Ezekiel 2 · The Lantern

This was a siyt of the licnesse of the glorie of the Lord. And Y siy, and felle doun on my face; and Y herde the vois of a spekere. And he seide to me, Thou, sone of man, stonde on thi feet, and Y schal speke with thee.

And the spirit entride in to me, after that he spak to me, and settide me on my feet. And Y herde oon spekynge to me,

and seiynge, Sone of man, Y sende thee to the sones of Israel, to folkis apostatas, `ether goynge a bak fro feith, that yeden awei fro me; the fadris of hem braken my couenaunt til to this dai.

And the sones ben of hard face, and of vnchastisable herte, to whiche Y sende thee. And thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord God seith these thingis;

if perauenture nameli thei heren, and if perauenture thei resten, for it is an hous terrynge to wraththe. And thei schulen wite, that a profete is in the myddis of hem.

But what means, "It may be they will reverence?" It is not the language of one ignorant, away with the thought! but of one desiring to show the sin to be great; and without any excuse. Since Himself knowing that they would slay Him, He sent Him. But He saith, "They will reverence," declaring what ought to have been done, that it was their duty to have reverenced Him.

(Verse 5.) And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: If perhaps they will listen, and if perhaps they will be quiet, for the house is provoking, and they will know that there was a prophet among them. Something similar is written in Jeremiah: If perhaps they will listen and do penance. (Jer. XXVI, 3). And in the Gospel: Perhaps they will fear my son. (Matth. XXI, 37).

It should be noted that after he had spoken of the evils of the deceased parents, sending the prophet to the children he says: "If perhaps even they themselves may hear, and if perhaps they may be still." What does it mean to say "even they themselves," unless because their fathers who died in sin refused to hear?

Therfore thou, sone of man, drede not hem, nether drede thou the wordis of hem; for vnbileueful men and distrieris ben with thee, and thou dwellist with scorpiouns. Drede thou not the wordis of hem, and drede thou not the faces of hem, for it is an hous terrynge to wraththe.

Are there not revilings in Ezekiel directed against the people, when the Lord says, "you dwell among scorpions"?

Verse 6: Therefore, son of man, do not fear them, nor be afraid of their words, because they are unbelievers and destroyers with you. LXX: And you, son of man, do not fear them, nor be afraid of their presence: because they are insane, and they will gather against you in a circle. Though they may have hard necks and stubborn hearts, my commandments are stronger.

In this Church therefore neither can the evil be without the good, nor the good without the evil. Therefore, dearest brothers, bring back to mind the times past, and strengthen yourselves for the toleration of the evil. For if we are children of the elect, it necessarily remains that we walk by their examples. For he was not good who refused to tolerate the evil.

Therfor thou schalt speke my wordis to hem, if perauenture thei heren, and resten, for thei ben terreris to wraththe.

But thou, sone of man, here what euer thingis Y schal speke to thee; and nyle thou be a terrere to wraththe, as the hows of Israel is a terrere to wraththe. Opene thi mouth, and ete what euer thingis Y yyue to thee.

And Y siy, and lo! an hond was sent to me, in which a book was foldid togidere. And he spredde abrood it bifor me, that was writun with ynne and with outforth. And lamentaciouns, and song, and wo, weren writun ther ynne.

Ezekiel2