< Jeremiah 21 >
1 The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord, when king Sedecias sent unto him Phassur, the son of Melchias, and Sophonias, the son of Maasias the priest, saying:
The word which was maad of the Lord to Jeremye, whanne king Sedechie sente to hym Phassur, the sone of Helchie, and Sofonye, the preest, the sone of Maasie, and seide,
2 Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon maketh war against us: if so be the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful works, that he may depart from us.
Axe thou the Lord for vs, for Nabugodonosor, the kyng of Babiloyne, fiytith ayens vs; if in hap the Lord do with vs bi alle hise merueilis, and he go awei fro vs.
3 And Jeremias said to them: Thus shall you say to Sedecias:
And Jeremye seide to hem, Thus ye schulen seie to Sedechie,
4 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and the Chaldeans, that besiege you round about the walls: and I will gather them together in the midst of this city.
The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal turne the instrumentis of batel that ben in youre hondis, and with which ye fiyten ayens the king of Babiloyne, and ayens Caldeis, that bisegen you in the cumpas of wallis; and Y schal gadere tho togidere in the myddis of this citee.
5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, and in fury, and in indignation, and in great wrath.
And Y schal ouercome you in hond stretchid forth, and in strong arm, and in stronge veniaunce, and indignacioun, and in greet wraththe;
6 And I will strike the inhabitants of this city, men and beasts shall die of a great pestilence.
and Y schal smyte the dwelleris of this citee, men and beestis schulen die bi greet pestilence.
7 And after this, saith the Lord, I will give Sedecias the king of Juda, and his servants, and his people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, and the sword, and the famine, into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword, and he shall not be moved to pity, nor spare them, nor shew mercy on them.
And after these thingis, seith the Lord, Y schal yyue Sedechie, kyng of Juda, and hise seruauntis, and his puple, and that ben left in this citee fro pestilence, and swerd, and hungur, in the hond of Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, and in the hond of her enemyes, and in the hond of men sekynge the lijf of hem; and he schal smyte hem bi the scharpnesse of swerd; and he schal not be bowid, nether schal spare, nether schal haue mercy.
8 And to this people thou shalt say: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
And thou schalt seie to this puple, The Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y yyue bifore you the weie of lijf, and the weie of deth.
9 He that shall abide in this city, shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that shall go out and flee over to the Chaldeans, that besiege you, shall live, and his life shall be to him as a spoil.
He that dwellith in this citee, schal die bi swerd, and hungur, and pestilence; but he that goith out, and fleeth ouer to Caldeis that bisegen you, schal lyue, and his lijf schal be as a prey to hym.
10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
For Y haue set my face on this citee in to yuel, and not in to good, seith the Lord; it schal be youun in the hond of the king of Babiloyne, and he schal brenne it with fier.
11 And to the house of the king of Juda: Hear ye the word of the Lord,
And thou schalt seie to the hous of the king of Juda, the hous of Dauid, Here ye the word of the Lord.
12 O house of David, this saith the Lord: Judge ye judgement in the morning, and deliver him that is oppressed by violence out of the hand of the oppressor: lest my indignation go forth like a fire, and be kindled, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your ways.
The Lord seith these thingis, Deme ye eerli doom, and delyuere ye hym that is oppressid bi violence fro the hond of the fals chalenger; lest perauenture myn indignacioun go out as fier, and be kyndlid, and noon be that quenche, for the malice of youre studies.
13 Behold I come to thee that dwellest in a valley upon a rock above a plain, saith the Lord: and you say: Who shall strike us? and who shall enter into our houses?
Lo! Y to thee, dwelleresse of the sad valei and pleyn, seith the Lord, which seien, Who schal smyte vs, and who schal entre in to oure housis?
14 But I will visit upon you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof: and it shall devour all things round about it.
And Y schal visite on you bi the fruyt of youre studies, seith the Lord; and Y schal kyndle fier in the forest therof, and it schal deuoure alle thingis in the cumpas therof.