Jeremiah 21

1 The word which was maad of the Lord to Jeremye, whanne king Sedechie sente to hym Phassur, the sone of Helchie, and Sofonye, the preest, the sone of Maasie, and seide,

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to him, saying:

2 Axe thou the Lord for vs, for Nabugodonosor, the kyng of Babiloyne, fiytith ayens vs; if in hap the Lord do with vs bi alle hise merueilis, and he go awei fro vs.

“Question the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, is fighting against us. Perhaps it may be that the Lord will act toward us according to all his wonders, and he may withdraw from us.”

3 And Jeremye seide to hem, Thus ye schulen seie to Sedechie,

And Jeremiah said to them: “This is what you shall say to Zedekiah:

4 The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal turne the instrumentis of batel that ben in youre hondis, and with which ye fiyten ayens the king of Babiloyne, and ayens Caldeis, that bisegen you in the cumpas of wallis; and Y schal gadere tho togidere in the myddis of this citee.

Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, who besiege you at the surrounding walls. And I will gather these things together in the midst of this city.

5 And Y schal ouercome you in hond stretchid forth, and in strong arm, and in stronge veniaunce, and indignacioun, and in greet wraththe;

And I myself will make war against you: with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, and in fury, and in indignation, and in great wrath.

6 and Y schal smyte the dwelleris of this citee, men and beestis schulen die bi greet pestilence.

And I will strike the inhabitants of this city; men and beasts will die from a great pestilence.

7 And after these thingis, seith the Lord, Y schal yyue Sedechie, kyng of Juda, and hise seruauntis, and his puple, and that ben left in this citee fro pestilence, and swerd, and hungur, in the hond of Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, and in the hond of her enemyes, and in the hond of men sekynge the lijf of hem; and he schal smyte hem bi the scharpnesse of swerd; and he schal not be bowid, nether schal spare, nether schal haue mercy.

And afterward, thus says the Lord: I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and those who have been left behind in this city after pestilence and the sword and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And he will strike them with the edge of the sword. And he will not waver, and he will not be lenient, and he will not take pity.

8 And thou schalt seie to this puple, The Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y yyue bifore you the weie of lijf, and the weie of deth.

And to this people, you shall say: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

9 He that dwellith in this citee, schal die bi swerd, and hungur, and pestilence; but he that goith out, and fleeth ouer to Caldeis that bisegen you, schal lyue, and his lijf schal be as a prey to hym.

Whoever lives in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will have departed and fled away to the Chaldeans, who besiege you, will live, and his life will be to him like a spoil.

10 For Y haue set my face on this citee in to yuel, and not in to good, seith the Lord; it schal be youun in the hond of the king of Babiloyne, and he schal brenne it with fier.

For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, says the Lord. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.

11 And thou schalt seie to the hous of the king of Juda, the hous of Dauid, Here ye the word of the Lord.

And to the house of the king of Judah, you shall say: Listen to the word of the Lord,

12 The Lord seith these thingis, Deme ye eerli doom, and delyuere ye hym that is oppressid bi violence fro the hond of the fals chalenger; lest perauenture myn indignacioun go out as fier, and be kyndlid, and noon be that quenche, for the malice of youre studies.

O house of David! Thus says the Lord: Judge with judgment from early morning, and rescue anyone who is oppressed by violence from the hand of a false accuser. Otherwise, my indignation may go forth like a fire, and may flare up, and there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the evil of your intentions.

13 Lo! Y to thee, dwelleresse of the sad valei and pleyn, seith the Lord, which seien, Who schal smyte vs, and who schal entre in to oure housis?

Behold, I am against you, O inhabitants of a valley with firm and level ground, says the Lord. And you say: ‘Who can strike us? And who can enter into our houses?’

14 And Y schal visite on you bi the fruyt of youre studies, seith the Lord; and Y schal kyndle fier in the forest therof, and it schal deuoure alle thingis in the cumpas therof.

But I will visit against you according to the fruit of your intentions, says the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in its forest. And it shall devour everything around it.”