Jeremiah · Chapter 6

[ edit] Beþ coumfortid, ȝee ſonus of Beniamyn, in þe myddil of Jeruſalem, and in Thecua trumpeþ wiþ a trumpe, and vp on Beþacharem rereþ a baner; for euel is ſeen fro þe norþ, and gret totreding. To a fair womman and a delicat Y licned þe doȝter of Sion. To hir ſhul come ſhepperdis and þe flockis of þem; þei ficcheden in it tentus in enuyroun; feden ſhal eche þem, þat vnder his hond ben. Halewiþ vp on hir a bataile. Riſeþ, and ſteȝe wee vp in þe myddai. Wo to ȝou, for doun bowide þe dai, for lengere ben mad ſhadewes þan to euen. Riſeþ, and ſteȝe wee vp in þe nyȝt, and to-ſcatere wee þer houſes.

For þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, Hewiþ tree of hir, and delueþ aboute Jeruſalem an erþe hilloc; þis is þe cite of viſitacioun; eche falſe chalenge in his myddel. As þanne cold makeþ þe ciſterne his watir, ſo cold ſhe haþ mad hir malice; wickeneſſe and waſtyte ſhal ben herd in hir befor me euermor, infirmyte and wounde. Be taȝt, Jeruſalem, leſt par auenture go awey my ſoule fro þee; leſt par auenture I ſette þee deſert, a lond vndwellable. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, Vnto þe cluſter braunch þei ſhul gedere, þei ſhul gedere as in a vyneȝerd þe relikes of Irael; conuerte þin hond, as a grape kuttere to a baſket. To whom ſhal Y ſpeke, and whom ſhal Y witneſſen, þat he here?

Lo! vncircumcidid þe eres of hem, and heren þei moun not; lo! þe wrd of þe Lord don is to þem in to repref, and þei ſhuln not taken it. Þerfore of þe wodneſſe of þe Lord Y am ful, and Y trauailede ſuſtenende. Heeld out wodneſſe vp on þe litil child wiþoute forþ, and vp on þe counſeil of ȝunge men togidere; a man forſoþe wiþ þe wif ſhal be caȝt, and þe olde wiþ þe ful of daȝes. And paſſe ſhul þe houſes of þem to oþere men, feldis and wyues togidere; for I ſhal ſtrecche myn hond vp on men dwellende þe lond, ſeiþ þe Lord. Fro þe laſſe forſoþe vnto þe more, alle to auarice ſtudien; and fro þe profete vnto þe preſt, alle don treccherie.

And þei cureden, or heliden, þe to-treding of þe doȝter of my puple wiþ ſhenſhipe, ſeiende, Pes, pes, and þer was not pes. Þei ben confoundid, for abhomynacioun þei didyn; but more wiþ confuſioun þei ben not confoundid, and ſhamen þei kouþen not. Wherfore þei ſhul falle among þe men fallende; in tyme of þer viſitacioun þei ſhul falle togidere, ſeiþ þe Lord. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Stondeþ vp on weies, and ſeeþ, and aſkeþ of þe olde paþis, what is þe goode weie; and goþ in it, and ȝee ſhul fynde refreſhinge to ȝoure ſoules. And þei ſeiden, Wee ſhul not go. And Y ſette vp on ȝou tooteres, and ſeide, Hereþ þe vois of þe trumpe. And þei ſeiden, Wee ſhuln not heren.

Þerfore hereþ, ȝee folc of kinde, and knowiþ, ȝee congregacioun, hou grete þingus Y ſhal do to þem. Here, þou erþe, lo! Y ſhal bringe to eueles vp on þis puple, frut of þer þoȝtus; for my wrdus þei herden not, and my lawe þei þrewen aferr. Wherto to me cens of Saba ȝee bringen, and þe ſpices calamy ſwote ſmellende fro a ferr lond? Ȝoure brente ſacrifiſes ben not acceptid, ȝoure victorye ſacrifiſes pleſeden not to me. Þerfore þeſe þinges ſeiþ þe Lord God, Lo! Y ſhal ȝyue in to þis puple fallyngus, and ſhul falle in þem faderes and ſonus togidere, neȝhebore and coſyn, and perſhen.

Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God, Lo! þe puple cam from þe lond of þe norþ, and a gret folc of kinde ſhal togidere riſe fro þe coſtes of þe lond. Arwe and ſheld it ſhal take; cruel it is, and it ſhal not han mercy; his vois as þe ſe ſhal ſowne, and vp on hors ſteȝen vp þei ſhul beforn mad redy as a man to bataile aȝen þee, þou doȝter of Sion. Wee han herd þe loes of it, loſid atwynne ben oure hondus; tribulacioun caȝte vs, ſorewis as þe trauailende wiþ childe. Wileþ not gon out to þe feeldis, and in weie goþ not, for þe ſwerd of þe enemy, þe ferd of þe enemy in enuyroun.

Þou doȝtir of my puple, be þou gird wiþ an heire, and to-ſprengd wiþ aſken; weilende of þe onli geten mac to þee bitter mornyng, for feerli ſhal come þe waſtere vp on vs. A ſtalwrþe prouere Y ȝaf þee in my puple, and þou ſhalt wite, and preue þe weie of þem. Alle þeſe princes of men boweden doun goende gilendely, bras and yren; alle ben ſhent. Failede þe meltende veſſel, in fyr waſtid is þe led, in veyn meltide togidere þe ȝeetere; forſoþe þe malices of þem ben not waſtid. Repreued ſiluer clepeþ hem, for þe Lord þreȝ hem aferr.