Ezekiel 16

¹ No man haue ioye on me, a wedewe and desolat. Y am forsakun of manye for the synnes of my sones; for thei bowiden awei fro the lawe of God. ² Forsothe thei knewen not the riytfulnessis of hym; nether thei yeden bi the weies of Goddis heestis, nether bi the pathis of his treuthe thei entriden with riytfulnesse. 3 The niy coostis of Sion come, and haue thei mynde on the caitifte of my sones and douytris, which he that is with out bigynnyng and ende brouyte on hem. 4 For he brouyte on hem a folk fro fer, an yuel folk, and of an other langage; 5 that reuerensiden not an eld man, nether hadden merci on children; and thei ledden awei the dereworthe sones of a widewe, and maden a womman aloone desolat of sones. 6 But what mai Y helpe you? 7 For he that brouyte on you yuels, shal delyuer you fro the hondis of youre enemyes. 8 Go ye, sones, go ye; for Y am forsakun aloone. Y haue vnclothid me of the stoole of pees; but Y haue clothid me with a sak of bisechyng, and Y schal crie to the hiyeste in my daies. 10 Sones, be ye of betere comfort; crie ye to the Lord, and he schal delyuere you fro the hond of princes, that ben youre enemyes. 11 For Y hopide youre helthe with outen ende, and ioye cam to me fro the hooli on merci, that schal come to you fro youre sauyour without bigynnyng and ende. 12 For Y sente you out with mourenyng and wepyng; but God schal brynge you ayen to me with ioye and myrthe with outen ende. 13 For as the neiyboressis of Sion sien youre caitifte maad of God, so thei schulen se and in swiftnesse youre helthe of God, which helthe schal come to you fro aboue with greet onour and euerlastynge schynyng. 14 Sones, suffre ye pacientli ire, that cam on you; for thin enemy pursuede thee, but thou schalt se soone the perdicioun of hym, and thou schalt stie on the neckes of hym. 15 My delicat men yeden scharp weies; for thei as a floc that is rauyschid weren led of enemyes. ¹⁶ Sones, be ye pacientere, and crie ye fer to the Lord; for whi youre mynde schal be of hym that ledith you. ¹⁷ For as youre wit was, that ye erriden fro God, ye schulen conuerte eft, and schulen seke hym tensithis so myche. ¹⁸ For he that brouyte in yuels to you, schal brynge eft euerlastynge myrthe to you with youre helthe. ¹⁹ Jerusalem, be thou of betere coumfort; for he that nemyde thee, excitith thee. ²⁰ Thei that traueliden thee, schulen perische gilti; and thei that thankiden in thi fallyng, schulen be punyschid. ²¹ Citees to which thi sones serueden, schulen be punyschid, and that citee that took thi sones, schal be punyschid. 22 For as Babiloyne made ioie in thi hurlyng doun, and was glad in thi fal, so it schal be maad sori in his desolacioun. 23 And the ful out ioye of the multitude therof schal be kit awei, and the ioie therof schal be in to mourenyng. 24 For whi fier schal come on it fro hym that is without bigynnyng and ende, in ful long daies; and it schal be enhabitid of fendis, in to the multitude of tyme. 25 Jerusalem, biholde aboute to the eest, and se thou myrthe comynge of God to thee. 26 For lo! thi sones comen, which thou leftist scatered; thei comen gaderid fro the eest til to the west in the word of the hooli, and maken ioie to the onour of God. ²⁸ Jerusalem, vnclothe thee of the stoole of thi mourenyng, and trauelyng; and clothe thou thee in the fairnesse, and onour of it, which is of God to thee in euerlastynge glorie. ²⁹ God of ryytfulnesse schal cumpasse thee with a double cloth, and schal sette on thin heed a mytre of euerlastynge onour. ³⁰ For God schal schewe his briytnesse in thee, which is vndur heuene. ³¹ For thi name schal be namyd of God to thee with outen ende, The pees of riytfulnesse, and the onour of pitee. ³² Jerusalem, rise vp, and stonde in an hiy place, and biholde aboute to the eest; and se thi sones gaderid togidere fro the sunne risynge til to the west in the word of the hooli, that maken ioie in the mynde of God. ³³ For thei yeden out fro thee, and weren led of enemyes on feet; but the Lord schal brynge to thee hem borun in to honour, as the sones of rewme. ³⁴ For God hath ordeyned to make low ech hiy hil, and euerlastynge rochis of stoon, and gret valeis, to fille the uneuenesse of erthe; that Israel go diligentli in to the onour of God. ³⁵ Forsothe wodis and ech tree of swetnesse schadewiden Israel, bi the comaundement of God. ³⁶ For God schal brynge Israel with mirthe in the liyt of his maieste, with merci and riytfulnesse, which is of hym. ³⁷ Preier of Jeremye ³⁸ For the synnes which ye synneden bifor God, ye schulen be led prisoneris in to Babiloyne, of Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloynes. ³⁹ Therfor ye schulen entre in to Babiloyne, and ye schulen be there ful many yeeris, and in to long tyme, til to seuene generaciouns; forsothe after this Y schal lede out you fro thennus with pees. ⁴⁰ But now ye schulen se in Babiloyne goddis of gold, and of siluer, and of stoon, and of tree, to be borun on schuldris, schewynge drede to hethene men. ⁴¹ Therfor se ye, lest also ye be maad lijk alien dedis, and lest ye dreden, and drede take you in hem. ⁴² Therfor whanne ye seen a cumpeny bihynde and bifore, worschipe ye God, and seie in youre hertes, Lord God, it bihoueth that thou be worschipid. ⁴³ Forsothe myn aungel is with you, but Y schal seke youre soulis. ⁴⁴ For whi the trees of hem ben polischid of a carpenter; also tho ben araied with gold, and araied with siluer, and ben false, and moun not speke. ⁴⁵ And as to a virgyn louynge ournementis, so, whanne gold is takun, ourenementis ben maad to idols. ⁴⁶ Certis the goddis of hem han goldun corouns on her heedis; wherfor prestis withdrawen fro tho goddis gold and siluer, and spenden it in hem silf. ⁴⁷ Sotheli thei yyuen also of that to hooris, and araien hooris; and eft whanne thei resseyuen that of hooris, thei araien her goddis. ⁴⁸ But tho goddis ben not delyuered fro rust and mouyte. ⁴⁹ Forsothe whanne `tho goddis ben hilid with a cloth of purpure, preestis schulen wipe the face of tho, for dust of the hous, which is ful myche among tho goddis. ⁵⁰ Forsothe idols han a septre, as a man hath; as the iuge of a cuntrei, that sleeth not a man synnynge ayens him silf. ⁵¹ Also tho han in the hond a swerd, and ax; but tho delyueren not hem silf fro batel and fro theues. Wherfor be it knowun to you, that tho ben not goddis; ⁵² therfor worschipe ye not tho. For as a brokun vessel of a man is maad vnprofitable, siche also ben the goddis of hem. ⁵³ Whanne tho ben set in the hous, the iyen of tho ben ful of dust of the feet of men entrynge. ⁵⁴ And as yatis ben set aboute a man that offendide the kyng, ether as whanne a deed man is brouyt to the sepulcre, so preestis kepen sikirli the doris with closyngis and lockis, lest tho be robbid of theuys. ⁵⁵ Thei teenden lanternes to tho, and sotheli many lanternes, of which tho moun se noon; forsothe tho ben as beemes in an hous. ⁵⁶ Sotheli men seien that serpentis, that ben of erthe, licken out the hertis of tho; while the serpentis eten tho, and her cloth, and tho feelen not. ⁵⁷ The faces of tho ben blake of the smoke, which is maad in the hous. ⁵⁸ Nyyt crowis and swalewis fleen aboue the bodi of tho, and aboue the heed of tho, and briddis also, and cattis in lijk maner. ⁵⁹ Wherfor wite ye, that tho ben not goddis; therfor drede ye not tho. ⁶⁰ Also the gold which tho han, is to fairnesse; no but summan wipe awei the rust, tho schulen not schyne. For tho feliden not, the while tho weren wellid togidere. ⁶¹ Tho ben bouyt of al prijs, in which no spirit is in tho. ⁶² Tho without feet ben borun on schuldris of men, and schewen opynli her vnnoblei to men; be thei schent also that worschipen tho. ⁶³ Therfor if tho fallen doun to erthe, tho schulen not rise of hem silf; and if ony man settith that idol upriyt, it schal not stonde bi it silf, but as to deed thingis schuldris schulen be put to tho.