Ecclesiastes · Chapter 48

[ edit] And Helie, þe profete, ros as fyr; and his wrd as a brond brende. Þe whiche broȝte in to hem hunger, and folewende hym bi þer enuye ben mad fewe; forſoþe þei myȝten not ſuffre þe heſtes of þe Lord. Þurȝ þe wrd of þe Lord he wiþheeld heuene, and caſt doun fro hym fyr to þe erþe. So mad large is Helie in his merueiles; and who mai lic maner glorien to þee, þe whiche haſt borne vp þe deade fro helle, fro þe lot of deþ, in þe wrd of þe Lord God? Þe whiche þreȝ doun kingus to deþ, and þou breeke liȝtli þe myȝt of hem, and þe gloriouſe fro þer bed. Þatt herdiſt in Syna dom, and in Oreb domes of defenſioun. Þat enoyntiſt kingus to penaunce, and profetes makeſt ſucceſſoures after þee.

Þat art reſceyued in whirlewynd of fyr, in a char of fyrene hors. Þat art inwrite in domes of tymes, to ſwage þe wraþe of þe Lord, and to ioynen, or acorde, þe herte of þe fader to þe ſone, and to reſtoren þe lynagis of Jacob. Blisful ben þei, þat þee han herd, and in þi frenſhepe ben mad faire; for why wee wiþ lijf lyuen only, after deþ forſoþe ſuch ſhal not ben oure name. Helie forſoþe in a whirlewynd is couered; and in Helyſe fulfild is his ſpirit. In his daȝes he dradde not a prince, and bi myȝt no man ouer cam hym; ne ouercam hym any wrd, and his body dead profeciede. In his lif he dide huge wondris; and in deþ merueilouſe þingus he wroȝte.

In alle þeſe þingus þe puple dide not penaunce, and þei wenten not awey fro þer ſynnes, vn to þe tyme þat þei ben caſt awey fro þer lond, and ben ſcatered in to eche lond. And þer is laft ful fewe folc, and a prince in þe hous of Dauid. Summe of hem dyden þat ſhulde pleſen to God; oþere forſoþe diden manye ſynnes. Eſechias ſtrengþede his cite, and broȝte in to þe myddel of it water; and dalf wiþ iren þe roche, and bilde vp to þe water a pit. In his daȝes ſteȝede vp Senacherub, and ſente Rapſacen; and vnderputte his hond aȝen hem, and putte out his hond in to Sion, and proud is mad in his myȝt. Þanne moued ben þe hertes and þe hondis of hem; and þei ſoreweden as wymmen trauailende wiþ child.

And þei inwardly clepeden þe mercyful Lord, and ſtrechende out hondis þei rereden vp to heuene; and þe hoely Lord God herde anon þe vois of hem. He remembrede not þe ſynnes of hem, ne ȝaf hem to þer enemys; but purgede hem in þe hond of Yſaye, þe hoely profete. He þreȝ doun þe tentes of Aſſiries, and hem to-broſede þe aungil of þe Lord. For whi Ezechie dide þat pleſede to þe Lord, and ſtrongli he wente in þe weie of Dauid, his fader; þat Iſaie, þe grete profete, and feiþful in þe ſiȝte of God, ſente to hym. In his daȝes bacward wente aȝen þe ſunne; and addede to þe king lif. Wiþ a gret ſpirit he ſaȝ þe laſte þingus; and coumfortede þe weilende men in Sion, vn to euermor.

He ſhewide þingus to come, and hid, er þat þei fellen.