Jeremiah · Chapter 3

[ edit] Comunly me ſeiþ, If a man lefe his wif, and ſhe goende awei fro hym wedde an oþer man, wheþer ſhal ſhe turne aȝeen any mor to hym? wheþer not pollut and defoulid ſhal be þat womman? Þou forſoþe haſt do fornycacioun wiþ many loueres; nerþelatere turne aȝeen to me, ſeiþ þe Lord, and I ſhal reſceyue þee. Rere vp þin eȝen in to euene riȝt, and ſee, where now þou art leid doun. In weies þou ſeete, abidende þem as a þef in wilderneſſe, and þou defoulediſt þe lond in þi fornycaciouns and in þi malices. For what þing ben defendid dropis of reynes, and þe late comende weder was not. Þe forhed of a ſtrumpet womman is maad to þee; þou woldeſt not ſhamen.

Þanne namely fro now clep me, My fader, duk of my maydenhed þou art. Wheþer þou ſhalt be wroþ in to euermor, and abyde ſtille in to þe ende? Lo! þou ſpeeke, and didiſt euelis, and myȝtiſt. And for wrdis of penaunce wiþ wrdis of pride þou blasfemediſt; and þou fulfildiſt þin euel þenking, and ſhewediſt aȝen þe huſbonde þi ſtrengþe, þat þou mow don þat in wrd þou tretediſt. And þe Lord ſeide to me, in þe daȝes of kyng Joſie, Wheþer þou haſt not ſeen what þyngus haþ do þe aduerſarie, Irael? She ȝide awei to hirſelf vp on eche heȝ mounteyn, and vnder eche braunchi tree, and dide fornycacioun þere. And Y ſeide, whan ſhe hadde don alle þeſe þingus, To me turne aȝeen; and ſhe is not turned aȝeen.

And þe brekereſſe of lawe, Juda, hir ſiſter, ſaȝ, for þi þat Irael, aduerſarie, hadde do leccherie, I ſhulde haue left her, and ȝoue to her a libel of forſaking; and þe lawe brekereſſe, Juda, hir ſiſter, dradde not, but ȝide awei, and dide fornycacioun alſo ſhe. And þurȝ liȝþed of hir fornycacioun defoulede þe lond, and dide fornycacioun wiþ ſton, and wiþ tree. And in alle þeſe þingus is not turned aȝeen to me þe lawe brekereſſe, hir ſiſter, Juda, in al hir herte, but in leſing, ſeiþ þe Lord God. And þe Lord ſeide to me, Þe aduerſarie, Irael, iuſtefiede hir ſoule, bi compariſoun of þe lawe brekereſſe, Juda.

Go, and cry þeſe wrdus aȝen þe norþ; and þou ſhalt ſey, Turne aȝeen, þou aduerſarie, Irael, ſeiþ þe Lord, and I ſhal not turne awei my face fro ȝou; for I am hoeli, ſeiþ þe Lord, and I ſhal not wraþen in to wiþoute ende. Ner þe latere wite þou þi wickedneſſe; for in to þe Lord þi God þou haſt do lawe breche, and þou haſt ſcatered þi weies to alienus vnder eche braunchi tree; and my vois þou herdiſt not, ſeiþ þe Lord. Beþ conuertid, ȝee ſonus, turnende aȝeen, ſeiþ þe Lord, for I ȝoure houſebonde; and ſhal take ȝou to oen of þe cite, and two of þe kinrede, and bringe ȝou in to Sion; and ȝiue ȝou ſhepperdus aftir myn herte, and þei ſhul fede ȝou wiþ kunnyng and doctryne.

And whan ȝe ſhul be multeplied, and encreſyn in þe lond, in þo daȝes, ſeiþ þe Lord, þei ſhul ſey no more, Þe arke of þe teſtament of þe Lord; ne it ſhal ſteȝen vp vp on herte, ne þei ſhul recorde of it, ne it ſhal be viſitid, ne be mad eft more. In þat tyme þei ſhuln clepe Jeruſalem Þe ſee of þe Lord, and gedered ſhul be to it alle Jentiles, in name of þe Lord, in to Jeruſalem; and þei ſhul not gon after þe ſhreudeneſſe of þer werſte herte. In þo daȝes gon ſhal þe hous of Juda to þe hous of Irael; and come þei ſhuln togidere fro þe lond of þe norþ to þe lond þat I ȝaf to ȝoure fadris.

I forſoþe ſeide, Hou ſhal I putte þee in ſonus, and ȝelde to þee þe deſirable lond, þe ful cler eritage of þe oſtis of þe folc of kinde? And I ſeide, A fader þou ſhalt clepe me, and after me to gon þou ſhalt not ceſe. But what maner if a womman diſpiſe hir louere, ſo diſpiſede me þe hous of Irael, ſeiþ þe Lord. A vois in weies is herd, weping and ȝelling of þe ſonus of Irael; for wicke þei maaden þeir weie, forȝeeten of þe Lord þer God. Beþ conuerted, ȝee ſonus, turnende aȝeen, and I ſhal helen ȝoure turnyngus awei. Lo! wee han come to þee; þou forſoþe art þe Lord oure God. Verreli lyeres weren þe hillis, þe multitude of mounteynes; verrely in þe Lord oure God þe helþe of Irael.

Confuſioun eet þe trauale of our fadris, fro oure waxende ȝouþe; þe flockes of þem, and þe droues of hem, þe ſonus of þem, and þe doȝtris of þem. Wee ſhul ſlepe in oure confuſyoun, and coueren ſhal vs oure ſhenſhipe; for to þe Lord oure God wee han ſynned, and wee and our fadris, fro oure waxende ȝouþe vn to þis dai; and wee han not herd þe vois of þe Lord oure God.