Jeremiah · Chapter 31

[ edit] In þat tyme, ſeiþ þe Lord, I ſhal be God to alle þe kinredus of Irael; and þei ſhul be to me in to puple. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Founde grace in deſert þe puple þat lafte fro ſwerd; go ſhal to his reſte Irael. Aferr þe Lord aperede to me, and in euere laſtende charite Y louede þee; þerfore Y rewende droȝ þee. And eft Y ſhal bilden vp þee, and bild vp ſhal þou be, maiden Irael; ȝit þou ſhalt ben enourned wiþ þi tymbris, and þou ſhalt gon out in þe daunce of pleieres. And ȝit þou ſhalt plaunte vynes in þe mount of Samarie; plaunte ſhul plaunteres, and for to tyme come þei ſhul not pulle grapes.

For þe dai ſhal ben, in whiche crien ſhul keperes in þe mount of Samarie, and in þe mount of Effraym, Riſeþ, and ſteye wee vp in to Sion, to þe Lord oure God. For þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Ful out ioȝeþ in gladneſſe of Jacob, and neyȝeþ aȝen þe heued of Jentilis; parfitly ſowneþ, and ſingeþ, and ſeiþ, Saf, Lord, þi puple, þe remnauntis of Irael. Lo! Y ſhal bringe þem fro þe lond of þe norþ, and gedere þem fro þe vtmoſtus of erþe; among whom ſhal be þe blinde, and þe lame, and þe womman wiþ childe, and þe trauailende wiþ childe togidere, a gret cumpanye of men turnende aȝeen hider.

In weping þei ſhul come, and in mercy Y ſhal bringe þem aȝeen; and Y ſhal lede þem bi ſtef ſtremes of watris in a riȝt weie, þei ſhul not ſtumble in it; for Y am mad to Irael a fader, and Effraym my firſt goten is. Hereþ þe wrd of þe Lord, ȝee Jentiles, and telleþ in ilis þat ben aferr, and ſeiþ, Who ſcaterede Irael, ſhal gaderen hym, and kepen hym, as a ſhepperde his floc. Forſoþe þe Lord boȝte aȝeen Jacob, and delyuerede hym fro þe hond of þe myȝtiere. And þei ſhul come, and preiſen in þe mount of Sion; and togidere flowen to þe goodus of þe Lord, vp on whete, wyn, and oile, and frut of beſtes, and of droues; and þe ſoule of þem ſhal be as a watri gardyn, and no more þei ſhul hungre.

Þanne gladen ſhal þe maiden in þe daunce, ȝunge men and maidenus togidere; and Y ſhal turne þer weiling in to ioȝe, and coumforte þem, and gladen fro þer ſorewe. And Y ſhal inwardly drunkne þe ſoule of þe preſtus wiþ fatneſſe, and my puple wiþ my goodus ſhal be fulfyld, ſeiþ þe Lord. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Vois in heiȝte is herd of lamentacioun, and weping, and weiling, of Rachel wepende hir ſonus, and not willende to be coumfortid vp on hem, for þei ben not. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Reſte þi vois fro weping, and þin eȝen fro teres; for þer is meede to þi werc, ſeiþ þe Lord; and þei ſhul be turned aȝeen fro þe lond of þe enemy.

And þer is hope in þi laſte, ſeiþ þe Lord, and ben turned aȝeen ſhul þe ſonus to þer termes. Herende Y herde Effraym ouergoende; þou chaſtiſediſt me, and Y am lerned as a ȝungling vntamed; conuerte me, and Y ſchal be conuertid, for þou Lord my God. After forſoþe þat þou haddeſt conuertid me, Y dide penaunce; and after þat þou haddeſt ſhewid to me, Y ſmot my hipe; I am confoundid, and Y ſhamede, for Y ſuffrede þe repref of my ȝunge waxen age. If a wrſhypeful ſone to me Effraym, if a child delicat; for ſiþen Y ſpac of hym, ȝit Y ſhal recorden of hym; þerfore ben diſturbid my bowelis vpon hym, rewende Y ſhal han mercy of hym, ſeiþ þe Lord.

Ordeyne to þee a toting place, ſett to þee bitterneſſes; riȝt reule þin herte in to an euene weie, in whiche þou haſt go; turne aȝeen, þou maide Irael, turne aȝeen to þeſe þi cites. Hou longe wiþ delices ſhalt þou be looſid atwynne, þou doȝter vagaunt? for ſhapen haþ þe Lord newe þing vp on erþe, þe womman ſhal go abouten þe man. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtis, God of Irael, Ȝit þei ſhul ſey þis wrd in þe lond of Juda, and in his cheef cites, whan Y ſhal conuerte þe caitifte of hem, Bleſſeþ to þee þe Lord, þe fayrneſſe, of riȝtwiſneſſe þe hoeli mount. And dwelle ſhul in it Juda, and alle his cites, togidere erþe tilieres, and men dryuende flockes.

For Y haue mad drunke þe weri ſoule, and eche hungrende ſoule Y haue fulfild. Þerfore as fro ſlep I am rered, and ſaȝ; and my ſlep ſweete is to me. Lo! daȝes comen, ſeiþ þe Lord, and Y ſhal ſowen þe hous of Irael and þe hous of Juda wiþ þe ſed of men, and wiþ þe ſed of beſtus. And as Y woc vp on hem, þat Y ſchulde pullen out, and deſtroȝen, and waſten, and ſcateren, and tormenten; ſo Y ſhal waken vp on hem, þat Y bilde vp, and plaunte, ſeiþ þe Lord. In þo daȝes men ſhul ſeyn no more, Fadris eeten þe ſoure grape, and þe teeþ of þe ſonus ſtoneȝeden; but eche in his wickeneſſe ſhal die, eche man þat ſhal ete þe ſoure grape, ſhul ſtoneȝe þe teeþ of hym.

Lo! daȝes comen, ſeiþ þe Lord, and Y ſhal ſmyte to þe hous of Irael, and to þe hous of Juda newe pes couenaunt; not after þe couenaunt þat Y couenauntede wiþ ȝoure fadris, in þe day þat Y toc þe hond of hem, þat Y ſhulde bringe þem out fro þe lond of Egipt, couenaunt þat þei maden voide; and Y lordſhepede of hem, ſeiþ þe Lord. But þis ſhal be þe couenaunt, þat Y ſhal ſmyte wiþ þe hous of Irael after þo daȝes, ſeiþ þe Lord; Y ſhal ȝyue my lawe in þe boweles of hem, and in þe herte of hem Y ſhal write it, and Y ſhal be to þem in to God, and þei ſhal be to me in to a puple.

And techen ſhul no more þe man his neȝhebore, and þe man his broþer, ſeiende, Knowe þou þe Lord; alle forſoþe ſhul knowe me, fro þe leſte vnto þe moſte, ſeiþ þe Lord; for Y ſhal han mercy to þe wickenes of þem, and of þe ſynne of hem Y ſhal no mor be myndeful. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, þat ȝyueþ þe ſunne in þe liȝt of þe dai, ordre of þe moone and of þe ſterres in liȝt of þe nyȝt, þat diſturbeþ þe ſe, and his flodis ſownen, þe Lord of oſtus name to hym. If failen ſhuln þeſe lawes bifor me, ſeiþ þe Lord, þanne and þe ſed of Irael ſhal faile, þat þer be not folc bifor me alle daȝes.

Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Yf heuenus ſhul moun be meſured fro aboue, and be ſerched þe foundemens of þe erþe byneþe, and Y ſhal caſten awei al þe ſed of Irael, for alle þingus þat þei diden, ſeiþ þe Lord. Lo! daȝes comen, ſeiþ þe Lord, and bild vp ſhal be a cyte to þe Lord fro þe tour of Ananeel vn to þe ȝate of þe corner. And it ſhal gon out ouer þe reule of þe meſure, in his ſiȝte, vp on þe hyl of Gared, and it ſhal gon aboute Goacha, and al þe valei of careynus, and þe aſkes, and al þe regioun of deþ, vnto þe ſtef ſtrem of Cedron, and vnto þe corner of þe eſt ȝate of hors; þe hoeli of þe Lord ſhal not be pullid vp, and no mor be deſtroȝed in to euermore.