Jeremiah · Chapter 10

[ edit] Hereþ þe wrd þat þe Lord ſpac vp on ȝou, þe hous of Irael. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Aftir þe weies of Jentiles wileþ not lerne, and fro þe ſignes of heuene wileþ not drede, þat dreden Jentiles, for þe lawis of puples ben veyne. For þe tree of þe wilde wode kut of þe werc of þe hondus of þe craftes man in an hachet; wiþ ſiluer and gold he enourneþ it; wiþ nailes and hameres ioynede it, þat it be not loſid atwynne. In licneſſe of a formed ymage þei ben forgid, and þei ſhul not ſpeke; born þei ſhul be taken awey, for þei moun not go; wileþ not þanne drede þem, for neiþer euele þei moun do, ne wel. Þer is not lic of þee, Lord; gret þou, and gret þi name in ſtrengþe.

Who ſhal not drede þee, O! þou king of Jentilis? þin is forſoþe wrſhipe among alle þe wiſe men of Jentilis, and in alle þe reumes of hem noen is lic of þee. Togidere vnwiſe men and foolis ſhul be preued, þe doctrine of þe vanyte of þem a tree is wiþ ſiluer enwrappid. Fro Tarſis it is broȝt, and þe gold fro Ofir; þe werc of þe craftus man, and þe hond of þe metal werkere; iacynct, or as men ſeyn, violet blyw ſilc and purpre þe cloþing of þem; þe werc of craftus men alle þeſe þingus. Þe Lord forſoþe is verre God; he is God lyuende, and king euermor laſtende; of his indignacioun ſhal be moued þe erþe, and ſuffren ſhul not Jentiles his þreting.

Þus þanne ȝee ſhul ſey to þem, Þe goddis þat maden not heuene and erþe, perſhe þei fro þe erþe, and fro þeſe þingus þat ben vnder heuene. Þat makeþ þe erþe in his ſtrengþe, makeþ redi biforn þe world in his wiſdam, and in his prudence ſtreccheþ out heuenus. At his vois he ȝyueþ multitude of watris in heuene, and rereþ vp litle cloudus fro þe vtmoſtus of erþe; leitus in to reyn he makeþ, and bringeþ out wind of his treſores. Fool mad is eche man of his kunnyng, confoundid is eche craftes man in his grauen þing; for fals is þat he ȝetede, and þer is not ſpirit in hem. Veyn þei ben, and þe werc wrþi laȝhing; in tyme of þer viſiting þei ſhul perſhe.

Lic is not to þeſe þe part of Jacob, who forſoþe formede alle þingus he is, and Irael þe ȝerde of his eritage; Lord of oſtus name is to hym. Gedere fro þe erþe þi confuſion, þat dwelliſt in ſeging; for þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Lo! Y ferr ſhal þrowe þe dwelleris of þe lond in þis while; and troblen hem, ſo þat þei be not founden. Wo to me vp on my to-treding, my werſt veniaunce; I forſoþe ſeide, Pleynli þis myn infirmyte is, and Y ſhal bern it. My tabernacle is waſtid, alle my litle cordis ben to-broke; my ſonus wenten out fro me, and ſtonde not ſtille; þer is not þat ſtrecche out more my tent, and rere vp my ſkynnes.

For folili diden ſhepperdis, and þe Lord þei ſoȝten not; þerfor þei vnderſtode not, and eche floc of hem is ſcatered. Vois of heering lo! is comen, and gret ſtiring fro þe lond of þe norþ, þat þei ſette þe cites of Juda in to wilderneſſe, and a dwelling place of dragounus. I wot, Lord, for of man is not his weie, ne of man is þat he go, and riȝt reule hys goingus. Chaſtiſe me, Lord; ner þe latere in dom and not in þi wodneſſe, leſt par auenture to noȝt þou bringe me. Heeld out þin indignacioun vp on Jentyles þat knewen not þee, and vp on prouynces þat þi name inwardli clepeden not; for þei eeten Jacob, and deuoureden hym, and waſteden hym, and his worſhepe deſtroȝeden.