Read the Bible

¹ Wo to you, that thenken vnprofitable thing, and worchen yuele in youre beddis; in the morewtid liyt thei don it, for the hond of hem is ayenus God.² Thei coueitiden feeldis, and tooken violentli; and rauyschiden housis, and falsli calengiden a man and his hous, a man and his eritage.³ Therfor the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y thenke on this meynee yuel, fro which ye schulen not take awei youre neckis; and ye schulen not walke proude, for the worste tyme is.⁴ In that dai a parable schal be takun on you, and a song schal be songun with swetnesse of men, seiynge, Bi robbyng we ben distried; a part of my puple is chaungid; hou schal he go awei fro me, whanne he turneth ayen that schal departe youre cuntreis?⁵ For this thing `noon schal be to thee sendynge a litil corde of sort in cumpeny of the Lord.

⁶ A! thou Israel, speke ye not spekyng; it schal not droppe on these men, confusioun schal not catche,⁷ seith the hous of Jacob. Whether the Spirit of the Lord is abreggid, either siche ben the thouytis of hym? Whether my wordis ben not gode, with hym that goith riytli?⁸ And ayenward my puple roos togidere in to an aduersarie; ye token awei the mantil aboue the coote, and ye turneden in to batel hem that wenten sympli.⁹ Ye castiden the wymmen of my puple out of the hous of her delices; fro the litle children of hem ye token awei myn heriyng with outen ende.¹⁰ Rise ye, and go, for here ye han not reste; for the vnclennesse therof it schal be corrupt with the worst rot.¹¹ Y wolde that Y were not a man hauynge spirit, and rathere Y spak a leesyng. Y schal droppe to thee in to wyn, and in to drunkenesse; and this puple schal be, on whom it is droppid.

¹² With gaderyng Y schal gadere Jacob; Y schal lede togidere thee al in to oon, the relifs of Israel. Y schal put hym togidere, as a floc in folde; as scheep in the myddil of fooldis thei schulen make noise, of multitude of men.¹³ For he schal stie schewynge weie bifore hem; thei schulen departe, and passe the yate, and schulen go out therbi; and the kyng of hem schal passe bifore hem, and the Lord in the heed of hem.