Jeremiah · Chapter 46

[ edit] The wrd of þe Lord þat is don to Jeremye, profete, aȝen Jentiles; to Egipt, aȝen þe oſt of Farao Nechao, king of Egipt, þat was biſide þe flod of Eufraten, in Carkamys, whom ſmot Nabugodonoſor, king of Babiloyne, in þe ferþe ȝer of Joachym, ſone of Joſie, king of Juda. Greiþeþ ſheeld and target, and goþ forþ to bataile. Ioyneþ hors, and ſteȝeþ vp, ȝee hors men; ſtondeþ in helmes, pulſheþ ſperes, cloþeþ ȝou wiþ habiriownus. What þanne? I ſaȝ hem ferd, and þe backes turnende, þe ſtronge men of hem hewen doun; and þei floun togidere haſtid, ne þei beheelden; ferd on eche ſyde, ſeiþ þe Lord.

Flee ſhal not þe ſwifte, ne þe ſtronge weene hymſelf to be ſaued; to þe norþ, biſide þe flod of Eufraten, þei ben ouercome, and felden doun. Who is þis, þat as þe flod ſteȝeþ vp, and as of flodis ſwellen his ſwolewis? Egipt at licneſſe of a flod ſteȝeþ vp, and as flodus ſhul be moued his flowingus; and he ſhal ſey, Steȝende vp Y ſhal couere þe erþe deſtroȝe cite, and his dwelleres. Steȝeþ vp hors, and ful out ioȝe þin chares; and go forþ, ſtronge men, Eþiope and Libie, holdende ſheeld, and Liddy, takende and þrowende arwis.

Þat dai forſoþe of þe Lord God of oſtus, dai of veniaunce, þat he take veniaunce of his enemys; deuouren ſhal þe ſwerd, and be fulfild, and be todrunke wiþ þe blod of hem; victorie ſacrifiſe forſoþe of þe Lord of oſtus in þe lond of þe norþ, biſide þe flod of Eufraten. Steȝe vp in to Galaad, and tac þe gumme, þat is clepid recyne, þou maiden doȝter of Egipt. In veyn þou haſt multeplied medecynes; helþe ſhal not be to þee. Herden Jentiles þi ſhenſhepe, and þi ȝellinge fulfilde þe erþe; for þe ſtronge man putte aȝen þe ſtronge man, and boþe togidere fellen. Þe wrd þat þe Lord ſpac to Jeremye, þe profete, vp on þat þat to come was Nabugodonoſor, king of Babyloyne, and to ſmyte þe lond of Egipt.

Telleþ to Egipt, and herd makeþ in Magdalo, and eft ſowne it in Memfys, and in Tapnys ſeiþ, Stond, and greiþe þee, for deuoure ſhal ſwerd þo þingus þat in þin enuyroun ben. Whi to-rotide þi ſtronge? He ſtod not, for þe Lord turnede hym vp ſo doun. He multepliede men fallende, and þe man fel to his neȝhebore; and þei ſhul ſeyn, Ris, and turne wee aȝeen to oure puple, and to þe lond of oure birþe, fro þe face of þe ſwerd of þe culuer. Clepeþ þe name of Farao, king of Egipt; tyme haþ broȝt noiſe. I lyue, ſeiþ þe king, Lord of oſtus his name; for as Thabor in mounteynes, and as Carmel in þe ſe, he ſhal come.

Veſſeles of tranſmygracioun mac to þee, þou dwellereſſe, doȝter of Egipt; for Memfys in wilderneſſe ſhal ben, and be forſoken and vnhabitable. Þe ſhe calf fair and ſhapli Egipt; þe prickere fro þe norþ ſhal come to hir. Alſo his hirid men, þat woneden in his myddel as fattyd calues, ben turned, and floun togidere, ne myȝte ſtonde; for þe dai of þe ſlaȝter of þem ſhal come vp on hem, tyme of þer viſiting. His vois as of bras ſhal ſowne, for wiþ þe oſt þei ſhul go forþ, and wiþ axes þei ſhul come to hym. As fallende doun trees þei heewe doun his wilde wode, ſeiþ þe Lord, þat mai not be noumbred; þey ben multeplied aboue locuſtus, and þer is not in þem noumbre.

Confoundid is þe doȝter of Egipt, and take in þe hond of þe puple of þe norþ, ſeide þe Lord of oſtus, God of Irael. Lo! Y ſhal viſite vp on þe noiſe of Aliſaundre, and vp on Farao, and vp on Egipt, and vp on his godus, and vp on his kinges, and vp on hem þat troſten in hym. And Y ſhal ȝyuen hem in þe hond of men ſechende þe lif of hem, and in to þe hondus of Nabugodonoſor, king of Babiloyne, and in to þe hondus of his ſeruauns; and after þeſe þingus it ſhal be dwellid, as in þe raþere daȝes, ſeiþ þe Lord. And þou, my ſeruaunt Jacob, ne drede þou, ne take ferd, þou Irael; for lo!

Y ſaaf ſhal make þee fro aferr, and þi ſed fro þe lond of his caitifte; and turnen aȝeen ſhal Jacob, and reſten, and be mad welſum, and þer ſhal not ben, þat fere hym. And wile þou not drede, þou my ſeruaunt Jacob, ſeiþ þe Lord, for Y am wiþ þee; for Y ſhal waſte alle Jentiles, to whiche I caſte þee out; þee forſoþe I ſhal not waſte, but Y ſhal chaſtiſe þee in dom, ne as to an ynnocent Y ſhal ſparen to þee.