Jeremiah · Chapter 20

[ edit] And þer herde Faſſur, þe ſone of Emyner, preſt, þat was ordeyned prince in þe hous of þe Lord, Jeremye profeciende þeſe ſermownus. And Faſſur ſmot Jeremye, profete, and putte hym in to þe ſtockes, þat was in þe ouere ȝate of Beniamyn, in þe hous of þe Lord. And whan it hadde liȝtid in to þe moru, Faſſur ladde out Jeremie out of þe ſtockus. And Jeremye ſeide to hym, Not Faſſur clepede þe Lord þi name, but Inwardli ferd on eche ſide. For þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Lo!

Y ſhal ȝyue þee in to inward ferd, þee and alle þi frendus, and to gidere þei ſhul falle wiþ þe ſwerd of þer enemys; and þin eȝen ſhul ſee; and al Juda Y ſhal ȝyue in þe hond of þe kyng of Babiloyne, and he ſhal ouer lede þem in to Babiloyne, and ſmyte þem wiþ ſwerd. And Y ſhal ȝyue al þe ſubſtaunce of þis cite, and al his trauaile, and al þe pris; and al þe treſores of þe king of Juda I ſhal ȝyue in þe hond of þe enemys of þem; and þey ſhul reue þem, and taken, and bringe þem in to Babyloyne.

Þou forſoþe, Faſſur, and alle þe dwelleris of þin hous, ſhul gon in to caitifte; and in to Babyloyne þou ſhalt come, and þere þou ſhalt die; and þere þou ſhalt be biried, and alle þi frendus, to whyche þou profeciediſt leſing. Þou leddeſt me a ſyde, Lord, and Y am lad aſide; ſtrengere þan Y þou were, and þou haddeſt þe maiſtrie; I am mad in to ſcorn al day. Alle ſcorneden me, for now ȝore Y ſpeke, criende out þe wickidneſſe, and þe waſtite I ofte crie. And don is þe ſermoun of þe Lord to me in to repref, and in to ſcornyng al day. And Y ſeide, I ſhal not recorden of it, ne ſpeke more in þe name of hym.

And mad it is in myn herte, as fyr gretly hetende, and cloſid in my bones; and Y failede, to bern not ſuſtenende. I herde forſoþe þe wrong blamyngus of manye, and þe ferd in enuyroun, Purſueþ, and purſue wee hym, of alle men þat weren my peſible, and kepende my ſide; if any maner he be bigilid, and wee haue þe maiſtri aȝen hym, and wee gete veniaunce of hym. Þe Lord forſoþe is wiþ me as a ſtrong fiȝtere, þerfor þat purſuen me ſhul falle, and ſyc ſhul be; and þei ſhul be ſhent hugeli, for þei vnderſtoden not þe euere durende repref, þat neuer ſhal be don awei.

And þou, Lord of oſtus, prouere of þe riȝtwis, þat ſeeſt þe reenes and þe herte, ſee I, Y beſeche, þi veniaunce of hem; to þee forſoþe Y ſhewide my cauſe. Syngeþ to þe Lord, preiſeþ þe Lord, for he haþ delyuered þe ſoule of þe pore fro þe hond of euelis. Curſid þe dai in þe whiche Y am born, þe dai in whiche bar me my moder, be not bleſſid. Curſed þe man, þat tolde to my fader, ſeiende, Born is to þee a knaue child, and as wiþ ioȝe gladide hym. Be þat man as ben þe cites, þat þe Lord turnede vpſodoun, and it oþoȝte hym not; here he cry erly, and ȝelling in mydday tyme, þat me ſloȝ not fro þe priue wombe; þat mad were to me my moder a ſepulcre, and hir priue wombe conceyuyng euerlaſtende.

Whi fro þe priue wombe Y ȝide out, þat Y ſhulde ſeen trauaile and ſorewe, and waſt ben in confuſioun my daȝes?