Jeremiah 13

1 The Lord seith these thingis to me, Go, and take in possessioun to thee a lynnun breigirdil; and thou schalt putte it on thi leendis, and thou schalt not bere it in to watir.

Thus saith the Lord to me: Go, and get thee a linen girdle, and thou shalt put it about thy loins, and shalt not put it into water.

2 And Y took in possessioun a breigirdil, bi the word of the Lord; and Y puttide aboute my leendis.

And I got a girdle accoding to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.

3 And the word of the Lord was maad to me in the secounde tyme,

And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying:

4 and seide, Take the brigirdil, which thou haddist in possessioun, which is aboute thi leendis; and rise thou, and go to Eufrates, and hide thou it there, in the hoole of a stoon.

Take the girdle which thou hast got, which is about thy loins, and arise, and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

5 And Y yede, and hidde it in Eufrates, as the Lord comaundide to me.

And I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord had commanded me.

6 And it was don aftir ful many daies, the Lord seide to me, Rise thou, and go to Eufrates, and take fro thennus the brigirdil, whiche Y comaundide to thee, that thou schuldist hide it there.

And it came to pass after many days, that the Lord said to me: Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from thence the girdle, which I commanded thee to hide there.

7 And Y yede to Eufrates, and diggide out, and Y took the breigirdil fro the place, where Y hadde hidde it; and lo! the breigirdil was rotun, so that it was not able to ony vss.

And I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle out of the place where I had hid it: and behold the girdle was rotten, so that it was fit for no use.

8 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

9 and seide, The Lord seith these thingis, So Y schal make rotun the pride of Juda, and the myche pride of Jerusalem,

Thus saith the Lord: after this manner will I make the pride of Juda, and the great pride of Jerusalem to rot.

10 and this worste puple, that nylen here my wordis, and goen in the schrewidnesse of her herte; and thei yeden aftir alien goddis, to serue hem, and to worschipe hem; and thei schulen be as this breigirdil, which is not able to ony vss.

This wicked people, that will not hear my words, and that walk in the perverseness of their heart, and have gone after strange gods to serve them, and to adore them: and they shall be as this girdle which is fit for no use.

11 For as a breigirdil cleueth to the leendis of a man, so Y ioynede faste to me al the hous of Israel, and al the hous of Juda, seith the Lord, that thei schulden be to me in to a puple, and in to name, and in to heriyng, and in to glorie; and thei herden not.

For as the girdle sticketh close to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me all of the house of Israel, and all the house of Juda, saith the Lord: that they might be my people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

12 Therfor thou schalt seie to hem this word, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Ech potel schal be fillid of wyn. And thei schulen seie to thee, Whether we witen not, that ech potel schal be fillid of wyn?

Thou shalt speak therefore to them this word: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine, and they shall say to thee: Do we not know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

13 And thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y shal fille with drunkenesse alle the dwelleris of this lond, and the kyngis of the generacioun of Dauith, that sitten on his trone, and the prestis, and profetis, and alle the dwelleris of Jerusalem.

And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings of the race of David that sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. with drunkenness.

14 And Y schal scatere hem, a man fro his brother, and the fadris and sones togidere, seith the Lord; Y schal not spare, and Y schal not graunte, nether Y schal do mercy, that I leese not hem.

And I will scatter them every man from his brother, and fathers and sons in like manner, saith the Lord: I will not spare, and I will not pardon: nor will I have mercy, but to destroy them.

15 Here ye, and perseyue with eeris; nyle ye be reisid, for the Lord spak.

Hear ye, and give ear: Be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken.

16 Yyue ye glorie to youre Lord God, bifore that it wexe derk, and bifor that youre feet hirte at derk hillis; ye schulen abide liyt, and he schal sette it in to the schadewe of deeth, and in to derknesse.

Give ye glory to the Lord your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains: you shall look for light, and he will turn it into the shadow of death, and into darkness.

17 That if ye heren not this, my soule schal wepe in hid place for the face of pride; it wepynge schal wepe, and myn iye shal caste out a teer, for the floc of the Lord is takun.

But if you will not hear this, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride: weeping it shall weep, and my eyes shall run down the tears, because the flock of the Lord is carried away captive.

18 Seye thou to the kyng, and to the ladi, Be ye mekid, sitte ye, for the coroun of youre glorie schal go doun fro youre heed.

Say to the king, and to the queen: Humble yourselves, sit down: for the crown of your glory is come down from your head.

19 The cities of the south ben closid, and noon is that openith; al Juda is translatid bi perfit passyng ouere, ether goynge out of her lond.

The cities of the south are shut up, and there is none to open them: all Juda is carried away captive with an entire captivity.

20 Reise ye youre iyen, and se ye, what men comen fro the north; where is the floc which is youun to thee, thi noble scheep?

Lift up your eyes, and see, you that come from the north: where is the flock that is given thee, thy beautiful cattle?

21 What schalt thou seie, whanne he schal visite thee? for thou hast tauyt hem ayens thee, and thou hast tauyt ayens thin heed. Whether sorewis han not take thee, as a womman trauelynge of child?

What wilt thou say when he shall visit thee? for thou hast taught them against thee, and instructed them against thy own head: shall not sorrows lay hold on thee, as a woman in labour?

22 That if thou seist in thin herte, Whi camen these thingis to me? for the multitude of thi wickidnesse thi schamefulere thingis ben schewid, thi feet ben defoulid.

And if thou shalt say in thy heart: Why are these things come upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity, thy nakedness is discovered, the soles of thy feet are defiled.

23 If a man of Ethiopie mai chaunge his skyn, ether a pard mai chaunge hise dyuersitees, and ye moun do wel, whanne ye han lerned yuel.

If the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard his spots: you may also do well, when you have learned evil.

24 And Y schal sowe hem abrood, as stobil which is rauyschid of the wynd in desert.

And I will scatter them as stubble, which is carried away by the wind in the desert.

25 This is thi lot, and the part of thi mesure of me, seith the Lord; for thou foryetidist me, and tristidist in a leesyng.

This is thy lot, and the portion of thy measure from me, saith the Lord, because thou hast forgotten me, and hast trusted in falsehood.

26 Wherfor and Y made nakid thin hipis ayens thi face, and thi schenschipe apperide,

Wherefore I have also bared my thighs against thy face, and thy shame hath appeared.

27 thin auowtries, and thin neyyng, and the felonye of thi fornycacioun on litle hillis in the feeld; Y siy thin abhomynaciouns. Jerusalem, wo to thee, thou schalt not be clensid after me til yit.

I have seen thy adulteries, and thy neighing, the wickedness of thy fornication: and thy abominations, upon the hills in the field. Woe to thee, Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean after me: how long yet?