Jeremiah 2
1 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
2 and seide, Go thou, and crye in the eeris of Jerusalem, and seie, The Lord seith these thingis, Y hadde mynde on thee, and Y hadde merci on thee in thi yong wexynge age, and on the charite of thi spousyng, whanne thou suedist me in desert, in the lond which is not sowun.
“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem. Say, 'Yahweh says this: I have called to mind on your behalf the covenant faithfulness in your youthfulness, your love at the time when we were engaged, when you went after me in the wilderness, the land that was not sown.
3 Israel was hooli to the Lord, the firste of fruytis of hym; alle men that deuouren that Israel, trespassen; yuelis schulen come on hem, seith the Lord.
Israel was set apart to Yahweh, the firstfruits of his harvest! All who ate from the firstfruits were held guilty; disaster came upon them—this is Yahweh's declaration.'”
4 The hous of Jacob, and alle the lynagis of the hous of Israel, here ye the word of the Lord.
Hear the word of Yahweh, house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel.
5 The Lord seith these thingis, What of wickidnesse foundun youre fadris in me, for thei yeden fer awey fro me, and yeden after vanyte, and weren maad veyn?
Yahweh says this, “What did your fathers find wrong with me, that they went far from following me? That they went after useless idols and became useless themselves?
6 And thei seiden not, Where is the Lord, that made vs to stie fro the lond of Egipt, that ledde vs ouer thorou desert, bi the lond vnabitable and with out weie, bi the lond of thirst, and bi the ymage of deeth, bi the lond in whiche a man yede not, nether a man dwellide.
They did not say, 'Where is Yahweh, who brought us up from the land of Egypt? Where is Yahweh, who led us to the wilderness, into the land of the Arabah and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, a land through which no one passes and where no one lives?'
7 And Y brouyte you in to the lond of Carmele, that ye schulden ete the fruyt therof, and the goodis therof; and ye entriden, and defouliden my lond, and settiden myn eritage in to abhomynacioun.
But I brought you to the land of Carmel, to eat its fruit and other good things! Yet when you came, you defiled my land, you made my inheritance an abomination!
8 Preestis seiden not, Where is the Lord? and thei that helden the lawe, knewen not me; and scheepherdis trespassiden ayens me, and profetis profesieden in Baal, and sueden idols.
The priest did not say, 'Where is Yahweh?' and the experts in the law did not care about me! The shepherds transgressed against me. The prophets prophesied for Baal and walked after unprofitable things.
9 Therfor yit Y schal stryue with you in doom, seith the Lord, and Y schal dispute with youre sones.
So I will still accuse you—this is Yahweh's declaration—and I will accuse your sons' sons.
10 Go ye to the ilis of Cethym, and se ye; and sende ye in to Cedar, and biholde ye greetli; and se ye,
For cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look. Send messengers out to Kedar and find out and see if there has ever before been anything like this.
11 if siche a thing is doon, if a folk chaungide hise goddis; and certeynli thei ben no goddis; but my puple chaungide hise glorie in to an ydol.
Has a nation exchanged gods, even though they were not gods? But my people have exchanged their glory for what cannot help them.
12 Heuenes, be ye astonyed on this thing, and, ye yatis of heuene, be ye desolat greetli, seith the Lord.
Shudder, heavens, because of this! Be shocked and horrified—this is Yahweh's declaration.
13 For whi my puple hath don tweyne yuels; thei han forsake me, the welle of quyke watir, and han diggid to hem cisternes, `that weren distried, that moun not holde watris.
For my people have committed two evils against me: They have abandoned the springs of living waters, and they have dug out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 Whether Israel is a boond man, ether is borun boonde?
Is Israel a slave? Was he born in his master's home? So why has he become plunder?
15 Whi therfor is he maad in to prey? Liouns roriden on hym, and yauen her vois; thei han set the londe of hym in to wildernesse, the citees of him ben brent, and noon is that dwellith in tho.
Young lions roared against him. They made a lot of noise and made his land a horror. His cities are destroyed without any inhabitants.
16 Also the sones of Menfis and of Tafnys han defoulid thee, `til to the cop of the heed.
Also, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes will shave your skull.
17 Whether this is not don to thee, for thou forsokist thi Lord God, in that tyme in which he ledde thee bi the weie?
Did you not do this to yourselves when you abandoned Yahweh your God, while he was leading you along the way?
18 And now what wolt thou to thee in the weie of Egipt, that thou drynke troblid watir? And what is to thee with the weie of Assiriens, that thou drynke water of the flood?
So now, why take the road to Egypt and drink the waters of Shihor? Why take the road to Assyria and drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19 Thi malice schal repreue thee, and thi turnyng awei schal blame thee; wite thou and se, that it is yuel and bittir that thou hast forsake thi Lord God, and that his drede is not at thee, seith the Lord God of oostis.
Your wickedness rebukes you, and your faithlessness punishes you. So think about it and understand that it is wicked and bitter when you forsake Yahweh your God, and have no fear of me—this is the declaration of Lord Yahweh of hosts.
20 Fro the world thou hast broke my yok, thou hast broke my bondis, and seidist, Y schal not serue. For thou hoore didist hordom in ech hiy litil hil, and vndur ech tree ful of bowis.
For I broke your yoke that you had in ancient days; I tore your fetters off you. Still you said, 'I will not serve!' since you bowed down on every high hill and beneath every leafy tree, you adulterer.
21 Forsothe Y plauntide thee a chosun vyner, al trewe seed; hou therfor art thou, alien vyner, turned to me in to a schrewid thing?
I planted you as a choice vine, completely from pure seed. How then have you have changed yourself into a corrupt, worthless vine?
22 Thouy thou waischist thee with fulleris clei, and multypliest to thee the erbe borith, thou art defoulid in thi wickidnesse bifore me, seith the Lord God.
For even if you clean yourself in the river or wash with strong soap, your iniquity is a stain before me—this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh.
23 Hou seist thou, Y am not defoulid, Y yede not aftir Baalym? Se thi weies in the greet valei, wite thou what thou hast do; a swifte rennere ordeynynge hise weies.
How can you say, 'I am not defiled! I have not walked after the Baals'? Look at what you did in the valleys! Consider what you have done—you are a swift female camel running here and there,
24 A wielde asse customable in wildirnesse drow the wynd of his loue in the desire of his soule; no man schal turne awei it. Alle that seken it, schulen not faile; thei schulen fynde it in the flux of vncleene blood therof.
a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None of the males need wear themselves out pursuing her; at mating time they will find her.
25 Forbede thi foot fro nakidnesse, and thi throte fro thirst; and thou seidist, Y dispeiride, Y schal not do; for Y louede brennyngli alien goddis, and Y schal go aftir hem.
You must restrain your feet from becoming bare and your throat from being thirsty! But you have said, 'It is hopeless! No, I love strangers and go after them!'
26 As a theef is schent, whanne he is takun, so the hous of Israel ben schent; thei, and kyngis of hem, the princes, and prestis, and the prophetis of hem,
Like the shame of a thief when he is found, so the house of Israel will be ashamed— they, their kings, their princes, and their priests and prophets!
27 that seien to a tree, Thou art my fadir; and to a stoon, Thou hast gendrid me. Thei turneden to me the bak, and not the face; and in the tyme of her turment thei schulen seie, Ryse thou, and delyuere vs.
These are the ones who say to the tree, 'You are my father,' and to the stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For their back faces me and not their faces. Nevertheless, they say in the time of troubles, 'Arise and save us!'
28 Where ben thi goddis, whiche thou madist to thee? Rise thei, and delyuere thee in the tyme of thi turment; for aftir the noumbre of thi citees weren thi goddis, thou Juda.
Yet where are the gods that you made for yourselves? Let them arise if they wish to save you in your time of troubles, for your idols equal your cities in number, Judah!
29 What wolen ye stryue with me in doom? Alle ye han forsake me, seith the Lord.
So why do you accuse me of doing wrong? All of you have sinned against me—this is Yahweh's declaration.
30 In veyn Y smoot youre sones, thei resseyueden not chastisyng; youre swerd deuouride youre prophetis, youre generacioun is distried as a lioun.
I have punished your people in vain. They would not accept discipline. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destructive lion!
31 Se ye the word of the Lord, whether Y am maad a wildirnesse to Israel, ether a lond late bryngynge forth fruyt? Whi therfor seide my puple, We han go awei, we schulen no more come to thee?
You who belong to this generation! Pay attention to my word, the word of Yahweh! Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Or a land of deep darkness? Why would my people say, 'Let us wander around, we will not go to you anymore'?
32 Whethir a virgyn schal foryete hir ournement? and a spousesse `schal foryete hir brest girdil? But mi puple hath foryete me bi daies with out noumbre.
Will a virgin forget her jewelry, a bride her veils? Yet my people have forgotten me for days without number!
33 What enforsist thou to schewe thi weie good to seke loue, which ferthermore bothe hast tauyt thi malices thi weies,
How well you make your way to look for love. You have even taught your ways to wicked women.
34 and the blood of pore men and innocentis is foundun in thi wyngis? Y fond not hem in dichis, but in alle thingis whiche Y remembride bifore.
The blood that was the life of innocent, poor people has been found on your clothes. These people were not discovered in acts of burglary.
35 And thou seidist, Y am with out synne and innocent; and therfor thi stronge veniaunce be turned awei fro me. Lo! Y schal stryue with thee in doom; for thou seidist, Y synnede not.
Yet you say, 'I am innocent; surely his anger has turned away from me.' But look! I will bring down judgment on you because you say, 'I have not sinned.'
36 Hou vijl art thou maad, rehersynge thi weies? and thou schalt be schent of Egipt, as thou were schent of Assur.
Why do you treat so very lightly this change in your ways? You will also be disappointed by Egypt, just as you were by Assyria.
37 For whi and thou schalt go out of this lond, and thin hondis schulen be on thin heed; for whi the Lord hath al to-broke thi trist, and thou schalt haue no thing to prosperite.
You will also go out from there dejected, with your hands on your head, for Yahweh has rejected the ones whom you trusted, so you will not be helped by them.”
