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¹ And men of the eldris of Israel camen to me, and saten bifor me.² And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and he seide, Sone of man,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?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;⁵ that the hous of Israel be takun in her herte, bi which thei yeden awei fro me in alle her 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.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.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.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.¹⁰ And thei schulen bere her wickidnesse; bi the wickidnesse of the axere, so the wickidnesse of the profete schal be;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.

¹² And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and he seide,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.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.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,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.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,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.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,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.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,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.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.