rael. And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the vale of Jezreel. For I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, that I should pardon them; for ye are not My people, and I will not be yours.

Israel knoweth not that I gave her the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and multiplied her silver and her gold, wherewith they made a Baal. Therefore will I take back My corn in its time, and My wine in its season, and will pluck away My wool and My flax which should have. covered her nakedness. And I will cause all her mirth to cease, her feasts, her new moons, and her Sabbaths, and all her solemn seasons. And I will lay waste her vines and her fig-trees, whereof she hath said, These are my hire that my lovers, the Baals, have given me; and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. And I will visit upon her the days of the Baals, unto which she burned insense; when she decked herself with her nose-rings and her jewels, and went after her lovers; but Me she forgat: saith Jehovah.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak unto her heart. And I will give to her her vineyards thence; and the vale of Trouble (Achor) shall be a door of hope; and she shall prove docile there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. And I will put away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, that they be no more mentioned by their name. And Israel shall say, I will arise and return to my first husband, Jehovah; for then was it better for me than now. And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and justice, and loving

FUTURE HOPE.

413

kindness, and mercy. Yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness, that thou mayest know Jehovah.

For many days shall the children of Israel be without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim; afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king; and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and His goodness in the latter days. And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and shall go up from the land; for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

And it shall come to pass in that day, I will answer, saith Jehovah, I will answer the heavens' prayers, and they shall answer the earth; and the earth shall answer the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall answer Jezreel (Sown of God). And I will sow Israel unto Me in the land; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them that were not My people, Thou art My people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. And I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the land, and make them to lie down in safety. And the number of the sons of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, that cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall come to pass that, for that was said to them, Ye are not My people, they shall be called, Sons of the living God.

And Jehovah saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; neither was there any helper for Israel. And Jehovah said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Joash. And Jeroboam humbled Damascus, and he restored the border of Israel

from before Hamath unto the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet, of Gath-hepher. And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah (Jah Remembereth) his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER VI.

II. KINGS, xv. HOSEA, iv.-ix., xi.

BEGINNING OF THE END.

Conspiracy of Shallum-Reign of Menahem-Tributary to Assyria— Hosea's Preaching-Misrule-Vain League with Assyria-Transient Penitence-Love, not Sacrifice—Bandits-Corruption of the Priesthood-General Insecurity-Calf-Worship Denounced-Weakness of Israel-He Shall Go Captive-Apostasy of Israel-The Feast of Tabernacles-No Joy for Israel.

Now Zechariah son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, as his fathers had done; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Shallum (Recompense) son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him in the midst of the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. This was the word of Jehovah which he spake to Jehu, saying: Thy sons of the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel. And so it came to pass.

And Shallum son of Jabesh reigned a month in Samaria. And Menahem (Comforter) son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And Menahem went out from Tirzah and smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and its country round about; because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.

And in the days of Menahem Tiglath-pileser (Trust is Adar) king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Tiglath-pileser a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the mighty men of wealth, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.

And in those days spake Hosea son of Beeri, the prophet, saying

Hear this, ye priests,

Give heed, ye house of Israel,

And ye, house of the king, give ear,

For against you is the judgment;

Because ye have been a snare at Mizpah,

A net spread out on Tabor.

Oppressed is Ephraim, crushed through misrule,
Because they would fain walk after vanity.

I am like the moth to Ephraim;

Like gnawing of worms to the house of Judah.

And Ephraim saw his sickness,

And Judah his sore;

And Ephraim went to Assyria,

And sent to King Contender (Jareb);

But he could not heal you,

And your sore left you not.

For I am like the lion to Ephraim,

Like the young lion to the house of Judah;

I-I tear, and go,

I carry off, and none rescueth.