The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XVII.

[verse 1] And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and he seide, Sone of man, sette [verse 2] forth a derk speche, and telle thou a para|ble [verse 3] to the hous of Israel; and thou schalt seie, The Lord God seith these thingis. A greet egle of grete wyngis, with long stretchyng out of membris, ful of fetheris and of dyuersite, cam to the Liban, and took awei the merowe of the cedre. [verse 4] He pullide awei the hiȝnesse of boowis therof, and bar it ouer in to the lond of Chanaan, and settide it in the citee of marchauntis. [verse 5] And he took of the seed of the lond, and settide it in the lond for seed, that it schulde make stidfast roote on many wa|tris; he [and he U.] settide it in [on IN.] the hiȝere part. [verse 6] And whanne it hadde growe, it encreess|ide in to a largere vyner, in lowe stature; for the boowis therof bihelden to that egle, and the rootis therof weren vndur that egle; therfor it was maad a vyner, and it made fruyt in to siouns, and sente out boowis. [verse 7] And another greet egle was maad, with grete wyngis, and many fe|theris; and lo! this vyner as sendynge hise rootis to that egle, stretchide forth his siouns to that egle, that he schulde

moiste it of the cornfloris of his seed. [verse 8] Which is plauntid in [on EFPX. in to 1 sec. m. NRS sec. m.] a good lond on [of I.] many watris, that it make boowis, and bere fruyt, that it be in to a greet vyner. [verse 9] Seie thou, Ezechiel, The Lord God seith these thingis, Therfor whether he schal haue prosperite? Whether Nabugodonosor schal not pulle awei the rootis of hym, and schal streyne the fruytis of hym? And he schal make drie alle the siouns of bu|riowning therof, and it schal be drie; and not in greet arm, nether in myche puple, that he schulde drawe it out bi the rootis. [verse 10] Lo! it is plauntid, therfor whether it schal haue prosperite? Whether not whanne brennynge wynd schal touche it, it schal be maad drye, and schal wexe drie in the cornfloris of his seed? [verse 11] And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and he seide, [verse 12] Seie thou to the hous terrynge to wraththe, Witen ȝe not what these thingis signefien? Seie thou, Lo! the king of Babiloyne com|eth in to Jerusalem; and he schal take the kyng and the princis therof, and he schal leede hem to hym silf in to Babiloyne. [verse 13] And he schal take of the seed of the rewme, and schal smyte with it a boond of pees, and he schal take of it an ooth; but also he schal take awei the stronge [verse 14] men of the lond, that it be a meke rewme, and be not reisid, but that it kepe the couenaunt of hym, and holde it. [verse 15] Which ȝede awei fro hym, and sente messangeris in to Egipt, that it schulde ȝyue to hym horsis and miche puple. Whether he that dide these thingis, schal haue prosperite, ether schal gete helthe? and whether he that brekith couenaunt, schal ascape? [verse 16] Y lyue, seith the Lord God, for in the place of the king that made hym kyng, whos ooth he made voide, and brak the coue|naunt, which he hadde with hym, in the myddis of Babiloyne he schal die. [verse 17] And not in greet oost, nether in myche puple Farao schal make batel aȝens hym, in the

castyng of erthe, and in bildyng of palis, that he sle many persones. [verse 18] For he dis|piside the ooth, that he schulde breke the boond of pees, and lo! he ȝaf his hond; and whanne he hath do alle these thingis, he schal not ascape. [verse 19] Therfor the Lord God [Om. N.] seith these thingis, Y lyue, for Y schal sette on his heed the ooth which he dispiside, and the boond of pees which he brak. [verse 20] And Y schal spredde abrood my net on hym, and he schal be takun in my net, and Y schal brynge hym in to Ba|biloyne; and there Y schal deme hym in the trespassyng, bi which he dispiside me. [verse 21] And alle hise flieris a wei with al his cumpenye schulen falle doun bi swerd, forsothe the remenauntis schulen be scha|terid in to ech wynd; and ȝe schulen wite, that Y the Lord spak. [verse 22] The Lord God seith these thingis, And Y schal take of the merowe of an hiȝ cedre, and Y schal sette a tendir thing of the cop of hise braunchis; Y schal streyne, and Y schal plaunte on an hiȝ hil, and apperynge fer. [verse 23] In the hiȝ hil of Israel Y schal plaunte it; and it schal breke out in to buriownyng, and it schal make fruyt, and it schal be in to a greet cedre, and alle briddis schu|len dwelle vndur it; ech volatil schal make nest vndur the schadewe of hise boowis. [verse 24] And alle trees of the cuntrei schulen wite, that Y am the Lord; Y made low the hiȝ tre, and Y enhaunside the low tre, and Y made drie the greene tree, and Y made the drie tree to brynge forth boowis; Y the Lord haue spoke, and Y haue do.