in their owne hertes, because they be clene gone fro me, for their Idols sakes.

6Wherfore, tell the house of Israel: thus saieth the LORDE God: Be conuerted, forsake youre Idols, and turne youre faces from all yor abhominacions. 7For euery man (whether he be of the house of Israel, or a straunger, that sogeourneth in Israel) which departeth fro me, and carieth Idols in his herte, purposinge to go still stomblinge in his owne wickednesse, and commeth to a prophet, for to axe councell at me thorow him: vnto yt man wil I the LORDE geue answere, by myne owne self. 8I wil set my face agaynst that man, and wil make him to be an example for other, yee and a comon byworde: and wil rote him out of my people, that he maye knowe, how yt I am the LORDE.

9And yf that prophet be disceaued, when he telleth him a worde: then I the LORDE myself haue disceaued that prophet, and wil stretch forth myne honde vpon him, to rote him out of my people of Israel: 10and they both shall be punyshed for their wickednesse. Acordinge to ye synne of him that axeth, shal the synne of the prophet be: 11that ye house of Israel be led nomore fro me thorow erroure, and be nomore defyled in their wickednesse: but that they maye be my people, and I their God, saieth the LORDE God.

Four Dire Judgments

12And the worde of the LORDE came vnto me, sayenge: 13Thou sonne of man, when the londe synneth agaynst me, and goeth forth in wickednesse: I will stretch out myne hode vpon it, and destroye all the prouysion of their bred, and sende derth vpon them, to destroye man & beest in the londe. 14And though Noe, Daniel and Iob these thre men were amonge them, yet shal they in their rightuousnesse delyuer but their owne soules, saieth the LORDE God. 15Yf I bringe noysome beestes in to the londe, to waist it vp, and it be so desolate, that no man maye go therin for beestes: 16yf these thre men also were in the londe, as truly as I lyue (saieth the LORDE God) they shal saue nether sonnes ner doughters, but be only delyuered them selues: and as for the londe, it shal be waist. 17Or, yf I bringe a swearde in to the londe, and charge it to go thorow the londe: so that I slaye downe man and beest in it, 18and yf these thre men were therin: As truly as I lyue (saieth the LORDE God) they shal delyuer nether sonnes ner doughters, but only be saued them selues. 19Yf I sende a pestilence in to the londe, and poure out my sore indignacion vpon it in bloude, so that I rote out of it both man and beest, 20and yf Noe, Daniel and Iob were therin: As truly as I lyue (saieth the LORDE God) they shal delyuer nether sonnes ner doughters, but saue their owne soules in their rightuousnesse.

21Morouer, thus saieth the LORDE God: Though I sende my foure trublous plages vpon Ierusalem: the swearde, honger, perlous beestes and pestilence, to destroye man and beest out of it: 22yet shal there a remnaunt be saued therin, which shal bringe forth their sonnes and doughters. Beholde, they shal come forth vnto you, and ye shall se their waye, and what they take in honde, & ye shalbe coforted, as touchinge all the plages that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem. 23They shall comforte you, when ye se their waye and workes: and ye shal knowe, how yt it is not without a cause, that I haue done so agaynst Ierusalem, as I dyd, saieth the LORDE God.