1 Sones of Israel, here ye the word of the Lord, for whi doom is to the Lord with the dwelleris of erthe; for whi trewthe is not, and merci is not, and kunnyng of the Lord is not in erthe.
Jerome · AD 420 "Hear the word of the Lord, sons of Israel; for judgment is for the Lord with the inhabitants of the earth: for there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 Curs, and leesyng, and manquelling, and thefte, and auowtrie flowiden, and blood touchide blood.
Cyril of Jerusalem · AD 386 After Moses, prophets were sent to heal Israel. But in their exercise of healing they deplored the fact that they could not overcome evil, so that one of them says, "The faithful are gone from the earth, among men the upright are no more," and again, "All alike have gone astray; they have become perverse; there is not one who does good, not even one." And again, "Cursing, and t…
3 For this thing the erthe schal mourne, and ech that dwellith in that lond, schal be sijk, in the beeste of the feeld, and in the brid of the eir; but also the fischis of the see schulen be gaderid togidere.
Jerome · AD 420 Therefore the earth will mourn, and all who dwell in it will be weakened: in the beast of the field and in the bird of the sky, and even the fish of the sea will be gathered.
4 Netheles ech man deme not, and a man be not repreuyd; for thi puple is as thei that ayen seien the prest.
Jerome · AD 420 "Nevertheless, let no one judge, and let no man be accused: for thy people are as they that contradict the priest, and thou shalt fall this day, and the prophet shall fall with thee." LXX: "That no one be judged, nor anyone be rebuked: but my people are like a priest who is contradicted, and shall be weakened" "during the day, and the prophet shall be weakened with thee." Accor…
Theodore of Mopsuestia · AD 428 My people are like a priest who is compromised. He has fallen from his previous dignity and does not appear worthy for any reason, just as a priest who falls into controversy would be set aside and dishonored by everyone. "And he will be weak by day." To the greatest extent he will become weak because of the upcoming evils.
5 And thou schalt falle to dai, and the profete also schal falle with thee; in the niyt Y made thi modir to be stille.
Theodore of Mopsuestia · AD 428 Of the ones who first made use of false predictions to deceive you, most will also themselves become weak because of the calamity that holds them back. As if they were wrapped up in some kind of night darkness, they see the pursuit of deceit, which was useless for them.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 For us too, you see, once the night of this age is done, there will be a resurrection of the flesh for the kingdom; it's the model or sample of this that has already occurred in our head.
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 One says that Israel will be weak not forever but for days. For it has been reserved for her a time of salvation and a return to faith.
6 My puple was stille, for it hadde not kunnyng; for thou hast putte awei kunnyng, Y schal putte thee awei, that thou vse not presthod to me; and for thou hast foryete the lawe of thi God, also Y schal foryete thi sones.
Jerome · AD 420 "At night, I made your mother be silent, my people have become silent, because they have no knowledge: for you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you, and you will not serve as a priest to me; and you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons." LXX: "I have compared thy mother to the night, and my people to have no knowledge.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Because the ecclesiastical hierarchy is founded upon Scripture, which is compared to the water of the sea, therefore sentence has been passed against those who do not possess this knowledge.
7 Bi the multitude of hem, so thei synneden ayens me. Y schal chaunge the glorie of hem in to schenschipe.
Jerome · AD 420 "According to their abundance, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame." LXX: "According to their abundance, so they sinned against me, I will turn their glory into shame." Israel had as many altars built for demons as they had men, in whose sacrifices they sinned against me.
8 Thei schulen ete the synnes of my puple, and thei schulen reise the soulis of hem to the wickidnesse of hem.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 The text wants you to make a more daring assertion if your hearing will still follow. What is the "sacrifice" that is offered "for sin" and is "very holy" except "the only begotten Son of God," Jesus Christ my Lord?
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 They used to sacrifice goats for sin; for this reason the sacrifice was called sin. By offering a goat on the altar, the priests at the right time used to bring the intestines and the lard, and they ate the rest. This was ordered by the divine law. … "They eat the sins of my people" means they eat the offerings brought for sins.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 But we must remember without ceasing what is written about certain ones: They shall eat the sins of my people. Why are they said to eat the sins of the people, unless because they encourage the sins of transgressors, lest they lose their temporal payments?
9 And it schal be, as the puple so the prest; and Y schal visite on hym the weies of hym, and Y schal yelde to him the thouytis of hym.
Jerome · AD 420 "and it shall be as the people, so the priest, and I will visit upon him his ways, and render to him his thoughts." LXX: "and it will be as the people, so also the priest, and I will take vengeance on him for his ways, and render to him his thoughts." Hence, both the people and the priest will equally endure the sentence of God's indignation; for not only will He visit the work…
Julian of Eclanum · AD 455 When, he says, the avenging judgment begins to work, these measures of griefs that they [Israel] made in sins will be filled, so that they may experience in punishments what they have achieved in desires.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 We seek no gain of souls, we attend daily to our own pursuits, we desire earthly things, we eagerly chase human glory with intent mind.
10 And thei schulen ete, and thei schulen not be fillid; thei diden fornicacioun, and ceessiden not, for thei forsoken the Lord in not kepynge.
Jerome · AD 420 Desire is insatiable, and the more it is felt, the more it creates in those who enjoy it a greater hunger. On the contrary: "Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." For righteousness satisfies, while wickedness—because it has no substance—deceives by fraud those who feed on vain things and leaves empty the stomachs of those who…
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 A remnant from Israel has been preserved. Since the judgment does not go entirely to the priest, he adds, "They eat, but they are not satisfied." This means either emigration and captivity for those leaders of Israel or, because of Christ, desolation of Judea by the hands of Romans.… For among those Israelites brought then by Shalmaneser and Tiglath-pileser III to Assyria and M…
11 Fornycacioun, and wiyn, and drunkenesse doen awei the herte.
Jerome · AD 420 "fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the heart." LXX: "fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the heart of my people." But it should be read emphatically: Fornication and wine and drunkenness take away the heart.
12 My puple axide in his tre, and the staf therof telde to it; for the spirit of fornicacioun disseyuede hem, and thei diden fornicacioun fro her God.
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 Anthony then asked, "Who are you who say such things to me? And at once he [the demonic voice] uttered a contemptible speech: 'I am a lover of fornication; I have undertaken to ensnare the young and to entice them to it, and I am called the spirit of fornication. How many I have deceived who wished to be chaste!
Jerome · AD 420 The unclean spirit before had been in the synagogue and had led them into idolatry. Of him it is written, "The spirit of harlotry has led them astray." The spirit had gone out of a man and was roaming in the dry places in search of a resting place and could find none. He took with him seven other demons and returned to his former dwelling place.
John Cassian · AD 435 "It is written in the law: 'You shall not commit fornication.' " This is kept in a beneficial way according to the simple sound of the letter by the person who is still entangled in the passions of fleshly impurity. It is necessarily observed in spiritual fashion, however, by one who has already left behind this filthy behavior and impure disposition.
13 On the heedis of mounteyns thei maden sacrifice, and on the litil hillis thei brenten encense vndur an ook, and a popeler, and terebynte, for the schadewe therof was good. Therfor youre douytris schulen do fornicacioun, and youre wyues schulen be auoutressis.
Jerome · AD 420 "On the tops of the mountains, they sacrificed, and on the hills, they burned incense under an oak and a poplar and a terebinth because its shade was good." According to the Law, it is commanded that one should not offer sacrifice to the Lord anywhere other than the place that the Lord God chooses.
14 Y schal not visite on youre douytris, whanne thei don fornicacioun, and on youre wyues, whanne thei doon auowtrie; for thei lyuyden with hooris, and maden sacrifice with men turned in to wymmens condiciouns. And the puple that vndirstondith not, schal be betun.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 Hear what he says through the prophet. When he had enumerated abominable things that the people had committed, he adds these words also: "And for this reason I will not visit your daughters when they fornicate, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery." This is terrible!
Jerome · AD 420 "Therefore, your daughters will prostitute themselves, and your daughters-in-law will commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they fornicate or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because they themselves consorted with prostitutes and offered sacrifices with effeminate men, and the people who do not understand will be punished." LXX: "Therefore your…
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 And when these things occur, he says, I will remain calm, and I will not lay charges. Because of the misfortunes of the war and the troubles of the captivity, it seems right that all that will happen be predicted to the sinners.
15 If thou, Israel, doist fornicacioun, nameli Juda trespasse not; and nyle ye entre in to Galgala, and stie ye not in to Bethauen, nether swere ye, The Lord lyueth.
Jerome · AD 420 "If you fornicate, Israel, let not at least Judah sin, and do not enter into Gilgal, and do not ascend into Bethaven, neither shall you swear, by the living Lord, for as an wanton heifer, Israel has sinned.
16 For as a wielde cow Israel bowide awei; now the Lord schal fede hem as a lomb in broodnesse.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 But what is the source of this hardness? It comes from gluttony and drunkenness. Who says so? Moses himself. "Israel ate and was filled, and the darling grew fat and frisky." When brute animals feed from a full manger, they grow plump and become more obstinate and hard to hold in check; they endure neither the yoke, the reins, nor the hand of the charioteer.
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 In another place, the prophet heapeth contumely upon Israel who had slipped his shoulder from [under] the yoke of the divine commandments: "As an ox which hath escaped from the yoke, so have the children of Israel escaped, they and their kings and their nobles." Now Israel became rebels because there was no fear [in them]; and they trod under foot the commandments because they…
17 Effraym is the partener of idols, leeue thou him;
Jerome · AD 420 "Partaker of their idols is Ephraim, leave him." LXX: "Ephraim, a participant in idols, has placed scandals for himself." Ephraim, of whose tribe Jeroboam son of Nabath, who first set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan, is king of ten tribes. Therefore, O Judah, whom I mentioned above, if Israel commits fornication, let at least Judah not sin.
18 the feeste of hem is departid. Bi fornicacioun thei diden fornicacioun, the defenders therof louyden to brynge schenschipe.
Jerome · AD 420 "he is separated from their congregation: they have committed fornication in their fornication; they loved to bring disgrace upon their protectors." LXX: "he has provoked the Canaanites, they have committed fornication, they have loved disgrace from his roar." They serve idols once, sacrificed to devils, fornicating every day, and loving their fornication.
19 The spirit boond hym in hise wyngis, and thei schulen be schent of her sacrifices.
Jerome · AD 420 "his spirit is bound up in their wings, and they shall be confounded because of their sacrifices." LXX: "a whirlwind of spirit will whistle in his wings, and they will be confounded from their altars." The unhappy people received the worship of idols, whose unclean spirits bound Israel in their wings and do not allow it to fly freely.
Ishodad of Merv · AD 850 The words "I will not visit your daughters when they prostitute themselves," that is, when a woman is accused of being adulterous and there is no witness, "she will make," Scripture says, "her offering of barley flour and will not pour any oil or incense." And since she is in her sorrow, the appearance of her offering will be equally sad.