In the seuenth yere the tenth day of the fift moneth, certayne of the elders of Israel came for to aske counsayle at the Lorde, and sate downe before me.

Then came the worde of the Lorde vnto me, saying:

Thou sonne of man, speake vnto the elders of Israel, and say vnto them, thus saith the Lorde God, Are ye come to enquire of me? As truely as I liue I wyll not be sought of you, saith the Lorde God.

Wylt thou not iudge them sonne of man, wylt thou not iudge them? cause them to vnderstande the abhominations of their fathers.

And tell them, thus saith the Lorde God, In the day when I chose Israel, and lift vp mine hande vpon the seede of the house of Iacob, and was knowen vnto them in the lande of Egypt, yea when I lift vp mine hande ouer them, and sayde, I am the Lorde your God:

Euen in the day that I lift vp mine hande vnto them, to bryng them out of the lande of Egypt into a lande that I had prouided for them, which floweth with mylke and hony, and is pleasaunt among all other landes:

The said I vnto them, Cast away euery man the abhominations of his eyes, & defile not your selues with the idols of Egypt: for I am the Lorde your God.

But they rebelled against me, and woulde not hearken vnto me, they dyd not cast away euery man the abhominations of his eyes, neither dyd they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said I woulde powre out mine indignation ouer them, and accomplishe my wrath vpon them, yea euen in the middest of the lande of Egypt.

And I wrought for my names sake that it shoulde not be polluted before the heathen among whom they were, to whom I was manifestly knowen, in bryngyng them foorth of the lande of Egypt.

Nowe when I had caused them to go out of the lande of Egypt, and brought them into the wildernesse:

I gaue them my statutes, and shewed them my iudgementes: which whoso doeth, shall lyue in them.

I gaue them also my Sabbath dayes to be a token betwixt me and them, and therby to knowe that I am the Lorde which halowe them.

And yet the house of Israel rebelled agaynst me in the wildernesse, they woulde not walke in my statutes, they haue cast away my iudgementes, which whoso doth shall lyue in them, and my Sabbath dayes haue they greatly polluted: then I sayde, I woulde powre out mine indignation vpon them, and consume them in the wildernesse.

And I wrought for my names sake, lest it shoulde be defiled before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.

Yet neuerthelesse I lift vp my hande vnto them in the wildernesse, that I woulde not bring them into the lande which I gaue them, that floweth with mylke and hony, and is a pleasure of all landes:

And that because they cast away my iudgementes and walked not in my statutes: but haue defiled my Sabbathes: for their heart was gone after their idols.

Neuerthelesse mine eye spared them, so that I woulde not destroy them, nor consume them in the wildernesse.

Moreouer, I sayde vnto their sonnes in the wildernesse, Walke not in the statutes of your fathers, kepe not their iudgementes, and defile not your selues with their idols.

I am the Lord your God, walke in my statutes, kepe my iudgementes, & do the.

Halowe my Sabbathes, for they are a token betwixt me and you: that ye may knowe howe that I am the Lord your God.

Notwithstandyng, their sonnes rebelled agaynst me also, they walked not in my statutes, they kept not my iudgementes to fulfyll them, which he that doth shall liue in them, they prophaned my Sabbath dayes: and I sayde, I woulde powre out mine indignation ouer them, and accomplishe my wrath vpon them in the wildernesse.

Neuerthelesse, I withdrewe my hand and wrought for my names sake, lest it shoulde be defiled in the sight of the heathen, before whom I had brought them foorth.

I lift vp my hande to them also in the wildernesse, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and strawe them among the nations:

Because they had not kept my iudgementes, but cast aside my statutes and broken my Sabbathes, and their eyes were after their fathers idols.

Wherfore I gaue them also statutes that were not good, and iudgementes wherin they shoulde not lyue.

And I defiled them in their owne giftes, in that they caused all that openeth the wombe to passe, that I might destroy them, that they might knowe howe that I am the Lorde.

Therfore speake vnto the house of Israel thou sonne of man, and thou shalt say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God: yet in this also your fathers haue blasphemed me, and greeuously transgressed agaynst me:

For after I had brought them into the lande, for the which I lifted vp my hande to geue it vnto them, when they sawe euery hie hil, & all thicke trees, they offered there their sacrifices, & there they presented their offering of anger, there also they made their sweete sauours, and powred out their wine offerynges.

And I sayde vnto them, What is that hye place whervnto ye resort? and the name of it is called Bamah vnto this day.

Wherfore speake vnto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God, Are ye not defiled in the waies of your fathers, and commit ye not whoredome after their abhominations?

For when ye offer your giftes, & make your sonnes to passe through the fire, you are polluted with all your idols vnto this day: shall I aunswere you when I am asked, O house of Israel? As I liue saith the Lorde God, I wyll not be sought of you.

And that which commeth into your mynde shall not be at all, which you say, We wyll be as the gentiles, as the kinredes of countreis, to serue wood and stone.

As truely as I lyue saith the Lorde God, I my selfe wyll rule you with a mightie hande, with a stretched out arme, and with indignation powred out ouer you.

And I wyll bryng you from the people, and gather you out of the countreis wherin ye are scattered, with a mightie hande, with a stretched out arme, and with indignation powred out.

And I wyll bryng you into the wildernesse of the people, & there I wyll be iudged with you face to face.

Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernesse of Egypt: so wyll I pleade with you also, saith the Lorde God.

I wyll cause you to passe vnder the rodde, and I wyll bryng you into the bonde of the couenaunt.

And I wyll purge out of you the rebelles, & them that transgresse against me, and bryng them out of the lande of their habitation: as for the lande of Israel they shall not come in it, that you may knowe howe that I am the Lord.

As for you O house of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God, Go you and serue euery man his idols, seyng that ye obey not me: and pollute no more my holy name with your giftes and your idols.

For vpon my holy hyll, euen vpon the hye hyll of Israel saith the Lord God, shall all the house of Israel, and all that is in the lande worship me: and in the same place wyll I fauour them, & there wyll I require your heaue offerynges, and the firstlinges of your oblations, with all your holy thinges.

I wyll accept your sweete sauour, when I bryng you from the nations, & gather you together out of the landes wherin ye haue ben scattered, that I may be halowed in you before the heathen.

And ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde, when I shall bring you into the lande of Israel, into the lande for the which I lift vp my hande to geue it vnto your fathers.

There shall ye call to rembraunce your owne wayes, and all your workes wherin ye haue ben defiled, and ye shalbe cut of in your owne sight for all your wickednesse that ye haue done.

And ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde, when I deale with you for my names sake, and not after your wicked wayes, nor accordyng to your corrupt workes O ye house of Israel, saith the Lorde God.

Moreouer, the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying:

Thou sonne of man, set thy face towarde the way of Themanah, and drop thy worde towarde the south, and prophecie towarde the forest of the south fielde.

And say to the forest of the south, Heare the worde of the Lord, thus saith the Lorde God, Beholde I wyll kindle a fire in thee, that shall consume all the greene trees, with all the dry: the continuall flambe shall not be quenched, and euery face from the south to the north shalbe burnt therin.

And all fleshe shall see that I the Lorde haue kindled it, and it shall not be quenched.

Then sayde I, Ah Lorde God, they say of me, Doth not he speake parables?