1 Maccabees 9

¹ Vois of yellyng of schepherdis, for the greet worschip of hem is distried; vois of roryng of liouns, for the pride of Jordan is wastid. ² My Lord God seith these thingis, Fede thou beestis of slauyter, ³ whiche thei that weldiden slowen; and sorewiden not, and selden hem, and seiden, Blessid be the Lord, we ben maad riche. And schepherdis of hem spariden not hem, 4 and Y schal no more spare on men enhabitynge the erthe, seith the Lord. Lo! Y schal bitake men, ech in hond of his neiybour, and in hoond of his kyng, and thei schulen to-reende togidere the lond; and Y schal not delyuere fro the hond of hem, ⁵ and Y schal fede the beeste of sleyng. For this thing, ye pore men of the floc, here. And Y took to me twei yerdis; oon Y clepide Fairnesse, and the tother Y clepide Litil Corde; and Y fedde the floc. ⁶ And Y kittide doun thre scheepherdis in o monethe, and my soule is drawun togidere in hem; for also the soule of hem variede in me. ⁷ And Y seide, Y schal not fede you; that that dieth, die; and that that is kit doun, be kit doun; and the residues deuoure, ech the fleisch of his neiybore. ⁸ And Y took my yerde, that was clepid Fairnesse, and Y kittide doun it, that Y schulde make void my couenaunt, that Y smoot with alle puplis. ⁹ And it is led forth voide in that dai; and the pore of floc that kepen to me, knewen thus, for it is the word of the Lord. 10 And Y seide to hem, If it is good in youre iyen, brynge ye my meede; and if nai, reste ye. And thei weieden my meede, thretti platis of siluer. 11 And the Lord seide to me, Caste awei it to a makere of ymagis, the fair prijs, bi which Y am preisid of hem. And Y took thritti platis of siluer, and Y castide forth hem in the hous of the Lord, to the makere of ymagis. 12 And Y kittide doun my secunde yerde, that was clepide Litil Corde, that Y schulde departe the brotherhed bitwixe Juda and Israel. 13 And the Lord seide to me, Yit take to thee vessels of a fonned scheepherde; 14 for lo! Y schal reise a scheepherde in erthe, which schal not visite forsakun thingis, schal not seke scatered thingis, and schal not heele the brokun togidere, and schal not nurische forth that that stondith. And he schal ete fleischis of the fat, and schal vnbynde the clees of hem. ¹⁵ A! the scheepherd, and ydol, forsakynge the floc; swerd on his arm, and on his riyt iye; the arm of hym schal be dried with drynesse, and his riyt iye wexynge derk schal be maad derk. ¹⁷ The birthun of the word of the Lord on Israel. And the Lord seide, stretchynge forth heuene, and founding erthe, and makynge the spirit of a man in hym, Lo! ¹⁸ Y schal putte Jerusalem a lyntel of glotonye to alle puplis in cumpas, but and Juda schal be in a segyng ayens Jerusalem. 19 And it schal be, in that dai Y schal putte Jerusalem a stoon of birthun to alle puplis; alle that schulen lifte it, schulen be to-drawun with kittyng doun, and alle rewmes of erthe schulen be gaderid ayens it. 20 In that dai, seith the Lord, Y schal smyte ech hors in drede, ether leesynge of mynde, and the stiere of hym in woodnesse; and on the hous of Juda Y schal opene myn iyen, and schal smyte with blyndnesse ech hors of puplis. 21 And duikis of Juda schulen seie in her hertis, Be the dwellers of Jerusalem coumfortid to me in the Lord of oostis, the God of hem. 22 In that dai Y schal putte the duykis of Juda as a chymnei of fier in trees, and as a broond of fier in hei; and thei schulen deuoure at the riythalf and lefthalf alle puplis in cumpas. And Jerusalem schal be enhabitid eftsoone in his place, in Jerusalem. 23 And the Lord schal saue the tabernaclis of Juda, as in bigynnyng, that the hous of Dauid glorie not greetli, and the glorie of men dwellynge in Jerusalem be not ayens Juda. ²⁴ In that dai the Lord schal defende the dwelleris of Jerusalem; and he that schal offende of hem, schal be in that dai as Dauid, and the hous of Dauid schal be as of God, as the aungel of the Lord in the siyt of hym. ²⁵ And it schal be, in that dai Y schal seke for to al to-breke alle folkis that comen ayens Jerusalem. ²⁶ And Y schal helde out on the hous of Dauid, and on dwelleris of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace, and of preieris; and thei schulen biholde to me, whom thei fitchiden togidere. And thei schulen biweile hym with weilyng, as on the oon bigetun; and thei schulen sorewe on hym, as it is wont for to be sorewid in the deth of the firste bigetun. 27 In that dai greet weilyng schal be in Jerusalem, as the weilyng of Adremon in the feeld of Magedon. 28 And erthe schal weile; meynees and meynees bi hem silf; the meynees of the hous of Dauid bi hem silf, and the wymmen of hem bi hem silf; 29 meynees of the hous of Nathan bi hem silf, and the wymmen of hem bi hem silf; meynees of the hous of Leuy bi hem silf, and the wymmen of hem bi hem silf; meynees of Semei bi hem silf, and the wymmen of hem bi hem silf. 30 All othere meynees, meynees and meynees bi hem silf, and the wymmen of hem bi hem silf. 32 In that dai an open welle schal be to the hous of Dauid, and to men dwellynge at Jerusalem, in to waischyng a wey of a synful man, and of womman defoulid in vnclene blood. 33 And it schal be, in that dai, seith the Lord of oostis, Y schal distrie names of idols fro the lond, and thei schulen no more be thouyt on; and Y schal take awei fro erthe false profetis, and an vnclene spirit. 34 And it schal be, whanne ony man schal profesie ouer, his fadir and modir that gendriden hym, schulen seie to hym, Thou schalt not lyue, for thou hast spoke leesyng in the name of the Lord; and his fadir and his modir, gendreris of hym, schulen togidere fitche hym, whanne he hath profesied. ³⁵ And it schal be, in that dai profetis schulen be confoundid, ech of his visioun, whanne he schal profesie; nether thei schulen be hilid with mentil of sak, that thei lie; ³⁶ but thei schulen seie, Y am not a profete; Y am a man erthe tiliere, for Adam is myn ensaumple fro my yongthe. ³⁷ And it schal be seid to hym, What ben these woundis in the myddil of thin hondis? And he schal seie, With these Y was woundid in the hous of hem that louyden me. ³⁸ Swerd, be thou reisid on my scheepherde, and on a man cleuynge to me, seith the Lord of oostis; smyte thou the scheepherde, and scheep of the floc schulen be scaterid. And Y schal turne myn hond to the litle. ³⁹ And twei partis schulen be in ech lond, seith the Lord, and thei schulen be scaterid, and schulen faile, and the thridde part schal be left in it. ⁴⁰ And Y schal lede the thridde part bi fier, and Y schal brenne hem, as siluer is brent, and Y schal preue hem, as gold is preuyd. He schal clepe to help my name, and Y schal graciously here him; and Y schal seie, Thou art my puple, and he schal seie, Thou art my Lord God. ⁴² Lo! daies comen, seith the Lord, and thi spuylis schulen be departid in the myddil of thee. ⁴³ And Y schal gadere alle folkis to Jerusalem, in to batel; and the citee schal be takun, and housis schulen be distried, and wymmen schulen be defoulid. And the myddil part of the citee schal go out in to caitiftee, and the tother part of the puple schal not be takun awei fro the citee. 44 And the Lord schal go out, and schal fiyte ayens tho folkis, as he fauyte in the dai of strijf. 45 And hise feet schulen stonde in that dai on the hil of olyues, that is ayens Jerusalem at the eest. And the hil of olyues schal be coruun of the myddil part therof to the eest and to the west, bi ful greet biforbrekyng; and the myddil of the hil schal be departid to the north, and the myddil therof to the south. 46 And ye schulen fle to the valei of myn hillis, for the valei of hillis schal be ioyned togidere til to the nexte. And ye schulen fle, as ye fledden fro the face of erthe mouyng in the daies of Osie, kyng of Juda; and my Lord God schal come, and alle seyntis with hym. 47 And it schal be, in that dai liyt schal not be, but coold and frost. 48 And ther schal be o dai, which is knowun to the Lord, not day, nether niyt, and in tyme of euentid liyt schal be. ⁴⁹ And it schal be, in that dai quyke watris schulen go out of Jerusalem, the myddil of hem schal go out to the eest see, and the myddil of hem to the laste see; in somer and in wynter thei schulen be. ⁵⁰ And the Lord schal be kyng on al erthe; in that dai there schal be o Lord, and his name schal be oon. ⁵¹ And al erthe schal turne ayen til to desert, fro the litil hil Remmon to the south of Jerusalem. And it schal be reisid, and schal dwelle in his place, fro the yate of Beniamyn til to place of the formere yate, and til to the yate of the corneris, and fro the tour of Ananyel til to the pressouris of the kyng. ⁵² And thei schulen dwelle there ynne, and cursidnesse schal no more be, but Jerusalem schal sitte sikir. ⁵³ And this schal be the wounde, bi which the Lord schal smyte alle folkis, that fouyten ayens Jerusalem; the fleisch of ech man stondynge on hise feet schal faile, and hise iyen schulen faile togidere in her hoolis, and her tunge schal faile togidere in her mouth. ⁵⁴ In that dai greet noise of the Lord schal be in hem, and a man schal catche the hond of his neiybore; and his hond schal be lockid togidere on hond of his neiybore. ⁵⁵ But and Judas schal fiyte ayens Jerusalem; and richessis of alle folkis in cumpas schulen be gaderide togidere, gold, and siluer, and many clothis ynow. ⁵⁶ And so fallyng schal be of hors, and mule, and camel, and asse, and of alle werk beestis, that weren in tho castels, as this fallyng. ⁵⁷ And alle that schulen be residue of alle folkis, that camen ayens Jerusalem, schulen stie vp fro yeer in to yeer, that thei worschipe the kyng, Lord of oostis, and halewe the feeste of tabernaclis. ⁵⁸ And it schal be, reyn schal not be on hem that schulen not stie vp of the meyneis of erthe to Jerusalem, that thei worschipe the king, Lord of oostis. 59 That and if the meynee of Egipt schal not stie vp, and schal not come, nether on hem schal be reyn; but fallyng schal be, bi which the Lord schal smyte alle folkis, whiche stieden not, for to halewe the feeste of tabernaclis. ⁶⁰ This schal be the synne of Egipt, and this the synne of alle folkis, that stieden not, for to halewe the feeste of tabernaclis. ⁶¹ In that dai, that that is on the bridil of hors schal be hooli to the Lord; and caudruns schulen be in the hous of the Lord, as cruetis bifor the auter. ⁶² And euery caudrun in Jerusalem and Juda schal be halewid to the Lord of oostis. And alle men schulen come offrynge, and schulen take of tho, and schulen sethe in tho; and a marchaunt schal no more be in the hous of the Lord of oostis in that day. ⁶³ Malachie ⁶⁵ The birthun of the word of the Lord to Israel, in the hond of Malachie, the profete. ⁶⁶ Y louyde you, seith the Lord, and ye seiden, In what thing louydist thou vs? Whether Esau was not the brother of Jacob, seith the Lord, and Y louyde Jacob, ⁶⁷ forsothe Y hatide Esau? And Y haue put Seir the hillis of hym in to wildirnesse, and his eritage in to dragouns of desert. ⁶⁸ That if Idumee seith, We ben distried, but we schulen turne ayen, and bilde tho thingis that ben distried; the Lord of oostis seith these thingis, These schulen bilde, and Y schal distrie; and thei schulen be clepid termes of wickidnesse, and a puple to whom the Lord is wroth, til in to with outen ende. ⁶⁹ And youre iyen schulen se, and ye schulen seie, The Lord be magnefied on the terme of Israel. ⁷⁰ The sone onourith the fader, and the seruaunt schal drede his lord; therfor if Y am fadir, wher is myn onour? and if Y am lord, where is my drede? seith the Lord of oostis. A! ye prestis, to you that dispisen my name; and ye seiden, Wherynne han we dispisid thi name? ⁷¹ Ye offren on myn auter vncleene breed, and ye seien, Wherynne han we defoulid thee? In that thing that ye seien, The boord of the Lord is dispisid. ⁷² If ye offren a blynd beest to be sacrifisid, whether it is not yuel? And if ye offren a crokid and sike beeste, whether it is not yuel? Offre thou it to thi duyk, if it schal plese hym, ether if he schal resseyue thi face, seith the Lord of oostis. ⁷³ And now biseche ye the cheer of the Lord, that he haue merci on you; for of youre hond this thing is doon, if in ony maner he resseiue youre faces, seith the Lord of oostis.