¶ The destruccyon of Idolatryes, and the conuersyon of the ryghtuous. They that shalbe saued are marched. They that are vnmarcked are slayne. A complaynt of the Prophet for the destruccyon of the people.
CAPI. IX.
HE cryed also with a loude voyce in [unspec A] myne eares / sayinge: Come here ye rulers of the cyte / euery man with hys wea∣pened hande to the slaughter. Then came there syxe men out of the strete of the vpper porte towarde the Northe / and euery man a weapen in hys hande to the slaughter. Ther was one amongest them / that had on hym a lynen rayment / and a wryters ynckehorne by hys syde.
These went in, & stode besyde the brasen [unspec B] aulter: for y• glory of the Lord of Israel was gone away frō the Cherub which was vpō him, & was come downe to the thresholde of the house, and he called the mā that had the lynen raymente vpon him, and the wryters ynckehorne by his syde, and the Lorde sayde vnto hym: Go thy waye thorowe the cyte of Ierusalem, and ☜ set a marcke vpon the fo¦reheades of them, that mourne and are sory for all the abhominacions, that be done ther¦in. And to the other, he sayde that I myght heare: Go ye after hym thorowe the cytie / steye / ouerse none / spare none: kyll and de∣stroye [unspec C] both olde men and yonge, maydens / chyldren / and wyues.
But as for those, that haue the marcke vpō them: se that ye touch thē nat, and be∣gynne at my Sanctuary. Then they began at the elders, whiche were in the temple, for he had sayde vnto them: When ye haue defy¦led the temple / and filled the cour••e with the slayne, then go your waye forthe. So they went out, & slewe downe thorowe the cyte. Nowe whē they had done the slaughter, and I yet escaped: I fell downe vpon my face, & cryed, sayinge: O Lorde God wylte thou [unspec D] then destroye all the resydue of Israell / in thy sore dyspleasure / that thou haste poured vpon Ierusalem? Then sayde he vnto me: The wyckednes of the house of Israell and Iuda is very greate: so that the lande is ful of bloude / and the cyte full of vnfaythful∣nesse: For they saye: Tushe the Lorde re∣gardeth not the earth / he seyth vs not. Ther¦fore wyll I vpon them / myne eye shal not ouerse the / neyther wyll I spare them / but wyll recompense theyre wyckednesse vpon theyr heades. And beholde / the man that had the lynnen raymente vpon hym / and the wrytters ynckehorne by his syde: tolde all the matter howe it happened, and sayde: Lorde / as thou haste commaunded me / so haue I done.