Jeremiah 14
1 The word of the Lord, that was maad to Jeremye, of the wordis of dryenesse.
The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought.
2 Jude weilide, and the yatis therof fellen doun, and ben maad derk in erthe, and the cry of Jerusalem stiede.
Judah mourneth, and her gates languish; they lie grieved on the ground; and the distressed cry of Jerusalem ascendeth upward.
3 Grettere men senten her lesse men to water; thei camen to drawe watir, and thei foundun no water, thei brouyten ayen her vessels voide; thei weren schent and turmentid,
And their nobles have sent out their subordinates for water: they come to the pits, they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded, and cover their head.
4 and thei hiliden her heedis for distriyng of the lond, for reyn cam not in the lond. Erthe tilieris weren schent, thei hiliden her heedis.
Because of the ground which is cracked open, since there hath been no rain in the land, are the ploughmen ashamed, they cover their head.
5 For whi and an hynde caluyde in the feeld, and lefte her calues, for noon eerbe was;
Yea, the hind also bringeth forth her young in the field, and forsaketh [them], because there is no grass.
6 and wield assis stoden in rochis, and drowen wynde as dragouns; her iyen failiden, for noon eerbe was.
And the wild asses stand on the mountain-tops, they snuff up the wind like serpents: their eyes fail, because there are no herbs.
7 If oure wickidnessis answeren to vs, Lord, do thou for thi name, for oure turnyngis awei ben manye; we han synned ayens thee.
If our iniquities testify against us, O Lord, do thou act for the sake of thy name; for our backslidings are many; against thee have we sinned.
8 Thou abidyng of Israel, the sauyour therof in the tyme of tribulacioun,
O thou hope of Israel, his saviour in time of trouble, why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfarer that turneth aside to lodge for a night?
9 whi schalt thou be as a comelyng in the lond, and as a weigoere bowynge to dwelle? whi schalt thou be as a man of vnstable dwellyng, as a strong man that mai not saue? Forsothe, Lord, thou art in vs, and thin hooli name is clepid to help on vs; forsake thou not vs.
Why shouldst thou be as a man that is surprised, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou art in the midst of us, O Lord, and we are called by thy name: abandon us not.
10 The Lord seith these thingis to this puple, that louede to stire hise feet, and restide not, and pleside not the Lord; now he schal haue mynde on the wickidnesses of hem, and he schal visite the synnes of hem.
Thus hath said the Lord unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander about, their feet have they not restrained: therefore the Lord doth not receive them in favor; now will he remember their iniquity, and will punish their sins.
11 And the Lord seide to me, Nyle thou preie for this puple in to good.
Then said the Lord unto me, Pray not in behalf of this people for their good.
12 Whanne thei schulen faste, Y schal not here the preieris of hem; and if thei offren brent sacrifices and slayn sacrifices, Y schal not resseyue tho, for Y schal waste hem bi swerd and hungur and pestilence.
When they fast, I will not hear their entreaty: and when they offer burnt-offering and meat-offering, I will not receive them in favor; but by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence, will I make an end of them.
13 And Y seide, A! A! A! Lord God, profetis seien to hem, Ye schulen not se swerd, and hungur schal not be in you, but he schal yyue to you veri pees in this place.
Then said I, Ah, Lord Eternal! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but a permanent peace will I give you in this place.
14 And the Lord seide to me, The profetis profesien falsli in my name; Y sente not hem, and Y comaundide not to hem, nether Y spak to hem; thei profesien to you a fals reuelacioun, and a gileful dyuynyng, and the disseyuyng of her herte.
Then said the Lord unto me, Falsehood do the prophets prophesy in my name; I have not sent them, neither have I commanded them, neither have I spoken unto them: a vision of falsehood, and divination, and idolatrous folly, and the deceit of their heart do they prophesy unto you.
15 Therfor the Lord seith these thingis of the profetis that profesien in my name, whiche Y sente not, and seien, Swerd and hungur schal not be in this lond; Tho profetis schulen be wastid bi swerd and hungur.
Therefore thus hath said the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, when I have not sent them, while they say, Sword and famine shall not come in this land: By the sword and by the famine shall these prophets come to their end.
16 And the puplis, to whiche thei profesieden, schulen be cast forth in the weies of Jerusalem, for hungur and swerd, and noon schal be, that schal birie hem; they and the wyues of hem, the sones and the douytris of hem `schulen be cast forth; and Y schal schede out on hem her yuel.
And the people to whom they prophesy shall lie cast down in the streets of Jerusalem by means of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters; for I will pour out their wickedness over them.
17 And thou schalt seie to hem this word, Myn iyen lede doun a teer bi niyt and dai, and be not stille, for the virgyn, the douyter of my puple, is defoulid bi greet defoulying, with the worste wounde greetli.
But thou shalt say unto them this word. My eyes shall run down with tears night and day, and they shall not cease; for with a great breach is the virgin-daughter of my people broken, with a very painful blow.
18 If Y go out to feeldis, lo! men ben slayn bi swerd; and if Y entre in to the citee, lo! men ben maad leene for hungur; also a profete and a prest yeden in to the lond which thei knewen not.
If I go forth into the field, behold, there are the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, behold, there are those that are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the priest travel round into a land that they know not.
19 Whether thou castynge awei hast cast awei Juda, ether thi soule hath wlatid Sion? whi therfor hast thou smyte vs, so that noon heelthe is? We abididen pees, and no good is; and we abididen time of heeling, and lo! disturbling is.
Hast thou entirely rejected Judah? or hath thy soul loathing on Zion? why hast thou smitten us, so that there is no healing for us? we hoped for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold, there is terror!
20 Lord, we han know oure vnfeithfulnessis, and the wickidnessis of oure fadris, for we han synned to thee.
We know, O Lord, our wickedness, the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against thee.
21 Yyue thou not vs in to schenschip, for thi name, nether do thou dispite to vs; haue thou mynde on the seete of thi glorie, make thou not voide thi boond of pees with vs.
Do not cast us off, for the sake of thy name, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us.
22 Whether in grauun ymagis of hethene men ben thei that reynen, ethir heuenes moun yyue reynes? whether thou art not oure Lord God, whom we abididen? For thou madist alle these thingis.
Are there any among the vanities of the nations those that bestow rain? or can the heavens give forth showers? Behold, thou art this, O Lord our God, and we will hope in thee; for thou hast done all these things.
