Ezekiel · Chapter 33

[ edit] And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſayinge, Sone of man, ſpeke þou to þe ſones of þi peple, and þou ſhalt ſaye to hem, Þe erþe, whann I ſhal brynge yn vp on it a ſwerd, and þe peple of þe lond ſhal take oon man of his laſt, and ſhal ordeyn hym a byholder vpon it, and he ſhal ſee a ſwerd cummynge vpon þe lond, and ſhal ſynge wiþ an horn, and ſhal ſhewe to þe peple, forſoþe a man heerynge, who euer he is, þe ſoun of þe horn, and ſhal not kepe hym ſelf, and þe ſwerd ſhal cum, and ſhal take hym, þe blood of hym ſhal be vpon his hed. He herd þe ſoun of þe horn, and kepte not him ſilf, þe blood of hym ſhal be in hym; forſoþe ȝif he ſhal kepe hym, he ſhal ſaaue his ſoule.

Þat ȝif þe biholder, or aſpier, ſhal ſee þe ſwerd cummynge, and ſhal not ſoun in þe horn, and þe peple ſhal not keepe it ſelf, and þe ſwerd ſhal cum, and take a ſoule of hem, ſoþely he is taken in his wickidneſſe; forſoþe I ſhal aȝein ſeeke þe blood of hym of þe hond of þe biholder, not þe peple of þe lond, bot Y. And þou, ſone of man, Y ȝaue þee a biholder to þe hous of Yrael; þerfore þou heerynge a word of my mouþ ſhalt ſhewe to hem of me. Ȝif me ſayinge to þe vnpitous man, Vnpitous man, by deeþ þou ſhalt deye, þou ſhalt not ſpeke, þat þe vnpitous man kepe him ſilf fro his waye, þe ilke vnpitous man ſhal deye in his wickidneſſe; forſoþe I ſhal aȝen ſeeke þe bloode of hym of þin hond.

Forſoþe ȝif þee tellynge to þe vnpytous man, þat he be conuertid, he ſhal not be conuertid fro his waye, he ſhal dye in his wickidnes; ſoþely þou haſt delyuered þi ſoule. Þerfore þou, ſone of man, ſaye to þe hous of Yrael, Þus ȝe ſpaken, ſayinge, Oure wickidneſſis and our ſynnys ben vpon vs, and in hem we failen not; hou þerfore ſhuln we mown lyue? ſaye þou to hem, Y lyue, ſaiþ þe Lord God, Y wole not þe deþ of þe vnpitous man, bot þat þe vnpitous man be conuertid fro his way, and lyue; be ȝe conuertid fro ȝour warſt wayes, and whi ſhuln ȝe dye, ȝe hous of Yrael?

And ſo þou, ſone of man, ſaye to þe ſones of þi peple, Þe riȝtwijſneſſe of a iuſt man ſhal not delyuere hym, in whateuer day he ſhal ſynne; and þe vnpitee of þe vnpitous man ſhal not anoye to hym, in whateuer day he ſhal be conuertid fro his vnpitee; and a iuſt man ſhal not mowe lyue in his riȝtwiſneſſe, in whateuer day he ſhal ſynne. Ȝhe, if I ſhal ſaye to þe iuſt man, þat in lijf he ſhal lyue, and he triſtyng in his riȝtwiſneſſe ſhal do wickidneſſe, alle his riȝtwiſneſſis ſhuln be bitaken to forȝetyng, and in his wickidneſſe whiche he wrouȝte, in þe ylk he ſhal dye.

Forſoþe ȝif I ſhal ſaye to þe vnpitous man, Bi deþ þou ſhalt die, and he ſhal do penaunce of his ſynne, and ſhal do dome and riȝtwiſneſſe, and þe ylk vnpitous ſhal reſtore þe wed, and ȝeeld þe rauyn, ſhall go in þe maundementis of lijf, neþer ſhal do any þing vniuſt, in lijf he ſhal lyue, and he ſhal not dye. Alle þe ſynnes whiche he ſynnyde, ſhuln not be rettid, or acountid, to hym; he dide dome and riȝtwyſneſſe, and in lijf he ſhal lyue. And þe ſones of þi peple ſaiden, Þe waye of þe Lord is not of euen weiȝte; and þe waye of hem is vniuſt.

Forſoþe whan a iuſt man ſhal go awey fro his riȝtwijſneſſe, and ſhal do wickidneſſe, he ſhal dye in hem; and whann þe vnpitous man ſhal go awey fro his wickidneſſe, and ſhal do dome and riȝtwiſneſſe, he ſhal lyue in hem. And ȝe ſayn, Þe way of þe Lord is not riȝt. Ȝe hous of Yrael, I ſhal deeme eche of ȝou after his waies. And it is don in þe twelfþe ȝeer, in þe tenþe moneþe, in þe fifþe of þe moneþe of oure tranſmigracioun, he cam to me þat fleiȝ fro Jeruſalem, ſayinge, Þe cytee is diſtruyed. Forſoþe þe hond of þe Lord was maad to me in þe euen, byfore he came þat fleiȝ, and he opnyde my mouþe, til he came to me in þe morewnyng; and, my mouþ opnyd, Y was na more ſtille.

And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſayinge, Sone of man, þei þat dwellen in þeſe ruynouſe þinges vpon þe erþe of Yrael, ſayinge, ſayn, Abraham was oon, and by eritage he weeldide þe lond; forſoþe we ben manye, þe lond is ȝouen to vs in to poſſeſſioun. Þerfore þou ſhalt ſaye to hem, Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord God, Where ȝe ſhuln weelde þe lond by eritage, whiche eten blood, and reyſen ȝour eeȝen to ȝour vnclenneſſis, and ſheden out blood? Ȝe ſtoden in ȝour ſwerdis, ȝe diden ȝour abominaciouns, and eche man defoulide þe wijf of his neiȝbore; and ſhul ȝe weelde þe lond by eritage?

Þeſe þingus þou ſhalt ſaye to hem, Þus ſaiþ þe Lord God, Y lyue, for þei þat dwellen in ruynouſe þingis, ſhuln falle by ſwerd, and he þat is in þe feeld, ſhal be taken to beeſtis for to be deuoured; forſoþe þei þat in ſtrengþis and dennys ben, by peſtilence ſhuln dye. And I ſhal ȝeue þe lond in to wilderneſſe, and into deſert, and þe pride and ſtrengþe þerof ſhall faile; and þe hillis of Yrael ſhuln be deſolat, for þat þat þer is no man þat paſſiþ by hem. And þei ſhuln wite, for I þe Lord, whanne I ſhal ȝeue þe lond of hem deſolate and deſert, for alle her abomynaciouns whiche þei wrouȝten.

And þou, ſone of man, þe ſones of þi peple þat ſpeken of þee biſijdis wallis, and in doris of houſis, and ſayn, oon to an oþer, a man to his neiȝbore, ſpekynge, Cumme ȝe, and heere wee, whiche is þe word goynge out of þe Lord; and þei camen to þee, as ȝif my peple go yn, and my peple ſitten bifore þee, and heeren þi woordis, and don not hem; for þei turnen hem in to a ſonge of her mouþe, and þe herte of hem ſueþ her aueriſe; and it is to hem as a ſonge of muſyke, whiche is ſungen by ſoft and ſweet ſoun; and þei heren þi wordis, and don hem not; and whanne þat þing þat is byfore ſaide ſhal cume, forſoþe loo! it cummeþ, þanne þei ſhuln wite, for a prophete was among hem.