Lamentations · Chapter 5

[ edit] Here begynneþ þe Oriſoun of Jeremye, þe prophete. Recorde, Lord, what haþ falle to vs; inwardly looke, and behold oure repref. Oure eretage turned is to alienes, oure houſes to ſtraungeres. Faderles childer we ben mad wiþ oute fader; oure moders as widewis. Oure water in monee wee han drunke, oure trees for pris wee han boȝt. Bi oure nollis we were dryue, and to þe weri was not ȝoue reſte. To Egipt wee ȝeeuen hond, and to Aſſiries, þat wee ſhulde be fulfild wiþ bred. Oure faders ſynneden, and ben not, and wee þe wickidneſſes of hem han born. Seruauns lordſhipeden of vs, and þer was not, þat aȝeen ſhulde bie fro þe hond of hem.

In oure lyues we broȝten to bred to vs, fro þe face of þe ſwerd in deſert. Oure ſkin as an ouene is tobrent, fro þe face of tempeſtus of hunger. Wymmen in Sion þei meekiden, and maidenus in þe cites of Juda. Princes bi þe hond ben hangid vp; faces of olde men þei ſhameden not. Þe ȝunge wymmen vnchaſtli þei myſuſeden, and þe childer in tree togidere fellen. Olde men faileden of þe ȝatus; ȝunge men of þe quer of ſyngeres. Failede þe ioȝe of oure herte; turned is in to weiling oure quer. Fel þe croune of oure hed; wo to vs! for wee han ſynned. Þerfore dreri mad is oure herte, þerfore to-dercned ben oure eȝen. For þe mount of Sion, for it diſperiſht; wlues ȝiden in it.

Þou, forſoþe, Lord, in to wiþ oute ende ſhalt abide ſtille; þi ſee in to ieneracioun and to ieneracioun. Whi in to wiþ oute ende þou ſhalt forȝeten vs, þou ſhalt forſake vs in to þe lengþe of daȝis? Conuerte vs, Lord, to þee, and we ſhul be conuertid; newe þou oure daȝes, as fro þe bigynnyng. But caſtende awei þou haſt put vs out; þou wraþediſt aȝen vs hugely. Her endeþ Jeremye, and gynneþ þe prolog in þe boc clepid Baruch.