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If ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword." The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

A Lament over the State of Jerusalem. How has the faithful city become an harlot ! full of justice!

(Ch. i. 2-20.)

She that was

Righteousness lodged within her: but now murderers !
Thy silver is become dross-thy wine is mixed with water!
Thy princes are become rebels-even companions of thieves!
Every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards!
They right not the fatherless-the widow's cause they take

it not up.

Therefore, saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel;

Ah! I will rid Me of Mine adversaries, and avenge Me of Mine enemies!

And I will turn My Hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross,

And take away all thine alloy.

I will restore thy judges as at the first, thy counsellors as at the beginning.

Afterward thou shalt be called-The righteous City! The faithful City!

Zion shall be redeemed with justice-her converts with righteousness.

Together shall be the destruction of transgressors and sinners. And they that forsake the Lord-they shall be consumed! For ye shall be ashamed of the terebinths, which ye desired: And confounded on account of the gardens which ye have chosen.

For ye shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fadeth—as a garden that hath no water.

And the strong one shall be as tow, his work as a spark— They shall both burn together, no one quenching them. (Ch. i. 21-31.)

Warning Words to Careless Women.

Rise up, ye women that are at ease! Hear my voice, ye careless daughters! Give ear unto my speech! In not much more than a year shall ye be troubled, ye careless women! For the vintage shall fail-the summer gathering shall not come !

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Tremble, ye women that are at ease! Be troubled, ye careless ones! Strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins! They shall smite upon their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city: for the palace shall be forsaken the populous city shall be desolate: Ophel and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever, the joy of wild asses, the pasture of flocks-until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high. Then the wilderness shall be a fruitfulfield, and the fruitful-field shall be counted for a forest. Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful-field and the result of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence for ever. Then my people shall dwell in a peaceful habitation, in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places !

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But oh, the downfall, the downfall of the forest! The city is being cast down into a low place! Blessed then shall ye be that sow beside all waters, that loose the foot of the ox and the ass. (Ch. xxxii. 9-20.)

PART XI.

THE PROPHET'S MESSAGE TO TYRE AND SIDON.

Isaiah to Tyre: the Metropolis of Commerce (709 B.C.). The divine message concerning Tyre.

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! for it is laid waste, so that there is not a house, and no entrance any more! From the island of Kittim this is made known to them. Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast-land! Thou whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished! On great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile was her revenue: yea, she was the mart of the nations. Be thou ashamed, O Sidon! For the sea hath spoken, even the stronghold of the sea, saying, "I have not travailed nor brought forth children: neither have I nourished up young men, nor brought up virgins."

When the report cometh to Egypt-they shall be sorely pained at the report concerning Tyre. Pass ye over to Tarshish! Howl, ye inhabitants of the coast! Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own feet carried her afar off to sojourn.

"Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, that giveth crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honourable of the earth?"

"The Lord of Hosts hath purposed it to stain the pride of all glory-to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth."

Overflow thy land as the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! There is now no girdle. He hath stretched out His Hand over the sea: He hath shaken kingdoms. The Lord hath

given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strongholds thereof. And He has said: "Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, thou daughter of Sidon! Arise: pass over to Kittim: there also shalt thou have no rest! Behold! The land of the Chaldæans! This people is not! The Assyrian hath made it a wilderness! They set up their siege-towers—they raised up their palaces but he hath brought it to ruin! Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! Your stronghold too shall be laid waste. it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years the duration of one king: after the end of seventy years, shall Tyre do as in the song of the harlot.

And

"Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that has been forgotten! Make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou may'st be remembered!"

And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth: and her profits and her hire shall be consecrated to the Lord. It shall not be treasured or laid up. Her profits shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, that they may eat sufficiently, and have splendid clothing. (Ch. xxiii. 1-18.)

PART XII.

A SERIES OF PROPHECIES CONCERNING BABYLON. Isaiah to Babylon (710-702.). Three Prophecies.

The first message concerning Babylon, the Desert of the Sea. As whirlwinds in the south sweep along! As it

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cometh from the desert, from a terrible land! A grievous vision is declared unto me! "The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth! Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease.'

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Therefore my loins are filled with pain! Pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth! I was bowed down as I heard this: I was dismayed when I saw it. My heart palpitated: fearfulness affrighted me! The night of my pleasure hath He turned into fear unto me. 'Prepare the table."

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"Watch in the watch-tower."

"Eat, drink."

"Arise ye princes, prepare the shield."

Thus hath the Lord said unto me: "Go, set a watchman : let him declare what he seeth."

And he saw an army, a troop of horsemen, a troop of asses, and a troop of camels: and he hearkened diligently, with great attention. Then he cried out like a lion: "My Lord! I am standing continually upon the watch-tower in the daytime, and I am set in my post every night. Now behold! here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs.” Then he answered, and said:

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'Babylon is fallen! Babylon is fallen!

"All the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground."

"Oh my threshing floor, and my threshed corn! That which I have heard of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you." (Ch. xxi. 1-10.)

The Embassy from Babylon (710 B.C.).

At this time Merodach Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters, and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.

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