Jeremiah · Chapter 4

[ edit] If þou ſhalt turne aȝeen, Irael, ſeiþ þe Lord, to me be conuertid; if þou ſhalt take awei þin hurtende þingus fro my face, þou ſhalt not be to-ſtirid. And þou ſhalt ſwern, Þe Lord lyueþ, in treuþe and in dom and in riȝtwiſnes; and bliſſen ſhul hym folc of kinde, and hym preiſen. Þeſe þingus forſoþe ſeiþ þe Lord to þe man of Juda and to þe dwellere of Jeruſalem, Newiþ to ȝou a newe tilid lond, and wileþ not ſowen vp on þornes. Beþ circumcidid to þe Lord, and doþ awei þe vtmoſt ȝerde felles of ȝoure hertes, ȝee men of Juda, and dwelleris of Jeruſalem; leſt parauenture go out as fyr myn indignacioun, and be tend vp, and þer be not þat quenche, for þe malice of ȝoure þoȝtus.

Telleþ out in Juda, and in Jeruſalem makeþ herd; ſpekeþ, and ſyngeþ wiþ a trumpe in þe lond; crieþ ſtrongli, and ſeiþ, Beþ gedered, and go wee in þe ſtrengþid cites. Rereþ a tocne in Sion, beþ coumfortid, and wileþ not ſtonde; for euel I bringe to fro þe norþ, and a gret to-treding. Steȝede vp a leoun fro his couche, þe reuere of Jentilis hymſelf ſhal reren. He wente out fro his place, þat he pute þi lond in to wilderneſſe; þi citees ſhul be waſtid, abidende ſtille wiþoute dwellere. Vp on þis gird ȝou aboute wiþ heires; weileþ, and ȝelliþ, for turned awei is not þe wraþe of þe wodneſſe of þe Lord fro ȝou.

And it ſhal be, in þat dai, ſeiþ þe Lord, perſhen ſhal þe herte of þe king, and þe herte of princes; and become ſtoneid ſhul þe preſtis, and profetes in mynde ſhul be diſturbid. And I ſeide, Allas! allas! allas! Lord God; þanne wheþer haſt þou not bigilid þis puple and Jeruſalem, ſeiende, Pes ſhal be to ȝou, and lo! ful comen is ſwerd vn to þe ſoule? In þat tyme ſhal be ſeid to þis puple and to Jeruſalem, Brennende wynde in þe weies þat ben in deſert, weies of þe doȝter of my puple, not to wynewen, and to purgen. A ſpirit ful of þeſe ſhal come to me; and now Y, but I ſhal ſpeke my domes wiþ þem.

Lo! as a cloude he ſhal ſteȝen vp, and as tempeſt his chares; ſwiftere þan eglis his hors; wo to vs, for waſtid wee ben. Waſh fro malice þin herte, þou Jeruſalem, þat þou be mad ſaaf. Hou longe ſhuln abyde in þee noȝous þoȝtes? Þe vois forſoþe of þe tellende fro Dan, and of þe knowen makende þe mawmet fro þe hil of Effraym. Stereþ, ȝee Jentiles; lo! herd it is in Jeruſalem keperes to come fro a ferr lond, and to ȝyue vp on þe cites of Juda þer vois. As keperes of feeldis þei ben mad vpon it in cumpas; for me to wraþe it terrede, ſeiþ þe Lord. Þi weies and þi þoȝtus diden to þee þeſe þingus; þis þi malice for bitter, for it touchede þin herte.

My wombe I ake, my wombe I ake; þe wittus of myn herte ben diſturbid in me. I ſhal not be ſtille, for þe vois of þe trumpe herde my ſoule, cry of þe bataile. To-treding vp on to-treding is clepid, and waſtid is al erþe; feerli ben waſtid my tabernacles, ſodeynly my ſkynnes. Hou longe ſhal I ſeen a man fleende, heren ſhal Y þe vois of þe trumpe? For my fool puple me kneȝ not; vnwiſe ſonus þei ben, and couwardus; wiſe þei ben þat þei do eueles, wel forſoþe do þei kunne not. I beheeld þe erþe, and lo! voide it was, and of noȝt; and heuenus, and þer was not liȝt in þem. I ſaȝ mounteynes, and lo! þei weren moued, and alle hillis ben diſturbid.

Y beheeld, and þer was not a man, and eche foul of heuene wente awey. I beheeld, and lo! Carmel deſert, and alle hys cites ben deſtroȝed fro þe face of þe Lord, and fro þe face of þe wraþe of his wodnes. Þeſe þingus forſoþe ſeiþ þe Lord, Deſert ſhal ben eche lond, but nerþelatere ful ending Y ſhal not do. Weile ſhal erþe, and ſorewen ſhul heuenus fro aboue, for þi þat Y ſpac; I þoȝte, and it oþoȝte not me, ne Y turned awei fro it. Fro þe vois of þe horſe man, and of þe ſendende an arwe fleiȝ al þe cyte; þei wenten in hard þingus, and ſteȝeden vp on roches; alle þe chef cites ben forſaken, and dwelliþ not in þem a man. Þou forſoþe waſtid, what ſhalt þou do?

Whan þou ſhalt cloþe þee wiþ rede ſilc, whan þou ſhalt be enourned wiþ þe goldene broche, and ſchal peynte þin eȝen wiþ ſtrumpetes oynement, in veyn þou ſhalt ben araied; diſpiſide þee han þi loueres, þi lif þei ſhul ſechen. A vois forſoþe as of þe trauailende wiþ child I herde, anguyſſhes as of þe child berere; vois of þe doȝter of Syon among men diende, and ſtrecchende out þer hondus; Wo to me, for failide my lif for þe ſlayne.