Jeremiah · Chapter 23

[ edit] Wo to þe ſhepperdis, þat ſcateren and to-tern þe floc of my leſwe, ſeiþ þe Lord. Þerfore þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of Irael to þe ſhepperdus, þat feden my puple, Ȝee ſcatereden my floc, and þrewen out hem, and han not viſitid hem; lo! Y ſhal viſite vp on ȝow þe malice of ȝoure ſtudies, ſeiþ þe Lord. And Y ſhal gedere þe remnauntus of my floc fro alle londis, to whiche Y ſhal caſte hem out þider; and Y ſhal turne þem to þer wilde feldus, and þei ſhul growe, and be multepliede. And Y ſhal rere vp on hem ſhepperdus, and þei ſhul fede þem; þei ſhuln no mor ben aferd, ne inwardly dreden; and no man ſhal be ſoȝt of þe noumbre, ſeiþ þe Lord.

Lo! daȝes comen, ſeiþ þe Lord, and I ſhal rere Dauid a riȝtwis buriownyng; and regne he ſhal king, and wys he ſhal be, and don he ſhal dom and riȝtwiſneſſe in erþe. In þo daȝes ſaued ſhal ben Juda, and Irael ſhal dwelle troſtili; and þis is þe name þat þei ſhul clepen hym, Oure riȝtwis Lord. For þis lo! daȝes comen, ſeiþ þe Lord, and þei ſhul ſei no more, Þe Lord lyueþ, þat ladde out þe ſonus of Irael fro þe lond of Egipt; but, Þe Lord lyueþ, þat ladde out, and broȝte to þe ſed of þe hous of Irael fro þe lond of þe norþ, and fro alle londus to þe whiche Y hadde caſt þem oute þider; and þei ſhul dwelle in þer owne lond.

To þe profetus; To-broſid is my herte in þe myddel of me, al to-trembleden alle my bonus; I am mad as a drunke man, and as a man drunken of wyn, fro þe face of þe Lord, and fro þe face of his hoeli wrdus; for of auoutreres fulfild is þe lond. For fro þe face of curſing weilide þe lond; dried ben þe wilde feldus of deſert, mad ys þe cours of þem euel, and þe ſtrengþe of hem vnlic. Þe profete forſoþe and þe preſt ben defoulid; and in myn hous I fond þe euel of hem, ſeiþ þe Lord. Þerfore þe weie of hem ſhal be as ſlydery in dercneſſes, þei ſhul be put doun forſoþe, and falle togidere in it; for I ſhal bringe to vpon hem eueles, a ȝer of þe viſiting of þem, ſeiþ þe Lord.

And in þe profetis of Samarie Y ſaȝ folie, and þei profecieden in Baal, and diſceyueden my puple Irael. And in þe profetus of Jeruſalem Y ſaȝ licneſſe auoutreres, and weie of leſing; and þei coumforteden þe hondus of werſt men, þat conuertid were not eche fro his malice; alle þei ben mad to me Sodome, and alle hyſe dwelleris as Gomorre. Þerfore þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus to profetis, Lo! Y ſhal fede hem wiþ wrmwed, and drunken hem wiþ galle; fro þe profetus forſoþe of Jeruſalem is gon out defouling vp on al erþe.

Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, Wileþ not heren þe wrdus of þe profetes, þat profecien to ȝou, and deſceyuen ȝou; þe viſeoun of þer herte þei ſpeken, not of þe mouþ of þe Lord. Þey ſeyn to þem þat blasfemen me, Þe Lord ſpac, Pes ſhal be to ȝou; and to eche þat goþ in þe ſhreudneſſe of his herte þei ſeiden, Þer ſhal not come vp on ȝou euel. Who forſoþe was nyȝ in þe counſeil of þe Lord, and ſaȝ, and herde þe ſermoun of hym? who biheeld his wrd, and herde? Lo! þe whirlewind of þe Lordus indignacioun ſhal gon out, and tempeſt brekende out vp on þe hed of vnpitous men ſhal come.

Þe wodneſſe of þe Lord ſhal not turne aȝeen, vnto þe tyme þat he do, and vnto þe tyme þat he fulfille þe þenking of his herte. In hiſe laſte daȝes ȝee ſhul vnderſtonde his counſeil. I ſente not þe profetes, and þei runnen; Y ſpac not to þem, and þei profecieden. If þei hadden ſtonde in my counſeil, and knowen hadden mad my wrdis to my puple, I ſhulde han turned awei hem forſoþe fro þer euel weie, and fro þer werſt þenkingus. Weneſt þou, wheþer a Lord fro anyȝ Y am, ſeiþ þe Lord, and not God fro afer? If hid ſhal be a man in hid þingus, and Y ſhal not ſeen hym? ſeiþ þe Lord. Wheþer not heuene and erþe Y fulfille? ſeiþ þe Lord.

Y herde what þingus ſeiden profetus, profeciende in my name leſing, and ſeiende, Sweuenes Y ſweuenede. Hou longe þis is in þe herte of profetes, profeciende leſing, and profeciende þe begiling of þer herte? Þe whiche wiln make, þat þe puple forȝete of my name for þer ſweuenes, whiche telleþ eche to his neȝhebore, as forȝeeten þer fadris of my name for Baal. Þe profete þat haþ a ſweuene, telle he þe ſweuene; and þat haþ my ſermoun, ſpeke he my ſermoun verely. What to þe chaf at þe whete? ſeiþ þe Lord. Wheþer not my wrdus ben as fyr brennende, ſeiþ þe Lord, and as an hamer tobrekende þe ſton? Þerfor lo! Y to þe profetes, ſeiþ þe Lord, þat ſtelun my wrdus, eche fro his neȝhebore. Lo!

Y to þe profetys, ſeiþ þe Lord, þat taken to þeir tunges, and ſeyn, Þe Lord ſeiþ. Lo! Y to þe profetys, ſweuenende leſing, ſeiþ þe Lord; þat tolden þem, and bigileden my puple in þer leſing, and in þer myracles, whan Y hadde not ſent hem, ne beden hem; þe whiche no þing profiteden to þis puple, ſeiþ þe Lord. If þerfore ſhul aſke þee þis puple, or profete, or preſt, ſeiende, What is þe charge of þe Lord? þou ſhalt ſey to þem, Ȝee ben þe charge, forſoþe Y ſhal þrowe ȝou aferr, ſeiþ þe Lord; and profete, and preſt, and puple, þat ſeiþ, Þe charge of þe Lord, Y ſhal viſite vp on þat man, and vp on his hous.

Þeſe þingus ȝee ſhuln ſeyn, eche to his neȝhebore, and to his broþir, What ſhal anſwern þe Lord? and what ſpac þe Lord? For þe charge of þe Lord no more ſhal abide, and charge ſhal be to eche man his wrd; and ȝee han myſturned þe wrdus of lyuende God, Lord of oſtus, oure God. Þeſe þingus þou ſhalt ſeyn to þe profete, What anſwerde to þee þe Lord? and what ſpac þe Lord? If forſoþe, Þe charge of þe Lord, ȝee ſhul ſey, for þis þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, For ȝee ſeiden þis ſermoun, Þe charge of þe Lord, and Y ſente to ȝou, ſeiende, Wileþ not ſeyn, Þe charge of þe Lord; þerfore lo! Y beryng ſhal take ȝou, and forſake ȝou, and þis cite þat Y ȝaf to ȝou, and to ȝoure fadris, fro my face.

And Y ſhal ȝyue ȝou in to euermor repref, and in to euermor ſhenſhipe, þat neuer bi forȝetynge ſhal ben don awey.