Jeremiah · Chapter 40

[ edit] The wrd þat ys maade to Jeremye fro þe Lord, aftir þat he is laft of Nabuſardan, maiſter of þe chyualrie, fro Rama, whan he toc hym bounde wiþ cheynes, in þe myddel of alle þat paſſeden fro Jeruſalem, and fro Juda, and þei weren lad in to Babiloyne. Þanne þe prince of þe chyualrie, takende Jeremye, ſeide to hym, Þe Lord þi God ſpac þis euel vp on þis place, and þe Lord broȝte to, and dide, as he ſpac; for ȝee ſynneden to þe Lord, and herden not þe voys of hym, and don is to ȝou þis wrd. Now þanne lo!

Y haue looſid þee to dai of þe cheynes þat ben in þin hondis; yf it pleſe to þee þat þou come wiþ me in to Babiloyne, cum, and Y ſhal putte myn eȝen vp on þee; yf forſoþe it diſpleſe to þee to come wiþ me in to Babiloyne, ſit ſtille heer; lo! al þe lond in þi ſiȝte is, þat þou ſhalt cheeſe, and whider ſhal pleſe to þee þat þou go, þider go, and wiþ me wile þou not come. But dwel anent Godoliam, ſone of Aicham, ſone of Safan, whom beforſette þe king of Babyloyne to þe cites of Juda; dwel þerfore wiþ hym in þe myddel of þe puple, or whider euer it ſhal pleſe to þee þat þou go, go. Þe maiſter of þe chyualrie ȝaf alſo to hym metus, and litil ȝiftus, and lafte hym.

Jeremye forſoþe cam to Godolie, ſone of Aicham, in to Masfa, and dwelte wiþ hym, in þe myddel of þe puple þat was laft in þe lond. And whan herd hadden alle þe princes of þe oſt, þat weren ſcatered bi regiownus, þei and þer felawis, þat þe king of Babiloyne hadde bifor maad Godolie, ſone of Aicham, to þe lond, and þat hadde bitake to hym men, and wymmen, and litil childer, and of þe pore men of þe lond, þat weren not tranſlatid in to Babiloyne, camen to Godolie in to Masfa; and Iſmael, þe ſone of Naþanye, and Johannan, þe ſone of Caraie, and Jonaþan, and Sareas, þe ſone of Thenoemeþ, and þe ſonus of Offi, þat weren of Neþofati, and Jeconye, þe ſone of Mechati, and þei and þe men of hem.

And ſwor to þem Godolie, þe ſone of Aicham, ſone of Safan, and to þe felawes of hem, ſeiende, Wileþ not drede to ſerue to þe Caldeis; dwelleþ in þe lond, and ſerueþ to þe king of Babiloyne, and weel ſhal be to ȝou. Lo! Y dwelle in Masfaþ, þat Y anſwere to þe heſte of þe Caldeis, þat ben ſent to vs; ȝee forſoþe gedereþ vyndage, and rep, and oile, and leiþ vp in ȝoure veſſelis, and dwelleþ in ȝoure cites þat ȝee holden.

But and alle þe Jewis, þat weren in Moab, and in þe ſonus of Amon, and in Ydume, and in alle þe regiouns, herd þat þe king of Babiloyne hadde ȝoue þe remnaunt in Jewerie, and þat he hadde mad prouoſt vp on hem Godoliam, ſone of Aicham, ſone of Safan, turneden aȝeen forſoþe alle þe Jewis of all þe places, to whiche þei hadde floun, and camen to þe lond of Juda, to Godolie in to Masfaþ, and gedereden wyn and rep ful myche. Johanna forſoþe, þe ſone of Charaie, and alle þe princes of þe oſt, þat weren ſcatered in þe regiouns, camen to Godolie in to Masfa, and ſeiden to hym, Wite þou, for Bahalis, king of þe ſonus of Amon, ſente Yſmael, þe ſone of Naþanye, to ſmyte þi lif.

And Godolie, ſone of Aicham, trowede not to þem. Johannan forſoþe, ſone of Chare, ſeide to Godolie, aſide in Masfaþ ſpekende, I ſhal go, and ſmyte Iſmael, þe ſone of Naþanye, no man witende, leſt he ſle þi lif, and be ſcatered alle þe Jewes, þat ben gedered to þee, and perſhe ſhul þe relikes of Juda. And Godolie, þe ſone of Aicham, ſeiþ to Johannan, þe ſone of Chare, Wile þou not do þis wrd, fals forſoþe þou ſpekiſt of Iſmael.