Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066; Middle Ages -- Sources
§ 61. And mark ye also what Ezechiel the renowned prophet, and admirable
beholder of the four evangelical creatures, speaketh of wicked
offenders, unto whom pitifully lamenting beforehand the scourge that
hung over Israel, our Lord doth say, "Too far hath the iniquity of the
house of Israel and Judah prevailed, because the earth is filled with
iniquity and uncleanness. Behold I am, mine eyes shall not spare, nor
will I take pity." And afterwards, "Because the earth is replenished
with people, and the city fraughted with iniquity, I will also turn away
the force of their power, and their holy things shall be polluted,
prayer shall approach and sue for peace, and it shall not be obtained."
And somewhat after, "The word of our Lord, quoth he, was spoken unto me,
saying, Thou son of man, the land that shall so far sin against me as to
commit an offence, I will stretch forth my hand upon her, and break in
pieces her foundation of bread, and send upon her famine, and take away
mankind and cattle from her; and if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and
Job, be in the midst of her, they shall not deliver her, but they in
their justice shall be saved, saith our Lord. If so be that also I shall
bring in evil beasts upon the land and punish her, she likewise shall be
turned to destruction, and there shall not be one who shall have free
passage from the face of the beasts, and although these three men are in
the midst of her, as I live, saith our Lord, their sons and daughters
shall not be preserved, but they alone shall be saved, and as for the
land it shall fall to confusion." And again, "The son shall not receive
the unrighteousness of the father, neither the father the son's
unrighteousness. The justice of the just shall be upon himself. And the
unjust man, if he turneth him away from all the iniquities which he hath
done, and keepeth all my commandments, and doth justice and abundance of
mercy, he shall live in life and shall not die. All his sins, whatsoever
he hath committed, shall have no further being; he shall live the life
in his own justice which he hath performed. Do I with my will
voluntarily wish the death of the unrighteous, saith our Lord, rather
than that he should return from his evil way and live? But when the just
shall turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity, according to
all the iniquities which the unrighteous hath committed, all the just
actions (which he hath done) shall remain no further in memory. In his
offence wherein he hath fallen, and in his sins in which he hath
transgressed, he shall die." And, within some words afterwards: "And
all nations shall understand, that the house of Israel are led captive
away for their offences, because they have forsaken me. And I have
turned my face from them, and yielded them over into the hands of their
enemies, and all have perished by the sword; according unto their
unclean sins, and after their iniquities have I dealt with them, and
turned my face away from them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account