Lamentations 5
Lamentations chapter 5 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 Therfor for ye maden sacrifice to idols, and synneden to the Lord, and herden not the vois of the Lord, and yeden not in the lawe, and in the comandementis, and in the witnessis of hym, therfor these yuels bifellen to you, as this dai is. 2 Forsothe Jeremye seide to al the puple, and to alle the wymmen, Al Juda, that ben in the lond of Egipt, here ye the word of the Lord. 3 The Lord of oostis, God of Israel, seith these thingis, and spekith, Ye and youre wyues spaken with youre mouth, and filliden with youre hondis, and seiden, Make we oure vowis whiche we vowiden, that we make sacrifice to the queen of heuene, and offre to it moist sacrifices; ye filliden youre vowis, and diden tho in werk. 4 Therfor, al Juda, that dwellen in the lond of Egipt, here ye the word of the Lord; Lo! Y swoor in my greet name, seith the Lord, that my name schal no more be clepid bi the mouth of ech man Jew, seiynge, The Lord God lyueth, in al the lond of Egipt. 5 Lo! Y schal wake on hem in to yuel, and not in to good; and alle the men of Juda, that ben in the lond of Egipt, schulen be waastid, bi swerd and hungur, til thei be wastid outerli. 6 And a fewe men that fledden the swerd, schulen turne ayen fro the lond of Egipt in to the lond of Juda; and alle the remenauntis of Juda, of hem that entren in to the lond of Egipt, to dwelle there, schulen wite, whos word schal be fillid, myn ether hern. 7 And this schal be a signe to you, seith the Lord, that Y schal visite on you in this place, that ye wite, that verili my wordis schulen be fillid ayens you in to yuel. 8 The Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal bitake Farao, the kyng of Egipt, in to the hond of hise enemyes, and in to the hond of hem that seken his lijf, as Y bitook Sedechie, the kyng of Juda, in to the hond of Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, his enemye, and sekynge his lijf. 10 The word that Jeremye, the profete, spak to Baruc, the sone of Nerie, whanne he hadde write these wordis in the book, of the mouth of Jeremye, in the fourthe yeer of Joachym, the sone of Josie, kyng of Juda, 11 and seide, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis to thee, Baruc. 12 Thou seidist, Wo to me wretche, for the Lord encreesside sorewe to my sorewe; Y trauelide in my weilyng, and Y foond not reste. 13 The Lord seith these thingis, Thus thou schalt seye to hym, Lo! Y distrie hem, whiche Y bildide, and Y drawe out hem, whiche Y plauntide, and al this lond. 14 And sekist thou grete thingis to thee? nyle thou seke, for lo! Y schal brynge yuel on ech man, seith the Lord, and Y schal yyue to thee thi lijf in to helthe, in alle places, to whiche euer places thou schalt go. 16 The word of the Lord, that was maad to Jeremye, the profete, ayens hethene men; 17 to Egipt, ayens the oost of Farao Nechao, kyng of Egipt, that was bisidis the flood Eufrates, in Charchamys, whom Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, smoot, in the fourthe yeer of Joachym, sone of Josie, kyng of Juda. 18 Make ye redi scheeld and targat, and go ye forth to batel. 19 Ioyne ye horsis, and stie, ye knyytis; stonde ye in helmes, polische ye speris, clothe ye you in haburiowns. 20 What therfor? Y siy hem dredeful, and turnynge the backis, the stronge men of hem slayn; and thei fledden swiftli, and bihelden not; drede was on ech side, seith the Lord. 21 A swift man schal not fle, and a strong man gesse not hym silf to be saued; at the north, bisidis the flood Eufrates, thei weren ouer comun, and fellen doun. 22 Who is this, that stieth as a flood, and hise swelewis wexen greet as of floodis?
