A   Thys is the worde of the Lorde, þt; came vnto Micheas þe; Morastite, &ibar; the dayes of ^note Iothan ^note Ahas &abar;d ^note Iehezekiah kynges of Iuda: whych was shewed hym vpon Samaria ∧ Ierusal&ebar;. ^noteHeare al ye people, marcke this well O earth and all that therin is. Yee, þe; Lorde God hym selfe be wytnesse amonge you euen the Lord fr&obar; his holy temple. For why? ^note beholde, þe; Lorde shall go out of his place, ∧ come downe, ∧ treade vpon the hye thynges of the earth. The mo&ubar;taynes shall c&obar;sume vnder him, ∧ the valleyes shal cleue asunder: lyke as waxe c&obar;sumeth at the fyre, ∧ as the waters runne downwarde. And all thys shalbe for the wyckednesse of Iacob. and the synnes of the house of Israel.

But what is the wyckednesse of Iacob? Is not ^note Samaria? Whych are the hye places of Iuda? B   Is not ^note Ierusalem? Therfore I shall make Samaria an heape of stones &ibar; the felde, to laye aboute the vyneyarde: her stones shall I cast into the valley, and discouer her foundacyons. All her Images shall be broken downe ∧ all her garmentes shall be brent in the fyre: yee, all her Idols will I destroye: for why? ^note they are gathered out of þe; hyre of an whore, ∧ &ibar;to an whores hyre shall they be turned agayne. Wherfore I will mourne ∧ make lamentaci&obar;, bare ∧ naked will I go: I must mourne lyke the dragons, and take sorowe as the Estriches: for theyr wounde is past remedy: C   And why? it is come into Iuda, ∧ hath touched the porte of my people at Ierusalen alredy. ^noteWepe not, lest they at Geth perceaue it.

Thou at Bataphra, welter thy selfe in þe; dust ∧ asshes. Thou þt; dwellest at Sephyr, get the hence with shame. The proude shall boost nomore for very sorowe: and why? her neyghboure shal take fr&obar; her what she hath The rebellyous cytie hopeth, þt; it shall not be so euell: but for all þt;, the plage shall come from the Lorde, euen into the porte of Ierusal&ebar;, The greate noyse of þe; charettes shall feare th&ebar;, that dwell at ^note Lachys, which is an occasyon of the synne of the daughter of Syon, for in the came vp the wyckednesses of Israel. D   Yee, she sent her coursers into the lande of Geth.

The houses of lyes will dysceaue þe; kynges of Israel. And as for þe; (O thou þt; dwellest at Morassa) I shal bring a possessioner vpon þe;, ∧ the plage of Israel shal reach vnto Odolla. Make the balde, ∧ shaue the, because of thy tender chyldren: Make the cleane balde as an Aegle, for they shalbe caryed awaye captiue from the. ¶ The .ii. Chapter. ¶ Threatnynges agaynst the synfull people.

A   O wo vnto them, that Imagyn to do herme, &abar;d deuyse vngracyousnesse vp&obar; theyr beddes, to perfourme it &ibar; þe; cleare daye: for ther power is agaynst God. When they couet to haue lande, ^note they take it by vyolence, they robbe men of theyr houses.

Thus they oppresse a man for his house ∧ euery man for his herytage. Therfore th&us; sayeth the Lorde: Beholde ^note agaynst thys housshold haue I deuysed a plage, wherout ye shall not plucke your neckes: Ye shall nomore go so proudly, for it wyll be a perlous tyme. In that daye shal thys terme be vsed and a mournynge shalbe made ouer you on thys maner: We be vtterly desolate þe; porcyon of my people is translated. Wh&abar; will he parte vnto vs the laude, B   that he hath taken from vs?

Neuertheles ^note there shalbe noman to deuyde the thy porcyon in the c&obar;gregacyon of þe; Lorde. Tush, holde your t&ubar;ge (saye they) It shall not fall vpon thys people, we shall not come so to confusyon, sayeth the house of Iacob. Is þe; sprete of the Lorde so cleane awaye? or is he so m&ibar;ded? Treuth it is, my wordes are frendly vnto th&ebar; þt; lyue ryght: but my people doth the contrary, therfore must I take parte agaynst them: C   for they take awaye both cote and cloke from the symple.

Ye haue turned youre selues to fyght, the wemen of my people haue ye shut out from their good houses, ∧ taken awaye my excellent gyftes from theyr childr&ebar;. Up, get you hence, for here shall ye haue no rest.

Because of theyr Idolatrye they are corrupte, ∧ shal myserably perysh. If I were a fleshly felowe, ∧ a preacher of lyes, &abar;d tolde them that they myght syt bybbynge ∧ bollyng, ∧ be droncken. D   O þt; were a Prophete for thys people, But I will gather the &ibar; dede, O Iacob, ∧ dryue þe; remnaunt of Israell all together. I shal cary them one with another, as a flocke in the folde, and as þe; catell in theyr stalles, that they maye be dysquyeted of other m&ebar;. Who so breaketh þe; gappe, he shall go before. They shall breake vp þe; porte, ∧ go in ∧ out at it. The Kynge shall go before them, and the Lorde shalbe vpon the head of them. ¶ The .iii. Chapter. ¶ Agaynst the tyranny of Prynces, and false Prophetes.

A   And I sayde: heare, O ye heades of the house of Iacob, ∧ ye leders of þe; house of Israell: ^note Shulde not ye knowe, what were lawfull and ryght? ^noteBut ye hate the good, and loue the euel: ye plucke of mennes skynnes, and the flesh from theyr bones: ye eate the flesh of my people, and flay of theyr skynne: ye breake theyr bones, ye choppe them in peces as it were in to a cauldron, ∧ as flesh &ibar;to a pot Now the tyme shall come, ^note that wh&ebar; they call vnto the Lorde, he shall not heare th&ebar;, but hyde hys face from them, B   because that thorow theyr awne Imagynacyons they haue dealte so wyckedly.

And as concernynge the prophetes that dysceaue my people, thus the Lorde sayeth agaynst them. ^noteWhen they haue eny thynge to byte vpon, then they preach that all shalbe well: but yf a man put not some th&ibar;g in to theyr mouthes, they preach of warre agaynst hym.

^noteTherfore youre visyon shalbe turned to nyght, ∧ youre prophecienge to darcknesse. C   The Sunne shall go downe ouer those prophetes, ∧ the daye shalbe darcke vnto th&ebar;. Then shall the visyon seers be ashamed, &abar;d the sothsayers confounded: yee, they shalbe fayne, all the packe of them, to stoppe theyr mouthes, for they haue not Gods worde. ^note As for me, I am full of str&ebar;gth, ∧ of þe; sprete of the Lorde, full of iudgement ∧ boldnesse: to shewe the house of Iacob theyr wyckednes, and the house of Israel theyr synne.

D   O heare this ye rulers of the house of Iacob, ∧ ye iudges of þe; house of Israel, ye that abhorre the thynge that is laufull, ∧ wrest asyde þe; thyng þt; is streyght. ^noteYe that buylde vp Syon with bloude, and Ierusalem &wt; doynge wronge. ^noteO ye iudges, ye geue sent&ebar;ce for gyftes: O ye preastes, ye teach for lucre. ^noteO ye prophetes, ye prophecy for mony. Yet will they be taken as those þt; holde vp&obar; God, and saye: Is not the Lord am&obar;ge vs? Tush, there can no mysfortune happen vs. ^noteTherfore shall Si&obar; (for youre sakes) be plowed lyke a felde ^note Ierusalem shall become an heape of stones, and the hyll of the temple shall be turned to an hye wodde. ¶ The .iiii. Chapter. ¶ Of the callynge of the Gentyles, and conuersyon of the Iewes.

A   But ^note in the latter dayes it will come to passe, that the hyll of the Lordes house shalbe sett vp hyer then eny mountaynes or hylles: Yee, the people shall prease vnto it, and the multitude of the G&ebar;tiles shall haste them thyther, sayeng: Come, ^note let vs go vp to the hyll of the Lorde, and to the house of the God of Iacob: that he maye teach vs hys waye, and that we maye walcke in his pathes. ^noteFor the lawe shall come out of Sion, ∧ the worde of God from Ierusalem, and shall geue sentence amonge the multitude of the Heathen &abar;d refourme the people of farre co&ubar;trees: so that of theyr sweardes they shall make plowshares, ∧ sythes of theyr speares.

B    ^noteOne people shall not lyft vp a sweard agaynst another, yee, they shal nomore learne to fyght: but euery man shall syt vnder his vineyard ∧ vnder his fygge tre, ∧ no m&abar; to fraye him awaye: for þe; mouth of þe; Lord of hostes hath spok&ebar; it. Therfore, where as all the people haue walcked euery man in þe; name of hys awne God, we wyll walcke in the name of oure God for euer &abar;d euer. ^noteAt the same tyme, sayeth the Lorde, will I gather vp the lame &abar;d the out castes, ∧ soch as I haue chastened: ∧ wyll geue yssue vnto þe; lame, &abar;d make of the out castes a great people: ^note and the Lorde hym selfe shalbe theyr kynge vp&obar; the mount Syon, from thys tyme forth for euermore. C   And vnto the. (O þu; tower of ^note Eder, thou stronge holde of the daughter Syon) vnto the shall it come: eu&ebar; the lordshipe &abar;d kyngdome of the daughter Ierusal&ebar;. Why then art thou now so heuy? is there no kynge in the? are thy councelers awaye that thou art so payned, as a wom&abar; in her trayuayle? And now (O thou daughter Syon) be sory, let it greue the as a wyfe laboryng wyth chylde: for now must thou get the out of the cytie, and dwell vpon the playnefelde: Yee, vnto Babylon shalt thou go, there shalt thou be delyuered, ^note and there the Lorde shall lowse the from the hande of thyne enemyes.

D   Now also are there many people gathered together agaynst the, say&ibar;g: what, Si&obar; is cursed, we shall se oure lust vp&obar; her. But they knowe not ^note the thoughtes of þe; Lorde, they vnderstande not his co&ubar;cell, that shall gather them together as the sheeues in the barne. Therfore get the vp, O thou daughter Syon, and throsshe out the corne: For I wyll make thy horne yron, ∧ thy clawes brasse, that thou mayest grynde many people: theyr goodes shalt thou appropriate vnto the Lorde, and theyr substaunce vnto the ruler of the whole worlde. ¶ The .v. Chapter. ¶ Of the destruccyon of Ierusalem.

A   After þt; shalt thou be robbed thy selfe, O þu; robbers daughter: they shall laye sege agaynst vs, ∧ smyte þe; iudge of Israel &wt; a rodde vpon the cheke. ^noteAnd þu; Bethle&ebar; Ephrata, art lytle amonge þe; thou s&abar;des of Iuda, Out of þe; shal come vnto me, which shal be þe; gouernoure in Israel: whose out goynge hath bene fr&obar; the begynning, ∧ fr&obar; euerlastynge. In the meane whyle he

plageth them for a season, vntyll the tyme that she (which shall beare) haue borne: then shall the remnaunt of his brethren be c&obar;uerted vnto þe; children of Israel. He shall st&abar;de fast, ^note and geue fode in the ^note strength of the Lord, and in the victory of the name of the Lord his God: and when they be conuerted, he shall be magnified vnto the farthest partes of the worlde.

B   Then shall there be peace, so that the Assyrian maye come into youre l&abar;de, ∧ treade in youre houses. We shall bringe vp seuen shepherdes and .viii. princes vpon th&ebar;: these shall subdue the land of Assur &wt; the swerde, and þe; lande of ^note Nymrod with their naked weap&ebar;s. ^noteThus shal he deliuer vs from the Assirian, when he c&obar;meth within oure land, and setteth his fote within oure borders.

C   And þe; remna&ubar;t of Iacob shall be am&obar;ge the multitude of people, as the dewe of the Lorde, and as the droppes vpon the grasse, that tarieth for no man, and wayteth of no body. ^noteYee, þe; residue of Iacob shalbe am&obar;ge the Gentiles and the multitude of people, as the lyon am&obar;ge the beastes of the wodd, and as þe; Lyons whelpe amonge a flocke of shepe: which (when he goeth thorowe) treadeth downe, teareth in peces, and there is no man that can helpe. Thyne hand shalbe lift vp vpon thyne enemyes, and all thyne aduersaries shall perish.

D   The tyme shall come also, sayeth þe; Lord, that I will take thine horses from the, and destroye thy charettes. I wil breake downe the cityes of thy lande, and ouerthrowe all thy str&obar;ge holdes. ^noteAll witchcraftes wyll I rote oute of thyne h&abar;de, there shall no mo sothsayinges be within the. ^noteThine Idols and thyne Images will I destroye out of þe; so þt; thou shalt nomore bowe thy selfe vnto the worckes of thyne awne handes. Thy groues will I plucke vp by þe; rotes, ∧ breake downe þe; cities. Thus will I be auenged also, vp&obar; all þe; Heathen that will not heare. ¶ The .vi. Chapter. ¶ An exhortacyon to heare þe; iudgement agaynst Israell beynge vnkynde, what maner of sacrifyces do please God.

A   Herk&ebar; now what the Lord sayeth: ^note Up, reproue the mountaynes, ∧ lett the hylles heare thy voyce. O heare the punishem&ebar;t of the Lord, ye mountaynes, ∧ ye mightie foundaci&obar;s of the earth: for the Lord will reproue his people, ∧ reason &wt; Israel. O my people, what haue I done vnto þe;? or wher&ibar; haue I hurte the? geue me answere. ^noteBecause I brought the from the lande of Egipte, and deliuered the out of þe; house of bondage? ^note B   Because I made Moses, Aar&obar; and Miriam to lede þe;? Remembre (O my people ^note) what Balach þe; kyng of Moab had Imagyned agaynst the and what answere that Balaam the sonne of Beor gaue him, from Sethim vnto Galgal, that ye maye knowe the louyng kyndnesses of the Lorde.

What acceptable thinge shall I offre vnto the Lord? shal I bowe my knee to the hie God? Shall I come before hym with brentoffrynges, and wyth calues of a yeare olde? Hath the Lord a pleasure &ibar; many thousand rammes, or innumerable streames of oyle? C   Or shall I geue my fyrst borne for myne offences, ∧ the frute of my body for the synne of my soule? I will shewe the, O m&abar;, what is good, ∧ what the Lorde requyreth of the Namely, to do right, to haue pleasure in louinge kyndnesse, to be lowly, ∧ to walcke &wt; thy God, ^note The Lordes voyce crieth vnto þe; citye, ∧ the man þt; shall be saued c&obar;siderethe thy name (O Lorde) Herken what is your rodde, ∧ here him þt; warnith you? ^noteShuld I not be displeased, for þe; vnrightuous good in þe; houses of þe; wycked, ∧ because þe; measure his mynished? Or shulde I iustifie þe; false bala&ubar;ces and þe; bagge of disceatfull weyghtes, amonge those that be full of riches vnryghtuously gott&ebar;: where the cytesins deale with falshede, speake lyes, ∧ haue disceatfull tunges in their mouthes?

D   Therfore, I will take in h&abar;de to punish þe;, ∧ to make þe; desolate, because of thy sinnes. ^noteThou shalt eate, ∧ not haue ynough: yee, þu; shalt bringe thy selfe downe. Thou shalt fle, but not escape: ∧ those that thou woldest saue, will I delyuer to the ^note swerde. Thou shalt sowe, but not reape: þu; shalt presse out oliues, but oyle shalt thou not haue to anoynte thy selfe withall: thou shalt treade out swete must, but shalt dryncke no wyne. Ye kepe the ordinaunces of ^note Amri, and all the customes of the house of Ahab: ye folowe their pleasures, therfore wyll I make the waste, and cause thy inhabyters to be abhorred, O my people: ∧ thus shalt thou beare thyne awne shame. ¶ The .vii. Chapter. ¶ A complaynt of the lyttell nombre of the ryghtuouse Agaynst the trueth ought we not to holde wyth oure greatest frendes.

A   Wo is me: I am become as one, that goeth a gleanynge in the haruest, There are no mo grapes to eate, yet wold I fayne (wyth all my herte) haue of the best frute. ^noteThere is not a godly man vp&obar; earth, there is not one rightuous am&obar;ge men. They laboure all to shed bloud, and euery man hunteth his brother to death: yet they saye they do well wh&ebar; they do euel. As the prince will, so sayeth the iudge: that he maye do him a pleasure agayne. The greate man speaketh what his herte desireth: ∧ the hearers alowe h&ibar;. The best of th&ebar; is but as a thistle, ∧ the most rightuous of th&ebar; is but as

a breer in the hedge. But when the daye of thy preachers c&obar;meth, that thou shalt be visyted: th&ebar; shall they be wasted awaye. ^noteLet no man beleue his frende, ner put hys confyd&ebar;ce in a brother. B   Kepe þe; porte of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome: ^note for the sonne shal put his father to dyshonoure, the daughter shall rise agaynst her mother, the daughter in lawe against her mother in lawe: and a mans foes shalbe euen they of hys awne housholde.

Neuerthelesse, I will loke vp vnto þe; Lord I wyll paciently abyde God my sauyoure: my God shal heare me. ^noteO thou enemye of myne, reioyce not at my fall, for I shall get vp agayne: ∧ though I sytt &ibar; darcknesse, yet the Lorde is my lyght. I wyll beare the punishem&ebar;t of þe; Lord (for why, I haue offended h&ibar;) tyll he syt &ibar; iudgem&ebar;t vp&obar; my cause, ∧ se þt; I haue right. He wyll bryng me forth to the lyght, ∧ I shall se his rightuousnesse.

C   She that is myne enemy shal loke vpon it, ∧ be c&obar;fo&ubar;ded, which now saieth. ^noteWhere is thy Lord God? Myne eyes shall beholde her, when she shalbe trod&ebar; downe, as þe; claye in þe; stretes. ^noteThe tyme will come, that thy gappes shal be made vp, ∧ the lawe shal go abrode: ∧ at þt; tyme shal they come vnto the fr&obar; Assur vnto the str&obar;ge cityes, ∧ from the str&obar;ge cityes vnto the ryuer: fr&obar; the one see to þe; other, fr&obar; the one mo&ubar;tayne to þe; other.

Notwythstandynge, þe; land must be wasted, because of them that dwell therin, and for the frutes of their awne Imaginacions. Therfore fede thy people with thy rodde, þe; flocke of thine heritage which dwel desolate in the wodde: that they maye be fedde vpon the mo&ubar;t of Charmell, Basan ∧ Galaad as afore time. Maruelous th&ibar;ges wil I shewe th&ebar;, D    ^note lyke as wh&ebar; they came oute of Egipte Thys shall the Heathen se, and be ashamed for all their power, ^note so that they shall laye their hande vpon their mouth, and stoppe their eares. ^noteThey shal lycke the dust lyke a serpent, ∧ as the wormes of the earth, that tremble in their holes. They shalbe afrayed of the Lord oure God, ∧ they shall feare the.

Where is there soch a God as thou? that pardonest wyckednes, and forgeuest the offences of the remnaunt of thyne herytage? He kepeth not his wrath for euer: and why? his delite is to haue c&obar;passi&obar;: ^note he shal turne agayne, and be mercyfull to vs: he shal put downe oure wyckednesses, and cast all oure synnes into the botome of þe; see. Thou shalt kepe thy trust with Iacob, ∧ thy mercy for Abraham, lyke as thou hast sworne vnto oure fathers longe agoo. ¶ The ende of the prophecy of Micheas.

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