DENISON

University of Colorado, Boulder Leaf 14

This leaf comes from a French Bible of the late thirteenth century. The vellum is thin, white, and supple with minimal yellowing, measuring a substantial 40.5 x 27 cm. Lining is done in light ink or lead, and the script is an angular gothic. The bulk of the text is in brown ink, with red, blue, coral, white, and beige for the decorations. This leaf is heavily illuminated and decorated, including elaborate initials and foliage, highlighted book names and chapter numbers, and extensive use of gold leaf. But while the decoration is exceptional, we see on these leaves an unusual number of scribal corrections (especially erasures and strikethroughs). See Denison University Leaf 14 for more information about this manuscript.

Text: Ezekiel 33:31-35:3 (recto). A scan of the verso is not currently available.

Boulder 14.jpg
Boulder Leaf 14 Recto
Boulder Leaf 14 Recto

University of Colorado, Boulder Leaf 14 Recto

+ Boulder Leaf 14 Recto Transcription

[column A]

-ulus meus: et áudiunt sermónes tuos, et non fáciunt eos: quia in cánticum oris sui vertunt illos, et avarítiam suam séquitur cor eórum. Et es eis quasi carmen músicum, quod suávi dulcíque sono cánitur: et áudiunt verba tua, et non fáciunt ea. Et cum vénerit quod prædíctum est (écce enim venit), tunc scient quod prophétes fúerit inter eos. XXXIIII. Et factum est verbum Dómini ad me, dicens: Fili hóminis, prophéta de pastóribus Israël: prophéta, et dices pastóribus: Hæc dicit Dóminus Deus: Væ pastóribus Israël, qui pascébant semetípsos! nonne greges a pastóribus pascúntur? Lac comedebátis, et lanis operiebámini, et quod crassum erat occidebátis: gregem autem meum non pascebátis. Quod infírmum fuit non consolidástis, et quod ægrótum non sanástis: quod confráctum est non alligástis, et quod abjéctum est non reduxístis, et quod períerat non quæsístis: sed cum austeritáte imperabátis eis, et cum poténtia. Et dispérsæ sunt oves meæ, eo quod non esset pastor: et factæ sunt in devoratiónem ómnium bestiárum agri, et dispérsæ sunt. Erravérunt greges mei in cunctis móntibus, et in univérso colle excélso: et super omnem fáciem terræ dispérsi sunt greges mei, et non erat qui requíreret: non erat, inquam, qui requíreret. Proptérea, pastóres, audíte verbum Dómini. Vivo ego, dicit Dóminus Deus, quia pro eo quod facti sunt greges mei in rapínam, et oves meæ in devoratiónem ómnium bestiárum agro, eo quod non esset pastor: neque enim quæsiérunt pastóres mei gregem meum, sed pascébant pastóres semetípsos, et greges meos non pascébant: proptérea, pastóres, audíte verbum Dómini. Hæc dicit Dóminus Deus: Ecce ego ipse super pastóres: requíram gregem meum de manu eórum, et cessáre fáciam eos, ut ultra non pascant gregem, nec pascant ámplius pastóres semetípsos: et liberábo gregem meum de ore eórum, et non erit ultra eis in escam. Quia hæc dicit Dóminus Deus: Ecce ego ipse requíram oves meas, et visitábo eas. Sicut vísitat pastor gregem suum, in die quando fúerit in médio óvium suárum dissipatárum, sic visitábo oves meas, et liberábo eas de ómnibus locis in quibus dispérsæ fúerant in die nubis et calíginis. Et edúcam eas de pópulis, et congregábo eas de terris, et indúcam eas in terram suam, et pascam eas in móntibus Israël, in rivis, et in cunctis sédibus terræ. In páscuis ubérrimis pascam eas, et in móntibus excélsis Israël erunt páscua eárum: ibi requiéscent in herbis viréntibus, et in páscuis pínguibus pascéntur super montes Israël. Ego pascam oves meas, et ego eas accubáre fáciam, di-

[column B]

-cit Dóminus Deus. Quod períerat requíram, et quod abjéctum erat redúcam, et quod confráctum fúerat alligábo, et quod infírmum fúerat consolidábo, et quod pingue et forte custódiam: et pascam illas in judício. Vos autem, greges mei, hæc dicit Dóminus Deus: Ecce ego júdico inter pecus et pecus, aríetum et hircórum. Nonne satis vobis erat páscua bona depásci? ínsuper et relíquias pascuárum vestrárum conculcástis pédibus vestris: et cum puríssimam aquam biberétis, réliquam pédibus vestris turbabátis: et oves meæ his quæ conculcáta pédibus vestris fúerant, pascebántur: et quæ pedes vestri turbáverant, hæc bibébant. Proptérea hæc dicit Dóminus Deus ad vos: Ecce ego ipse júdico inter pecus pingue et maciléntum: pro eo quod latéribus et húmeris impingebátis, et córnibus vestris ventilabátis ómnia infírma pécora, donec dispergeréntur foras, salvábo gregem meum, et non erit ultra in rapínam, et judicábo inter pecus et pecus. Et suscitábo super eas pastórem unum qui pascat eas, servum meum David: ipse pascet eas, et ipse erit eis in pastórem. Ego autem Dóminus ero eis in Deum, et servus meus David princeps in médio eórum: ego Dóminus locútus sum. Et fáciam cum eis pactum pacis, et cessáre fáciam béstias péssimas de terra: et qui hábitant in desérto, secúri dórmient in sáltibus. Et ponam eos in circúitu collis mei benedictiónem, et dedúcam imbrem in témpore suo: plúviæ benedictiónis erunt. Et dabit lignum agri fructum suum, et terra dabit germen suum, et erunt in terra sua absque timóre: et scient quia ego Dóminus, cum contrívero caténas jugi eórum, et erúero eos de manu imperántium sibi. Et non erunt ultra in rapínam in géntibus, neque béstiæ terræ devorábunt eos: sed habitábunt confidénter absque ullo terróre. Et suscitábo eis germen nominátum, et non erunt ultra imminúti fame in terra, neque portábunt ultra oppróbrium géntium. Et scient quia ego Dóminus Deus eórum cum eis, et ipsi pópulus meus domus Israël, ait Dóminus Deus. Vos autem, greges mei, greges páscuæ meæ, hómines estis: et ego Dóminus Deus vester, dicit Dóminus Deus. XXXV. Et factus est sermo Dómini ad me, dicens: Fili hóminis, pone fáciem tuam advérsum montem Seir, et prophetábis de eo, et dices illi: Hæc dicit Dóminus Deus: Ecce ego ad te, mons Seir: et exténdam manum meam super

+ Boulder Leaf 14 Recto Translation

[Ezekiel 33:31-35:3]

...people sit before thee: and hear thy words, and do them not: for they turn them into a song of their mouth, and their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32 And thou art to them as a musical song which is sung with a sweet and agreeable voice: and they hear thy words, and do them not. 33 And when that which was foretold shall come to pass, (for behold it is coming,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, prophesy concerning the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to the shepherds: Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed themselves: should not the flocks be fed by the shepherds? 3 You ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and you killed that which was fat: but my flock you did not feed. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, and that which was sick you have not healed, that which was broken you have not bound up, and that which was driven away you have not brought again, neither have you sought that which was lost: but you ruled over them with rigour, and with a high hand. 5 And my sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd: and they became the prey of all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. 6 My sheep have wandered in every mountain, and in every high hill: and my flocks were scattered upon the face of the earth, and there was none that sought them, there was none, I say, that sought them. 7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, saith the Lord God, forasmuch as my flocks have been made a spoil, and my sheep are become a prey to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd: for my shepherds did not seek after my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flocks: 9 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself come upon the shepherds, I will require my flock at their hand, and I will cause them to cease from feeding the flock any more, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more: and I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and it shall no more be meat for them. 11 For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek my sheep, and will visit them. 12 As the shepherd visiteth his flock in the day when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land: and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the habitations of the land. 14 I will feed them in the most fruitful pastures, and their pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they rest on the green grass, and be fed in fat pastures upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my sheep: and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. 16 I will seek that which was lost: and that which was driven away, I will bring again: and I will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve: and I will feed them in judgment. 17 And as for you, O my flocks, thus saith the Lord God: Behold I judge between cattle and cattle, of rams and of he goats. 18 Was it not enough for you to feed upon good pastures? but you must also tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures: and when you drank the clearest water, you troubled the rest with your feet. 19 And my sheep were fed with that which you had trodden with your feet: and they drank what your feet had troubled. 20 Therefore thus saith the Lord God to you: Behold, I myself will judge between the fat cattle and the lean. 21 Because you thrusted with sides and shoulders, and struck all the weak cattle with your horns, till they were scattered abroad: 22 I will save my flock, and it shall be no more a spoil, and I will judge between cattle and cattle. 23 and I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David: he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 24 And I the Lord will be their God: and my servant David the prince in the midst of them: I the Lord have spoken it. 25 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they that dwell in the wilderness shall sleep secure in the forests. 26 And I will make them a blessing round about my hill: and I will send down the rain in its season, there shall be showers of blessing. 27 And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be in their land without fear: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have broken the bonds of their yoke, and shall have delivered them out of the hand of those that rule over them. 28 And they shall be no more for a spoil to the nations, neither shall the beasts of the earth devour them: but they shall dwell securely without any terror. 29 And I will raise up for them a bud of renown: and they shall be no more consumed with famine in the land, neither shall they bear any more the reproach of the Gentiles. 30 And they shall know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they are my people the house of Israel: saith the Lord God. 31 And you my flocks, the flocks of my pasture are men: and I am the Lord your God, saith the Lord God.

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy concerning it, and say to it: 3 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I come against thee, mount Seir, and I will stretch forth my hand upon...


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