Jeremiah 36

¹ And thou, Lord of oostis, the preuere of a iust man, which seest the reynes and herte, Y biseche, se Y thi veniaunce of hem; for Y haue schewid my cause to thee. ² Synge ye to the Lord, herie ye the Lord, for he delyueride the soule of a pore man fro the hond of yuel men. ³ Cursid be the dai where ynne Y was borun, the dai where ynne my modir childide me, be not blessid. ⁴ Cursid be the man, that telde to my fadir, and seide, A knaue child is borun to thee, and made hym glad as with ioye. ⁵ Thilke man be as the citees ben, whiche the Lord distriede, and it repentide not hym; ⁶ he that killide not me fro the wombe, here cry eerli, and yellynge in the tyme of myddai; that my modir were a sepulcre to me, and hir wombe were euerlastinge conseyuyng. ⁷ Whi yede Y out of the wombe, that Y schulde se trauel and sorewe, and that mi daies schulen be waastid in schenschipe? ⁹ The word which was maad of the Lord to Jeremye, whanne king Sedechie sente to hym Phassur, the sone of Helchie, and Sofonye, the preest, the sone of Maasie, and seide, ¹⁰ Axe thou the Lord for vs, for Nabugodonosor, the kyng of Babiloyne, fiytith ayens vs; if in hap the Lord do with vs bi alle hise merueilis, and he go awei fro vs. ¹¹ And Jeremye seide to hem, Thus ye schulen seie to Sedechie, ¹² The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal turne the instrumentis of batel that ben in youre hondis, and with which ye fiyten ayens the king of Babiloyne, and ayens Caldeis, that bisegen you in the cumpas of wallis; and Y schal gadere tho togidere in the myddis of this citee. ¹³ And Y schal ouercome you in hond stretchid forth, and in strong arm, and in stronge veniaunce, and indignacioun, and in greet wraththe; ¹⁴ and Y schal smyte the dwelleris of this citee, men and beestis schulen die bi greet pestilence. ¹⁵ And after these thingis, seith the Lord, Y schal yyue Sedechie, kyng of Juda, and hise seruauntis, and his puple, and that ben left in this citee fro pestilence, and swerd, and hungur, in the hond of Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, and in the hond of her enemyes, and in the hond of men sekynge the lijf of hem; and he schal smyte hem bi the scharpnesse of swerd; and he schal not be bowid, nether schal spare, nether schal haue mercy. ¹⁶ And thou schalt seie to this puple, The Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y yyue bifore you the weie of lijf, and the weie of deth. ¹⁷ He that dwellith in this citee, schal die bi swerd, and hungur, and pestilence; but he that goith out, and fleeth ouer to Caldeis that bisegen you, schal lyue, and his lijf schal be as a prey to hym. ¹⁸ For Y haue set my face on this citee in to yuel, and not in to good, seith the Lord; it schal be youun in the hond of the king of Babiloyne, and he schal brenne it with fier. ¹⁹ And thou schalt seie to the hous of the king of Juda, the hous of Dauid, Here ye the word of the Lord. ²⁰ The Lord seith these thingis, Deme ye eerli doom, and delyuere ye hym that is oppressid bi violence fro the hond of the fals chalenger; lest perauenture myn indignacioun go out as fier, and be kyndlid, and noon be that quenche, for the malice of youre studies. ²¹ Lo! Y to thee, dwelleresse of the sad valei and pleyn, seith the Lord, which seien, Who schal smyte vs, and who schal entre in to oure housis? ²² And Y schal visite on you bi the fruyt of youre studies, seith the Lord; and Y schal kyndle fier in the forest therof, and it schal deuoure alle thingis in the cumpas therof. ²⁴ The Lord seith these thingis, Go thou doun in to the hous of the kyng of Juda, and thou schalt speke there this word, and schalt seie, ²⁵ Thou kyng of Juda, that sittist on the seete of Dauid, here the word of the Lord, thou, and thi seruauntis, and thi puple, that entren bi these yatis. ²⁶ The Lord seith these thingis, Do ye doom, and riytfulnesse, and delyuere ye hym that is oppressid bi violence fro the hond of the fals chalenger; and nyle ye make sori, nether oppresse ye wickidli a comelyng, and a fadirles child, and a widewe, and schede ye not out innocent blood in this place. ²⁷ For if ye doynge don this word, kyngis of the kyn of Dauid sittynge on his trone schulen entre bi the yatis of this hous, and schulen stie on charis and horsis, thei, and the seruauntis, and the puple of hem. ²⁸ That if ye heren not these wordis, Y swoore in my silf, seith the Lord, that this hous schal be in to wildirnesse. ²⁹ For the Lord seith these thingis on the hous of the kyng of Juda, Galaad, thou art to me the heed of the Liban; credence be not youun to me, if Y sette not thee a wildirnesse, citees vnhabitable. ³⁰ And Y schal halewe on thee a man sleynge, and hise armuris; and thei schulen kitte doun thi chosun cedris, and schulen caste doun in to fier. ³¹ And many folkis schulen passe bi this citee, and ech man schal seie to his neiybore, Whi dide the Lord thus to this greet citee? ³² And thei schulen answere, For thei forsoken the couenaunt of her Lord God, and worschipiden alien goddis, and serueden hem.