The V. Chapter.
[ A] TAke the then a sharpe knyfe (O thou sonne of man) namely, a rasoure. Ta¦ke that, and shaue the hayre off thy heade and beerd: Then take the scoales and the waight, and deuyde the hayre a sunder. And burne the thirde parte therof in the fy¦re in the myddest off the cite, and cut the other thirde parte in peces with a knyfe. As for the thirde parte that remayneth, cast it in the wynde, and then shewe the bare kny∣fe.
Yet afterwarde take a litle off the same, & bynde it in they cote lappe. Then take a curtesy of it, and cast it in the myddest of ye fyre, and burne it in the fyre. Out of the sa∣me fyre shall there go a flame, vpon the who¦le house of Israel.
[ B] Morouer, thus sayde the LORDE God: This same is Ierusalem. I set her in the mid¦dest of the Heithen and nacions, that are ro¦unde aboute her, but she hath despised my iudgmētes more then ye Gentiles thē selues, and broken my cōmaundementes more then the nacions, that lye rounde aboute her: For they haue cast out myne ordinaunces, and not walked in my lawes. Therfore, thus sa∣ieth the LORDE God: For so moch as ye wt youre wickednesse farre exceade the Heithē, that dwell rounde aboute you: (For ye haue not walked in my lawes, nether haue ye kep∣te myne ordinaūces) Therfore thus saieth ye LORDE God:
I will also come vpon the, for in the myd¦dest of the will I syt in iugdmēt, in the sight of the Heithen, and will handle the of soch a fashion, as I neuer dyd before, and as I ne∣uer wil do from that tyme forth, and that be¦cause of all thy abhominacions. For in the the fathers shal be fayne to eate their owne sonnes, and the sonnes their owne fathers. Soch a courte will I kepe in the, and the whole remnaunt will I scatre in to all the wyndes.
Wherfore, as truly as I lyue (saieth the [ C] LORDE God) seynge thou hast defyled my Sanctuary, with all maner off abhomina∣cions and with all thy shamefull offences: For this cause will I also destroye the▪ My∣ne eye shall not ouersee the, nether will I spa¦re the.
One thirde parte within the, shall die of the pestilence and of honger: Another thir∣de parte shall be slayne downe rounde abou∣te the, with the swearde: The other thirde parte that remayneth, will I scatre abrode towarde all the wyndes, and drawe out the swearde after them. Thus wil I perfourme my indignacion and set my wrath agaynst them, and ease my self. So that when I ha¦ue fulfilled myne anger agaynst them, they shall knowe, that I am the LORDE, which wt a feruent gelousy haue spoken it.
Morouer I will make the waist and ab∣horred, [ D] before all the Heithen that dwell ab∣oute the, and in the sight off all them, that go by the: so that when I punysh the in my wrath, in myne anger, and with the plage off my whote displeasure: thou shalt be a very abhominacion, shame, a gasinge and wondringe stocke, amonge the Heithen that lye aboute the.
Euen I the LORDE haue spoken it, and it shall come to passe, when I shute amon∣ge them the perlous dartes of hōger, which shalbe but death: Yee therfore shall I shute them, because I will destroye you. I will en∣crease hunger, and mynish all the prouysion off bred amonge you.
Plages and mysery will I sende you, yee and wilde beestes also to destroye you. Pesti¦lence and bloud sheddinge shall come vpon you, and the swearde wil I bringe ouer you. Euen I the LORDE, haue sayde it.