Ezekiel · Chapter 21

[ edit] And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, Sone of man, put þou þi face to Jeruſalem, and drop to þe ſeyntuaries, and prophecy þou aȝens þe erþe of Iſrael. And þou ſhalt ſeie to þe loond of Iſrael, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Loo! I to þee, and I ſhal caſte out my ſwerd of his ſheeþe, and I ſhal ſlee in þee þe iuſt and þe vnpitous. Forſoþe for þat þat Y ſlew in þee þe iuſt man and vnpitous, þerfor my ſwerd ſhal goo out of his ſheeþe to eche fleſh, or man, fro þe ſouþ vn to þe norþ; þat eche fleſh wite, for I þe Lord ledde out my ſwerd of his ſheeþe irreuocable, or þat may not be clepid aȝen.

And þou, ſone of man, ſorew wiþinforþ in þe contricioun of leendis, and þou ſhalt inwardli ſorewe in bitterneſſis bifore hem. And whanne þei ſhulen ſeie to þee, Whi ſorewiſt þou? þou ſhalt ſeie, For þe herynge, for it cummeþ; and eche herte ſhal faile, and alle hoondis ſhulen be vndon, and eche ſpirit ſhal be ſijk, and bi alle kneȝes watris ſhulen fleete; loo! it cummeþ, and it ſhal be maad, ſeiþ þe Lord God. And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, Sone of man, prophecy þou; and þou ſhalt ſeie, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Spek þou, Þe ſwerd, þe ſwerd is whettid, and furbuſhid; þat it kitte, or ſlee, ſlayn ſacrifices, it is whettid; þat it ſhyne, it is furbuſhid.

Þe which mouynge þe ceptre of my ſone, haſt kitte doun eche tree. And Y ȝaue hym for to be maad pleyn, þat it be hold wiþ hoond; þis ſwerd is whettid, and þis is furbuſhid, þat it be in þe hoond of þe ſleynge. Sone of man, cry þou, and goul, for þis is maad in my puple, þis in alle þe duykis of Iſrael; þei þat han fledde fro ſwerd ben bitakyn wiþ my puple. Þerfor bete togidre hoondis vpon þe hipe, for it is proued; and þis þing whanne it ſhal diſtruye þe ceptre, and it ſhal not be, ſeiþ þe Lord God.

Þerfor þou, ſone of man, prophecy, and ſmyit hoond to hoond, and þe ſwerd be doublid, and þe ſwerd of ſleers be treblid; þis is þe ſwerd of greet ſleynge, which ſhal make hem greetli abaiſt, or mad, and for to faile in herte, and it multiplieþ fallyngis. In alle þe ȝatis of hem Y ȝaue togidre ſturblynge of ſwerd, ſharp and furbuſhid for to ſhyne, cloþid to ſleynge. Be þou whettid, go þou to þe riȝt, or to þe left, whidir euere is þe appetit, or deſier, of þi face. For and Y ſhal ſmyte wiþ hoond to hoond, and Y ſhal fulfille myn indignacioun; Y þe Lord haue ſpokyn.

And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, And þou, ſone of man, put to þee two weies, þat þe ſwerd of þe king of Babiloyne come; boþe ſhulen goo out of o loond, and in hoond he ſhal take coniectynge, or ſuſpicioun; in heed of þe waie of þe citee he ſhal geſſe, or þenke, puttynge a weie, þat þe ſwerd come to Rabaþ of þe ſones of Amon, and to Juda in to Jeruſalem mooſt waardid, or ſtrengþid. Forſoþe þe kyng of Babiloyne ſtode in þe metynge of two weies, ſechynge dyuynacioun, mengynge arowis; he axede ydolis, he counſeilide entrailis.

At þe riȝt half of hym dyuynacioun is maad vpon Jeruſalem, þat he putte engynes, þat he opyn þe mouþ in ſleynge, þat he reyſe þe vois in goulynge, þat he putte engynes aȝens ȝatis, þat he bere togidre an heepe of erþe, þat he bilde waardynge. And he ſhal be as veynly counſeilynge anſwere of God in þe eyen of hem, and chaungyng þe idilnes, or reſt, of ſabotis; forſoþe he ſhal haue mynde of wickidnes, for to take. Þerfor þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, For þat þat ȝe han mynde of ȝour wickidnes, and han ſhewide ȝour treſpaſſingis, and ȝour ſynnes apereden in alle ȝour þouȝtis, for þat ſoþeli þat ȝe hadden mynde, ȝe ſhulen be takyn bi þe hoond.

Þou ſoþeli, curſid vnpitous duyk of Iſrael, whos day determyned comeþ in tyme of wickidnes, þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Do a wey þe mytre, tak a wei þe coroun; wheþer þis is not which enhaunſide þe meke, and mekide þe heiȝ? Y ſhal putte it wickidnes, wickidnes, wickidnes; and þis þing is not don til he cam, whos þe doom of God is, and ſhal be take to hym.

And þou, ſone of man, prophecy, and ſey, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God to þe ſones of Amon, and to þe ſhenſhip of hem; and þou ſhalt ſeye, Swerd, ſwerd, vnſheþe þee for to ſlee, furbiſhe þee, þat þou ſlee and ſhyne, whanne veyne þingis weren ſeen to þee, and leeſyngis weren dyuynyd, þat þou ſhuldiſt be ȝouen vpon þe neckis of vnpitouſe men woundid, of whom þe dai determyned ſhal come in tyme of wickidnes. Turn aȝen in to þi ſheeþe, in to þe place in which þou art maad. In þe loond of þi birþ Y ſhal deme þee, and Y ſhal ſhede out vpon þee myn indignacioun; in fier of my woodnes Y ſhal blowe in þee, and Y ſhal ȝeue þee in to þe hoondis of vnwijs men, and forgynge periſhynge, or deeþ.

Þou ſhalt be meet to fier, þi blood ſhal be in þe mydil of erþe; þou ſhalt be bitakyn to forȝetynge, for I þe Lord haue ſpokyn.