Nahum · Chapter 3

[ edit] Wo to þe citee of blodis, al of leſyng, ful of to-teryng; raueyn ſhal not go awey fro þee. Voice of ſcourge, and voice of bir of wheel, and of hors makynge noyſe, and of a foure horſid cart brennynge, and of kniȝt ſteyinge vp, and of ſhynynge ſwerd, and ſmytynge ſpere, and of þe ſlayn multitude, and greuouſe fallynge, neþer þer is eende of careins. And þei ſhuln falle to gydre in her bodies, for multitude of þe fornycaciouns of þe hoore fair and able, and hauynge euel dedis, or wicchecraftis; whiche ſolde folkis in her fornycaciouns, and meynees in her poyſouns. Loo!

Y to þee, ſaiþ þe Lord God of ooſtis; and Y ſhal ſhewe þi ſhamful þingis in þi face; and Y ſhal ſhewe to folkis þi nakidneſſe, and to rewmes þin yuel fame. And Y ſhal caſte out on þee þin abomynaciouns, and Y ſhal punyſhe þee wiþ diſpitis, and Y ſhal putte þee in to enſaumple. And it ſhal be, eche man þat ſhal ſee þee, ſhal lippe aȝein fro þee, and ſhal ſaye, Nynyue is diſtruyed. Who ſhal moue togydre þe hed vpon þee? wherof ſhal Y ſeke to þee a coumfortour? Wher þou art better þan Aliſaundre, of peplis whiche dwelliþ in flodis? Waters in cumpas þerof, whos ritcheſſis þe ſe, waters þe wallis þerof.

Eþiopie þe ſtrengþe þerof, and Egypt, and þer is noon eende; Affrik and Libie weren in help þerof. Bot and it in tranſmygracioun, or paſſing ouer, is led in to caitiftee; þe litil children þerof ben hirt in þe heed of alle wayes. And on þe noble men þerof þei ſenten lot, and alle grete men þerof ben ſett togider in þe ſtockis. And þou þerfore ſhalt be drunken, and þou ſhalt be diſpiſid, and þou ſhalt ſeeke help of enmy. Alle þi ſtrengþis as a fijge tree, wiþ his vnripe fijgis; ȝif þei ſhuln be ſmyten to gydre, þei ſhuln falle in to þe mouþ of þe etynge.

Loo! þi peple wymmen in þe mydil of þee; to þin enmyes, to þe opnynge þe ȝatis of þi lond ſhuln be ſhewid, or opnyd; fijr ſhal deuoure þi barris, or lockis. Drawe vp to þee water for aſeegyng, beelde þi ſtrengþis; entre in to fen, and trede, þou vndergoynge holde a tijl. Þere fijr ſhal ete þee, þou ſhalt periſhe by ſwerd, it ſhal deuoure þee, as bruke; þerfor be þou gadrid togydre as bruke, be þou multiplied as locuſt. Þou madiſt þi marchaundiſes mo þan ben ſterris of heuen; bruke is ſprad o brood, and fleiȝeþ awey.

Þi keepers as locuſtis, and þi litel children as locuſtis of locuſtis, whiche ſiten to gidre in heggis in þe day of cold; þe ſunne is ſprungen vp, and þei fledden awey, and þe place of hem is not knowen, where þei weren. Þi ſheperdis napten, þou kyng Aſſur, þi princes ſhuln be biried; þi peple oft derkid in hillis, and þer is not þat ſhal gadre. Þi contricioun is not derk, þi wound is warſt; alle men þat herden þi heering, preſſiden to gidre hond on þee, for vpon whom paſſide not þi malice euermore? Here endiþ þe of Naum, prophete, and bigynneþ þe book of Abacuk, prophete.