Lamentations · Chapter 2

[ edit] Aleph. Hou aboute couerde wiþ myſtyneſſe þe Lord in his wodneſſe þe doȝter of Sion? þreȝ aferr fro heuene in to þe glorious lond of Irael; and recordede not of his litil ſteȝing ſtol of his feet, in þe dai of his wodneſſe. Beþ. Þe Lord þreȝ doun, and ſparede not, alle þe faire þingus of Jacob; deſtroȝede in his wodneſſe þe ſtrengþingis of þe maiden of Juda, þreȝ doun in to erþe; defoulide þe reume, and his princes. Gimel. He to-brac in þe wraþe of his wodneſſe eche horn of Irael; turnede awey bacward his riȝt hond fro þe face of þe enemy; and brende vp in to Jacob, as fyr of deuourende flawme in cumpas. Deleþ.

He bente his bowe as an inward enemy, and he faſtnede his riȝt hond as an vttermor enemy; and ſloȝ al þat was fair in ſiȝt in þe tabernacles of þe doȝter of Sion; heeldide out as fyr his indignacioun. He. Mad is þe Lord as an enemy; tumblede doun Irael, he tumblede doun alle his walles; waſtede his ſtrengþingus, and fulfilde in þe doȝter of Juda þe lowid man and þe lowid womman. Vau. And he waſtide as a gardyn his tent, deſtroȝede his tabernacle; to forȝeting toc þe Lord in Sion feſte dai, and ſabat; and repref, and indignacioun of his wodneſſe, king and preſt. Sai.

Putte abac þe Lord his auter, curſede to his halewing; toc in to þe hondus of þe enemy þe wallis of his toures; vois þei ȝeeuen in þe hous of þe Lord, as in ſolempne dai. Heþ. Þoȝte þe Lord to ſcateren þe wal of þe doȝter of Sion; he ſtraȝte out his litil corde, and turnede not awei his hond fro perdicioun; and he weilede biforn þe walling, and þe wal togidere is ſcatered. Teþ. Doun piȝt in þe erþe ben hir ȝatus, he loſte and to-broſide hir barres; his kingis and hys princes in Jentiles; þer is not lawe, and his profetis founden not viſeoun of þe Lord. Joþ.

Seten in þe erþe, alle ſtille weren þe olde men; þe doȝtris of Sion ſpringden wiþ aſkus þer hedis, ben gird to wiþ heires; þrewen awei in þe erþe þer hedus þe maidenus of Jeruſalem, gird to þei ben wiþ heires; þrewen awei in þe erþe þer hedus þe maidenus of Juda. Caph. Faileden for teres myn eȝen, diſturbid ben my bowelis; held out is in þe erþe my mawe vp on þe to-treding of þe doȝter of my puple; whan ſhulde faile þe litil child and þe ſoukende in þe ſtretus of þe burȝtoun. Lameþ. To þer modris þei ſeiden, Wher is þe whete, and wyn? whan þei ſhulden faile as woundid in þe ſtretus of þe cite; whan þei ſhulde breþen out þer ſoulis in þe boſum of þer modris. Men.

To whom ſhal Y compariſoune þee? or to whom ſhal Y licnen þee, þou doȝter of Jeruſalem? to whom ſhal Y euenen þee, and coumforte þee, þou maiden doȝter of Sion? gret forſoþe as þe ſe þi contricioun; who ſhal lechen þee. Nun. Þi profetus ſeeȝen to þee falſe, and fool þingus; and openeden not þi wickeneſſe, þat þee to penaunce þei ſhulde ſtere; þei ſeȝen forſoþe to þee fals takingis to, and þrowingis out. Sameþ. Flappeden vp on þee wiþ hondus alle þe paſſeres bi þe wey; whiſtleden, and moueden þer hed vp on þe doȝter of Jeruſalem; ſeiende, Wheþer þis is not þe cheef cite of parfit fairneſſe, þe ioȝe of al erþe? Ayn.

Openeden vp on þee þer mouþ alle þin enemyes; whiſtleden, and gnaſteden wiþ þer teeþ, and ſeiden, Wee ſhul deuoure; lo! þis is þe dai þat wee abiden, wee han founde, and ſeen. Fee. Þe Lord dide þat he þoȝte, he fulfilde his wrd þat he comaundide fro þe olde daȝes; he deſtroȝede, and ſparede not; and gladide vp on þee þe enemy, and enhauncede þe horn of þin enemys. Sade. Criede þe herte of hem to þe Lord, vp on þe wallis of þe doȝter of Sion; bring doun as a ſtef ſtrem teres, bi dai and nyȝt; ȝyue þou not reſte to þee, ne be ſtille þe appil of þin eȝe. Coph.

Ris, preiſe þou in þe nyȝt, in þe bigynnyng of wacchis; heeld out as water þin herte, byfor þe ſiȝt of þe Lord; rere to hym þin hondus for þe ſoule of þi litil childer, þat for hunger perſhen in þe hed of alle many weies in to oon. Res. See, Lord, and behold, whom þou haſt to-pullid; ſo þerfore leſt ſhuln ete wymmen þer frut, litil childer at þe meſure of a ſpanne; for ſlayn is in þe ſeyntuarie of þe Lord þe preſt, and þe profete. Syn. Leȝen in þe erþe wiþouteforþ þe child and þe olde man; my maidenes and my ȝunge men fellen in ſwerd ſlayn; in þe dai of þi wodneſſe þou ſmyte, ne þou ſhalt han reuþe. Tau.

Þou clepedeſt, as to a ſolempne day, þat ſhulden fere me of þe cumpas; and þer was not þat ſhulde ſcape in þe dai of þe wodneſſe of þe Lord, and be laft; whom Y broȝte forþ and nurſhede, myn enemy waſtede þem.