Ezekiel · Chapter 22

[ edit] And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, And þou, ſone of man, wheþer þou demeſt not þe citee of bloodis? And þou ſhalt ſhewe to it alle her abomynaciouns, and þou ſhalt ſeie, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, Þe citee ſhedynge out blood in þe mydil of it, þat þe tyme of it cumme; and which made ydols aȝens it ſilf, þat it were polutid, or defoulid. In þi blood þat is ſhed out of þee, þou treſpaſſidiſt, and in þin ydolis whiche þou madiſt þou art defoulid; and þou madiſt þi daies for to neiȝ, and leddiſt to þe tyme of þi ȝeeris.

Þerfor I ȝaue þee ſhenſhip to heiþen men, and ſcornynge to alle loondis þat ben beſidis; and þei þat ben fer fro þee ſhulen haue victorie of þee, þou foule, noble, greet in periſhing. Loo! þe princes of Iſrael, eche in her arm, weren in þee, for to ſhede out blood. Þei punyſhiden wiþ wroongis þe fadir and moder in þee, þei falſly chalengiden a cumlynge in þe mydil of þee, þei maden ſorewful fadirles and moderles and widewe anentis þee. Ȝe han diſpiſide my ſeyntuaries, and ȝe han defoulide my ſabotis. Men bacbiters weren in þee, for to ſhede out blood, and vpon mounteyns þei eten in þee; þei wrouȝten greet treſpas in þe mydil of þee.

Fadris vnhilliden in þee more ſhameful þingis, þei meekeden in þee þe vnclennes of þe menſtruate womman. Eche man wrouȝte abomynacioun in to þe wijf of his neiȝbour, and þe huſbondis fader defoulide his ſonys wijf; vnleuefuli þe broþer oppreſſide in þee his ſiſtyr, þe douȝter of his fader. Þei token ȝiftis, for to ſheede out blood at þee; þou tokiſt vſure and oueraboundaunce, and gredili, or coueytouſly, þou falſly chalengidiſt þi neiȝbours, and haſt forȝete me, ſeiþ þe Lord God. Loo! I haue ſmytin togider myn hondis vpon þin aueryce, or gredynes, which þou didiſt, and vpon þe blood þat is ſhed out in þe mydil of þee.

Wheþer þin herte ſhal ſuſteyne, or þin hoondis ſhulen haue power in þe dais whiche I ſhal make to þee? Forſoþe Y þe Lord ſpak, and Y ſhal doo. And I ſhal ſcater þee in to naciouns, and I ſhal wyndewe, or blowe, þee in to loondis; and I ſhal make þi vnclennes to fayle fro þee, and I ſhal weelde þee in þe ſiȝt of heiþen men; and þou ſhalt wyte, for I þe Lord. And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, Sone of man, þe hous of Iſrael is turnyd in to droſſe, or ſyndre; alle þes bras, and tyn, and yren, and leed, in þe mydil of fourneys, ben maad droſſe of ſiluer. Þerfor þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, For þat þat ȝe alle ben turned in to droſſe, þerfor loo!

I ſhal gedre ȝou in þe mydil of Jeruſalem, a gedrynge of ſiluer, and bras, and yren, and tyn, and leed, in þe mydil of þe fourneys; and I ſhal teende a fier in it, to welle to gidre; ſo Y ſhal gedre ȝou in my woodnes, and in my wraþþe, and I ſhal reſte aȝen. And I ſhal welle ȝou togidir, and I ſhal gadre ȝou, and I ſhal kyndil ȝou in fier of my woodnes, and ȝe ſhulen be wellid to gidre in þe mydil of it. As ſiluer is wellid to gidre in mydil of þe fourneis, ſo ſhulen ȝe be in þe mydil of it; and ȝe ſhulen wite, for Y þe Lord, whanne Y haue ſhedde out myn indignacioun vpon ȝou.

And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſeiynge, Sone of man, ſey to it, Þou art þe vnclene loond, not reynyd togidir in þe dai of woodnes. Coniuriſoun of prophetis in þe mydil of it; as a lioun rorynge and takynge pray, þei deuoureden ſoule, or lijf, of þe nedi man, and þei token priys; þei multiplieden widewis of it in þe mydil of it. Þe preeſtis of it diſpiſeden my lawe, and defouleden my ſeyntuaries; þei hadden no difference bitwix hooli and vnhooli, þei vndirſtoden not bitwixe vnclene and clene þing; and þei turneden awey her eyen fro my ſabotis, and Y was defoulid in þe mydil of hem.

Þe princis of it in þe mydil of it as wulues rauyſhynge pray, for to ſhede out blood, and for to leſe ſoulis, and gredili ſuynge wynnyngis. Forſoþe þe prophetis of it dawbiden hem wiþ outen temperure, ſeynge veyn þingis, and dyuynynge leſynges to hem, ſeiynge, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God, whanne þe Lord ſpak not. Puplis of þe loond falſli chalengiden fals chalenge, and violentli rauyſheden þe nedi man, and tourmentiden þe pore man; and þei oppreſſiden þe cumlynge wiþ fals chalenge, wiþ outen doom. And Y ſouȝte of hem a man, þat ſhulde bitwene putte an hegge, and ſtonde ſette euen aȝens me fro þe loond, leſte Y ſhulde diſtruye it, and Y foond not.

And Y ſhedde out myn indignacioun vpon hem, and in þe fier of my wraþþe Y waaſtide hem; Y ȝeelde þe weye of hem in to þe heed of hem, ſeiþ þe Lord God.