An Abridgeme[n]t of all the Canonical books of the olde Testament ::

As he in Caldey land did dwel,
by Chobar riuer side:
In the fift yeer that Iehoyakim,
the King did there abide.
Ezechiel a vision,
of foules and wheeles did see:
And one vpon a bowe did sit,
on hie in maiestie.

The ii. chapiter.

Bidden he was for to stand vp,
and speak against the Iewes,
Their sinnes rebuke, & how they should
his preaching quite refuse.
Rebelling stil, as auncetours
of them had doon before:
A hand he saw that helde a book,
that sorrowes threat therfore.

The iii. chapiter.

Caused he was to eat the book,
and boldenes God him gaue
With strength & power, wt woord & sprite
him self for to behaue.
His charge is giuen, his office set,
whiche if he should neglect,
The folke in sin should perishe all,
and he for blood be checkt.

The iiii. Chapiter.

Declare he dooth Hierusalem
besieged for to bee:
And many yeeres the Israelites,
to feel captiuitie.
And hunger suche on them to fall,
as like hath not been heard:

Their excrementes of force to eat,
good food should be so bard.

The v. chapiter.

Eftsoones a signe to him was giuen,
by shauing of his hear:
By burning some, by wherling some,
and little some to spare.
That so stroke with the Pestilence,
with swoord and famine great:
Should be disperst and eke so plagued,
as Childe the Fathers meat.

The vi. chapiter.

For woorshipping of Images,
and Idols that are vain:
On tops on hils, and eke in vales,
he saith they shalbe slain.
A remnant yet there shalbe left,
that in their woful greef:
Shall them repent and turn to God,
and haue of him releef.

The vii. Chapiter.

God dooth by him tel plainly out,
the ruine of the land:
From Est to west, from north to south,
no part of it to stand.

But all should be subuerted quite,
he wil not chaunge his minde:
In preest or els in auncient man,
no councel should they finde.

The viii. Chapiter.

He sitting in his house among,
the auncients in exile,
Hierusalem he went vnto,
in vision for a while.
And there suche euils in secret place,
he saw them to commit
And eke abrode whiche caused iust,
them to be plagde for it.

The ix. Chapiter.

Ierusalem that did commit,
suche euils as were to bad,
Hath now suche measure meett to them,
as once they mesured had.
But one yclad in linnen white,
did mark the mourning sort:
And they did scape when ruine fel,
the marker made report.

The x. chapiter.

Knowe moore he dooth of things tofore,
The man arayd in white:

Did fier fetche from Cherubins,
appearing to his sight.
And then the beastes and eke the wheeles,
that he had seen tofore:
He saw again in vision wise,
with sundry faces foure.

The xi. Chapiter.

Led now he was for to beholde
the cheef that ruled il:
And wild to say that they should pay,
for blood that they did spil.
A ruler died, then out he cride
to God to holde his hand:
His bown is heard, and Cherubs gone,
and he in Caldey land.

The xii. Chapiter.

More plainly by a fardle born,
and packing in the day:
Their thraldome and captiuitie,
thereby perceiue they may.
A remnant yet should saued be,
to tel of all their gilt:
And speedely the wrath should come,
though otherwaies they built.

The xiii. Chapiter.

Now dooth he tel the Prophets false,
what should of them betide:
Their daubed wall that they had made,
it should not long abide.
Their women eke that pillowes made,
and kercheues for to charme,
Should perishe to, for promising
the wicked safe from harm.

The xiiii. Chapiter.

Of suche as Idols in their hartes
did keep, and yet pretends
The contrary, and Prophets false,
he telth of bothe their ends.
Yet stil a remnant God wil keep,
his Churche for to increace:
The righteous men alone shall scape,
their sin he wil releace.

The xv. Chapiter.

Profitable is not the wood,
that commeth of the vine:
No longer then it beareth frute,
wherof is made the wine:
Euen so likewise Hierusalem,
that bringeth foorth no frute,
Shalbe consumde with fier at home
and eke in her pursute.

The xvi. Chapiter.

Quenche now their pride, he go'th about
their progeny to tel:
How bare they were, how God thē clad,
they did that was not wel.
For Sodome nor Samaria,
suche whordome woorked not:
In woorship false to Idoles vain,
as neuer more was wrought.

The xvij. chapiter.

Reherse he dooth by Egles twain,
what shall of Israel hap:
Who thought to plant in Egipt power,
but it should take no sap.
Their King also that promise made,
to Babel to obay:
For breaking of his othe to him,
ful deerly he should pay.

The xviii. Chapiter.

Sinne (wher it falth) shal haue reward,
in him that dooth it vse:
Eche man shall bear his owne offence,
he shall none other chuse.
But who so dooth his sin repent,
shall pardon haue therfore:

And he that dooth good life forsake,
shall pay ful deer therfore.

The xix. Chapiter.

Tel now he dooth what Lions sprang
out of the Lionesse:
What catching Kings, Hierusalem
did breed to her distresse.
How as a vine shee floorisht once,
and did from thence decay:
And therfore now in wildernes,
there should shee dry away.

The xx. Chapiter.

Unto him came the elders then,
who did to them declare,
For all their sin from time to time,
how God yet did them spare,
Not hearing suche as yeelded not,
but wrath vpon them take,
And spare the rest that feared him,
euen for his mercies sake.

The xxi, Chapiter.

As woord hee saith shall all deuoure
and spare ne hie nor lowe:
The Babel power should all destroy,
inchauntment taught him so.

The Ammonites should also quaile,
their kingdome should be wun:
The Babel power should them destroy,
where they their life begun.

The xxii. Chapiter.

Beholde this chapter, mark it wel,
how all was out of frame:
What sinnes there reignd in Israel,
he dooth vnto you name.
The rulers and the Prophets eke,
the preestes and people all,
In sundry sinnes withouten shame
eche one of them did fall.

The xxiii. Chapiter.

Comparison of women twain,
that whoredome doo commit,
He dooth compare to Israel,
and Iuda like to it.
Whose filthy soule Idolatrie,
prouoked God to ire:
The Childe first born they spared not,
to burn in flaming fire.

The xxiiii. Chapiter.

Declare he dooth by double signes,
what they shall come vntil:

As fleshe in pot dooth seethe to scum,
so should they for their il.
His wife dooth die, he mourned not,
as he of God was wild:
No more should they haue space thereto,
when that their freends were kild.

The xxv. Chapiter.

Euil hap should come of Ammonites,
and Moabites by name:
Because they did reioyce and laugh,
when Israel had blame.
The Edomites and Philistines,
should eke stoup to the Est,
That is to say to Babel power,
and be of them possest.

The xxvi. Chapiter.

For like offence that Cittie great,
that Tirus hight by name:
Should haue the foile and be possest
of straungers to their shame.
The Iles and merchantes wunder shall,
when they shall hear the same:
A Cittie new in ruine great,
that was of mickle fame.

The xxvij. chapiter.

Great was the welth that Tirus had,
he dooth tel it at length:
Their fame, their name, their quiet state
their power and eke their strength.
All these with all their men and might,
their force by sea and land:
Should be destroyd for euermore,
by might of forren band.

The xxviii. Chapiter.

He telleth now what pride he had,
that Tirus rul'd as King:
And of his fall and Cittie eke,
they fearing no suche thing.
To Zidon to he shewes asmuche,
that like on them should fall:
And how Gods folke should liue in peace
when foes were stroyed all.

The xxix. Chapiter.

In like he saith that Egipt power,
should quite be ouer run:
And fortie yeeres it should lie waste,
after that it were wun.
The King of Babel should it haue,
to be his souldiours gaines:
Because at Tirus they did win
small profit for their paines.

The xxx. Chapiter.

Knowe wel you may he dooth not fain
but telth again their wo:
Their cūtrie spoild, their Citties down,
their neighbours serued so.
Their Idols eke should be defaste,
their strength should not auaile?
Their foes with force of God his power
so fiercely should assail.

The xxxi. Chapiter.

Like power to the Assirians,
in Egipt could not be:
And yet Nabuchodonozer,
the same destroyed he.
This he dooth tel that they should think,
that they might not withstand
The rage of Babel when it com'th,
for to destroy the land.

The xxxii. Chapiter.

Muche move to make now is he wild,
for Pharo that was King,
Who should be slain, and riuer ful
of blood should ouer spring.
As other Kings were ouerrun,
and brought vnto the pit,

So Egipt pride should haue a fall,
as iust reward for it.

The xxxiii. Chapiter.

Note wel this thing when preachers preache
& warning men doo giue,
They be dischargd if they repent:
they shal be sure to liue.
Eche man shall bear his owne offence,
the godly shall haue meed:
They that did rest and at him iest,
ful wickedly should speed.

The xxxiiii. Chapiter.

Of shepheards that their profit seek,
and not the sheep to feed,
He dooth describe what God will doo,
euen pay them for their meed,
And take his flock in hand him self,
deuiding sheep from sheep,
And giue the flock at length to Christe,
whiche truly shall them keep.

The xxxv. Chapiter.

Publishe vnto Idumea,
he dooth what God would doo:
Because that Israel they had greeu'd,
they should be greeued to.

As blooddely the Israelites,
they had with war opprest:
So should their blood be spilt again,
and none of them haue rest.

The xxxvi. Chapiter.

Quicken he dooth the Israelites,
that they should not dispair:
For God would all their foes destroy,
and them again repair.
His mercy onely moouing him,
and not of their desartes,
And take from them their stony mindes,
and giue them fleshy hartes.

The xxxvii. Chapiter.

Right soon as he in feeld was set,
a miracle he wrought:
For dried bones took fleshe and breath,
that God vnto them brought.
By whiche he telth that Israel,
that seemed to be gone,
Should safe return and Iuda bothe,
and be eke ioynd in one.

The xxxviii. Chapiter.

Suche enemies as should arise
he dooth them heer describe:

As Gog and Magog in their power,
the Churche for to deride.
And they to come in latter dayes,
as Prophets tolde tofore:
Yet God should stay their furious rage,
and punishe them therfore.

The xxxix. Chapiter.

The Lord is bent against this Gog,
a wretched end to haue:
Their slaughter such seuē monthes to seek
to bring them vnto graue.
Then shall his people rest in peace,
and heathen tolde the cause:
Why Israel afflicted was,
for breaking of his lawes.

The xl. Chapiter.

Unto the Cittie he is rapt,
and there he dooth beholde
The building of it fair again,
as it was to him tolde.
From gate to gate all mesurde out
an angel with a reed
An eke a line, did point the same,
as it should be in deed.

The xli. Chapiter.

At large to him described was,
the temple then of God:
And mesurde out by Cubits meet,
euen with a reedy rod.
The holy place, the Cherubins,
and eke the Palmy trees:
The courts, the doores, with all at large,
in vision he sees.

The xlii. Chapiter.

Brought now he is to th'vtter court,
the chambers for to see:
In length and bredth, and tolde he is
that there the preestes should be
Apointed for to tire them selues,
their portion eke to eat:
And holy rowmes therin, to lay,
the sacrificing meat.

The xliii. Chapiter.

Come now he is for to beholde,
the glory of the Lord:
Who wilth him tel the Israelites,
that they shal be restorde,
If they repent their former life,
and doo no more there after:
Then dooth he see set out to him,
the fashion of the aulter.

The xliiii. Chapiter.

Declare he dooth good wholesom rules
his preestes for to obserue:
Look whiche of them had Idols likte,
as preestes they might not serue.
What robes to were, what wiues to take,
to them is heer exprest:
At burials they might not come,
ne feed of rented beast.

The xlv. Chapiter.

Elect apart foure portions were
within the holy land:
For Preestes, for Prince, for Cittie and Churche,
eche lot set out with wand.
A lesson giuen to Magistrates
for measure and for weight:
Oblations eke how them to make,
is heer set out ful streight.

The xlvi. Chapiter.

For sacrifice on Saboth dayes,
the order heer they knowe:
In temple where the folke came in,
ther out they might not go.
The Prince in middle of them all,
must be when God they serue:

Til he go out a charge they haue,
from him they may not swarue.

The xlvii. Chapiter.

God dooth him shew the plesāt stremes
that from the gates should run:
What plentie of fishe should therin be,
for fisher men to come.
On sides wherof what trees should grow
that monthly frute should bear:
The borders of the holy land,
it is appointed there.

The xlviii. Chapiter.

Heer now by lot is pointed out,
eche tribe how he should lie:
The preestes and Leuites haue their parts
the holy temple by.
Whose portion eke is pointed out,
and all the Citties shore:
The Prince again his part is tolde,
this Prophet speakes no more.

FINIS.

Thus haue you heard this Prophet speak,
vnto the people tho:

That captiues were in Caldey land,
and vnto sundry mo.
Now commeth in that man of wit,
a Seer you may say:
VVho tolde before of Monarchies,
their reign and their decay.
The Romaine power he telleth of,
of Turk and Antechriste:
Of golden dayes that should be seen,
in regiment of Christe.
His name to tel is Daniel,
that deemed doughtie dreames:
VVho stil did win of enemies,
for all their craftie meanes.

University of Virginia Library

The Prophecy of Ezechiel

The i. Chapiter.