Jeremiah · Chapter 44

[ edit] The wrd þat is don to Jeremye, and to alle þe Jewis, þat dwellen in þe lond of Egipt, dwellende in Magdalo, and in Tannys, and in Memphis, and in þe lond of Fatures, ſeiende, Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, God of Irael, Ȝee han ſeen al þys euel, þat Y haue broȝt vp on Jeruſalem, and vp on alle þe cites of Juda; and lo! þei ben deſert to dai, and þer is not in hem a dwellere; for þe malice þat þei diden, þat me to wraþe þei ſhulde terre, and gon, and ſacrifien, and herien alien godus, þat þei knewe not, and ȝee, and þei, and ȝoure fadris. And Y ſente to ȝou alle my ſeruauns and profetus, fro nyȝt riſende, and ſendende, and ſeiende, Wileþ not do þe wrd of þis maner abhominacioun.

And þei herden not, ne boweden in þer ere, þat þei were conuertid fro þer eueles, and ſacrifieden not to alien godis. And ȝot out is myn indignacioun and wodneſſe, and tend vp it is in þe cytes of Juda, and in þe ſtretus of Jeruſalem; and turned þei ben in to wilderneſſe, and waſtite, after þis day.

And now þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, God of Irael, Whi do ȝee þis grete euel aȝen ȝoure ſoulus, þat die of ȝou man and womman, litil child and ſoukende, fro þe myddel of Jude, ne be laft to ȝou any þing reſidue, terrende me in þe werkes of ȝoure hondus, in ſacrifiende to aliene godus in þe lond of Egipt, in to whiche ȝee ben come, þat ȝee dwelle þere, and perſhe, and be in to curſing, and in to repref to alle Jentilis of erþe? Wheþer ȝee han forȝete þe euelis of ȝoure fadris, and þe euelis of þe kingus of Juda, and þe euelis of þe wyues of hem, and ȝoure eueles, and þe euelys of ȝoure wyues, þat þei diden in þe lond of Juda, and in þe regiouns of Jeruſalem?

Þei ben not clenſid vnto þis day, and þei dredde not, and wente not in þe lawe of þe Lord, and in myn heſtus, þat Y ȝaf bifor ȝou, and bifor ȝoure fadris. Þerfore þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, God of Irael, Lo! Y ſhal ſette my face in ȝou in to euel, and deſtroȝen al Juda, and take þe remnauns of Juda, þat ſetteden þer faces, þat þei ſhulden go in to þe lond of Egipt, and dwelle þere; and þei ſhul be waſtid alle in þe lond of Egipt, and þei ſhul falle in ſwerd, and in hunger ſhul be waſtid, fro þe leſte vn to þe meſte, in ſwerd and in hunger þei ſhul die, and þei ſhul be in to riȝt of ſwering, and in to myracle, and in to curſing, and in to repref.

And Y ſhal viſite vp on þe dwelleres of þe lond of Egipt, as Y viſitede vp on Jeruſalem, in ſwerd, and hunger, and peſtilence. And þer ſhal not be þat ſcape, and be þe reſidue of þe remnaunt of Jewis, þat gon þat þei pilgrimage in þe lond of Egipt, and be turned aȝeen to þe lond of Juda, to whiche þei reren vp þer ſoules, þat þei be turned aȝeen, and dwelle þere; þei ſhul not be turned aȝeen þidur, no but þei þat floun.

Anſwerende forſoþe to Jeremye alle þe men, witende þat þer wyues ſhulden ſacrifien to alien godus, and alle þe wymmen, of whiche ſtod a gret multitude, and al þe puple of dwelleris in þe lond of Egipt, in Fatures, ſeiende, Þe wrd þat þou ſpeeke to vs in þe name of þe Lord oure God, wee ſhul not heren of þee, but doende wee ſhul do eche word þat ſhal gon oute of oure mouþ, þat wee ſacrifie to þe queen of heuene, and offre to hir ſacrifiſe of licoures, as diden wee, and oure fadris, oure kingus, and oure princes, in þe cheef cites of Juda, and in þe ſtretus of Jeruſalem; and we weren fulfild wiþ loeues, and wel it was to vs, and euel wee ſeȝen not.

Fro þat forſoþe tyme, þat wee ceſeden to ſacrifien to þe queen of heuene, and to offre to hir ſacrifiſes of licoures, wee nededen alle þingus, and wiþ ſwerd and hunger wee ben waſtid. Þat if wee ſacrifien to þe queen of heuene, and offre to hir ſacrifiſes of licoures, wheþer wiþoute oure men wee ſhul do to hir pleſaunt cakes, for to herie hir, and ſacrifiſes of licoures to ben offred?

And Jeremye ſeide to al þe puple, aȝen þe men, and aȝen þe wymmen, and aȝen al þe folc, þat anſwereden to hym þe wrd, ſeiende, Wheþer not þe ſacrifiſe þat ȝee ſacrifieden in þe cites of Juda, and in þe ſtretus of Jeruſalem, ȝee, and ȝoure fadris, ȝoure kingus, and ȝoure princes, and þe puple of þe lond, of þeſe þingus recordide þe Lord, and it ſteȝede vp vpon his herte; and þe Lord myȝte no mor bern, for þe malice of ȝoure ſtudies, and for þe abhomynaciouns þat ȝee diden? And don is ȝoure lond in to deſolacioun, and in to ſtoneing, and in to curſing, for þi þat þer is not a dwellere, as ys þis dai.

Þerfore for ȝee ſacrifieden to maumetus, and ſynneden to þe Lord, and ȝee herden not þe vois of þe Lord, and in þe lawe, and heſtus, and in his witneſſes ȝee han not gon, þerfore camen to ȝou þeſe eueles, as is þis dai. Jeremye forſoþe ſeide to al þe puple, and to alle þe wymmen, Hereþ þe wrd of þe Lord, al Juda, þat ben in þe lond of Egipt. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, God of Irael, ſeiende, Ȝee and ȝoure wyues ſpeeken wiþ ȝoure mouþ, and wiþ ȝoure hondus fulfilden, ſeiende, Do wee oure vouwis þat wee vouweden, þat wee ſacrifie to þe quen of heuene, and offre to hir ſacryfiſes of licoures; ȝee han fulfild ȝoure vouwis, and in werc ȝee han do þem.

Þerfore hereþ þe wrd of þe Lord, al Juda, þat dwellen in þe lond of Egipt; Lo! Y ſwor in my gret name, ſeiþ þe Lord, for no mor ſhal be clepid my name of þe mouþ of eche man Jew, ſeiende, Þe Lord God lyueþ, in þe lond of Egipt. Lo! Y ſhal waken vp on hem in to euel, and not in to good; and to-waſtid ſhul ben alle þe men of Juda, þat ben in þe lond of Egipt, wiþ ſwerd and hungur, to þe tyme þat fulli þei ben waſtid. And þey þat ſhul flee ſwerd, ſhul turne aȝeen fro þe lond of Egipt in to þe lond of Juda, fewe men; and wite ſhul al þe remnaunt of Juda, of þe men goende in to þe lond of Egipt, þat þei dwelle þere, whos ſermoun be fulfild, myn or þeris.

And þis to ȝou a tocne, ſeiþ þe Lord, þat Y viſite vp on ȝou in þis place, þat ȝee wite, for verrely ſhul be fulfild my wrdus aȝen ȝou in to euel. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Lo! Y ſhal take Farao, king of Egipt, in þe hond of his enemys, and in þe hond of men ſechende þe ſoule of hym, as Y toc Sedechie, king of Juda, in þe hond of Nabugodonoſor, king of Babiloyne, his enemy, and ſechende his ſoule.