< Ezekiel 14 >

1 And men of the eldris of Israel camen to me, and saten bifor me.
Then some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
2 And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and he seide, Sone of man,
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
3 these men han set her vnclennesses in her hertis, and han set stidfastli the sclaundre of her wickidnesse ayens her face. Whether Y `that am axid, schal answere to hem?
“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired of at all by them?
4 For this thing speke thou to hem, and thou schalt seie to hem, These thingis seith the Lord God, A man, a man of the hous of Israel, that settith hise vnclennessis in his herte, and settith stidfastli the sclaundre of his wickidnesse ayens his face, and cometh to the profete, and axith me bi hym, Y the Lord schal answere to hym in the multitude of hise vnclennessis;
Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him there according to the multitude of his idols,
5 that the hous of Israel be takun in her herte, bi which thei yeden awei fro me in alle her idols.
that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.”’
6 Therfor seie thou to the hous of Israel, The Lord God seith these thingis, Be ye conuertid, and go ye awei fro youre idols, and turne awei youre faces fro alle youre filthis.
“Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Return, and turn yourselves from your idols! Turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 For whi a man, a man of the hous of Israel, and of conuersis, who euer is a comelyng in Israel, if he is alienyd fro me, and settith hise idols in his herte, and settith stidfastli the sclaundir of his wickidnesse ayens his face, and he cometh to the profete, to axe me bi hym, Y the Lord schal answere hym bi my silf.
“‘“For everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of me, I the LORD will answer him by myself.
8 And Y schal sette my face on that man, and Y schal make hym in to ensaumple, and in to a prouerbe, and Y schal leese hym fro the myddis of my puple; and ye schulen wite, that Y am the Lord.
I will set my face against that man and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
9 And whanne a profete errith, and spekith a word, Y the Lord schal disseyue that profete; and Y schal stretche forth myn hond on hym, and Y schal do hym awei fro the myddis of my puple Israel.
“‘“If the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from among my people Israel.
10 And thei schulen bere her wickidnesse; bi the wickidnesse of the axere, so the wickidnesse of the profete schal be;
They will bear their iniquity. The iniquity of the prophet will be even as the iniquity of him who seeks him,
11 that the hous of Israel erre no more fro me, nether be defoulid in alle her trespassyngis; but that it be in to a puple to me, and Y be in to a God to hem, seith the Lord of oostis.
that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God,” says the Lord GOD.’”
12 And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and he seide,
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
13 Sone of man, whanne the lond synneth ayens me, that it trespassynge do trespas, Y schal stretche forth myn hond on it, and Y schal al to-breke the yerde of breed therof; and Y schal sende hungur in to it, and Y schal sle of it man and beeste.
“Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal—
14 And if these thre men Noe, Danyel, and Job, ben in the myddis therof, thei bi her riytfulnesse schulen delyuere her soulis, seith the Lord of oostis.
though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.
15 That if also Y brynge in worste beestis on the lond, that Y distrie it, and if it is with out weie, for that no passer is for the beestis,
“If I cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it and it is made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals—
16 and these thre men, that `ben bifore seid, ben therynne, Y lyue, seith the Lord God, for thei schulen nethir delyuere sones, nether douytris, but thei aloone schulen be deliuered; forsothe the lond schal be maad desolat.
though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.
17 Ethir if Y brynge in swerd on that lond, and Y seie to the swerd, Passe thou thorouy the lond, and Y sle of it man and beeste,
“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and animal’—
18 and these thre men ben in the myddis therof, Y lyue, seith the Lord God, that thei schulen not delyuere sones nether douytris, but thei aloone schulen be delyuered.
though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only would be delivered themselves.
19 Forsothe if Y brynge in also pestilence on that lond, and Y schede out myn indignacioun on it in blood, that Y do awei fro it man and beeste,
“Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal—
20 and Noe, and Danyel, and Joob, ben in the myddis therof, Y lyue, seith the Lord God, for thei schulen not delyuere a sone and a douyter, but thei bi her riytfulnesse schulen delyuere her soulis.
though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness.”
21 For the Lord God seith these thingis, That thouy Y sende in my foure worste domes, swerd, and hungur, and yuele beestis, and pestilence, in to Jerusalem, that Y sle of it man and beeste,
For the Lord GOD says: “How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword, the famine, the evil animals, and the pestilence—to cut off from it man and animal!
22 netheles saluacioun of hem that leden out sones and douytris, schal be left ther ynne. Lo! thei schulen go out to you, and ye schulen se the weie of hem, and the fyndyngis of hem; and ye schulen be coumfortid on the yuel, which Y brouyte in on Jerusalem, in alle thingis whiche Y bar in on it.
Yet, behold, there will be left a remnant in it that will be carried out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they will come out to you, and you will see their way and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it.
23 And thei schulen coumforte you, whanne ye schulen se the weie of hem and the fyndyngis of hem; and ye schulen knowe, that not in veyn Y dide alle thingis, what euer thingis Y dide there ynne, seith the Lord almyyti.
They will comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; then you will know that I have not done all that I have done in it without cause,” says the Lord GOD.

< Ezekiel 14 >