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¹ The word of the Lord, that was maad to Jeremye, of al the puple of Juda, in the fourthe yeer of Joachym, the sone of Josie, the king of Juda, aftir that Jeconye was translatid in to Babiloyne; thilke is the firste yeer of Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne; which word Jeremy,² the prophete, spak to al the puple of Juda, and to alle the dwelleris of Jerusalem, and seide,³ Fro the threttenthe yeer of the rewme of Josie, the sone of Amon, the kyng of Juda, `til to this dai, this is the three and twentithe yeer, the word of the Lord was maad to me; and Y spak to you, and Y roos bi niyt and spak, and ye herden not.⁴ And the Lord sente to you alle hise seruauntis profetis, and roos ful eerli, and sente, and ye herden not, nether ye bowiden youre eeris, for to here;⁵ whanne he seide, Turne ye ayen, ech man fro his yuel weie, and fro youre worste thouytis, and ye schulen dwelle in the lond whiche the Lord yaf to you, and to youre fadris, fro the world and til in to the world.⁶ And nyle ye go aftir alien goddis, that ye serue hem, and worschipe hem, nether terre ye me to wrathfulnesse, in the werkis of youre hondis, and Y schal not turmente you.⁷ And ye herden not me, seith the Lord, that ye terreden me to wrathfulnesse in the werkis of youre hondis, in to youre yuel.

⁸ Therfor the Lord of oostis seith these thingis, For that that ye herden not my wordis, lo!⁹ Y schal sende, and take alle the kynredis of the north, seith the Lord, and Nabugodonosor, my seruaunt, the kyng of Babiloyne; and Y schal bringe hem on this lond, and on the dwelleris therof, and on alle naciouns, that ben in the cumpas therof; and Y schal sle hem, and Y schal sette hem in to wondryng, and in to hissyng, and in to euerlastynge wildirnessis.¹⁰ And Y schal leese of hem the vois of ioye, and the vois of gladnesse, the vois of spouse, and the vois of spousesse, the vois of queerne, and the liyt of the lanterne.¹¹ And al the lond therof schal be in to wildirnesse, and in to wondring; and alle these folkis schulen serue the king of Babiloyne seuenti yeer.¹² And whanne seuenti yeer ben fillid, Y schal visite on the kyng of Babiloyne, and on that folc the wickidnesse of hem, seith the Lord, and on the lond of Caldeis, and Y schal set it in to euerlastynge wildirnesses.¹³ And Y schal brynge on that lond alle my wordis whiche Y spak ayens it, al thing that is writun in this book; what euer thingis Jeremye profeside ayens alle folkis;¹⁴ for thei serueden to hem, whanne thei weren many folkis, and grete kingis; and Y schal yelde to hem aftir the werkis of hem, and aftir the dedis of her hondis.

¹⁵ For the Lord of oostis, God of Israel, seith thus, Take thou the cuppe of wyn of this woodnesse fro myn hond, and thou schal birle therof to alle hethene men, to whiche Y schal sende thee.¹⁶ And thei schulen drynke, and schulen be disturblid, and schulen be woode of the face of swerd, which Y schal sende among hem.¹⁷ And Y took the cuppe fro the hond of the Lord, and Y birlide to alle folkis, to whiche the Lord sente me;¹⁸ to Jerusalem, and to alle the citees of Juda, and to the kyngis therof, and to the princes therof; that Y schulde yyue hem in to wildirnesse, and in to wondring, and in to hissyng, and in to cursing, as this dai is; to Farao,¹⁹ the king of Egipt, and to hise seruauntis, and to hise princes, and to al hise puple;²⁰ and to alle men generali, to alle the kyngis of the lond Ansitidis, and to alle the kyngis of the lond of Filistiym, and to Ascalon, and to Gaza, and to Acoron, and to the residues of Azotus;²¹ to Idumee, and to Moab, and to the sones of Amon;²² and to alle the kyngis of Tirus, and to alle the kingis of Sidon, and to the kingis of the lond of ilis that ben biyendis the see;²³ and to Dedan, and Theman, and Buz, and to alle men that ben clippid on the long heer;²⁴ and to alle the kingis of Arabie, and to alle the kingis of the west, that dwellen in desert;²⁵ and to alle the kingis of Zambri, and to alle the kingis of Elam, and to alle the kyngis of Medeis; and to alle the kingis of the north,²⁶ of niy and of fer, to ech man ayens his brothir; and to alle the rewmes of erthe, that ben on the face therof; and kyng Sesac schal drynke after hem.²⁷ And thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord of oostis, God of Israel, seith these thingis, Drynke ye, and be ye drunkun, and spue ye, and falle ye doun, and nyle ye rise fro the face of swerd which Y schal sende among you.²⁸ And whanne thei nylen take the cuppe fro thin hond, that thei drynke, thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Ye drynkynge schulen drynke;²⁹ for lo! in the citee in which my name is clepid to help, Y bigynne to turmente, and schulen ye as innocentis be with out peyne? ye schulen not be with out peyne, for Y clepe swerd on alle the dwelleris of erthe, seith the Lord of oostis.

³⁰ And thou schalt profesie to hem alle these wordis, and thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord schal rore fro an hiy, and fro his hooli dwellyng place he schal yyue his vois; he rorynge schal rore on his fairnesse; a myry song, as of men tredynge in pressouris, schal be sungun ayens alle dwelleris of erthe.³¹ Sown is comun til to the laste partis of erthe, for whi doom is to the Lord with folkis, he is demed with ech fleisch; the Lord seith, Y haue youe wickid men to the swerd.³² The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Lo! turment schal go out fro folk in to folk, and a greet whirlwynd schal go out fro the endis of erthe.³³ And the slayn men of the Lord schulen be in that dai fro the ende of the erthe `til to the ende therof; thei schulen not be biweilid, nether schulen be gaderid togidere, nether schulen be biried; thei schulen ligge in to a dunghil on the face of erthe.³⁴ Yelle, ye scheepherdis, and crye, and, ye princypals of the floc, bispreynge you with aische; for youre daies ben fillid, that ye be slayn, and youre scateryngis ben fillid, and ye schulen falle as precious vessels.³⁵ And fleyng schal perische fro scheepherdis, and sauyng schal perische fro the principals of the floc.³⁶ The vois of the crye of scheepherdis, and the yellyng of the principals of the floc, for the Lord hath wastid the lesewis of hem.³⁷ And the feeldis of pees weren stille, for the face of wraththe of the strong veniaunce of the Lord.³⁸ He as a lion hath forsake his tabernacle, for the lond of hem is maad in to desolacioun, of the face of wraththe of the culuer, and of the face of wraththe of the strong veniaunce of the Lord.