¶ The rydle of the hearres, by whiche is sygnified the de∣struccyon of the people. The causes of the anger of God to∣warde the people. The Lorde discloseth the ryddle of the hearres.
CAPI. V.
O Thou sonne of man / take the then a [unspec A] sharpe knyfe / namely / a rasour. Take that and shaue the hearre of thy heade and beerd: Then take the scales and the weyght and deuyde the hearre a sunder. And burne the thyrde parte ther of in the fyre in the myd¦dest of the cytie, after that the dayes of the besegynge are fulfylled / then cut the other thyrde parte in peces with a knyfe. * 1.1 As for the thyrde {per}te that remayneth / caste it in the wynde, & I wyl draw out y• swerde after thē
Yet afterwarde / take a lytle of the same / and bynde it in thy cote lappe. Then take a curtesy of it / and cast in it the myddest of the fyre: and burne it in the fire. Out of the same fyre shall there go a flame / vpon the whole [unspec B] house of Israel. Moreouer, thus sayeth the Lorde God: This same is Ierusalem. I set her in the myddest of the Heathen & nacions that are rounde aboute her, but she hath de∣spysed my iudgementes more then the Gen∣tiles them selues, & broken my commaunde mentes more then the nacions, that lye roūd aboute her: For they haue cast out myne or∣dinaunces / and not walcked in my lawes. Therefore / thus sayeth the Lord God: * 1.2 For so muche as ye with your wickednesse farre exceade the Heythen / that dwell rounde a∣boute you: (For ye haue nat walcked in my lawes neyther haue ye kepte myne ordy∣naunces nor accordynge to the ryghtuous∣nes of the Gentyles / whyche are aboute you / ye haue not doue.) Therfore thus say∣eth the Lorde God:
I wyl also come vpon the / for in the myd¦dest of the / wyll I syt in iudgemente / in the [unspec C] syght of the Heathen / and wyl handle the of suche a fashyon / as I neuer dyd before, and as I neuer wyll do frome that tyme for the, and that because of all thyne abhominaciōs For in the, fathers * 1.3 shall be fayne to eate theyr owne sonnes, & the sonnes theyr owne fathers. Suche a courte wyll I kepe in the, and the whole remnaunt of the wyl I scatre into all the wyndes.
Wherfore, as truly as I lyue (sayeth the Lorde God) seyng thou hast defyled my Sā¦ctuary, with al maner of abhominaciōs and with all thy shamefull offences: For this cause wyl I also destroy the. Myne eye shal not ouerse the, neyther wyll I spare the,
* 1.4 One thyrde parte within the / shall dye of the pestylence and of hongre? Another thyrde parte shall be slayne downe rounde aboute the / with the swearde: The other thyrde parte that remayneth / wyll I scatre abrode towarde all the wyndes, and drawe out the swearde after them. Thus I wyll [unspec D] perfourme my indygnacyon / and set my wrath agaynst them / and ease my selfe. So that when I haue fulfylled myne angre a∣gaynste them / they shall knowe that I am the Lorde / whiche with a feruente gelousy haue spoken it. Moreouer, I wyll make the waste and abhorred / before all the Heathen that dwell aboute the / and in the syght of al them, that go by the: so that when I punysh the in my wrath, in myn angre / and with the plage of my whole dyspleasure: thou shalte be a very abhominacyon / shame / a gasynge and wondrynge stocke / amonge the Hea∣then that lye aboute the. Euen I the Lorde haue spoken it / and it shall come to passe / when I shute amonge them the perlous dar¦tes of honger, whiche shal be but death: yee, therfore shall I shute them / because I wyll destroye you: * 1.5 I wyll encrease hunger / and mynyshe all the prouysyon of breade a∣monge you.
Plages and mysery wyl I sende you, yee & wylde beastes also to destroye you. Pesty∣lence and blodsheding shal come vpon you, & the swerde wyl I brynge ouer you. Euen I the Lorde, haue sayde it.