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¹ The hows of Jacob, that ben clepid bi the name of Israel, and yeden out of the watris of Juda, here these thingis, whiche sweren in the name of the Lord, and han mynde on God of Israel, not in treuthe, nether in riytfulnesse.² For thei ben clepid of the hooli citee, and ben stablischid on the God of Israel, the Lord of oostis is his name.³ Fro that tyme Y telde the former thingis, and tho yeden out of my mouth; and Y made tho knowun; sudenli Y wrouyte, and tho thingis camen.⁴ For Y wiste that thou art hard, and thi nol is a senewe of irun, and thi forhed is of bras.⁵ Y biforseide to thee fro that tyme, bifore that tho thingis camen, Y schewide to thee, lest perauenture thou woldist seie, Myn idols diden these thingis, and my grauun ymagis and my yotun⁶ ymagis senten these thingis whiche thou herdist. Se thou alle thingis, but ye telden not. Y made herd newe thyngis to thee fro that tyme, and thingis ben kept whiche thou knowist not;⁷ now tho ben maad of nouyt, and not fro that tyme, and bifor the dai, and thou herdist not tho thingis; lest perauenture thou seie, Lo! Y knew tho thingis.⁸ Nether thou herdist, nether thou knewist, nether thin eere was openyd fro that tyme; for Y woot, that thou trespassynge schal trespasse, and Y clepide thee a trespassour fro the wombe.

⁹ For my name Y schal make fer my strong veniaunce, and with my preysyng Y schal refreyne thee, lest thou perische.¹⁰ Lo! Y haue sode thee, but not as siluer; Y chees thee in the chymeney of pouert.¹¹ Y schal do for me, that Y be not blasfemyd, and Y schal not yyue my glorie to another.¹² Jacob and Israel, whom Y clepe, here thou me; Y my silf, Y am the firste and Y am the laste.¹³ And myn hond foundide the erthe, and my riyt hond mat heuenes; Y schal clepe tho, and tho schulen stonde togidere.¹⁴ Alle ye be gaderid togidere, and here; who of hem telde these thingis? The Lord louyde hym, he schal do his wille in Babiloyne, and his arm in Caldeis.¹⁵ Y, Y spak, and clepide hym; Y brouyte hym, and his weie was dressid.

¹⁶ Neiye ye to me, and here ye these thingis; at the bigynnyng Y spak not in priuete; fro tyme, bifore that thingis weren maad, Y was there, and now the Lord God and his Spirit sente me.¹⁷ The Lord, thin ayen biere, the hooli of Israel, seith these thingis, Y am thi Lord God, techynge thee profitable thingis, and Y gouerne thee in the weie, wher ynne thou goist.¹⁸ Y wolde that thou haddist perseyued my comaundementis, thi pees hadde be maad as flood, and thi riytfulnesse as the swolowis of the see;¹⁹ and thi seed hadde be as grauel, and the generacioun of thi wombe, as the litle stoonys therof; the name of it hadde not perischid, and hadde not be al to-brokun fro my face.²⁰ Go ye out of Babiloyne, fle ye fro Caldeis; telle ye in the vois of ful out ioiying; make ye this herd, and bere ye it `til to the laste partis of erthe; seie ye, The Lord ayenbouyte his seruaunt Jacob.²¹ Thei thirstiden not in desert, whanne he ladde hem out; he brouyte forth to hem watir of a stoon, and he departide the stoon, and watris flowiden.²² Pees is not to wickid men, seith the Lord.