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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.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.³ And thou schalt take therof a litil noumbre, and thou schalt bynde tho in the hiynesse of thi mentil.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.

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.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.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;<sup>8</sup> 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,<sup>9</sup> whiche Y dide not, and to whiche Y schal no more make lijk thingis, for alle thin abhomynaciouns.<sup>10</sup> 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.<sup>11</sup> 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.<sup>12</sup> 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.<sup>13</sup> 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.<sup>14</sup> 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.<sup>15</sup> 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.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.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.