Ezekiel 18

¹ Also tho schulen not deme doom, nether tho schulen delyuere the cuntrei fro wrong. ² For tho moun no thing, as litle crowis bitwixe the myddis of heuene and of erthe. For whanne fier fallith in to the hous of goddis of tree, and of gold, and of siluer, sotheli the prestis of tho schulen fle, and schulen be delyuered; but tho schulen be brent as beemys in the myddis. ³ Forsothe tho schulen not ayen stonde a kyng and batel. Hou therfor is it to gesse, or to resseyue, that tho ben goddis? ⁴ Goddis of tree, and of stoon, and of gold and of siluer, schulen not delyuere hem silf fro nyyt theues, nether fro dai theuys, and wickid men ben strongere than tho goddis. ⁵ Thei schulen take awei gold, and siluer, and cloth, bi which tho ben hilid, and thei schulen go awei; nether tho helpen hem silf. ⁶ Therfor it is betere to be a kyng schewynge his vertu, ether a profitable vessel in the hous, in which he schal haue glorie that weldith it, than false goddis; ether a dore in the hous, that kepith tho thingis that ben in it, is betere than false goddis. ⁷ Forsothe the sunne, and moone, and sterris, whan tho ben briyt, and sent out to profitis, obeien. ⁸ In lijk maner and leit, whanne it apperith, is cleer. Sotheli the same thing and wynd brethith in ech cuntrei. ⁹ And cloudis, to whiche, whanne it is comaundid of God to go thorouy al the world, perfourmen that, that is comaundid to tho. ¹⁰ Also fier that is sent fro aboue, to waste mounteyns and wodis, doith that, that is comaundid to it; but these idols ben not lijk to oon of tho thingis, nether bi fourmes, nether bi vertues. 11 Wherfor it is nether to gesse, nether to seie, that tho ben goddis, whanne tho moun not nether deme doom, nether do to men. 12 Therfor wite ye that tho ben not goddis, and drede ye not tho. 13 For tho schulen nether curse, nethir schulen blesse kyngis. 14 Also tho schewen not to hethene men signes in heuene, nether tho schulen schyne as the sunne, nether tho schulen yyue liyt as the moone. 15 Beestis that moun fle vndur a roof, and do profit to hem silf, ben betere than tho. 16 Therfor bi no maner it is open to you, that tho ben goddis. 17 For which thing drede ye not tho. For whi as a bugge, either a man of raggis, in a place where gourdis wexen, kepith no thing, so ben her goddis of tree, and of siluer, and of gold. ¹⁸ In the same maner and a whijt thorn in a gardyn kepith no thing, on which thorn ech brid sittith, in lijk maner and her goddis of tree, and of gold, and of siluer, ben lijk a deed man cast forth in derknessis. ¹⁹ Also of purpur and of marble, whiche thei holden aboue it; therfor ye schulen wite, that tho ben not goddis. Also tho ben etun at the laste, and it schal be in to schenschipe in the cuntrei. ²⁰ Betere is a iust man, that hath no symylacris, for whi he schal be fer fro schenschipis. ²¹ Ezechiel ²³ And it was don, in the thrittithe yeer, in the fourthe monethe, in the fyuethe dai of the moneth, whanne Y was in the myddis of caitifs, bisidis the flood Chobar, heuenes weren openyd, and Y siy the reuelaciouns of God. ²⁴ In the fyueth dai of the monethe; thilke is the fyuethe yeer of passing ouer of Joachym, kyng of Juda; ²⁵ the word of the Lord was maad to Ezechiel, preest, the sone of Busi, in the lond of Caldeis, bisidis the flood Chobar; and the hond of the Lord was maad there on hym. ²⁶ And Y siy, and lo! a whirlewynd cam fro the north, and a greet cloude, and fier wlappynge in, and briytnesse in the cumpas therof; and as the licnesse of electre fro the myddis therof, that is, fro the myddis of the fier. ²⁷ And of myddis therof was a licnesse of foure beestis. And this was the biholdyng of tho, the licnesse of a man in tho. ²⁸ And foure faces weren to oon, and foure wyngis weren to oon. ²⁹ And the feet of tho weren streiyt feet, and the soole of the foote of tho was as the soole of a foot of a calf, and sparclis, as the biholdynge of buylynge bras. ³⁰ And the hondis of a man weren vndur the wyngis of tho, in foure partis. And tho hadden faces and wyngis bi foure partis; ³¹ and the wyngis of tho weren ioyned togidir of oon to another. Tho turneden not ayen, whanne tho yeden, but eche yede bifore his face. ³² Forsothe the licnesse `of the face of tho was the face of a man and the face of a lioun at the riythalf of tho foure. Forsothe the face of an oxe was at the left half of tho foure; and the face of an egle was aboue tho foure.