Micah · Chapter 2

[ edit] Woo to ȝou, þat þenken vnprofitable þing, and wirchen yuel in ȝoure couchis; in þe morew liȝt þei don it, for þe hond of hem is aȝeinus God. Þei couetiden feeldis, and violently token; and rauyſhiden houſis, and falſly chalengiden a man and his hous, and a man and his eritage. Þerfore þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord, Loo! Y þenke on þis meynee yuel, of whom ȝe ſhuln not take awey ȝour neckis; and ȝe ſhuln not walke proude, for þe warſt tyme is.

In þat daye a parable ſhal be taken on ȝou, and a ſonge ſhal be ſungen wiþ ſwetneſſe of men, ſayinge, By robbyng we ben diſtruyed; a part of my peple is chaungid to gidre; hou ſhal he go awey fro me, whanne he turneþ aȝein þat ſhal departe ȝoure cuntrees? For þis þing þere ſhal not be to þee þe ſendyng a litil coorde of ſort in cumpanye of þe Lord. Þou Yrael, ſpeke ȝe not ſpekynge; it ſhal not droppe on þeſe, confuſioun ſhal not cacche, ſaiþ þe Lord to Jacob. Wher þe Spirit of þe Lord is abreggid, or ſiche ben þe þouȝtus of hym? Wher my wordis ben not goode, wiþ hym þat riȝtli goþ?

And aȝeinward my peple ros to gidre in to an aduerſarie; ȝe toke awey þe mantil aboue þe coote, and ȝe turnyden hem in to bataile, hem þat wenten ſymply. Ȝe caſtiden out þe wymmen of my peple, of þe hous of her delices; fro þe litil childre of hem ȝe token awey my herying in to wiþ outen eende. Ryſe ȝe, and go, for here ȝe han not reſte; for þe vnclenneſſe þerof it ſhal be corrupt wiþ þe warſt rott. Y wolde Y were not a man hauynge ſpirit, and raþer Y ſpake leſyng. Y ſhal droppe to þee in to wyn, and in to drunkeneſſe; and þis peple ſhal be, on whom it is droppid. Wiþ gadryng Y ſhal gadre Jacob; Y ſhal leede to gydre þee al in to oon, þe relikis of Yrael.

Y ſhal putte hym to gydre, as a flok in folde; as ſheep in þe mydil of foldis þei ſhuln make noyſe, of multitude of men. Forſoþe he ſhal ſtye ſhewynge waye byfore hem; þei ſhuln departe, and paſſe þe ȝate, and ſhuln go out þerby; and þe kyng of hem ſhal paſſe byfore hem, and þe Lord in þe hed of hem.