Ezekiel · Chapter 20

[ edit] And it is maad in þe ſeuenþe ȝeer, in þe fifþe moneþ, in þe tenþe dai of þe moneþ, men of þe eldris of Iſrael camen for to axe þe Lord, and ſaten before me. And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, Sone of man, ſpeke þou to þe eldre men of Iſrael; and þou ſhalt ſeie to hem, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Wheþer ȝe camen for to axe me? Y lyue, for Y ſhal not anſwere to ȝou, ſeiþ þe Lord God. Sone of man if þou demeſt hem, if þou demiſt, ſhew þou to hem þe abomynaciouns of her fadris.

And þou ſhalt ſeie to hem, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord, In þe dai in which Y cheeſe Iſrael, and reiſide myn hoond for þe kynrede, or generaciouns, of Jacobs hows, and aperide to hem in þe loond of Egipt, and reiſide myn hoond for hem, ſeiynge, Y þe Lord ȝoure God, in þat dai Y reiſide myn hoond for hem, þat Y ſhulde lede hem out of þe loond of Egipt, in to þe loond which Y hadde purueiede to hem, flowynge wiþ mylk and hony, whiche is noble amonge alle loondis. And Y ſeide to hem, Eche man caſte awey þe offenſiouns of his eyen, and in þe ydols of Egipt nyl ȝe be defoulid; I þe Lord ȝour God.

And þei wraþþiden me, and þei wolden not here me; eche man caſtide not awey þe abomynaciouns of his eyen, neþer forſoke þe ydols of Egipt. And Y ſeide, þat Y ſhulde ſheede out myn indignacioun vpon hem, and ſhulde fulfille my wraþþe in hem, in þe mydil of þe loond of Egipt. And Y dide for my name, þat it were not defoulid before heiþen men, in whos mydil þei weren, and among whom I aperide to hem, þat I ſhulde lede out hem fro þe lond of Egipt. Þerfor Y caſtide out hem fro þe lond of Egipt, and Y ledde out in to deſert, and ȝaf to hem myn heeſtis, and Y ſhewide to hem my domys, whiche a man ſhulde doo, and lyue in hem.

More ouere and I ȝaue to hem my ſabotis, þat it were a ſigne bitwixe me and hem, and þei ſhulden wite, for I þe Lord halewynge hem. And þe hous of Iſrael wraþþide me in deſeert; in my preceptis þei walkiden not, and þei caſtiden awey my domys, whom a man doynge ſhal lyue in hem; and þei defouliden greetli my ſabotis. Þerfor I ſeide, þat I ſhulde ſhede out my woodnes vpon hem in deſeert, and deſtruye hem; and Y dide for my name, leſt I were defoulid before heiþen men, of whom Y caſtide hem out in þe ſiȝte of hem. Þerfor Y reiſide myn hoond vpon hem in deſeert, þat Y ledde hem not in to þe loond which Y ȝaue to hem, flowynge wiþ mylk and hony, þe beſt of alle loondis.

For þei caſtiden awei my domys, and þei walkiden not in myn heeſtis, and þei defouleden my ſabotis; forſoþe þe herte of hem wente after idolis. And myn eye ſparide vpon hem, þat I ſhulde not ſlee hem, neþer Y waaſtide hem in deſeert. Forſoþe Y ſeide to þe ſones of hem in wildirnes, In þe preceptis of ȝoure fadris nyle ȝe goo, neþer kepe ȝe þe domys of hem, neþer be ȝe defoulid in þe idolis of hem. Y þe Lord ȝour God, in my preceptis walke ȝe, and kepe ȝe my domys, and doo ȝe hem. And halewe ȝe my ſaboþis, þat it be a tokne betwixe me and ȝou, and it be wiſt, for Y þe Lord ȝour God.

And þe ſones of Iſrael wraþþiden me, and þei walkiden not in my preceptis, and þei kepten not my domys, þat þei ſhulden do hem, whiche whanne a man ſhal doo, he ſhal lyue in hem, and þei defouliden my ſabotis. And I þretenede, þat I ſhulde ſheede out my woodnes vpon hem, and ſhulde fulfille my wraþþe in hem in deſeert. Y turnede awei myn hoond, and Y dide þis þing for my name, þat it were not defoulid before heiþen men, of whom I caſtide out hem in þe eyen of hem.

Eftſoone Y reyſide myn hoond in to hem in wildirnes, þat Y ſhulde ſcatere hem in to naciouns, and ſhulde wyndow hem in to loondis; for þat þat þei diden not my domys, and repreueden my preceptis, and defouleden my ſabotis, and þe eyen of hem weren after þe idolis of her fadris. Þerfor and Y ȝaue to hem preceptis not goode, and domys in whiche þei ſhulen not lyue. And Y defoulede hem in her ȝiftis, whanne þei offriden al þing þat opneþ þe wombe for her giltis; and þei ſhulden wite, for Y þe Lord.

Wherfor, ſone of man, ſpek þou to þe hous of Iſrael, and þou ſhalt ſeie to hem, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Ȝit and in þes þingis ȝoure faders blasfemeden me, whanne þei deſpiſynge hadden forſake me, and Y hadde ledde hem in to þe loond vpon which Y reyſide myn hoond, þat Y ſhulde ȝyue it to hem, þei ſawen eche heeȝ litil hil, or reiſynge of greet hil, and eche tree ful of wode, and þei offreden þere her ſlayn ſacrifices for victorie, and ȝauen þere her offryngis in to wraþþinge; and þei puttiden þere þe odour of her ſwetnes, and ſacrefieden her libaciouns, þat ben of fletynge þingis, as wiyn, oyle, and ſiche. And Y ſeide to hem, What is þe heiȝ þing, to whom ȝe entren in?

And þe name of it is clepid Heeȝ Þing til in to þis dai. Þerfor ſey þou to þe hous of Iſrael, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Certis in þe weie of ȝoure fadris ȝe ben polut, or defoulid, and after her offenſiouns ȝe don fornycacioun, and in offrynge of ȝour ȝiftis, whanne ȝe leden ouer ȝoure ſones bi fier, ȝe ben defoulid in alle ȝour ydols til to dai, and Y ſhal anſwere to ȝou, þe hous of Iſrael? Y lyue, ſeiþ þe Lord God, for I ſhal not anſwere to ȝou; neþer þe þenkynge of ȝour ſoule, or vnderſtondynge, ſhal be maad, of men ſeiynge, We ſhulen be as heiþen men, as þe kynredis of erþe, þat we worſhipe trees and ſtoonus.

Y lyue, ſeiþ þe Lord God, for in ſtrong hoond, and in arm ſtrauȝt out, and in woodnes ſhed out, Y ſhal regne vpon ȝou. And I ſhal lede out ȝou of puplis, and Y ſhal gadre ȝou of loondis, in whiche ȝe ben ſcaterid; in ſtrong hoond and arm ſtrauȝt forþ, and in woodnes ſhed out I ſhal regne vpon ȝou. And Y ſhal lede ȝou in to deſeert of puplis, and I ſhal be demed þere wiþ ȝou face to face. As bi doom Y ſtroof aȝens ȝour fadris in deſeert of þe loond of Egipt, ſo Y ſhal deme ȝou, ſeiþ þe Lord; and I ſhal make you ſuget to my ceptre, and Y ſhal lede in ȝou in boondis of pees.

And Y ſhal cheeſe of ȝou treſpaſſeris, and vnpitouſe men; I ſhal lede out hem fro þe loond of her cumlyngnes, and þei ſhulen not entre in to þe loond of Iſrael; and ȝe ſhulen wite, for Y þe Lord. And ȝe, þe hous of Iſrael, þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Ȝe eche walke after ȝour idolis, and ſerue ȝe to hem.

Þat and if in þis þing ȝe ſhulen not here me, and ȝe ſhulen defoule ouer myn hooli name in ȝour ȝiftis, and in ȝour ydolis, in myn hooli hil, in þe heiȝ hil of Iſrael, ſeiþ þe Lord God, þere al þe hous of Iſrael ſhal ſerue to me; forſoþe eche in þe loond, in which þei ſhulen pleſe to me; and þere I ſhal ſeche ȝour prymyſies, or firſt fruytis, and þe bigynnynge of ȝour tiþis in alle ȝour halewyngis. In to odour of ſwetnes Y ſhal reſſeyue ȝou, whanne Y ſhal lede ȝou out of puplis, and ſhal gedre ȝou of loondis, in to whiche ȝe ben ſcatered; and I ſhal be halewid in ȝou in eyen, or ſiȝt, of naciouns.

And ȝe ſhulen wite, for I þe Lord, whanne I ſhal lede ȝou in to þe loond of Iſrael, in to þe loond for which Y reyſide myn hoond, þat I ſhulde ȝyue it to ȝour fadris. And þere ȝe ſhulen biþenke in hem of ȝour weies, and of alle ȝour grete treſpaſſis, bi whiche ȝe ben defoulid in hem; and ȝe ſhulen diſpleſe to ȝou in ȝour ſiȝt, in alle ȝour malices whiche ȝe diden. And ȝe ſhulen wite, for Y þe Lord, whanne I ſhal wel doo to ȝou for my name; not after ȝour yuel weies, neþer after ȝour werſt huge treſpaſſis, ȝe hous of Iſrael, ſeiþ þe Lord God.

And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, Sone of man, put þou þi face aȝens þe weie of þe ſouþ, and drop to þe ſouþ wynd, and prophecy þou to þe wodi place, or wildernes, of þe myddai, or ſouþ, feeld. And þou ſhalt ſeie to þe myddai, or ſouþ, wodi place, Here þou þe word of þe Lord. Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord, Loo! I ſhal kyndle in þee fier, and I ſhal togider brenne in þee eche grene tree, and eche drye tree; þe flaume of brennynge ſhal not be quenchid, and eche face in it ſhal be brent togidre, fro þe ſouþ vnto þe norþ. And eche fleſh ſhal ſee, for I þe Lord brende it, and it ſhal not be quenchid. And Y ſeide, A! A! A! Lord God, þei ſeyn of me, What þis ſpekiþ bi parablis?