< Jeremiah 14 >
1 The word of the Lord, that was maad to Jeremye, of the wordis of dryenesse.
The word of YHWH 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 mourns, and its gates languish, they sit in black on the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
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,
Their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads.
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, because no rain has been in the land, the plowmen are disappointed, they cover their heads.
5 For whi and an hynde caluyde in the feeld, and lefte her calues, for noon eerbe was;
Yes, the hind also in the field calves, and forsakes her young, because there is no grass.
6 and wield assis stoden in rochis, and drowen wynde as dragouns; her iyen failiden, for noon eerbe was.
The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights, they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail, because there is no herbage."
7 If oure wickidnessis answeren to vs, Lord, do thou for thi name, for oure turnyngis awei ben manye; we han synned ayens thee.
"Though our iniquities testify against us, work for your name's sake, YHWH; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you.
8 Thou abidyng of Israel, the sauyour therof in the tyme of tribulacioun,
Hope of Israel, its Savior in the time of trouble, why should you be as a foreigner in the land, and as a wayfaring man who turns aside to stay 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 should you be like a scared man, as a mighty man who can't save? Yet you, YHWH, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not leave us."
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 says YHWH to this people, "Even so have they loved to wander; they have not refrained their feet: therefore YHWH does not accept them; now he will remember their iniquity, and visit their sins."
11 And the Lord seide to me, Nyle thou preie for this puple in to good.
YHWH said to me, "Do not pray for 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 cry; and when they offer burnt offering and meal offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence."
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 I said, "Ah, YHWH. Look, the prophets tell them, 'You shall not see the sword, neither shall you have famine; but I will give you assured peace 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 YHWH said to me, "The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I did not send them, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke I to them: they prophesy to you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of their own heart.
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 says YHWH concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, and I did not send them, yet they say, 'Sword and famine shall not be in this land:' 'By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.'
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.
The people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them—them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness on 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.
"You shall say this word to them, 'Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous wound.
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, then, look, the slain with the sword. And if I enter into the city, then, look, those who are sick with famine. For both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.'"
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.
"Have you utterly rejected Judah? Has your soul loathed Zion? Why have you struck us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and look, dismay.
20 Lord, we han know oure vnfeithfulnessis, and the wickidnessis of oure fadris, for we han synned to thee.
We acknowledge, YHWH, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against you.
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 abhor us, for your name's sake; do not disgrace the throne of your glory: remember, do not break your 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 that can cause rain? Or can the sky give showers? Aren't you he, YHWH our God? Therefore we will wait for you; for you have made all these things."