Jeremiah · Chapter 50

[ edit] The wrd þat þe Lord ſpac of Babiloyne, and of þe lond of Caldeis, in þe hond of Jeremye, profete. Telleþ in folkus of kinde, and herd makeþ; rereþ vp a tocne; precheþ, and wileþ not hilyn; ſeiþ, Taken is Babilon, confoundid is Bel, ouercomen is Maradac; confoundid ben his grauen þingus, ouercome ben þer mawmetes. For ſteȝen vp ſhal aȝens it folc of kinde fro þe norþ, þat ſhall ſetten his lond in to wilderneſſe; and þer ſhal not be þat dwelle in it, fro man vn to beſte; and þei ben moued, and wenten awei.

In þo daȝes, and in þat tyme, ſeiþ þe Lord, comen ſhul þe ſonus of Irael, þey and þe ſonus of Juda togidere, goende and wepende ſhul go forþ; and þe Lord þer God þei ſhul ſeche in Sion, and aſke þe weie. Hider þer faces ſhul come, and ben ſet to þe Lord wiþ euere durende pes couenaunt, þat wiþ no forȝeting ſhal be don awey. Þe floc loſt mad is my puple, þer ſhepperdus bigiliden hem, and maden to be vagaunt in mounteynus; fro mounteyn in to hil þei paſſeden, þei forȝeeten of þer couche. Alle þat founden, eete þem, and þer enemys ſeiden, We han not ſynned, for þi þat þei han ſynned to þe Lord, to þe fairneſſe of riȝtwiſneſſe, and to þe abiding of þer fadris, to þe Lord.

Goþ awei fro þe myddel of Babiloyne, and fro þe lond of Caldeis; goþ out, and beþ as goet bifor þe floc. For loo! Y ſhal rere, and bringe in to Babiloyne þe congregacioun of manye Jentilis, fro þe lond of þe norþ; and þei ſhul be greyþed aȝen it, and in dai it ſhal be taken; his arewe as of þe moſt ſtrong man ſleere, ſhal not be turned aȝeen voide. And Caldee ſhal be in to prei, and alle men waſtende it ſhul be fulfild, ſeiþ þe Lord. For ȝee ful out ioȝen, and grete þingus ſpeken, reuende awei myn eritage; for heeld out ȝee ben as calues vpon gres, and ȝee looweden as boolis.

Confoundid ys ȝoure moder ful myche, and euened to pouder þat gat ȝou; lo! þe laſte ſhe ſhal be in folkes of kinde, and deſert wiþ oute weie, and driende. Fro þe wraþe of þe Lord it ſhall not ben enhabitid, but be turned al in to wilderneſſe; eche þat ſhal paſſe bi Babiloyne, ſhal ſtoneyn, and whiſtlen vp on alle his veniaunces. Beþ redi aȝen Babilon bi enuyroun, alle þat beenden bowe to fiȝten it doun; ſpareþ not to dartes, for to þe Lord it ſynnede. Crieþ aȝen it, oueral it ȝaf hond; fellen his foundemens, and deſtroȝed ben his wallis; for þe veniaunce of þe Lord it is. Veniaunce takeþ of it; as it dide, doþ to it.

Scatereþ þe ſowere fro Babilon, and þe holdende ſikel in þe tyme of rip, fro þe face of þe ſwerd of þe culuer; eche to his puple ſhal be turned, and eche to þer lond ſhal fleen. Scatered is þe floc of Irael, leownus þrewen hym out; firſt eet hym king Aſſur, þis þe laſte þreȝ out his boenus, Nabugodonoſor, king of Babiloyne. Þerfore þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, God of Irael, Lo! I ſhal viſite þe king of Babiloyne, and his lond, as Y viſitede king Aſſur; and Y ſhal bringe aȝeen Irael to his dwelling. And be fed ſhal Carmeel and Baſan, and þe mount of Effraym and Galaad ſhal be fulfild his ſoule.

In þo daȝis, and in þat tyme, ſeiþ þe Lord, ſhal be ſoȝt þe wyckeneſſe of Irael, and ſhal not be; and þe ſynne of Juda, and ſhal not be founde; for mercyful Y ſhal be to þem, whom I ſhal leeue. Vp on þe lond of þe lordſhipende ſteeȝ þou vp, and vp on his dwelleres viſite; waſte, and ſle, þat after hem ben, ſeiþ þe Lord; and do aftir alle þingus þat Y comaunde to þee. Vois of bataile in þe lond, and gret to-broſing. Hou to-broke and to-broſid is þe hamer of al erþe? what maner is turned in to deſert Babilon, in Jentilus? I grenede þee, and take þou art, Babilon, and wiſtiſt not; founde þou art, and caȝt, for þe Lord þou terrediſt.

Þe Lord openede his treſor, and broȝte forþ veſſelis of his wraþe; for werc is to þe Lord God of oſtus in þe lond of Caldeis. Comeþ to it fro vtmoſt coeſtus, openeþ, þat þei go out þat to-treden it; takeþ fro þe weie ſtones, and doþ in to hepes, and ſleþ it, ne be þer any þing laft. Scatereþ alle his ſtronge men, come þei doun in to ſlaȝter; wo to þem, for comen is þe dai of hem, tyme of þer viſiting. Vois of þe fleeres, and of hem þat ſcapeden fro þe lond of Babiloyne, þat þei telle in Sion þe veniaunce of þe Lord oure God, veniaunce of his temple. Telleþ out in to Babilon to manye, to alle þat beenden bowe.

Stondeþ togidere aȝen it bi cumpas, and no man ſcape; ȝeldeþ to it after his werc, after alle þingus þat it dide, doþ to it; for aȝen þe Lord it is rered, aȝen þe hoeli of Irael. Þerfore falle ſhuln his ȝunge men in his ſtretus, and alle his men fiȝteres ſhul bicome ſtille in þat dai, ſeiþ þe Lord. Lo! Y to þee, þou proude, ſeiþ þe Lord God of oſtus, for þi dai is come, tyme of þi viſiting. And falle ſhal þe proude, and at ones falle, and þer ſhal not be þat rere hym; and Y ſhal teende vp fyr in his cites, and deuoure it ſhal alle þingus in his cumpas.

Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtus, Chalenge ſuffren þe ſonus of Irael and þe ſonus of Juda togidere; alle þat token hem, holden, þei wiln lefe not þem. Þer aȝeenbiere ſtrong, Lord of oſtus his name; bi dom he ſhal defende þer cauſe, þat he fere þe lond, and to-ſtere þe dwelleris of Babiloyne. Swerd to þe Caldeis, ſeiþ þe Lord, and to þe dwelleris of Babilon, and to þe princes, and to his wiſe men. Swerd to his deuynoures, þat foolis ſhul be; ſwerd to his ſtronge men, þat ſhul drede. Swerd to his hors, and to his chares, and to al þe comun þat is in his myddel, and þei ſhul be as wymmen; ſwerd to his treſores, for þei ſhul be reued awei.

Droȝte vp on his watris ſhal be, and þei ſhul become drie; for þe lond of grauen þingus it is, and in wndris glorieþ. Þerfore dwelle ſhal dragounus wiþ fonned woode þeues, and dwelle in it ſhul oſtricchis; and me ſhal no more dwelle in it vn to euermore, ne ſhal be mad vp vn to ieneracioun and ieneracioun; as þe Lord turned vp ſo doun Sodom and Gomor, and his nyȝ townes, ſeiþ þe Lord. Þer ſhal not dwelle a man, ne tiln it þe ſone of man. Lo! a puple cam fro þe norþ, and a gret folc of kinde, and manye kingus ſhul riſe fro þe coeſtus of þe lond.

Boewe and ſheld þei ſhul take, cruel þei ben and vnmerciable; þe vois of þem as þe ſe ſhal ſowne, and vp on hors ſhul ſteȝen vp as a man redi to bataile, aȝeen þee, þou doȝter of Babilon. Þe king of Babiloyn herde þe loes of hem, and looſed atwynne ben his hondus; anguyſh caȝte hym, ſorewe as þe trauailende wiþ childe. Lo! as a leoun ſteȝeþ vp fro þe pride of Jordan to a ſtalwrþe fairneſſe, for to renne ſodeynli I ſhal make hym to it; and who ſhal be þe choſen, whom Y ſhal bifor putte to hym? Who forſoþe lijc me? and who ſhal ſuſtene me? and who is þis ſhepperde þat wiþſtant to my chere?

Þerfore hereþ þe counſeyl of þe Lord, þat in mynde he conſeyuede aȝen Babylon, and his þoȝtis, þat he þoȝt vpon þe lond of Caldeis, no but wiþ drawen hem þe litil childer of flockus, no but ſcatered wiþ þem þer dwelling. Fro þe vois of þe caitifte of Babilon ſtirid is þe lond, and cry among Jentiles is herd.