Jeremiah · Chapter 38

[ edit] Herden forſoþe Safacie, ſone of Naþan, and Jedelias, ſone of Faſſur, and Jochal, ſone of Selemie, and Faſſur, ſone of Melchie, þe wrdus þat Jeremye ſpac to al þe puple, ſeiende, Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Who ſo euere ſhal abide in þis cite, ſhal die bi ſwerd, and hungur, and peſtilence; who forſoþe ſhal flee to þe Caldeis, ſhal lyue, and his lif ſhal ben hoel and lyuynge. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, To be take ſhal be take þis cite in to þe hond of þe oſt of þe king of Babiloyne, and he ſhal taken it.

And þe princes ſeiden to þe king, Wee preȝen, þat be ſlayn þis man; of purpos forſoþe he looſeþ atwynne þe hondus of þe fiȝteres, þat han abide in þe cite, and þe hondus of al þe puple, ſpekende to þem alle þeſe wrdus. Forſoþe þis man ſecheþ not pes to þis puple, but euel. And king Sedechie ſeide, Lo! he in ȝoure hondus is, ne forſoþe leeful is þe king any þing to ȝou to denye. Þanne þei toke Jeremye, and þrewen hym in to þe lake of Elchie, ſone of Amalech, þat was in þe veſtiarie of þe priſoun; and þei putte doun Jeremye in cordis and in to þe lake, in whiche was not water, but clei; and ſo Jeremye deſcendide in to þe foule cley.

Forſoþe Abdemelech Eþiope, a man gelding, þat was in þe hous of þe king, herde þat þei hadden put Jeremye in to þe lake; but þe king ſat in þe ȝate of Beniamyn. And Abdemelech wente out fro þe hous of þe king, and ſpac to þe king, ſeiende, My lord king, euele han do þeſe men alle þingus, what euere þei diden aȝen Jeremye, þe profete, ſendende hym in to þe lake, þat he die þere for hungir; þer ben no mo loeues in þe cite. And ſo þe king comaundide to Abdemelech Eþeope, ſeiende, Tac wiþ þee hennus þretti men, and rere vp Jeremye, þe profete, fro þe lake, er he die.

Þanne Abdemelech take to wiþ hym men, wente in to þe hous of þe king, þat was vnder þe celer; and toke þennus olde cloþis, and olde veſtemens, þat hadden rotid; and he putte doun hem to Jeremye, in to þe lake, bi litle cordis. And Abdemelech Eþiope ſeide to Jeremye, Put þe olde cloþis, and þeſe kut and roten vnder þe arm of þin hondus, and vp on þe cordis. Þanne Jeremye dide ſo. And þei drowen out Jeremye wiþ cordus, and broȝten hym out fro þe lake. Jeremye forſoþe abod in þe veſtiarie of þe priſoun. And king Sedechie ſente, and toc to hym Jeremye, þe profete, at þe þridde dore þat was in þe hous of þe Lord. And þe king ſeide to Jeremye, Y aſke þee a wrd; ne hide þou fro me any þing.

Jeremye forſoþe ſeide to Sedechie, If Y ſhal tellen to þee, wheþer þou ſhalt not ſlen me? And yf Y ſchul ȝyue counſeil to þee, þou ſhalt not here me. Þanne king Sedechie ſwor to Jeremye, priuyli ſeiende, Þe Lord lyueþ, þat dide to vs þis lyf, Y ſhal not ſlee þee, and Y ſhal not take þee in to þe hondus of þeſe men, þat ſechen þi lif. And Jeremye ſeide to Sedechie, Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, God of Irael, If gon forþ þou ſhalt gon out to þe princes of þe king of Babiloyne, lyue ſhal þi ſoule, and þis cite ſhal not be brend vp wiþ fyr, and ſaaf þou ſhalt be, and þin hous.

If forſoþe þou ſhalt not gon out to þe princes of þe king of Babiloyne, take ſhal be þis cite in to þe hondus of Caldeis; and þei ſhul brenne it vp wiþ fyr, and þou ſhalt not ſcape fro þe hond of þem. And king Sedechie ſeide to Jeremye, I am biſy for þe Jewes þat ouerfloun to þe Caldeis, leſt par auenture Y be take in to þe hondus of hem, and þei bobbe to me. Anſwerende forſoþe Jeremye ſeide to hym, Þei ſhul not take þee; here, Y beſeche, þe vois of þe Lord, þat Y ſhal ſpeke to þee, and weel ſhal be to þee, and lyue ſhal þi ſoule.

Þat if þou wilt not go out, þis is þe wrd þat ſhewede to me þe Lord, Lo! alle þe wymmen, þat abiden in þe hous of þe king of Juda, ſhul be broȝt out to þe princes of þe king of Babiloyne; and þei ſhul ſey, Han bigilid þee, and hadden þe maiſtri aȝen þee þi peſible men; þei han drenchid þee doun in þe myre, and in þe ſledery þing þi feet, and þei wenten awei fro þee. And alle þi wyues and þi ſonus ſhul be lad out to þe Caldeis, and þou ſhalt not ſcape þe hondus of hem; but in to þe hondus of þe king of Babiloyne þou ſhalt be take, and þis cite þei ſhul to-brenne wiþ fyr. Þanne Sedechie ſeide to Jeremye, No man wite þeſe wrdus, and þou ſhalt not die.

If forſoþe heren ſhul þe princes, for Y haue ſpoke wiþ þee, and þei ſhul come to þee, and ſei to þee, Shew to vs what þou haſt ſpoke wiþ þe king, ne hile þou vs, and wee ſhul not ſle þee; and what ſpac wiþ þee þe king, þou ſhalt ſei to þem, I haue þrowe doun my preȝeres befor þe king, leſt he comaundede me to be broȝt aȝeen in to þe hous of Jonaþan, and þere Y ſhulde die. Camen þanne alle þe princes to Jeremye, and aſkeden hym; and he ſpac to þem after alle þe wrdus þat þe king hadde comaundid to hym, and þei ceſeden fro hym; no þing forſoþe was herd. Þanne Jeremye abod in þe veſtiarie of þe priſoun, vnto þe dai þat taken is Jeruſalem; and don it is, þat Jeruſalem ſhulde ben taken.