Jeremiah · Chapter 18

[ edit] The wrd þat don is to Jeremye fro þe Lord, ſeiende, Ris, and cum doun in to þe hous of þe crockere, and þere þou ſhalt here my wrdis. And Y cam doun in to þe hous of þe crockere, and lo! he made a werc vp on a whel. And ſcatered is þe veſſel, þat he made of clei wiþ his hondus; and turned he made þat veſſel oþer, as it pleſide his eȝen þat he ſhulde make. And don is þe wrd of þe Lord to me, ſeiende, Wheþer as makeþ þis crockere, ſhal not Y moun make to ȝou, hous of Irael? ſeiþ þe Lord. Lo! as þe cley in to þe hond of þe crockere, ſo ȝee in myn hond, þe hous of Irael. Sodeynli Y ſhal ſpeke aȝen folc, and aȝen reume, þat Y drawe vp bi þe roote, and deſtroȝe, and ſcatere it.

If penaunce ſhul do þat folc of his euel, for whiche I ſpac aȝen it, don ſhal and Y oþenking vp on þe euel, þat Y þoȝte þat I ſhulde do to it. And ſodeynli Y ſhal ſpeken of þe folc, and of þe rewme, þat Y bilde vp, and plaunte in it. If it ſhul don euel in myn eȝen, þat it here not my vois, oþinking Y ſhal do vp on þe good þat Y ſpac, þat Y ſhulde do to it. Now þanne ſei to þe man of Jewerie, and to þe dwellere of Jeruſalem, ſeiende, Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Lo! Y make aȝen ȝou euel, and þenke aȝen ȝou þenking; be turned aȝeen eche fro his euel weie, and right reuliþ ȝoure weies and ȝoure ſtudies.

Þe whiche ſeiden, Wee han diſpeired, after oure þoȝtus forſoþe wee ſhul go, and eche aftir þe ſhreudeneſſe of his euel herte wee ſhul do. Þerfore þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Aſkeþ folc of kinde, who herde ſuch orrible þingus, þe whiche to myche dide þe maiden Irael? Wheþer of þe ſton of þe feld ſhal faile þe ſnoȝ of Liban? or ben pullid awei moun watris brekende out, colde and ful myche flowende doun?

For forȝat me my puple, in veyn offrende licoures, and ſtumblende in þer weies, and in þe ſtyes of þe world, þat þei go bi þem in a weye not berdid; þat be mad þe lond of hem in to deſolacioun, and in to whiſtling euere durende; eche forſoþe þat paſſeþ bi it, ſhal become ſtoneid, and mouen his hed. As a brenende wind Y ſhal ſcatere þem bifor þe enemy; bac and not face Y ſhal ſhewe to þem, in þe dai of perdicioun of hem. And þei ſeiden, Comeþ, and þenke wee aȝen Jeremye þoȝtus; forſoþe perſhe ſhal not þe lawe fro þe preſt, ne counſeil fro þe wiſe man, ne ſermoun fro þe profete; comeþ, and ſmyte wee hym wiþ tunge, and take wee not heed to alle þe ſermouns of hym.

Tac heed, Lord, to me, and here þe vois of myn aduerſaries. Wheþer ȝolden is for good euel, for þei deluen a dich to my ſoule; recorde, þat Y ſtod in þi ſiȝt, þat I ſchuld ſpeke for þem good, and turne awei þin indignacioun fro þem. Þerfore ȝif þe ſonus of þem in to hunger, and bring doun hem in to þe hondus of ſwerd; mad be þe wifes of þem wiþoute free childer, and widewes, and þe men of hem be ſlayn wiþ deþ; þe ȝunge of þem be þei ſtikid wiþ ſwerd in bataile. Herd be þe cri fro þe houſes of þem, þou ſhalt bringe to forſoþe vp on hem a þef ſodeynly; for þei doluen a dich þat þei take me, and grynes þei hidden to my feet.

Þou forſoþe, Lord, woſt al þe counſeil of hem aȝen me in to deþ; ne be þou pleſid to þe wickidneſſe of þem, and þe ſynne of hem fro þi face be not don awei; be þei mad togidere fallende in þi ſiȝt, in tyme of þi wodneſſe; awei fro good vſe þem.