Ezekiel · Chapter 34

[ edit] And þe word of þe Lord is maad to me, ſayinge, Sone of man, prophecie þou of þe ſhepperdis of Yrael, prophecie þou; and þou ſhalt ſaye to þe ſheperdis, Þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord God, Woo to þe ſheperdis of Yrael, þat fedden hemſelf; wher flockis ben fedd of ſheperdis? Ȝee eeten þe mylk, and ȝe weren keuered wiþ þe wollis, and ȝe ſlewen þat þing þat was fat; forſoþe ȝe fedden not my flok. Ȝe maden not ſad togidre þat þat was ſeek, or vnſtedefaſt, and ȝe heeliden not þat þat was ſeek, or ſoor; ȝe bounden not to þat þat was broken, and ȝe ledden not aȝein þat þat is caſt awey, and ȝe ſouȝten not þat þat periſhide; bot wiþ ſteerneſſe ȝe comaundide to hem, and wiþ power.

And my ſheep ben ſcatrid, for þat þat þer was no ſheeperd; and þei ben maad in to deuouryng of alle beeſtis of þe feeld, and þei ben ſcatrid. My flockis erreden in alle hillis, and in eche heeȝ litil hill, and vpon al þe face of erþe my flockis ben ſcatrid, and þere was not þat aȝein ſouȝte. Þerfore, ȝe ſheperdis, heer þe word of þe Lord; Y lyue, ſaiþ þe Lord God, for þat þat my flockis ben maad in to rauyne, and my ſheep in to deuouryng of alle beeſtis of þe feld, for þat þat þer was no ſheperd, forſoþe neþer ſheperdis ſouȝten my floc, bot þe ſheperdis fedden hemſelf, and fedden not my flockis; þerfore, ȝe ſheperdis, heer ȝee þe word of þe Lord, Þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord God, Loo!

I my ſelf vpon þe ſheperdis; I ſhal aȝein ſeeke my floc of þe hond of hem, and I ſhal make hem for to ceeſe, þat þei na more feede my floc, ne þe ſheperdis ſhuln more feede hemſelf. And I ſhal deliuer my floc of þe mouþe of hem, and it ſhal na more be to hem in to mete. For þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord God, Loo! I myſelf ſhal aȝein ſeeke my ſheep, and I ſhal viſite hem. As a ſhepherd viſitiþ his floc, in þe dai whan he ſhal be in þe mydil of his ſcatered ſheep, ſo I ſhal viſite my ſheep, and ſhal delyuere hem of alle places in whiche þei weren ſcatered, in day of cloude, and derkneſſe.

And I ſhal leede hem out of peplis, and I ſhal gadre hem of londis, and I ſhal leede hem into her lond, and I ſhal feede hem in þe hillis of Yrael, in ſtrondis, and in alle ſeetis of erþe. In paſturis moſt plenteuouſe Y ſhal feede hem, and in þe heeȝ mounteyns of Yrael þe leſewis of hem ſhuln be; þere þei ſhuln aȝein reſte in erbis wexynge greene, and in fat leſewis þei ſhuln be fed vpon þe mounteyns of Yrael. Y ſhal feede my ſheep, and I ſhal make hem for to reſte, ſaiþ þe Lord God.

Y ſhal aȝein ſeeke þat þat periſhide, and I ſhal aȝein leede þat þat was caſt awey; and I ſhal bynd to þat þat was to gidre broken, and I ſhal coumforte þat þat was ſeek; and I ſhal keepe þat þat is fat and ſtrong, and I ſhal feede hem in dome; forſoþe ȝe ben my flockis. Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord God, Loo! I deeme bitwixe beeſt and beeſt, and weþer and buc of geet. Wher it was not ynewȝ to ȝou for to deuoure good leſewes? More ouer and ȝe defouliden wiþ ȝour feet þe relifis of ȝour leſewis, and whan ȝe dronken moſt cleer water, and ȝe trubliden þe toþer wiþ ȝour feet.

And my ſheep weren fed wiþ þeſe þingus þat weren defoulid wiþ ȝour feet; and whiche þingus ȝour feet trubliden, þeſe þei drunken. Þerfore þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord God to hem, Loo! I myſelf deeme bitwixe fat beeſte and lene. For þat þat ȝe punchiden wiþ ſydis, and ſhuldris, and wiþ ȝour hornis wynewiden alle ſeek beeſtis, til þei weren ſcatered wiþouten forþ, I ſhal ſaue my floc, and it ſhal na more be into raueyn. And I ſhal deeme bitwix beeſt and beeſt; and I ſhal reyſe vpon hem oo ſheperd, whiche ſhal feed hem, my ſeruaunt Dauyd; he ſhal feede hem, and he ſhal be to hem in to a ſheperd.

Forſoþe I þe Lord ſhal be to hem in to God, and my ſeruaunt Dauiþ prince in þe mydil of hem; forſoþe I þe Lord ſpake. And I ſhal make wiþ hem a couenaunt of pees, and I ſhal make for to ceeſe þe werſt beeſtis fro þe erþe; and þei þat dwellen in deſert, ſikir ſhuln ſleep in wilde wodes. And I ſhal putte hem in cumpas of my litil hill a bleſſyng, and I ſhal lede out rayn in his tyme. Raynes of bliſſyng ſhuln be, and þe tree of þe feeld ſhal ȝeue his fruyt, and þe erþe ſhal ȝeue his buriownyng. And þei ſhuln be in her lond wiþout dreed; and þei ſhuln wite, for I þe Lord, whan I ſhal debriſe þe chaynes of her ȝoc, and ſhal deliuere hem of þe hond of men comaundynge to hem.

And þei ſhuln na more be in to raueyn in heiþen men, neþer beeſtis of þe feeld ſhuln deuoure hem, bot þei ſhuln dwelle triſtili wiþout ony dreed. And I ſhal reyſe to hem a iuſt buriownyng, or ſeed, named; and þei ſhuln na more be maad litil by hungre in erþe, neþer þei ſhuln heere more ouer þe ſhendſhipis of folkis. And þei ſhuln wite, for I þe Lord God of hem wiþ hem, and þei my peple, þe hous of Yrael, ſaiþ þe Lord God. Forſoþe ȝe men ben my flockis, þe flockis of my leſewe; and I þe Lord ȝour God, ſaiþ þe Lord God.