1   For the synnes that &yogh;ee synnyden befor God, &yogh;e shuln be led caitifs in to Babiloyne, of Nabugodonosor, kyng of men of Babiloyne. 2   And so &yogh;e gon in to Babiloyne shuln be there ful many &yogh;eris, and in to longe tyme, vnto seuen generacions; forsoth after this I shal lede out &yogh;ou thennis with peese. 3   Now forsoth &yogh;e shuln see in Babiloyne golden goddis, and silueren, and stonen, and treen, for to be born in shuldris, shewinge drede to folkis. 4   Therfor see &yogh;ee, lest and &yogh;ee be maad liche to alien dedis, and &yogh;ee dreede, and that drede take &yogh;ou in hem. 5   And so the cumpanye of peple seen fro bihynde and fro bifore wirshipynge, saye in &yogh;our hertis, Lord God, it byhouith thee for to be worshipid. 6   Forsoth myn aungel is with &yogh;ou, forsoth I my self shal seeke out &yogh;our soules. 7   For whi the trees of hem polishid of a carpenter; thei also engoldid and ensiluered ben false, and mown not speke. 8   And as to a mayden louynge ournementis, so gold takyn, thei ben forgid. 9   Certeynli the goddis of hem han golden crownes vpon her hedis; wherof prestis drawen aweie fro hem gold and syluer, and &yogh;euen, or spenden, it in hem self. 10   Forsoth and of it thei &yogh;euen to pute in bordel house, and ournen hooris; and eft sone when thei han resceyued it of hooris, thei ournen her goddis. 11   Sothely

these ben not delyuerd fro rust and mou&yogh;the. 12   Forsoth hem couered with clothe of purpre, thei shuln wijpe the face of hem, for dust of the hous, that is ful myche amonge hem. 13   Forsothe thei han a ceptre, or kyngis &yogh;erd, as a man; as a iuge of a cuntree, that sleath not the synnynge in to hym. 14   Forsoth thei han also in the hond swerd and axe; forsoth thei deliueren not hem self fro bataile and day theues. Wher of be it knowen to &yogh;ou, for thei ben not goddis; 15   therfor worshipe &yogh;e not hem. Sotheli as a vessel of a man broken is maad vnprofitable, siche ben the goddis of hem. 16   Hem sett to gidir in an hous, the ee&yogh;en of hem ben ful of dust of the feet of men entrynge in. 17   And as to sum man that offendith the kyng, the &yogh;atis ben sette aboute, and as dead man led to sepulcre, so prestes oft kepen the dores with closingis and lockis, lest thei be robbed of day theues. 18   Thei teenden launterns to hem, and sotheli manye, of whom thei mown noon see; forsoth thei ben as bemes in the hous. 19   Sotheli serpentis that ben of the erthe, ben sayd to licke out the hertis of hem; the while thei eeten hem, and the clothing of hem, and thei feelen not. 20   The faces of hem ben blac of smoke, that is maad in the hous. 21   Aboue the bodi of hem, and aboue the hed of hem backis, or reremijse, and swalewis flee&yogh;en, and briddis also, and also cattis. 22   Wher of wite &yogh;ee, for thei ben not goddis; therfor &yogh;ee shuln not drede hem. 23   Also the gold that thei han, is to fairnesse; no bot eny man shal wijpe awei the rust, thei shuln not shyne. Forsothe nether the whijle thei weren &yogh;ooten to gidir, thei feeliden. 24   Thei ben bou&yogh;t of al pris, in whiche thingus spirit is not in hem. 25   With outen feet thei ben born in shuldris, shewynge her vnnobley to men; also be thei confoundid that wurshipen hem. 26   Therfor

&yogh;if thei shuln falle in to erthe, of hem self thei shuln not rijse to gyder; nether &yogh;if eny man shal sette hym ri&yogh;t, by hym self he shal stonde, bot as to dead men shuldris shuln be putte to hem. 27   The prestes of hem sellen the hoostis, or sacrifices, of hem, and mysusen; also and the wymmen of hem takynge aweie, nether parten to seeke man, nether to beggynge. 28   Of the sacrifices of hem wymmen with chijlde, and menstruat, or in vncleene blode, touchen togyder. And so witynge of these thingis, for thei ben not goddis, dreed &yogh;ee hem not. 29   Forsoth wherof ben thei clepid goddis? For wymmen putten to golden goddis, sylueren, and treenen; 30   and in the housis of hem sitten prestis hauyng torne, or kutt, cootis, and hedis and berd shauen, whos hedis ben nakid. 31   Forsoth thei roren cryinge a&yogh;eins her goddis, as in the super of a dead man. 32   Prestis taken awei the clothingus of hem, and clothen her wijues, and her sones. Nether &yogh;if thei suffren eny thing of euyl of eny man, 33   nether &yogh;if eny thinge of good, thei shuln mowe &yogh;eelde. Nether thei mown make a kyng, nether do aweie. 34   Also nether thei mown &yogh;eue ricchessis, nether &yogh;eeld euyll thing. &YOGH;if eny man shal a vowe to hem, and shal not &yogh;eelde, nether thei requyren, or axen, this thing. 35   Thei delyueren not a man fro deth, nether delyueren a seeke man fro a more mi&yogh;ti. 36   Thei restoren not a blynde man to si&yogh;t; thei shuln not delyuere a man fro neede. 37   Thei shuln not haue mercye of the wydue, nether thei shuln do weel to the fadrelesse and modrelesse. 38   The treenen goddis of hem, and stoonen, and golden, and sylueren, ben lijc to stoonys of the mounteyn; forsoth thei that worshipen hem, shuln be confoundid. 39   Hou therfore is it to be gessid, or to be saide, hem for to be goddis; 40   &yogh;it the ylk Caldeis not honourynge

hem? Whiche whan thei shuln heere the doumbe not to mowe speke, offren hym to Bel, axinge of hym for to speke; as thei mown feele, 41   whiche han not mouynge. And thei whanne thei shuln vndirstonde, shuln forsake hem; sothely the ilke goddis of hem han not witt. 42   Forsoth wymmen &yogh;ouen aboute, or bounden, with coordis sitten in weyes, brennynge boonys of olyues. 43   Forsoth whann eny of hem drawen aweye of eny man passinge hath slept, she dispisith hir nei&yogh;bore, for she is not had worthi as sche, nether hir coord is broken. 44   Forsoth alle thingis that ben don to hem, ben fals. Hou is it to be gessid, or to be said, hem for to be goddis? 45   Forsoth of carpenteres and goldsmithis thei ben maad. Thei shuln noon other thing be, no bot the ylk that prestis wolen for to be. 46   Also thilk goldsmyththis that maken hem, ben not of myche tyme; therfor whether the thingus that ben maad of hem mown be goddis? 47   Forsoth thei leften fals thingus, and shenshipe to men to cummynge after. 48   For whi whenne bataile shal aboue cum to hem, and euyl thingis, prestis thenken, where thei shuln hijde hem self with hem. 49   Therfore how own thei for to be feelid, or demyd, for thei ben goddis, whiche nether delyueren hem fro batail, nether delyueren hem fro euyl thingis? 50   For whi whenne thei ben treenen, and stoonen, and engoldid, and ensyluered, it shal ben wist afterward, for thei ben fals, to alle folkis and kyngis; whiche ben open, or knowen, for thei ben not goddis, bot werkis of mennus hondis, and no werc of God with hem. 51   Wher of therfor it is knowen, for thei ben not goddis, bot werkis of mennus hondis, and no werk of God is in hem. 52   Thei reisen not a kyng to a cuntree, nether thei shuln &yogh;eue reyn to men. 53   Also thei shul not discryue, or iuge, a dome, nether thei shuln

delyuere a cuntree fro wronge. 54   For thei mown no thing, as litil crowis bitwix the mydil of heuen and erthe. And sotheli whenne fijre shal fal in to the house of treenen goddis, and golden, and silueren, sotheli the prestis of hem shuln flee, and shuln be delyuered; bot thei as bemys in the mydil shuln be brent. 55   Forsoth thei shuln not a&yogh;einstonde a kyng and batail. Hou therfore is it to be gessid, or to be resceyued, for thei ben goddis? 56   Thei shul not delyuere hem self fro ni&yogh;t theeues, nether day theeues, treenen goddis, and stoonen, and engoldid, and ensiluered, than whiche wickid men ben strenger. 57   Thei shuln take awei fro hem gold, and syluer, and clothing, in whiche thei ben couered, and thei shuln go aweie; nether thei beren help to hem self. 58   And so it is beter a kyng for to be shewynge his vertue, or a profitable vesselle in the house, in whom he shal glorie that weeldith it, than fals goddis; or a dore in the house, whiche kepith the thingis that ben in it, than fals goddis. 59   Sothely the sunne, and mone, and sterris, whenne thei ben shynynge, and sent out to profitis, obeyen. 60   Also and leyt, whanne it shal apeere, is cleer. Forsoth the same thinge and spirit, or wynd, brethith in eche cuntre. 61   And cloudis, to whiche when it shal be comaundid of God for to walke thorou al the world, don what thing is comaundid to hem. 62   Also fijr sente fro aboue, that it waast hillis and woddis, doth what thing is comaundid to it; forsoth these nether in lickenesse nether vertues ben liche to oon of hem. 63   Wher of nether it is to be gessid, nether to be said, hem for to be goddis, whenne thei mown nether deeme dome, nether do to men. 64   And so witynge for thei ben not goddis, therfor &yogh;ee shuln not dreden hem. 65   Sotheli nether thei shuln curse kyngis, nether thei shuln blesse. 66   Forsoth thei

shewen not to folkis tokenis in heuen, nether thei shuln shyne as sunne, nether li&yogh;tene as the mone. 67   Bestis ben better than thei, whiche mown flee vndir a roof, and profit to hem self. 68   And so by no manere it is knowen to &yogh;ow, for thei ben goddis. For whiche thing drede &yogh;ee not hem. 69   For whi as dreed in place where cucumeris, that ben bitter herbis, waxen, kepith no thing, so ben the treenen goddis, and sylueren, and goldid of hem. 70   In the same manere and in a &yogh;erd a whijt thorn, vpon whiche eche bridde sittith, also and to a dead thing cast in derckenesses, the treenen godus of hem, and ensiluered, and engoldid, ben lijc. 71   And of the purpre and marble, that thei holden aboue hem, &yogh;ee shuln wite also, for thei ben no goddis. Also at the last thei hem self ben eten, and it shal be in to repreue in the cuntre. 72   Betir is an iust man, that hath not symylacris, for whi he shal be fer fro shenshipes. Here endith the boke of Baruch, and now bigynneth the boke of Ezechiel, the prophete.

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