AMBACUM. CHAPTER I.-II. VERSES 1-3. + 13 His longs to my God. 12 Art not thou 1. THE burden which the prophet mound, and take possession of it. Ambacum saw. 2 How long, O Lord,"1 Then shall he change his spirit, and shall I cry out, and thou wilt not he shall pass through, and make an hearken? how long shall I cry out to atonement, saying, This strength bethee being injured, and thou wilt not save? Wherefore hast thou shown me troubles and griefs to look upon, misery and ungodliness? judgment is before me, and the judge receives a reward. Therefore the law is frustrated, and judgment proceeds not effectually, for the ungodly man prevails over the just; therefore perverse judgment will proceed. 5 Behold, ye +Acts 13. 41. despisers, and look, and wonder marvellously, and vanish: for I work a work in your days, which ye will in nowise believe, though a man declare it to you. 6 Wherefore, behold, I stir up the Chaldeans, the bitter and hasty nation, that walks upon the breadth of the earth, to inherit tabernacles not his own. 7 He is terrible and famous; his judgment shall proceed of himself, and his *dig+ Lit. burden. nity shall come out of himself. And his horses shall explains this. bound more swiftly than leopards, and they are fiercer than the wolves of Arabia: and his horsemen shall ride forth, and shall rush from far; and they shall fly as an eagle hasting to eat. 9 Destruction shall come upon ungodly men, resisting with their adverse front, and he shall gather the captivity as the sand. 10 And he shall be at his ease with kings, and princes are his toys, and he shall mock at every strong-hold, and shall cast a נָשָׂא .Heb 8 destruction with a hook, and drawn Or, in. See possibly as a E. V. margin, Hebraism 'to' me. 2. I will stand upon my watch, and mount upon the rock, and watch to see what he will say 'by me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and that plainly on a tablet, that he that reads it may run. 3 For the vision is yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: + Heb. 10. 37-39. + Or, any man. See Heb. 10.38. + Rom. 1. 17. + Or, faith in me. + 6 8 3. A PRAYER OF THE PROPHET though he should tarry, wait for him; | 16 Drink thou also thy fill of disgrace *for he will surely come, instead of glory: shake, O heart, and and will not tarry. If the quake, the cup of the right hand of should draw back, my soul the Lord has come round upon thee, has no pleasure in him: and dishonour has gathered upon thy but the just shall live by glory. "For the ungodliness of Li* my faith. 5 But the arro- banus shall cover thee, and distress gant man and the scorner, the boastful because of wild beasts shall dismay man, shall not finish anything; who thee, because of the blood of men, and has enlarged his desire as the grave, the sins of the land and city, and of and like death he is never satisfied, all that dwell in it. 18 What profits it and he will gather to himself all the the graven image, that they have nations, and will receive to himself all graven it? one has made it a molten the peoples. Shall not all these take work, a false image; for the maker up a parable against him? and a pro- has trusted in his work, to make dumb verb to tell against him? and they idols. 19 Woe to him that says to the shall say, Woe to him that multiplies wood, Awake, arise; and to the stone, to himself the possessions which are Be thou exalted! whereas it is an + Or, for a not his! how long? and image, and this is a 'casting + Gr. forging. long while. who heavily loads his yoke. of gold and silver, and there is no 7 For suddenly there shall arise up breath in it. 20 But the Lord is in his those that bite him, and they that plot holy temple: let all the earth fear against thee shall awake, and thou before him. shalt be a plunder to them. Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the nations that are left shall spoil thee,' because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it. 9 Woe to him that covets an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evils. 10 Thou hast devised shame to thy house, thou hast utterly destroyed many nations, and thy soul has sinned. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beetle out of + Possibly, the timber shall speak. 12 Woe to him that builds a city with blood, and establishes a + Gr. prepares. city by unrighteousness. 13 Are not these things of the Lord Almighty? surely many people have been exhausted in the fire, and many nations have fainted. 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord; it shall cover them as water. 15 Woe to him that gives his neighbour to drink the thick lees of wine, and intoxicates him, that he may look upon their secret parts. 'knot.' 11 907 + AMBACUM, WITH A SONG. 2 O Lord, I have heard thy report, and was afraid: I considered thy works, and was amazed: thou shalt be known between the two living creatures, thou shalt be acknowledged when the years draw nigh; thou shalt be manifested when the time is come; when my soul is troubled, thou wilt in wrath remember mercy. God shall come from Thaman, and the Holy One from the dark shady Mount Pharan. See note on Pause.* 4 His excellence Psalm 3. 2. covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness shall be as light; there were horns in his hands, and he caused a mighty love of his strength. 5 Before his face shall go a report, and it shall go forth into the plains, "the earth stood at his feet and trembled: he beheld, and the nations melted away: the mountains were violently burst through, the everlasting hills melted at his everlasting going forth. 7 Because of troubles I looked upon the tents of the Ethiopians: 59 amazement, they shall tremble in it; they shall burst their bridles, they shall be as a poor man devouring in secret. 15 And thou dost cause thine horses to enter the sea, disturbing much water. 16 I watched, and my belly trembled at the sound of the prayer of my lips, and trembling entered into my bones, and my frame was troubled within me; I will rest in the day of affliction, from going up to the people of my sojourning. the tabernacles also of the land of upon their neck. Pause. 14 Thou didst Madiam shall be dismayed. 8 Wast cut asunder the heads of princes with thou angry, O Lord, with the rivers? or was thy wrath against the rivers, or +Or, attack. thine anger against the sea? for thou wilt mount on thine horses, and thy chariots are salvation. Surely thou didst bend thy bow at sceptres, says the Lord. Pause. The land of rivers shall be torn asunder. 10 The nations shall see thee and be in pain, as thou dost divide the 'moving waters: +Gr. waters the deep uttered her voice, of going. See and raised her form on 17 For though the fig-tree shall high. 11 The sun was exalted, and the bear no fruit, and there shall be no moon stood still in her course: thy produce on the vines; the labour of darts shall go forth at the light, at the the olive shall fail, and the fields shall brightness of the gleaming of thine produce no food; the sheep have failed 12 Thou wilt bring low the land from the pasture, and there are no oxen with threatening, and in wrath thou at the cribs; 18 yet I will exult in the wilt break down the nations. 13 Thou Lord, I will joy in God my Saviour. wentest forth for the salvation of thy 19 The Lord God is my strength, and people, to save thine anointed: thou shalt bring death on the heads of transgressors; thou hast brought bands Nahum 1. 8. arms. 908 he will perfectly strengthen my feet; he mounts me upon high places, that I may conquer by his song. SOPHONIAS. CHAPTER I. VERSES 1-18. 1. THE word of the Lord which | howling from the second gate, and a came to Sophonias the son of Chusi, great crashing from the hills. "Lathe son of Godolias, the son of Amo-ment, ye that inhabit the city that has rias, the son of Ezekias, in the days of been broken down, for all the people Josias son of Amon, king of Juda. has become like Chanaan; and all that 2 Let there be an utter cutting off from were exalted by silver have been utterly the face of the land, says the Lord. destroyed. 12 And it shall come to pass 3 Let man and cattle be cut off; let the in that day, that I will search Jerusabirds of the air and the fishes of the lem with a candle, and will take vensea be cut off; and the ungodly shall geance on the men that despise the fail, and I will take away the trans- things committed to them; but they gressors from the face of the land, say in their hearts, The Lord will not says the Lord. And I will stretch do any good, neither will he do any out mine hand upon Juda, and upon evil. 13 And their power shall be for a all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I spoil, and their houses for utter desowill remove the names of Baal out of lation; and they shall build houses, but this place, and the names of the priests; shall not dwell in them; and they shall 5 and them that worship the host of plant vineyards, but shall not drink heaven upon the house tops; and them the wine of them. 14 For the great that worship and swear by the Lord, day of the Lord is near, it is near, and and them that swear by their king; very speedy; the sound of the day of 6 and them that turn aside from the the Lord is made bitter and harsh. Lord, and them that seek not the Lord, 15 A mighty day of wrath is that day, and them that cleave not to the Lord. a day of affliction and distress, a day of Fear ye before the Lord God; for the 'desolation and destruction, Lit. unseaday of the Lord is near; for the Lord a day of gloominess and sonableness. has prepared his sacrifice, and has darkness, a day of cloud and vapour, sanctified his guests. And it shall 16a day of the trumpet and cry against come to pass in the day of the Lord's the strong cities, and against the high sacrifice, that I will take vengeance on towers. 17 And I will greatly afflict the princes, and on the king's house, the men, and they shall walk as blind and upon all that wear strange apparel. men, because they have sinned against 9 And I will openly take vengeance the Lord; therefore he shall pour out ↑ Or, in. on the porches in that day, their blood as dust, and their flesh as on the men that fill the house of the dung. 18 And their silver and their Lord their God with ungodliness and gold shall in nowise be able to rescue deceit. 10 And there shall be in that them in the day of the Lord's wrath; day, says the Lord, the sound of a cry but the whole land shall be devoured from the gate of men slaying, and a by the fire of his jealousy; for he will 7 + bring a speedy destruction on all them the nations of the earth; and they that inhabit the land. 2 + shall worship him every one from his place, even all the islands of the nations. 2. Be ye gathered and closely joined 12 Ye Ethiopians also are the slain of together, O unchastened nation; 2 be- my sword. 13 And he shall stretch fore ye become as the flower that passes forth his hand against the north and away, before the anger of the Lord destroy the Assyrian, and make Nineve come upon you, before the day of the a dry wilderness, even as a desert. wrath of the Lord come upon you. 14 And flocks, and all the wild beasts 3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the of the land, and chameleons shall feed earth; do judgment, and seek justice, in the midst thereof; and hedgehogs + Gr. them. and answer accordingly; shall lodge in the ceilings probathat ye may be hid in the day of the thereof; and wild beasts bly read for wrath of the Lord. For Gaza shall shall cry in the breaches my See Gen. be utterly spoiled, and Ascalon shall thereof, and ravens in her 7.4. 23. be destroyed; and Azotus shall be cast porches, whereas her loftiness was as forth at noon-day, and Accaron shall a cedar. be rooted up. 5 Woe to them that dwell on the border of the sea, neigh- 3. 15 This is the scornful city that bours of the Cretans! the word of the dwells securely, that says in her heart, Lord is against you, O Chanaan, land I am, and there is no longer any to be of the Philistines, and I will destroy after me: how is she become desolate, you out of your dwelling place. And a habitation of wild beasts! every one Crete shall be a pasture of flocks, that passes through her shall hiss, and and a fold of sheep. And the sea shake his hands. 'Alas the glorious coast shall be for the remnant of the and ransomed city. The dove hearkhouse of Juda; they shall pasture upon ened not to the voice; she received them in the houses of Ascalon; they not correction; she trusted not in the shall rest in the evening because of the Lord, and she drew not near to her children of Juda; for the Lord their God. 3 Her princes within her were God has visited them, and he will turn as roaring lions, her judges as the away their captivity. I have heard wolves of Arabia; they remained not the revilings of Moab, and the insults till the morrow. 4 Her prophets are of the children of Ammon, wherewith light and scornful men: + Gr. borne of they have reviled my people, and mag- her priests profane the holy the wind. nified themselves against my coasts. things, and sinfully transgress the law. 9 Therefore, as I live, says the Lord of 5 But the just Lord is in the midst of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall be her, and he will never do an unjust as Sodoma, and the children of Am- thing: morning by morning he will mon as Gomorrha; and Damascus shall bring out his judgment to the light, be left as a heap of the threshing-floor, and it is not hidden, and he knows not and desolate for ever: and the rem- injustice by extortion, nor injustice in nant of my people shall plunder them, strife. "I have brought down the and the remnant of my nation shall proud with destruction; their corners + Gr. this to inherit them. 10 This is are destroyed: I will make their ways their punishment in return completely waste, so that none shall go for their haughtiness, because they through: their cities are come to an have reproached and magnified them- end, by reason of no man + See use of selves against the Lord Almighty. living or dwelling in them. 12. 13. 16. "The Lord shall appear against them, I said, But do ye fear me, +See Ps. 2. ult. and shall utterly destroy all the gods of and receive instruction, and ye shall them. παρά, 1 Cor. |