Jeremiah · Chapter 2

[ edit] And don is þe wrd of þe Lord to me, ſeiende, Go, and cri in þe eres of Jeruſalem, ſeiende, Þeſe þyngus ſeiþ þe Lord, I recordide of þee, rewende þin waxende ȝouþe, and þe charite of þi weddyng, whan þou folewediſt me in deſert, in þe lond þat is not ſowen. Hoeli Irael to þe Lord, þe chef of his frutus; alle þat deuouren hym, gilten; euelis ſhul come vp on hem, ſeiþ þe Lord. Hereþ þe wrd of þe Lord, ȝee hous of Jacob, and alle þe kinredis of þe hous of Irael. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, What founde ȝoure fadris in me of wickidneſſe, for þei longeden awei fro me, and ȝiden aftir vanyte, and veyn þei ben mad?

And þei ſeiden not, Wher is þe Lord, þat made vs to ſteȝen vp fro þe lond of Egipt, þat ladde vs ouer by deſert, bi þe lond vnhabitable and wiþouten weie, bi þe lond of þriſt, and ymage of deþ, bi þe lond in whiche ȝide not a ful man, ne wonde a man. And I ladde ȝou in to þe lond of Carmel, þat ȝee ſhulden ete his frute, and þe beſte þingis of it; and gon in ȝee defouleden my lond, and myn eritage ȝee putten in to abhominacioun. Preſtes ſeiden not, Wher is þe Lord? and holdende þe lawe, þei knewen not me; and ſhepperdis breeken þe lawe aȝen me, and profetes profecieden in Baal, and foleweden mawmetes. Þerfore ȝit Y ſhal ſtriuen in dom wiþ ȝou, ſeiþ þe Lord, and wiþ ȝoure ſones Y ſhal diſpute.

Paſſeþ to iles of Siþym, and ſeeþ; and in to Cedar ſendeþ, and beholdeþ hugeli; and ſeeþ, yf don is ſuch a maner þing, if chaungid haþ þe folc of kinde his goddis; and certes þei ben not goddis; my puple forſoþe chaungede his glorie in to a mawmet. Waxeþ ſtoneȝid, ȝee heuenus, vp on þis, and, ȝee ȝatus of heuene, beþ deſolat hugeli, ſeiþ þe Lord. Two forſoþe euelis diden my puple; me þei forſoken, welle of quyc watir, and doluen to þem waſtid ciſternes, þat contenen watris moun not. Wheþer a þral is Irael, or a born bonde man? Whi þanne mad he is in to prei?

Vp on hym roreden leouns, and ȝeuen þer vois; þei ſetteden his lond in to wilderneſſe, his cites ben brend vp, and þer is not þat dwelle in þem. Þe ſonus alſo of Memfeos and of Thamnes defouliden þee bi lecherie, or mawmetrie, vp on to þe top. Wheþer not þis is do to þee, for þou haſt forſaken þe Lord þi God, þat tyme þat he ladde þee bi þe wey? And now what to þee wilt þou in þe weye of Egipt, þat þou drinke water troublid? And what to þee wiþ þe weie of Aſſiries, þat þou drinke water of þe flod?

Vndernyme þee ſhal þi malice, and þi turnyng away ſhal blame þee; wite and ſee, for euel and bitter it is þee to han forſaken þe Lord þi God, and his drede not to ben anent þee, ſeiþ þe Lord God of oſtes. From þe world þou haſt al to-broſte my ȝoc, to-broke my bondis, and ſeidiſt, I ſhal not ſerue. In eche forſoþe hyȝ hil, and vnder eche braunchy tree þou were þrowe doun a ſtrumpet. I forſoþe plauntede þee a choſen vyneȝerd, al verre ſed; what maner þanne þou art turned to me in to a ſhreude þing, an aliene vyne? If þou waſſhe þee wiþ clenſing cley, and multeplie to þee þe clenſende erbe boreþ, þou art defoulid wiþ þi wickidneſſe bifor me, ſeiþ þe Lord God.

What maner ſeiſt þou, I am not defoulid, after Baalym I haue not go? See þi weies in þe hole valey, wite what þou haſt do; a liȝt corour tellende out þi weies. A feld aſſe vſid in wilderneſſe in þe deſyr of his ſoule droȝ wind of his loue; noon ſhal turne it awey. Alle þat ſeechen hir, ſhul not failen; in hir rote blod flowingus þei ſhul finden hir. Forfende þi foot fro nakidhed, and þi þrote fro þriſt; and þou ſeideſt, I diſpeirede, I ſhal not do; I louede forſoþe alienus, and after þem I ſhal go.

What maner is confoundid a þef, whan he is caȝt, ſo confoundid ben þe houſis of Irael; þei, and þe kingus of hem, princes, and preſtes, and profetes of þem, ſeiende to þe tree, My fader þou art; and to þe ſton, Þou me haſt goten. Þey turneden to me bac, and not face; in tyme of þer tormenting þei ſhul ſey, Rys, and delyuere vs. Wher ben þi goddus, whom þou haſt maad to þee? Riſe þei, and delyuere þei þee in þe dai of þi tormenting; after þe noumbre forſoþe of þi cites weren þi goddus, Juda. What wile ȝee wiþ me in dom ſtriue? Alle ȝee han forſake me, ſeiþ þe Lord.

In veyn I haue ſmyte ȝoure ſonus, diſciplyne þei reſceyueden not; ȝoure ſwerd deuourede ȝoure profetes, as a leoun is waſtid ȝoure ieneracioun. Seeþ þe wrd of þe Lord, wheþer wilderneſſe I am mad to Irael, or a lond late berende frute? Whi þanne ſeiþ my puple, Wee han gon awei, wee ſhul no mor come to þee? Wheþer forȝete ſhal þe maiden of hir enournement? and þe womman ſpouſe of hir breſt bundel? My puple forſoþe forȝat me in daȝes vnnoumbred. What enforceſt þou to ſhewe þi weie good to ben ſoȝt loue, þat ouermor and þi malices þou haſt taȝt þi weies, and in þi wengus is founde blod of pore ſoules and innocentus? Not in dichis Y fond þem, but in alle þingus þat aboue I membrede.

And þou ſeidiſt, Wiþoute ſynne and ynnocent I am; and þerfore be turned awei þi wodneſſe fro me. Lo! Y in dom ſhal ſtriue wiþ þee; for þi þat þou ſeidiſt, I ſynnede not. Hou foul art þou mad ful myche, rehercende þi weies? and of Egipt þou ſhalt be confoundid, as þou art confoundyd of Aſſur. For whi and of þis þou ſhalt gon out, and þin hondis ſhul ben vp on þin hed; for al to-troden haþ þe Lord þi troſt, and no þing þou ſhalt han welſum.