Jeremiah · Chapter 5

[ edit] Goþ aboute þe weies of Jeruſalem, and lookeþ, and beholdeþ, and ſecheþ in his ſtretes, wheþer ȝee fynde a man doende dom, and ſechende feiþ; and merciful Y ſhal be to hem. Þat if alſo, Þe Lord lyueþ, þei ſhul ſey, and þat falſly þei ſhuln ſwern. Lord, þin eȝen biholden feiþ; þou haſt ſmyte þem, and þei ſoreweden not; þou to-treede þem, and þei forſoken to taken diſcipline; þei inwardli hardeden þer faces vp on þe ſton, and wolden not be turned aȝeen. I forſoþe ſeid, Par auenture pore men þei ben, and foolis, vnknowende þe weie of þe Lord, þe dom of þer God. I ſhal go þerfor to þe cheef men, and ſpeke to þem; þei forſoþe knewen þe weie of þe Lord, and þe dom of þer God.

And lo! more þeſe togidere al tobreeken þe ȝoc, and broſten out þe bondis. Þerfore haþ ſmyte þem a leoun of þe wode; a wlf at euen waſtede þem, a parde wakende vp on þe cites of þem. Eche þat ſhal gon out of þem, ſhal be take; for multeplied ben þe lawe brekyngus of þem, coumfortid ben þe turnyngus awei of þem. Vp on what þing to þee pleſid ſhal Y moun be? Þi ſonus forſoken me, and ſwern in þo þingus þat ben not godis. I fulfilde þem, and þei diden fornycacioun, and in þe hous of þe ſtrumpet þei diden leccherie. Horſes loueres in to wymmen, and courſeres þei ben mad; eche to þe wif of his neȝhebore neyȝede.

Wheþer vp on þeſe þingus Y ſhal not viſite, ſeiþ þe Lord, and in ſuch a folc of kinde ſhal not be vengid my ſoule? Steȝeþ vp his wallis, and ſcatereþ; ful waſting forſoþe wileþ not do. Doþ awei his forþgetingus, for þei ben not þe Lordis. Þurȝ lawe breking forſoþe treſſpaſede aȝen me þe hous of Irael and þe hous of Juda, ſeiþ þe Lord; þei denyeden þe Lord, and ſeiden, It is not he, neþer ſhal come vp on vs euel; ſwerd and hunger wee ſhul not ſee. Þe profetus ſpeeken in to þe wind, and anſwere was not in þem; þeſe þingus þerfore out come ſhul to þem. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of oſtis, For ȝee ſpeeken þis wrd, lo!

Y ȝyue my wrdus in þi mouþ in to fyr, and þis puple in to trees, and it ſhal deuoure þem. Lo! Y ſhal bringe to vp on ȝou a folc of kinde fro aferr, of þe hous of Irael, ſeiþ þe Lord; a ſtalwrþe folc of kinde, an old folc of kinde, a folc of kinde, whos tunge þou ſhalt vnknowe, ne vnderſtonde what it ſpeke. His arewe cas as a ſepulcre opene; alle ſtronge men. And it ſhal ete þi cornes, and þi bred deuoure, þi ſonus and þi doȝtris; it ſhal ete þi floc, and þi droues, and ſhal eten þi vyne, and þi fige tree; and to-broſe þi ſtrengþid cites, in whiche þou haſt troſt, wiþ ſwerd. Nerþelatere in þo daȝes, ſeiþ þe Lord, Y ſhal not make ȝou in to ful ending.

Þat if ȝee ſhul ſeye, Whi to vs dide þe Lord oure God alle þeſe þingus? þou ſhalt ſei to þem, As ȝee han forſake mee, and ſeruede to an alien god in ȝour lond, ſo ȝee ſhul ſerue to alien goddis in þe lond not ȝoure. Telleþ þis to þe hous of Jacob, and herd makeþ in Juda, ſeiende, Here, þou fool puple, þat haſt not herte; þat hauende eȝen, ȝee ſeen not, and eres, and heren not. Me þerfor ȝee ſhul not drede, ſeiþ þe Lord, and fro my face not ſorewen? Which Y putte grauel terme to þe ſe, euere durende heſte, þat it ſhal not paſſe; and þei ſhul be to-moued, and þei ſhul not moun; and to-ſwelle ſhul his flodis, and ſhul not paſſen it.

To þis puple forſoþe is mad an herte myſtrowende and oute ſharpende; þei wente bacward, and ȝiden awei, and ſeiden not in þer herte, Drede wee þe Lord oure God, þat ȝyueþ to vs tymeli rein, and late comende in his ceſoun, plenteneſſe of ȝeres rip comende to vs. Oure wickeneſſes boweden doun þeſe þingus, and oure ſynnes defendeden good fro vs. For þer ben founden in my puple vnpitous men, waitende as fouleres, grenes puttende, and feet gynnes, to ben caȝt men. As a pit falle ful of briddes, ſo þe hous of hem ful of treccherie.

Þerfore þei ben magnefied, and richid inwardli, grecid, and fattid, and þei paſſeden biſide my wrdus alþer werſt; þe cauſe of þe widewe þei demeden not, þe cauſe of þe faderles child riȝt reuleden not, and þe dom of pore men demeden not. Wheþer vp on þeſe þingus I ſhal not viſiten, ſeiþ þe Lord, or vp on ſuch maner folc ſhal not be vengid my ſoule? Stoneyng and merueiles ben mad in þe erþe; profetis profecieden leſing, and preſtus flappeden for ioȝe wiþ þer hondus, and my puple louede ſuche þingus. What þanne ſhal ben don in his laſte?