Ezekiel 17
Ezekiel chapter 17 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 Of her sacrifices foule wymmen, and in vncleene blood, touchen. Therfor wite ye bi these thingis, that tho ben not goddis, and drede ye not tho. 2 For wherof ben tho clepid goddis? For wymmen setten sacrifices to goddis of siluer, and of gold, and of tre; 3 and preestis that han cootis to-rent, and heedis and berd schauun, whos heedis ben nakid, sitten in the housis of tho. 4 Sotheli thei roren and crien ayens her goddis, as in the soper of a deed man. 5 Prestis taken awei the clothis of tho, and clothen her wyues, and her children. And if tho suffren ony thing of yuel of ony man, 6 ether if tho suffren ony thing of good, tho moun not yelde. Nether tho moun ordeyne a kyng, nethir do awei. 7 In lijk maner tho moun nether yyue richessis, nether yilde yuel. If ony man makith a vow to tho, and yeldith not, tho axen not this. 8 Tho delyueren not a man fro deth, nether rauyschen a sijk man fro a miytiere. 9 Tho restoren not a blynd man to siyt; tho schulen not delyuere a man fro nede. 10 Tho schulen not haue merci on a widewe, nether tho schulen do good to fadirles children. 11 Her goddis of tre, and of stoon, and of gold, and of siluer, ben lijk stoonys of the mounteyn; forsothe thei that worschipen tho, schulen be schent. 12 Hou therfor is it to gesse, ether to seie, 13 that tho ben goddis? for whi yit whanne Caldeis onouren not tho. Which whanne thei heren that a doumb man mai not speke, offren hym to Bel, and axen of hym to speke; 14 as if thei that han no stiryng, moun feel. And thei, whanne thei schulen vndurstonde, schulen forsake tho idols; for tho goddis of hem han no wit. 15 Forsothe wymmen gird with roopis sitten in weies, and kyndelen boonys of olyues. 16 Sotheli whanne ony of tho wymmen is drawun awei of ony man passynge, and slepith with hym, sche dispisith her neiyboresse, that sche is not hadde worthi as hir silf, nether hir roop is brokun. 17 Forsothe alle thingis that ben don to tho, ben false. Hou therfor is it to gesse, ethir to seie, that tho ben goddis? 18 Forsothe the idols ben maad of smithis, and of goldsmithis. Tho schulen be noon other thing, no but that that prestis wolen, that tho be. 19 Also thilke goldsmithis that maken tho, ben not of myche tyme; therfor whether tho thingis that ben maad of them moun be goddis? 20 Sotheli thei leften false thingis, and schenschipe to men to comynge aftirward. 21 For whi whanne batels and yuels comen on hem, preestis thenken, where thei schulen hide hem silf with tho. 22 Hou therfor owen tho to be demyd, that tho ben goddis, which nether delyueren hem silf fro batel, nether delyueren hem silf fro yuelis? 23 For whi whanne tho ben of tree, and of stoon, and of gold, and of siluer, it schal be knowun aftirward of alle folkis, and kyngis, that tho thingis ben false, that ben maad open; for tho ben not goddis, but the werkis of hondis of men, and no werk of God is with tho. 24 Wherof therfor it is knowun, that tho ben not goddis, but the werkis of hondis of men, and no werk of God is in tho.
