Jeremiah · Chapter 14

[ edit] That don is þe wrd of þe Lord to Jeremye, of þe wrdis of droȝte. Weilede Jewerie, and his ȝatus fellen doun, and ben dercned in þe erþe, and þe cri of Jeruſalem ſteȝede vp. Þe more ſenten þer laſſe to water; þei camen to drawe, and þei founde not water, þei beeren aȝeen þer veſſelis voide; þei ben confoundid and tormentid, and þei couerden þer hedis for þe waſtite of þe lond, for þer cam not reyn in erþe. Confoundid ben þe erþe tilieres, þei couereden þer hedis. For whi and þe hynde in þe feld bar, and lafte hir frutes, for þer was not erbe; and þe feeld aſſes ſtoden in roches, and drowe wind as dragounes; þer eȝen faileden, for þer was not erbe.

Yf oure wickeneſſes ſchul anſwere to vs, Lord, do for þi name, for manye ben oure turnyngys awei; to þee wee han ſynned. Þou biding of Irael, his ſaueour in tyme of tribulacioun, whi as a comeling tiliere þou art to come in þe lond, and as weie goere bowende doun to dwelle? whi art þou to come as a man vagaunt, as a ſtrong man þat mai not ſaue? Þou forſoþe in vs art, Lord, and þin hoely name is inwardly clepid vp on vs; ne forſake þou vs. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord to þis puple, þat louede to moue þer feet, and reſtede not, and to þe Lord pleſide not; now recorden he ſhal wickidneſſes of þem, and viſite ſynnes of þem. And þe Lord ſeide to me, Wile þou not preȝe for þis puple in to good.

Whan þei ſhul faſte, Y ſhal not here þer preȝeres; and if þei offre brent ſacrifiſes and ſlayn ſacrifiſes, I ſhal not take þem, for wiþ ſwerd and hunger and peſtilence Y ſhal waſte þem. And Y ſeide, A! A! A! Lord God, þer profetus ſeyn to þem, Ȝee ſhul not ſee ſwerd, and hunger in ȝou ſhal not be, but verre pes he ſhal ȝyue in þis place. And þe Lord ſeide to me, Falſly þe profetus profecien in my name; I ſente þem not, and comaundide not to þem, ne ſpac to þem; a lying viſeoun, and a gileſum deuynyng, and þe deſeit of þer herte þei profecien to ȝou.

Þerfore þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of þe profetus þat profecien in my name, whom Y ſente not, ſeiende, Swerd and hungir ſhal not be in þis lond; In ſwerd and hunger ſhul be to-waſtid þo profetus. And puples, to whom þei profecieden, ſhul be þrowen aferr in þe weies of Jeruſalem, for hungir and ſwerd, and þer ſhal not ben, þat birie þem; þei and þe wyues of þem, ſonus and doȝtris of þem; and Y ſhal heelden out vp on hem þer euel. And þou ſhalt ſei to þem þis wrd, Leden doun myn eȝen ter by nyȝt and dai, and be þei not ſtille, for wiþ gret to-treding totreden is þe maiden doȝter of my puple, hugeli wiþ þe werſte veniaunce.

If Y ſhul gon out to þe feeldus, loo! þe ſlayn wiþ ſwerd; and if Y ſhul go in to þe citee, lo! þe to-waſtid wiþ hunger; þe profete forſoþe and preſt ȝiden awei in to þe lond þat þei knewe not. Wheþer þrowende aferr þou þrewe awei Judam, or þi ſoule wlatede Sion? whi þanne haſt þou ſmyten vs, ſo þat þer is noon helþe? Wee han abide pes, and þer is not good; and tyme of curing, and lo! diſturbing. Wee han knowe, Lord, oure vnpitouſneſſes, and þe wickeneſſes of oure faders, for wee han ſynned to þee. Ne ȝyue þou vs in to repref, for þi name, ne do þou to vs repref; of þe ſee of þi glorie recorde, ne al voide make þou þi pes couenaunt wiþ vs.

Wheþer ben in grauen þingus of Jentilis þat reynen, or heuenus moun ȝyue wederes? wheþer not þou art Lord oure God, whom wee han abide? Þou forſoþe didiſt alle þeſe þinges.