Ezekiel 16
Wycliffe's Bible
1And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said, 2Son of man, make known to Jerusalem their abominations; 3and thou shalt say, The Lord God saith these things. A! thou Jerusalem, thy root and thy generation is of the land of Canaan; thy father is Amorite, and thy mother is Hittite. (and thou shalt say, The Lord God saith these things. O! thou Jerusalem, thy roots and thy generation be from the land of Canaan; thy father is an Amorite, and thy mother is a Hittite.) 4And when thou were born, thy navel was not cut away in the day of thy birth (thy navel-string was not cut on the day of thy birth), and thou were not washed in water into health, neither salted with salt, neither wrapped in (swaddling) ‘clothes. 5An eye spared not on thee, that it having mercy on thee, did to thee one of these things; but thou were cast forth on the face of (the) earth, in the casting out of thy soul, in the day in which thou were born. (An eye spared thee not, that it having mercy on thee, did to thee one of these things; but thou were thrown forth onto the face of the earth, or onto the ground, in the casting out of thyself, on the day on which thou were born.)

6Forsooth I passed by thee, and I saw thee defouled in thy blood (and I saw thee defiled in thy own blood); and I said to thee, when thou were in thy blood, Live thou; soothly I said to thee in thy blood, Live thou. 7I gave thee multiplied as the seed of a field, and thou were multiplied, and made great; and thou enteredest, and camest fully to women’s adorning; thy teats waxed great, and thine hair waxed; and thou were naked, and full of shame. (I made thee to multiply like the seed in the field, and thou were multiplied, and made great; and thou enteredest, and camest fully to women’s adorning; thy breasts grew great, and thy hair grew long; but thou were naked, and full of shame.)

8And I passed by thee, and I saw thee, and lo! thy time, the time of lovers (yea, the time of love); and I spreaded abroad my clothing on thee, and I covered thy shame, (or thy nakedness). And I swore to thee, and I made a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou were made a wife to me. 9And I washed thee in water, and I cleansed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. 10And I clothed thee with clothes of diverse colours, and I shodded thee in jacinth, and I girded thee with bis, [or white silk]; 11and I clothed thee with subtle things, and I adorned thee with ornament[s]. And I gave bands in thine hands (And I put bands on thy wrists), and a wreath about thy neck; 12and I gave a ring on thy mouth, and circles to thine ears, and a crown of fairness in thine head. (and I put a ring in thy nose, and earrings on thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.) 13And thou were adorned with gold and silver, and thou were clothed with bis, and ray-cloth with round images, and many colours. Thou atest clean flour of wheat, and honey, and oil, and thou were made fair full greatly; and thou increasedest into a realm (and thou hast increased into a kingdom/and thou hast become a queen), 14and thy name went out into heathen men for thy fairness (and thy name went out to the heathen because of thy beauty); for thou were perfect in my fairness which I had set [up]on thee, saith the Lord God.

15And thou haddest trust in thy fairness, and didest fornication in thy name; and thou settedest forth thy fornication to each that passed forth, that thou shouldest be made his (and thou hast put forth, or hast proffered, thy willingness for fornication to anyone who passed by, so that thou wouldest be made his). 16And thou tookest of my clothes, and madest to thee high things set about on each side (And thou tookest some of thy clothes, and adornest thy high places with them put about on each side); and thou didest fornication on those, as it was not done, neither shall be done. 17And thou tookest the vessels of thy fairness, of my gold and of my silver, which I gave to thee; and thou madest to thee images of men, and didest fornication in those. (And thou tookest my beautiful vessels of gold and of silver, which I gave to thee; and thou madest for thyself idols of men, and didest fornication, that is, idolatry, with them.) 18And thou tookest thy clothes of many colours, and thou were clothed in those; and thou settedest mine oil and mine incense in the sight of those. 19And thou settedest my bread, which I gave to thee, flour of wheat, and oil, and honey, by which I nourished thee, in the sight of those, into (an) odour of sweetness (for a sweet aroma); and it was done, saith the Lord God. 20And thou tookest thy sons and thy daughters, which thou engenderedest to me (whom thou hast begotten for me), and offeredest (them) to those (idols), for to be devoured. Whether thy fornication is (so) little? 21Thou offeredest my sons (and my daughters), and gavest them, and hallowedest to those. (Thou hast offered my sons and my daughters, and gavest them up, and madest them to pass through the fire for those idols!) 22And after all thine abominations and fornications, thou bethoughtest not on the days of thy young waxing age, when thou were naked, and full of shame, and were defouled in thy blood (and were defiled in thy own blood).

23And after all thy malice, woe, woe befell to thee, saith the Lord God. 24And thou buildedest to thee a bordel house, and madest to thee a place of whoredom in all (the) streets. 25At each head of the way thou buildedest a sign of thine whoredom, and madest thy fairness abominable; and thou partedest thy feet to each man passing forth, and multipliedest thy fornications. 26And thou didest fornication with the sons of Egypt, thy neighbours of great fleshes, and thou multipliedest thy fornications, to stir me to wrath (to stir me to anger). 27Lo! I shall stretch forth mine hand on thee, and I shall take away thy justifying; and I shall give thee into the souls of them that hate thee, of the daughters of Palestines, that be ashamed in thy way full of great trespass. (Lo! I shall stretch forth my hand upon thee, and I shall take away thy justifying; and I shall give thee into the hands of those who hate thee, to the daughters of the Philistines, who be ashamed of thy way that is so full of such great trespass.) 28And thou didest fornication with the sons of Assyrians, for thou were not [ful]filled yet; and after that thou didest fornication, neither so thou were [ful]filled. (And thou didest fornication, that is idolatry, with the Assyrians, for thou were not yet fulfilled; and after that thou didest fornication with them, thou were still not fulfilled.) 29And thou multipliedest thy fornication in the land of Canaan with Chaldees, and neither so thou were [ful]filled. (And thou multipliedest thy fornication, that is, thy idolatry, in the land of Canaan with the Chaldeans, and thou were still not fulfilled.)

30In what thing shall I cleanse thine heart, saith the Lord God, when thou doest all these works of a woman, an whore, and greedy asker? (With what thing, or how, shall I cleanse thy heart, saith the Lord God, when thou doest all these works of a greedy whorewoman?) 31For thou madest thy bordel house in the head of each way, and thou madest thine high place in each street; and thou were not made as an whore full of annoying, increasing price (but thou were not made like a common whore, naming a price), 32but as a woman adulteress, that bringeth in aliens on her husband. (but like an adulterous woman, who bringeth in strangers instead of her husband!) 33Hires be given to all whores, but thou hast given hire, [or meed,] to all thy lovers; and thou gavest to them, that they should enter to thee on each side, to do fornication with thee. (Commonly, or usually, wages, or money, be given to all whores, but thou hast given wages, or gifts, or rewards, to all thy lovers; and thou gavest to them, so that they would come to thee on every side, or from all quarters, to do fornication with thee.) 34And it was done in thee against the custom of women in thy fornications, and fornication shall not be after thee; for in that that thou gavest hires, and tookest not hires, the contrary was done in thee. (But it was done by thee against the custom of such women with thy fornications, for no one followed after thee for fornication, and in that thou gavest gifts, or money, and tookest no gifts, the contrary was done by thee.)

35Therefore, thou whore, hear the word of the Lord. 36The Lord God saith these things, For thy riches is shed out, and thy shame is showed in thy fornications on thy lovers, and on the idols of thine abominations, (and) in the blood of thy sons (and daughters), which thou gavest to them; (The Lord God saith these things, For thy riches be poured out, and thy shame, or thy nakedness, is shown in thy fornications with thy lovers, and with the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou gavest to them;) 37lo! I shall gather together all thy lovers, with which thou were meddled (together), and all men which thou lovedest, with all men which thou hatedest; and I shall gather them on thee on each side, and I shall make naked thy shame before them, and they shall see all thy filth(hood). (lo! I shall gather together all thy lovers, with whom thou were mixed, or mingled, together, and all the men whom thou lovedest, with all the men whom thou hatedest; and I shall gather them together against thee on every side, and I shall make thee naked before them, and they shall see all thy nakedness.) 38And I shall deem thee by the dooms of adulteresses, and (those) shedding out blood; and I shall give thee into the blood of strong vengeance, and of fervor. (And I shall judge thee by the laws of adultery, and by the laws for those who shed out blood; and I shall give thee unto the blood of strong vengeance, and of jealousy.) 39And I shall give thee into the hands of them, and they shall destroy thy bordel house, and they shall destroy the place of thine whoredom; and they shall make thee naked of thy clothes, and they shall take away the vessels of thy fairness, and they shall forsake thee naked, and full of shame (and they shall make thee naked of thy clothes, and they shall take away thy beautiful jewels, and they shall leave thee naked, and ashamed). 40And they shall bring on thee a multitude (And they shall bring against thee a multitude), and they shall stone thee with stones, and they shall slay thee with their swords. 41And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and they shall make dooms in thee, before the eyes of full many women; and thou shalt cease to do fornication, and thou shalt no more give hires. (And they shall burn down thy houses, and they shall bring in judgements upon thee, before the eyes of a great many women; and thou shalt cease to do fornication, that is, idolatry, and thou shalt no more give gifts, or money.) 42And mine indignation shall rest in thee, and my fervent love shall be taken away from thee; and I shall rest, and I shall no more be wroth, (And then my indignation toward thee shall rest, and my jealousy shall be turned away from thee; and I shall rest, and I shall no more be angry,) 43for thou haddest not mind on the days of thy young waxing age, and thou stirredest me to ire in all these things. Wherefore and I gave thy ways in thine head, saith the Lord God, and I did not after thy great trespasses, in all these thine abominations. (for thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, and thou stirredest me to anger in all these things. And so I gave thy ways back upon thy own head, saith the Lord God, for thou should not do after thy great trespasses, and all these thy abominations.)

44Lo! each man that saith a proverb commonly, shall take it in thee, and shall say, As the mother, so and the daughter of her. (Lo! each person who commonly saith a proverb, shall take it against thee, and shall say, As the mother, and so her daughter.) 45Thou art the daughter of thy mother, that casted away her husband and her sons; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, that casted away their husbands and their sons. Thy mother is (an) Hittite, and thy father is (an) Amorite; 46and thy greater sister is Samaria, she and her daughters, that dwell at thy left side; but thy sister less than thou, that dwelleth at thy right side, is Sodom, and her daughters. (and thy elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters, that live at thy left side, or to the north; and thy younger sister, that liveth at thy right side, or to the south, is Sodom, and her daughters.) 47But thou wentest not in the ways of them, neither thou didest after the great trespasses of them; hast thou done almost a little less curseder deeds than they, in all thy ways? (But wentest thou not in their ways, and didest thou not after their great trespasses? hast thou done any less cursed deeds than they, in all thy ways?) 48(Yea, as) I live, saith the Lord God, for Sodom, thy sister, did not, she and her daughters (neither she nor her daughters), as thou didest, and thy daughters. 49Lo! this was the wickedness of Sodom, thy sister, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance, and (the) idleness of her, and of her daughters; and they putted not hand to a needy man and poor (and they gave not their hand, or their help, to the poor and the needy). 50And they were enhanced, and did other abominations before me; and I took them away, as thou hast seen. (And they were lifted up, that is, they were proud and haughty, and did other abominations before me; and so I took them away, as thou hast seen.) 51And Samaria sinned not the half of thy sins, but thou hast overcome them in thy great trespasses; and thou hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations, which thou wroughtest. (And Samaria sinned not the half of thy sins, yea, thou hast gone over, or hast surpassed, them with thy great trespasses; and thou hast justified, or hast absolved, thy sisters with all thy abominations which thou hast done.) 52Therefore and thou bear thy shame, that hast overcome thy sisters with thy sins, and didest more cursedly than they; for they be justified of thee. Therefore and be thou shamed, and bear thy shame, which hast justified thy sisters. (And so bear thou thy shame, thou who hast gone over, or hast surpassed, thy sisters with thy sins, and didest more cursedly than they; for they be more justified, or appear more innocent, than thou. And so be thou shamed, and bear thy shame, thou whom hast absolved thy sisters.)

53And I shall convert and restore them by the conversion of Sodom with her daughters, and by the conversion of Samaria and of her daughters; and I shall convert thy turning again in the midst of them, (But I shall restore the prosperity of Sodom and her daughters, and the prosperity of Samaria and her daughters; and I shall restore thy prosperity in their midst,) 54(so) that thou bear thy shame, and be shamed in all things which thou didest, comforting them. 55And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall turn again to their eldness; and Samaria and her daughters shall turn again to their eldness; and thou and thy daughters (shall) turn again to your eldness. (And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall be restored to what they were of old, or before; and Samaria and her daughters shall be restored to what they were of old, or before; and thou and thy daughters shall also be restored.) 56Forsooth Sodom, thy sister, was not heard in thy mouth, in the day of thy pride, (And was not thy sister Sodom heard in the words of thy mouth, in the days of thy pride,) 57before that thy malice was showed, as in this time, into shame of the daughters of Syria, and all daughters in thy compass, of the daughters of Palestines, that be about thee by compass. (before that thy malice was shown, like at this time, to the shame of the daughters of Syria, and all the daughters all around thee, of the daughters of the Philistines, who be all around thee?) 58Thou hast borne thy great trespass, and thy shame, saith the Lord God. 59For the Lord God saith these things, And I shall do to thee as thou despisedest the oath, that thou shouldest make void the covenant; (For the Lord God saith these things, And so I shall do to thee like thou hast done, despising the oath, so that thou hast made the covenant void;)

60and I shall have mind on my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I shall raise to thee a covenant everlasting. (and I shall remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I shall establish with thee an everlasting covenant.) 61And thou shalt have mind on thy ways, and shalt be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters greater than thou, with thy less sisters; and I shall give them into daughters to thee, but not of thy covenant. (And thou shalt remember thy ways, and shalt be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy elder sisters, with thy younger sisters; and I shall give them to thee as daughters, but not by thy covenant.) 62And I shall raise, (or I shall establish,) my covenant with thee, and thou shalt know, that I am the Lord, 63that thou have mind, and be ashamed; and that it be no more to thee to open the mouth for thy shame, when I shall be pleased to thee in all things which thou didest, saith the Lord God. (and thou shalt remember, and be ashamed; and thou shalt no more open thy mouth because of thy shame, when I have forgiven thee for all the things which thou hast done, saith the Lord God.)

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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