Jeremiah 1
1 [I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
The wordis of Jeremye, sone of Helchie, of the preestis that weren in Anathot, in the lond of Beniamyn.
2 Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
For the word of the Lord was maad to hym in the daies of Josie, the sone of Amon, kyng of Juda, in the threttenethe yeer of his rewme.
3 Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
And it was don in the daies of Joachym, the sone of Josie, the king of Juda, til to the endyng of the enleuenthe yeer of Sedechie, sone of Josie, kyng of Juda, til the passyng ouer, ether caitifte, of Jerusalem, in the fyuethe monethe.
4 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
And the word of the Lord was maad to me,
5 “I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
and seide, Bifor that Y fourmede thee in the wombe, Y knewe thee; and bifor that thou yedist out of the wombe, Y halewide thee; and Y yaf thee a profete among folkis.
6 I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
And Y seide, A! A! A! Lord God, lo! Y kan not speke, for Y am a child.
7 Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
And the Lord seide to me, Nyle thou seie, that Y am a child; for thou schalt go to alle thingis, to whiche Y schal sende thee, and thou schalt speke alle thingis, what euer thingis Y schal comaunde to thee.
8 And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
Drede thou not of the face of hem, for Y am with thee, to delyuere thee, seith the Lord.
9 Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
And the Lord sente his hond, and touchide my mouth; and the Lord seide to me, Lo! Y haue youe my wordis in thi mouth; lo!
10 Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
Y haue ordeynede thee to day on folkis, and on rewmes, that thou drawe vp, and distrie, and leese, and scatere, and bilde, and plaunte.
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and seide, What seest thou, Jeremye?
12 Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
And Y seide, Y se a yerde wakynge. And the Lord seide to me, Thou hast seen wel, for Y schal wake on my word, to do it.
13 [Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
And the word of the Lord was maad the secounde tyme to me, and seide, What seest thou? Y se a pot buylynge, and the face therof fro the face of the north.
14 Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
And the Lord seide to me, Fro the north schal be schewid al yuel on alle the dwelleris of the lond.
15 Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
For lo! Y schal clepe togidere alle the naciouns of rewmes of the north, seith the Lord, and thei schulen come, and sette ech man his seete in the entryng of the yatis of Jerusalem, and on alle the wallis therof in cumpas, and on alle the citees of Juda.
16 I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
And Y schal speke my domes with hem on al the malice of hem, that forsoken me, and maden sacrifice to alien goddis, and worschipiden the werk of her hondis.
17 So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
Therfor girde thou thi leendis, and rise thou, and speke to hem alle thingis whiche Y comaunde to thee; drede thou not of the face of hem, for Y schal not make thee for to drede the cheer of hem.
18 But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
For Y yaf thee to dai in to a strong citee, and in to an yrun piler, and in to a brasun wal, on al the lond, to the kyngis of Juda, and to the princis therof, and to the preestis therof, and to al the puple of the lond.
19 They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
And thei schulen fiyte ayens thee, and thei schulen not haue the maistrie; for Y am with thee, seith the Lord, that Y delyuere thee.
