Ezekiel · Chapter 44

[ edit] And he turned me to þe waye of þe ȝate of þe vtmer ſayntuarie, þat biholdiþ to þe eeſt, and was cloſid. And þe Lord ſaide to me, Þis ȝate ſhal be cloſid, and ſhal not be opnyd, and a man ſhal not paſſe by it; for þe Lord God of Yrael entride yn by it, and it ſhal be cloſid to þe prynce. Þe prince he ſhal ſitte in it, þat he ete breede bifore þe Lord; by þe waye of þe ȝate of þe porche he ſhal go yn, and by þe waye þerof he ſhal go out. And he ledde me to by þe waye of þe norþ ȝate, in þe ſiȝte of þe hous; and I ſawȝ, and loo! þe glorie of þe Lord fulfillid þe hous of þe Lord; and I felle in to my face.

And þe Lord ſayde to me, Sone of man, putte þin herte, and ſee wiþ þin eeȝen, and heer wiþ þin eris alle þingus whiche I ſpeke to þee, of alle cerymonyes of þe hous of þe Lord, and of alle þe lawis þerof; and þou ſhalt putte þin herte in wayes of þe temple, by alle þe out goyngus of þe ſeyntuarie. And þou ſhalt ſaye to þe hous of Yrael terrynge me to wraþ, Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord God, Ȝe hous of Yrael, alle ȝour grete treſpaſſis ſuffice þei to ȝou, for þat þat ȝe bryng yn alyen ſonys, vncircumcidid in hert, and vncircumcidid in fleſh, þat þei be in my ſayntuarie, and defoule myn hous. And ȝe offren my louys, fatneſſe, and bloode, and ȝe vndo my couenaunt in alle ȝour grete treſpaſſis.

And ȝe kepte not þe preceptis of my ſayntuarie, and ȝe han putte keepers of myn obſeruaunces in my ſayntuarie to ȝour ſelf. Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord God, Eche alien vncircumcidid in herte, and vncircumcidid in fleſhe, ſhal not entre my ſayntuarie; eche alyen ſone, þat is in þe mydil of þe ſones of Yrael. Bot and þe Leuytis, or dekenys, whiche wenten fer awey fro me in errour of þe ſonys of Yrael, and erriden fro me after her ydolis, and baren her wickidnes, ſhuln be in my ſayntuarie kepers of þe hous, and porters of þe ȝatis of þe hous, and myniſtris of þe hous; þei ſhulen ſlee brent ſacrificis, and ſlayn ſacrificis of þe peple; and þei ſhuln ſtonde in þe ſiȝt of hem, þat þei miniſtre to hem.

For þat þat þei mynyſtryden to hem in þe ſiȝt of þe ydols, and ben maad to þe hous of Yrael in to offencioun of wickidneſſe; þerfore Y reyſide myn hond vpon hem, ſaiþ þe Lord God, and þei han born her wickidneſſe. And þei ſhuln not neiȝe to me, þat þei be ordeyned in preſþod to me, neiþer þei ſhuln cum to al my ſayntuarye byſidis þe holy of halewis, bot þei ſhuln bere her confuſioun, and her grete treſpaſſis þat þei diden. And I ſhal ȝeue hem porters of þe hous, in al þe mynyſterie þerof, and in alle þingus þat weren in it.

Forſoþe preſtis and dekenys, ſonys of Sadoch, whiche kepten þe cerymonyes of my ſayntuarie, whan þe ſones of Yrael erryden fro me, þei ſhuln cum to me, þat þei myniſtre to me; and þei ſhuln ſtonde in my ſiȝte, þat þei offre to me fatneſſe and blood, ſaiþ þe Lord God. Þei ſhuln go yn to my ſayntuarie, and þei ſhuln cum to my bord, þat þei mynyſtre to me, and keepe my cerymonyes.

And whan þei ſhuln go yn to þe ȝatis of þe ynner hous, þei ſhuln be cloþid wiþ lynnen cloþis, neþer eny wollun ſhal ſtye vp on hem, whann þei mynyſtren in þe ȝatis of þe ynner hous, and wiþ ynneforþ; lynnen byndyngus ſhuln be in þe hedis of hem, and wommans lynnen in þe leendus of hem, and þei ſhuln not be gyrd in ſwoot. And whan þei ſhuln go out þe vtmer hous to þe peple, þei ſhuln vncloþe hem her cloþingus, in whiche þey myniſtriden, and ſhuln aȝein putte hem in þe treſorie of ſayntuarie; and þei ſhuln cloþe þem wiþ oþer cloþingus, and þei ſhuln not halewe þe peple in her cloþis. Soþely þei ſhuln not ſhaue her hedis, neþer noriſhe longe her, bot clippyng þei ſhuln clippe her hedis.

And eche preſt ſhal not drynke wijne, whan he entriþ þe ynner hous. And þei ſhuln not take wyues a wydue, and forſaken, bot meydens of þe ſeed of þe hous of Yrael; bot and þei ſhuln take a wydue, whiche was wydue of a preſt. And þei ſhuln teche my peple, what is bitwixe holy and polute, or defoulid, and bitwixe cleen and vncleen; and þei ſhuln ſhewe to hem. And whann debate ſhal be, þei ſhuln ſtonde in my domys, and þei ſhuln deem my lawis; and þei ſhuln kepe my heeſtis in alle my ſolempnyteeſe, and þei ſhuln halewe my ſaboþis.

And þei ſhuln not entree to a dead man, leſt þei be defoulid, no bot to fader, and moder, ſone, and douȝter, and broþer, and ſiſter whiche hadde non huſbond, in whom þei ſhuln be defoulid. And after þat he ſhal be clenſid, ſeuen days ſhuln be noumbred to hym. And in þe day of his entryng in to þe ſayntuarie, at þe ynner hous, þat he myniſtre to me in my ſayntuarie, he ſhal offre for his ſynne, ſaiþ þe Lord God. Forſoþe heritage ſhal not be to hem, Y þe heritage of hem; and ȝe ſhuln not ȝeue to hem poſſeſſioun in Yrael, forſoþe I þe poſſeſſion of hem. Þei ſhuln ete ſlayn ſacrifice, and for ſynne of doyng, and for treſpas of leuyng, and eche vow in Yrael ſhal be hern.

And þe primyſſis, or firſt þingus, of alle beeſtus firſt bygoten, and alle liquyd ſacrifices, or fleetynge, as oyle, and hony, and ſyche, of alle þingus þat ben offrid, ſhuln be þe preſtis; and ȝe ſhuln ȝeue to þe preſt þe firſt þingus of ȝour metis, þat he putte vp a bleſſyng to his hous. Preſtis ſhuln not ete eche dead þing by it ſelf, and taken of beeſtis, of briddus, and of etable beeſtis.