Jeremiah · Chapter 34

[ edit] The wrd þat is don to Jeremye of þe Lord, whan Nabugodonoſor, king of Babiloyne, and al his oſt, and alle reumus of þe erþe, þat weren vnder þe power of þe hond of hym, and alle puples foȝten aȝen Jeruſalem, and aȝen alle his cites, ſeiende, Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of Irael, Go, and ſpec to Sedechie, king of Juda; and þou ſhalt ſey to hym, Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Lo! Y ſhal take þis cyte in þe hond of þe king of Babiloyne, and he ſhal brenne it vp wiþ fyr.

And þou ſhalt not ſcape fro his hond, but wiþ taking þou ſhalt be take, and in his hond þou ſhalt be take; and þin eȝen þe eȝen of þe king of Babiloyne ſhuln ſee, and his mouþ wiþ þi mouþ ſhal ſpeke, and Babiloyne þou ſhalt go in. Nerþelatere here þe wrd of þe Lord, þou, Sedechie, king of Juda, Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord to þee, Þou ſhalt not die in ſwerd, but in pes þou ſhalt die, and aftir þe brennyngus of þi fadris raþere kingus þat weren bifor þee, ſo þei ſhal brenne togidere þee, and wiþ Wo! lord, þei ſhul weile þee; for þe wrd Y ſpac, ſeiþ þe Lord. And Jeremye, þe profete, ſpac to Sedechie, king of Juda, alle þeſe wrdus in Jeruſalem.

And þe oſt of þe king of Babiloyne faȝt aȝen Jeruſalem, and aȝen alle þe cites of Jude, þat weren laft; aȝen Lachis, and aȝen Azecha; þeſe forſoþe laften ouer of þe cites of Jude ſtrengþid cites. Þe wrd þat is don to Jeremye fro þe Lord, aftir þat king Sedechie ſmot pes couenaunt wiþ al þe puple in Jeruſalem, prechende þat eche ſhulde leuen his þral, and eche his þral womman, Ebru man and Ebru womman free, and not lordſhipen to þem, þat is, in Jew, and in his broþer.

Herden þerfore alle þe princes and al þe puple, þat wenten in couenaunt, þat þei ſhulden leue eche his þral, and eche his þral womman free, and no more þei ſhulden lordſhipen to þem; herden þanne þei, and laften; and ben turned þeraftir, and drowen aȝeen þrallis, and þer þralleſſis, þat þei hadden laft free, and vnderȝokeden in to ſeruauns, and in to wymmen ſeruauns.

And don is þe wrd of þe Lord to Jeremye fro þe Lord, ſeiende, Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of Irael, I ſmot pes couenaunt wiþ ȝoure fadris, in þe dai þat Y ladde þem out fro þe lond of Egipt, fro þe hous of þraldam, ſeiende, Whan ſhul be fulfild ſeuene ȝer, lefe eche his Ebru broþer, þat is ſold to hym, and he ſhal ſerue to hym ſixe ȝer, and þou ſhalt lefe hym fro þee free; and herden not ȝoure fadris me, ne boweden in þer ere. And ȝee ben turned to day, and diden þat is riȝt in myne eȝen, þat ȝee ſhulden preche eche fredam to his frend, and wenten in couenaunt in my ſiȝt, in þe hous in whiche is inwardly clepid my name vp on it.

And ȝee ben turned aȝeen, and defouleden my name, and ȝee han broȝt aȝeen eche his þral, and eche his þralleſſe, þe whiche ȝee hadden laft, þat þei were free, and of þer power; and ȝee han vnderȝokid hem, þat þei ben to ȝou þralles and þralleſſes. Þerfore þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Ȝee han not herd me, þat ȝee ſhulden preche freedam, eche to his broþer, and eche to his frend; lo! Y preche to ȝou freedam, ſeiþ þe Lord, and to ſwerd and to hunger and to peſtilence I ſhal ȝyue ȝou, in to quauyng to alle rewmus of erþe.

And Y ſhal ȝyue þe men, þat breeke my pes couenaunt, and kepten not þe wrdus of þe pes couenaunt, to whiche þei ben aſſentid in my ſiȝt, a calf þat þei toheewen in to two parties; and paſſeden bitwen his deuyſeouns þe princes of Juda, and þe princes of Jeruſalem, and geldingus, and preſtus, and al þe puple of þe lond, þat paſſeden bitwene þe deuyſeouns of þe calf; and Y ſhal ȝyue þem in to þe hond of þer enemys, and in to þe hond of men ſechende þer lif; and ſhal ben þe deþ ſmyting of hem in to mete to þe foulis of heuene, and to þe beſtus of erþe.

And Sedechie, king of Juda, and his princes Y ſhal ȝyue in to þe hond of þer enemys, and in to þe hond of men ſechende þer lif, and in to þe hond of þe oſtus of þe king of Babiloyne, þat wenten awei fro ȝou. Lo! Y comaunde, ſeiþ þe Lord, and Y ſhal bringe þem aȝeen to þis cite; and þei ſhul fiȝten aȝen it, and taken it, and brenne it vp wiþ fyr; and þe cites of Juda Y ſhal ȝyue in to wilderneſſe, for þi þat þer is not a dwellere.