Jeremiah · Chapter 51

[ edit] Theſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Lo! Y ſhal reren vp on Babilon, and vp on his dwelleris, þat þer herte rereden aȝen me, as a wind bringende in peſtilence. And Y ſhal ſende in to Babilon wyneweres, and þei ſhul wynewe it, and deſtroȝen his lond; for þey camen vp on it on eche ſide in þe dai of his tormenting. And he ſhal not wone, þat beendiþ his bowe, and ſteȝen vp ſhal not þe cloþide wiþ an habirioun; wileþ not ſpare to his ȝunge men, ſleþ al his chyualrie. And falle ſhuln þe ſlayne in þe lond of Caldeis, and þe woundid in his regeouns. For Irael was not forſake, or maad wydow, and Juda fro þe Lord þer God, Lord of oſtus; þe lond forſoþe of hem folfild is of gilte fro þe hoely of Irael.

Fleeþ fro þe myddel of Babilon, þat eche man ſaue his ſoule; wileþ not be ſtille vp on his wickeneſſe, for tyme of his veniaunce is to þe Lord; his while he ſhal ȝelde to hym. A goldene chalis of Babiloyne in þe hond of þe Lord, drunknende al þe lond; of his wyn drunke þe Jentilis, and þennus þei ben to-ſtirid. Sodeynly fel Babilon, and is to-broſid; ȝelleþ vpon yt, takeþ recyne gumme to his ſorewe, if parauenture he be helid. Wee han cured Babilon, and he is not helid; forſake wee it, and go wee eche in to his lond; for ful cam vn to heuenus hys dom, and vp rered is vn to þe cloudus. Þe Lord broȝte forþ oure riȝtwiſneſſes; come, and telle wee in Sion þe werc of þe Lord oure God.

Sharpeþ arwes, fulfilleþ arwe caſes; þe Lord rerede his ſpirit of kingus of Medes, and aȝen Babilon is his mynde, þat he leeſe it, for þe veniaunce of þe Lord is, þe veniaunce of his temple. Þe king of Medus aȝen Babilon of þe Lord is rered. Vp on þe wallis of Babilon rereþ a tocne, eecheþ þe warde, rereþ þe keperes, greiþiþ buſſhemens; for þe Lord þoȝt, and dide, what euere þingus he ſpac aȝen þe dwelleris of Babilon. Þat dwelliſt vp on manye watris, riche in treſores, comen is þin ende, þe foot meſure of þi kutting of. Þe Lord of oſtus ſwor bi his lyf, for Y ſhal fulfille þee of men, as wiþ bruc werm, and vp on þee a merie faring ſong ſhal be ſunge.

Þat made þe erþe in his ſtrengþe, biforn made redi þe world in his wiſdam, and bi his prudence ſtraȝte out heuenus. Hym ȝyuende vois, ben multeplied watris in heuene; þat rereþ cloudus fro þe vtmoſt of þe erþe, leitus in to reyn made, and broȝte forþ wind of his treſores. Fool is mad eche man of kunnyng, confoundid is eche ȝeetere in grauen þing; for fals is his ȝeting, ne þer is ſpyrit in hem. Veyne ben þe werkus, and wrþi ſcornyng; in tyme of þer viſityng þei ſhul perſhe. Not as þis þe part of Jacob; for þat made alle þingus he is, and Irael þe kingus dignete of his eritage, þe Lord of oſtus his name.

Þou hurtliſt to me þe veſſelis of bataile, and Y ſhal hurtle in þee Jentilis, and ſcatere in þee reumus; and Y ſhal hurtle in þee þe hors, and his hors man; and Y ſhal hurtle in þee þe char, and his ſteȝere; and I ſhal hurtle in þee þe man and þe womman; and I ſhal hurtle in þee þe old man and þe child; and I ſhal hurtle in þee þe ȝunge man and þe maide; and I ſhal hurtle in þee þe ſhepperde and his floc; and Y ſhal hurtle in þee þe erþe tiliere and his ȝoc oxen; and I ſhal hurtle in þee dukes and þe maiſter ȝugis. And I ſhal ȝeelde to Babilon, and to alle þe dwelleris of Caldee, alle his euel, þat he dide in Sion, in ȝoure eȝen, ſeiþ þe Lord. Lo!

Y to þee, þou hil berende peſtilence, ſeiþ þe Lord, þat corumpiſt al þe erþe. I ſhal ſtrecche out myn hond vp on þee, and turne out þee fro ſtonus, and Y ſhal ȝyue þee in to mount of brennyng. And Y ſhal not take of þee a ſton in to a corner, and a ſton in to foundemens; but loſt þou ſhalt be in to wiþ oute ende, ſeiþ þe Lord. Rereþ a tocne in þe lond, crieþ wiþ a trumpe in mounteynes; halewiþ vp on it Jentilis, telleþ out aȝen it to þe kingus of Araraþ, of Menny, and of Aſcheneþ; noumbreþ aȝen it Thaſor, bringeþ to vp on it hors, as bruke hauende tonge. Halewiþ vp on it Jentilis, kingus of Mede, his dukus, and alle his maiſter iugis, and al þe lond of his power.

And al to-moued ſhal be þe lond, and diſturbid; for wakide out aȝen Babilon þe þoȝt of þe Lord, þat he poote þe lond of Babilon deſert, and vnabitable. Ceſeden þe ſtronge men of Babilon fro bataile, þei dwelten in places of refut; deuoured is þer ſtalwrþeneſſe, and made þei ben as wymmen; brend vp ben his tabernaclis, to-broſid ben his barres. Þe rennere to meete wiþ þe rennere ſhal come, and þe meſſager to meete wiþ þe tellere, þat he telle out to þe king of Babiloyne, for taken is his cite fro þe ouermoſt to þe ouermoſt; and þe forþis ben bifor ocupied, and þe merſhis ben brend vp wiþ fyr, and þe men fiȝteres ben diſturbid.

For þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtis, God of Irael, Þe doȝter of Babilon as a corn floor, tyme of his þreſſhing; ȝit a litil, and come ſhal þe tyme of his reping. Eet me, deuourede me Nabugodonoſor, king of Babiloyne; he ȝeeld me as a voide veſſel, ſoupede me vp as a dragoun; he fulfilde his wombe wiþ my tenderneſſe, and caſte me out. Wickeneſſe aȝen me, and my fleſh vp on Babiloyne, ſeiþ þe dwelling of Sion; and my blod vp on þe dwelleres of Calde, ſeiþ Jeruſalem. Þerfore þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Lo! Y ſhal deme þi cauſe, and venge þi vengyng; and deſert ſhal make his ſe, and ſhal drien his veyne.

And Babylon ſhal be in to mynde hepis, þe dwelling of dragounus, ſtoneing and whiſtling, for þi þat þer is not a dwellere togidere. And leouns ſhul rore, and ſhake out ſhul her lockus, as þe whelpus of leouns. In þe hete of hem Y ſhal putte þer drinc; and Y ſhal drunkne þem, þat þei ben greeued wiþ ſlep, and ſlepen an euere durende ſlep, þat þey riſe not, ſeiþ þe Lord. I ſhal lede þem doun as lombis to ſlayn ſacrifiſe, and as weþeris wiþ kidus. Hou taken is Ciſac, and caȝt is þe glorious of al erþe? What maner mad is in to ſtoneyng Babilon among Jentilis? And ſteȝede vp vp on Babilon þe ſe, wiþ þe multitude of his flodus it is couered.

Mad ben his cites in to ſtoneyng, þe lond vnabitable and deſert; þe lond in whiche no man dwelle, ne paſſe þurȝ it þe ſone of man. And Y ſhal viſite vp on Bel in to Babilon, and þrowen awei þat, þat it hadde ſoupid vp fro his mouþ, and ſhul no mor flowe to it Jentilis; forſoþe and þe wal of Babiloyne ſhal at ones falle. Goþ out fro his myddel, my puple, þat eche man ſaue his lif fro þe wraþe of þe wodneſſe of þe Lord; and leſt par auenture waxe neſſhe ȝoure herte, and ȝee drede þe heering, þat ſhal be herd in þe lond; and come ſhal in a ȝeer heering, and after þis ȝer heering and wickeneſſe in þe lond, and lordſhipere vp on lordſhipere.

Þerfore lo! daȝes comen, ſeiþ þe Lord, and Y ſhal viſite vp on grauen þingus of Babiloyne; and al hys lond ſhal be confoundid, and alle his ſlayne ſhuln falle in his myddel. And preiſe ſhul vp on Babiloyne heuenus, and erþe, and alle þingus þat in hem ben; for fro þe norþ ſhul come to it reueres, ſeiþ þe Lord. And hou dide Babilon, þat fallen ſhulde ſlayn men in Irael, ſo fro Babylon falle ſhul ſlayn men in al þe lond. Ȝee þat fledden þe ſwerd, come, and wileþ not ſtonde; recordeþ aferr of þe Lord, and Jeruſalem ſteȝe vp on ȝoure herte. Confoundid wee ben, for wee han herd repref; couerede ſhenſhype oure faces, for þer camen alienus vp on þe halewing of þe hous of þe Lord.

Þerfore lo! daȝes comen, ſeiþ þe Lord, and Y ſhal viſite vp on þe grauen þingus of Babiloyne, and in al his lond loowen ſhal þe woundid. If ſteȝen ſhul Babilon in to heuene, and faſtne in heiȝte his ſtalwrþeneſſe, to me ſhul come his waſteres, ſeiþ þe Lord. Vois of þe criende fro Babilon, and gret to-treding fro þe lond of Caldeis, for þe Lord waſtide Babilon, and loſt of it a gret vois; and ſowne ſhuln his flodus as many watris. Ȝaf ſoun þe vois of hem, for þer cam vp on it, þat is, vp on Babilon, þe reuere; and caȝt ben his ſtronge men, and driede out þe bowe of þem, for a ſtronge vengere þe Lord; ȝeldende aȝeyn he ſhal ȝelde.

And Y ſhal drunkne his princes, and his wiſe men, his dukis, and his maiſter iugis, and his ſtronge men; and þei ſhul ſlepen an euere laſtende ſlep, and þei ſhul not ben wakid, ſeiþ þe king, Lord of oſtus his name. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of oſtus, Þe wal of Babilon he þe heieſt wiþ vndermynyng ſhal be vndermyned, and his heȝe ȝatus ſhul be brend wiþ fyr; and þe trauailis of puples at noȝt, and of Jentilis in to fyr þei ſhul ben, and perſhen. And þe wrd þat Jeremye, þe profete, comaundide to Saraie, ſone of Nerie, ſone of Maſie, whan he ſhulde go wiþ king Sedechie in to Babiloyne, in þe ferþe ȝer of his regne; Saraie forſoþe was prince of profecie.

And Jeremye wrot al þe euel, þat was to com vp on Babilon, in o boc, alle þeſe wrdus þat ben write aȝen Babilon. And Jeremye ſeide to Saraie, Whan þou ſhalt come in to Babilon, and ſeen, and reden alle þeſe wrdus, þou ſhalt ſei, Lord, þou ſpeeke aȝen þis place, þat þou ſhuldiſt deſtroȝe it, þat þer be not þat in it dwelle, fro man vn to beſte, and þat þer be perpetuel wilderneſſe. And whan þou haſt ful endid to rede þis boc, þou ſhalt binde to it a ſton, and þrowen it in to þe myddel of Eufraten; and ſey, So ſhal be dreynt Babilon, and not riſe fro þe face of þe tormenting, þat Y bringe vp on it, and it ſhal be looſed. Hiderto þe wrdus of Jeremye.