< Ezekiel 5 >

1 And thou, sone of man, take to thee a scharp swerd, schauynge heeris; and thou schalt take it, and schalt leede it bi thin heed, and bi thi berd. And thou schalt take to thee a balaunce of weiyte, and thou schalt departe tho.
“You, son of man, take a sharp sword. You shall take it as a barber’s razor to yourself, and shall cause it to pass over your head and over your beard. Then take balances to weigh and divide the hair.
2 Thou schalt brenne the thridde part with fier in the myddis of the citee, bi the fillyng of daies of bisegyng. And thou schalt take the thridde part, and schalt kitte bi swerd in the cumpas therof. But thou schalt scatere `the tother thridde part in to the wynd; and Y schal make nakid a swerd aftir hem.
A third part you shall burn in the fire in the middle of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled. You shall take a third part, and strike with the sword around it. A third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
3 And thou schalt take therof a litil noumbre, and thou schalt bynde tho in the hiynesse of thi mentil.
You shall take a small number of these and bind them in the folds of your robe.
4 And eft thou schalt take of hem, and thou schalt caste forth hem in to the myddis of the fier. And thou schalt brenne hem in fier; and fier schal go out of that in to al the hous of Israel.
Of these again you shall take, and cast them into the middle of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From it a fire will come out into all the house of Israel.
5 The Lord God seith these thingis, This is Jerusalem; Y haue sette it in the myddis of hethene men, and londis in the cumpas therof.
“The Lord GOD says: ‘This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the middle of the nations, and countries are around her.
6 And it dispiside my domes, that it was more wickid than hethene men; and it dispiside my comaundementis more than londis that ben in the cumpas therof. For thei han cast awei my domes, and thei yeden not in my comaundementis.
She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they have rejected my ordinances, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them.’
7 Therfor the Lord God seith these thingis, For ye `han passid hethene men that ben in youre cumpas, and ye yeden not in my comaundementis, and ye diden not my domes, and ye wrouyten not bi the domes of hethene men that ben in youre cumpas;
“Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my ordinances, neither have followed the ordinances of the nations that are around you;
8 therfor the Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y to thee, and Y my silf schal make domes in the myddis of thee, bifor the iyen of hethene men; and Y schal do thingis in thee,
therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgements amongst you in the sight of the nations.
9 whiche Y dide not, and to whiche Y schal no more make lijk thingis, for alle thin abhomynaciouns.
I will do in you that which I have not done, and which I will not do anything like it any more, because of all your abominations.
10 Therfor fadris schulen ete sones in the myddis of thee, and sones schulen ete her fadris; and Y schal make domes in thee, and Y schal wyndewe alle thin remenauntis in to ech wynd.
Therefore the fathers will eat the sons within you, and the sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgements on you; and I will scatter the whole remnant of you to all the winds.
11 Therfor Y lyue, seith the Lord God, no but for that that thou defoulidist myn hooli thing in alle thin offenciouns, and in alle thin abhomynaciouns; and Y schal breke, and myn iye schal not spare, and Y schal not do merci.
Therefore as I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you. My eye won’t spare, and I will have no pity.
12 The thridde part of thee schal die bi pestilence, and schal be wastid bi hungur in the middis of thee; and the thridde part of thee schal falle doun bi swerd in thi cumpas; forsothe Y schal scatere thi thridde part in to ech wynd, and Y schal drawe out a swerd after hem.
A third part of you will die with the pestilence, and they will be consumed with famine within you. A third part will fall by the sword around you. A third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.
13 And Y schal fille my stronge veniaunce, and Y schal make myn indignacioun to reste in hem, and Y schal be coumfortid. And thei schulen wite, that Y the Lord spak in my feruent loue, whanne Y schal fille al myn indignacioun in hem.
“‘Thus my anger will be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath towards them to rest, and I will be comforted. They will know that I, the LORD, have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath on them.
14 And Y schal yyue thee in to desert, in to schenschipe to hethene men that ben in thi cumpas, in the siyt of ech that passith forth.
“‘Moreover I will make you a desolation and a reproach amongst the nations that are around you, in the sight of all that pass by.
15 And thou schalt be schenschipe `and blasfemye, ensaumple and wondryng, among hethene men that ben in thi cumpas, whanne Y schal make domes in thee, in strong veniaunce, and indignacioun, and in blamyngis of ire.
So it will be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I execute judgements on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes—I, the LORD, have spoken it—
16 Y the Lord haue spoke, whanne Y schal sende in to hem the worste arowis of hungur, that schulen bere deth; and whiche Y schal sende, that Y leese you. And Y schal gadere hungur on you, and Y schal al to-breke in you the sadnesse of breed.
when I send on them the evil arrows of famine that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you. I will increase the famine on you and will break your staff of bread.
17 And Y schal sende in to you hungur, and worste beestis, til to the deth; and pestilence and blood schulen passe bi thee, and Y schal bringe in swerd on thee; Y the Lord spak.
I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood will pass through you. I will bring the sword on you. I, the LORD, have spoken it.’”

< Ezekiel 5 >