Ezekiel · Chapter 17

[ edit] And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeyynge, Sone of man, put forþ a derk enſaumple, or hard queſtioun, and telle a parable to þe hous of Iſrael; and þou ſhalt ſeye, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God. A greet egle of grete weengis, wiþ long ledynge of membris, ful of feþeris and dyuerſite, cam to þe Liban, and took þe merouȝ of cedre. He drowȝ of þe heiȝnes of his bouwis, or braunches, and bare it ouer in to þe loond of Canaan; in þe citee of marchauntis he puttide it. And he took of þe ſeed of þe erþe, and puttide it in þe erþe for ſeed, þat he ſhulde make ſad þe root vpon manye watris; in þe ouermeſt paart he puttide it.

And whanne it had buriounede, it wexede in to a brodder viyn ȝerd, in lowe ſtature, þe braunches of it beholdinge to it, and þe rootis þerof weren vndir it; þerfor it is maad in to a viynȝerd, and made fruyte in to ſiouns, and ſente out braunchis. And anoþer greet egle is maad, wiþ greet weengis, and manye feþers; and loo! þis viynȝerd as ſendynge his rootis to it, ſtretchide out his ſiouns to it, þat it moyſtide it of þe litil placis of his buriounynge. Þat in good erþe vpon many waters is plauntid, þat it make bouwis, and bere fruyte, þat it be in to a greet viynȝerd. Sey þou, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Þerfor wheþer it ſhal haue proſperite?

Wheþer he ſhal not drawe vp þe rote of it, and ſhal diſtruye þe fruytis of it? And he ſhal drye alle þe ſyouns of his buriounynge, and it ſhal wexe drye; and not in a greet arme, neþer in myche puple, þat he ſhulde drawe it vp bi þe roote. Loo! it is plauntid; þerfor wheþer it ſhal haue proſperite? Wheþer whanne a brennynge wynde ſhal touche it, it ſhal not be dried, and it ſhal dwyne awey in þe placis of his buriounynge? And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, Sey þou to þe hows terrynge to wraþþe, Witen ȝe not what þes þingis bitoknen? Sei þou, Loo! þe kyng of Babiloyne comeþ in to Jeruſalem; and he ſhal take þe kyng and his princes, and he ſhal lede hem to hym ſelf in to Babiloyne.

And he ſhal take of þe ſeed of þe rewme, and he ſhal ſmyte a boond of pees wiþ it, and of it he ſhal reſſeyue an ooþ; but and he ſhal take a wei þe ſtronge men of þe loond, þat þe rewme be lowe, and be not reiſid vp, but kepe þe couenaunt of hym, and kepe it, or ſaue. Whiche goynge a wey fro hym, ſente meſſageris to Egipt, þat he ſhulde ȝyue to hym horſis and myche puple. Wheþer he ſhal haue proſperite, or ſhal gete helþ, which dide þes þingis? and he þat vndoþ a couenaunt, wheþer he ſhal aſkape? Y lyue, ſeiþ þe Lord God, for in þe place of þe kyng þat made hym kyng, whos ooþ he made voyd, and brak þe couenaunt þat he hadde wiþ hym, in þe mydil of Babiloyne he ſhal die.

And not in greet ooſt, neþer in myche puple Pharao ſhal make batayle aȝens hym, in caſtynge of an heep of erþe, and in bildynge of paalis, þat he ſlee many ſoulis. Forſoþe he diſpiſide þe ooþ, þat he ſhulde breke þe boond of pees, and loo! he ȝaf his hoond; and whanne he haþ do alle þes þingis, he ſhal not ſkape. Þerfor þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, I lyue, for I ſhal putte in to his heed þe ooþ þat he diſpiſide, and þe boond of pees þat he brak. And I ſhal holde forþ vpon hym my nette, and he ſhal be cacchid in my nette, and Y ſhal lede hym in to Babiloyne; and Y ſhal deme hym in þe treſpaſſynge, in which he diſpiſide me.

And alle þe fleers of hym wiþ al his company ſhulen falle togidre in ſwerd, forſoþe þe reſidues ſhulen be ſcatered in to eche wynd; and ȝe ſhulen wite, for I þe Lord haue ſpoken. Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, And Y ſhal take of þe merewȝ of þe heeȝ cedre, and I ſhal putte of þe cop of his braunchis; þe tendre I ſhal diſtreyne, and Y ſhal plaunte vpon an heiȝ hil, and fer aperynge. And in þe heiȝ hil of Iſrael Y ſhal plaunte it; and it ſhal breſt vp in to buriownynge, and ſhal make fruyte, and ſhal be in to a greet cedre, and alle briddis ſhulen dwelle vndir it; al volatile ſhal make neſtis vndir þe ſhadewe of his bouwis.

And alle þe trees of þe cuntre ſhulen wite, for Y þe Lord haue mekid þe heiȝ tree, and reyſide þe meke tree, and Y driede þe grene tree, and Y made þe drye tree for to floriſſhe; Y þe Lord ſpak, and Y dide.