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¹ And it was don, in the fourthe yeer of Joachym, sone of Josie, kyng of Juda, this word was maad of the Lord to Jeremye, and seide,² Take thou the volym of a book, and thou schalt write therynne alle the wordis, whiche Y spake to thee ayens Israel and Juda, and ayens alle folkis, fro the dai in whiche Y spak to thee, fro the daies of Josie `til to this dai.³ If perauenture whanne the hous of Juda herith alle the yuels whiche Y thenke to do to hem, ech man turne ayen fro his worste weye, and Y schal be merciful to the wickidnesse and synne of hem.⁴ Therfor Jeremye clepide Baruk, the sone of Nerye; and Baruk wroot of the mouth of Jeremye in the volym of a book alle the wordis of the Lord, whiche he spak to hym.⁵ And Jeremye comaundide to Baruk, and seide, Y am closid, and Y may not entre in to the hous of the Lord.⁶ Therfor entre thou, and rede of the book, in which thou hast write of my mouth the wordis of the Lord, in hering of the puple, in the hous of the Lord, in the dai of fastyng; ferthermore and in heryng of al Juda, that comen fro her citees, thou schalt rede to hem;⁷ if perauenture the preier of hem falle in the siyt of the Lord, and eche man turne ayen fro his worste weie; for whi the strong veniaunce and indignacioun is greet, which the Lord spak ayens this puple.⁸ And Baruk, the sone of Nerie, dide aftir alle thingis, which Jeremye, the prophete, comaundide to hym; and he redde of the book the wordis of the Lord, in the hous of the Lord.

⁹ Forsothe it was doon, in the fyueth yeer of Joachym, sone of Josie, kyng of Juda, in the nynthe monethe, thei prechiden fastynge in the siyt of the Lord, to al the puple in Jerusalem, and to al the multitude, that cam togidere fro the citees of Juda in to Jerusalem.¹⁰ And Baruc redde of the volym the wordis of Jeremye, in the hous of the Lord, in the treserie of Gamarie, sone of Saphan, scryuen, in the hiyere porche, in the entring of the newe yate of the hous of the Lord, in audience of al the puple.¹¹ And whanne Mychie, the sone of Gamarie, sone of Saphan, hadde herd alle the wordis of the Lord,¹² of the book, he yede doun in to the hous of the kyng, to the treserye of the scryuen. And lo! alle the princes saten there, Elisama, the scryuen, and Dalaie, the sone of Semeye, and Elnathan, the sone of Achabor, and Gamarie, the sone of Saphan, and Sedechie, the sone of Ananye, and alle princes.¹³ And Mychee telde to hem alle the wordis, whiche he herde Baruc redynge of the book, in the eeris of the puple.¹⁴ Therfor alle the princes senten to Baruc Judi, the sone of Nathathie, sone of Selemye, sone of Chusi, and seiden, Take in thin hond the book, of which thou reddist in audience of the puple, and come thou. Therfor Baruc, the sone of Nereie, took the book in his hoond, and cam to hem.¹⁵ And thei seiden to hym, Sitte thou, and rede these thingis in oure eeris; and Baruc redde in the eeris of hem.¹⁶ Therfor whanne thei hadden herd alle the wordis, thei wondriden ech man to his neiybore, and thei seiden to Baruc, Owen we to telle to the kyng alle these wordis?¹⁷ And thei axiden hym, and seiden, Schewe thou to vs, hou thou hast write alle these wordis of his mouth.¹⁸ Forsothe Baruc seide to hem, Of his mouth he spak, as redynge to me, alle these wordis; and Y wroot in a book with enke.¹⁹ And alle the princes seiden to Baruc, Go, be thou hid, thou and Jeremye; and no man wite where ye ben.

²⁰ And thei entriden to the kyng, in to the halle; forsothe thei bitoken the book to be kept in to the treserie of Elisame, the scryuen. And thei telden alle the wordis, in audience of the kyng.²¹ Therfor the kyng sente Judi, that he schulde take the book. Which took the book fro the treserie of Elysame, the scryuen, and redde in audience of the kyng, and of alle the princes, that stoden aboute the kyng.²² Forsothe the kyng sat in the wyntir hous, in the nynthe monethe; and a panne ful of coolis was set bifore hym.²³ And whanne Judi hadde red thre pagyns, ethir foure, he kittide it with the knyf of a scryueyn, and castide in to the fier, `that was in the panne, til al the book was wastid bi the fier, that was on the panne.²⁴ And the kyng and alle hise seruauntis, that herden alle these wordis, dredden not, nethir to-renten her clothis.²⁵ Netheles Elnathan, and Dalaie, and Gamarie ayenseiden the kyng, that he schulde not brenne the book; and he herde not hem.²⁶ And the kyng comaundide to Jeremyel, sone of Amalech, and to Saraie, sone of Esreel, and to Selemye, sone of Abdehel, that thei schulden take Baruc, the writer, and Jeremye, the profete; forsothe the Lord hidde hem.²⁷ And the word of the Lord was maad to Jeremye, the profete, aftir that the kyng hadde brent the book and wordis, whiche Baruc hadde write of Jeremyes mouth;²⁸ and he seid, Eft take thou another book, and write therynne alle the former wordis, that weren in the firste book, which Joachym, the kyng of Juda, brente.²⁹ And thou schalt seie to Joachym, kyng of Juda, The Lord seith these thingis, Thou brentist that book, and seidist, What hast thou write therynne, tellynge, The kyng of Babiloyne schal come hastynge, and schal distrie this lond, and schal make man and beeste to ceesse therof?³⁰ Therfor the Lord seith these thingis ayens Joachym, king of Juda, Noon schal be of hym, that schal sitte on the seete of Dauid; and his careyn schal be cast forth to the heete bi dai, and to the forst bi niyt.³¹ And Y schal visite ayens hym, and ayens his seed, and ayens hise seruauntis, her wickidnessis. And Y schal bryng on hem, and on the dwelleris of Jerusalem, and on the men of Juda, al the yuel which Y spak to hem, and thei herden not.³² Forsothe Jeremye took an other book, and yaf it to Baruc, the writer, the sone of Nerie, which wroot therynne of Jeremyes mouth alle the wordis of the book, which book Joachym, the kyng of Juda, hadde brent bi fier; and ferthermore many mo wordis weren addid than weren bifore.