Jeremiah · Chapter 16

[ edit] And don is þe wrd of þe Lord to me, ſeiende, Þou ſhalt not take a wif, and þer ſhul not be to þee ſonus and doȝtris in þis place. For þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord vp on ſonus and doȝtris, þat ben goten in þis place, and vp on þe moders of þem, þat geeten þem, and vp on þe faders of hem, of whos ſtoc þei ben born in þis lond. Wiþ deþes of ſiknyngus þei ſhul die, þei ſhul not be weilid, ne ben biried; in to a dunghil vp on þe face of þe erþe þei ſhul be, and wiþ ſwerd and hunger þei ſhul be waſtid; and be ſhal þe careyn of þem in to mete to þe foulis of heuene, and to þe beſtes of erþe.

Þeſe þingus forſoþe ſeiþ þe Lord, Þou ſhalt not gon in to þe hous of þe feſte, ne go to weilen, ne coumforte þou þem; for Y haue taken awey my pes fro þis puple, ſeiþ þe Lord, mercy and mercy doyngis. And dien ſhul þe grete and þe litle in þis lond; þei ſhul not be biried, ne be weilid; and þei ſhul not kutte þemſelf, ne ballidneſſe ſhal ben do for hem. And þei ſhul not breke among hem bred to þe weilende, to coumforte vp on þe deade, and þei ſhul not ȝyue to þem drinc of þe chalis, to coumforten vp on þer fadir and modir. And þe hous of feſte þou ſhalt not gon in, þat þou ſitte wiþ þem, and ete, and drinke. For þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, God of Irael, Lo!

Y ſhal don awey fro þis place, in ȝoure eȝen and in ȝoure daȝes, vois of ioȝe, and vois of gladneſſe, and vois of man ſpouſe, and vois of womman ſpouſe. And whan þou haſt told to þis puple alle þeſe wrdus, and þei ſey to þee, Whi ſpac þe Lord vp on vs al þis grete euel? what oure wickeneſſe, and what oure ſynne þat wee han ſynned to þe Lord oure God? þou ſhalt ſey to þem, For forſoken me ȝoure fadris, ſeiþ þe Lord, and ȝiden awei aftir aliene goddis, and ſerueden to þem, and honoureden hem, and me forſoken, and my lawe kepten not. But and ȝee wers wroȝten þan ȝoure fadris; lo! forſoþe eche goþ after þe ſhreudeneſſe of his euel herte, þat me he here not.

And Y ſhal caſte ȝou out fro þis lond, in to þe lond þat ȝee and ȝoure fadris knowe not; and ȝee ſhul ſerue þere to alien goddis dai and nyȝt, þat ſhul not ȝiue to ȝou reſte. Þerfore lo! daȝes comen, ſeiþ þe Lord, and it ſhal be no mor ſeid, Lyueþ þe Lord, þat ladde out þe ſonus of Irael fro þe lond of Egipt; but lyueþ þe Lord, þat ladde out þe ſonus of Irael fro þe lond of þe norþ, and fro alle londus to whiche I caſte þem out; and Y ſhal bringe þem aȝeen to þer lond þat I ȝaf to þe fadris of þem. Lo!

Y ſhal ſenden many fiſſheres, ſeiþ þe Lord, and þei ſhul fiſſhen hem; and after þeſe þingus I ſhal ſende to þem manye hunteres, and þei ſhul hunte þem fro eche mounteyn, and fro eche hil, and fro þe caues of ſtones. For myn eȝen vp on alle þe weies of þem; þei ben not hid fro my face, and hid was not þe wickeneſſe of þem fro myn eȝen. And Y ſhal ȝelde firſt þe double wickeneſſes and þe ſynnes of hem, for þei defouleden my lond in dead ſmyten þingus of þer maumetus, and wiþ þer abhominaciouns þei fulfilden myn heritage.

Lord, my ſtrengþe, and my ſtalwrþeneſſe, and my refute in þe dai of tribulacioun, to þee Jentiles ſhuln come fro þe vtmoſtus of erþe, and ſeyn, Vereli leſing weldeden oure fadris, vanyte þat to þem profitede not. Wheþer a man ſhal maken to hym goddis? and þei ben not goddis. Þerfore lo! Y ſhal ſhewe to þem bi þis while, I ſhal ſhewe to þem myn hond and my vertue; and þei ſhul wite, for name to me is Lord.