The Wages of the Harlot

1Comonly, when a man putteth awaye his wife, and she goeth from him, and marieth with another, then the question is: shulde he resorte vnto her eny more after that? Is not this felde then defyled and vnclene? But as for the, thou hast played the harlot with many louers, yet turne agayne to me, saieth the LORDE.

2Lift vp thine eyes on euery syde, and loke, yf thou be not defyled. Thou hast waited for them in the stretes, and as a murtherer in the wildernesse. Thorow thy whordome and shamefull blasphemies, is the londe defyled.

3This is the cause, that the rayne and euenynge dew hath ceased. Thou hast gotten the an whores foreheade, and canst not be ashamed.

4Els woldest thou saye vnto me: O my father, thou art he that hast brought me vp, and led me fro my youth:

5Wilt thou then put me awaye, and cast me of foreuer? Or wilt thou withdrawe thy self clene fro me? Neuertheles, thou speakest soch wordes, but thou art euer doinge worse, and worse.

Judah Follows Israel’s Example

6The LORDE sayde also vnto me, in the tyme of Iosias the kinge: Hast thou sene what that shrekinge Israel hath done? how she hath runne vp vpon all hie hilles, and amonge all thick trees, and there played the harlot? 7hast thou sene also, (when she had done all this) how I sayde vnto her: that she shulde turne agayne vnto me, and yet she is not returned? Iuda that vnfaithfull sister of hirs also sawe this: 8Namely, that affter I had well sene the aduoutrye of the shrenkinge harlot Israel, I put her awaye, and gaue her a byll of deuorcement. For all this, hir vnfaithfull sister Iuda was not ashamed, but wente backe and played the whore also. 9Yee and the noyse of hir whordome hath defyled the whole lode. For she hath committed hir aduoutrie with stones and stockes. 10Neuerthelesse, hir vnfaithfull sister Iuda is not turned vnto me agayne with hir whole herte, but faynedly, saieth the LORDE.

A Call to Repentance
(Hosea 14:1–3; Zechariah 1:1–6)

11And the LORDE sayde vnto me: The bacslyder Israel is more rightuous, the the vnfaithfull Iuda:

12and therfore go preach these wordes towarde the north, & saye: Thou shrenkinge Israel, turne agayne (saieth the LORDE,) and I will not turne my face from you, for I am merciful, saieth the LORDE, & I will not allwaye beare displeasure agaynst the:

13but on this condicion, that thou knowe thy greate blasphemy: Namely, that thou hast vnfaithfully forsaken the LORDE thy God, & hast made thy silf partaker of straunge goddes vnder all grene trees, but hast had no wil to heare my voyce, saieth the LORDE.

14O ye shrenkinge children, turne agayne, saieth the LORDE, and I wilbe maried with you. For I will take one out of the citie and two out of one generacion from amoge you, and bringe you out of Sion:

15and will geue you hyrdme after myne owne mynde, which shal fede you with lernynge and wysdome. 16Morouer, when ye be increased and multiplied in the londe, then (saieth the LORDE) there shall nomore boost be made of the arke of the LORDES Testament: No man shall thinke vpon it, nether shall eny man make mencion of it: for from thence forth it shall nether be visited, ner honoured with giftes. 17Then shall Ierusalem be called the LORDES seate, and all Heithen shalbe gathered vnto it, for the name of the LORDE sake, which shalbe set vp at Ierusalem. And from that tyme forth, they shall folowe nomore the ymaginacion of their owne frauwerde herte. 18The those yt be of the house of Iuda, shal go vnto the house of Israel: And they shal come together out of the north, in to the same londe that I haue geuen youre fathers.

19I haue shewed also, how I toke the vp beinge but a childe, and gaue the a pleasaunt londe for thine heretage, yee and a goodly hooste of the Heithen: and how I commaunded the, that thou shuldest call me father only, and not to shrencke fro me.

20But like as a woman fayleth hir louer, so are ye vnfaithfull vnto me (o ye house of Israel) saieth the LORDE.

21And therfore the voyce of the children of Israel was herde on euery side, wepinge and waylinge: for they haue defyled their waye, and forgotten God their LORDE.

22O ye shrenkinge children, turne agayne, (saynge: lo, we are thine, for thou art the LORDE oure God:) And so shal I heale youre bacturnynges.

23The hilles fall, and all the hie pryde of the mountaynes, but the health of Israel stondeth only vpon God oure LORDE.

24Confucion hath deuoured oure fathers laboure from oure youth vp: yee their shepe and bullockes, their sonnes and doughters. 25So do we also slepe in oure confucion, and shame couereth vs: for we and oure fathers from oure youth vp vnto this daye haue synned agaynst the LORDE oure God. and hahaue not obeyed the voyce of the LORDE oure God.