Jeremiah 26
1 In the bigynnyng of the rewme of Joachym, the sone of Josie, kyng of Juda, this word was maad of the Lord, and seide,
In the beginning of the reign of king Sedekias, there came this word concerning Aelam.
2 The Lord seide these thingis, Stonde thou in the porche of the hous of the Lord, and thou schalt speke to alle the citees of Juda, fro whiche thei comen for to worschipe in the hous of the Lord, alle the wordis whiche Y comaundide to thee, that thou speke to hem; nyle thou withdrawe a word;
FOR EGYPT, AGAINST THE POWER OF PHARAO NECHAO KING OF EGYPT, who was by the river Euphrates in Charmis, whom Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Joakim king of Juda.
3 if perauenture thei heren, and ben conuertid, ech man fro his yuele weie, and it repente me of the yuel which Y thouyte to do to hem for the malices of her studies.
Take up arms and spears, and draw near to battle;
4 And thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord seith these thingis, If ye heren not me, that ye go in my lawe which Y yaf to you,
and harness the horses: mount, you horsemen, and stand ready in your helmets; advance the spears, and put on your breastplates.
5 that ye here the wordis of my seruauntis, profetis, whiche Y risynge bi niyte, and dressynge, sente to you, and ye herden not;
Why do they fear, and turn back? even because their mighty men shall be slain: they have utterly fled, and being hemmed in they have not rallied, says the Lord.
6 Y schal yyue this hous as Silo, and Y schal yyue this citee in to cursyng to alle folkis of erthe.
Let not the swift flee, and let not the mighty man escape to the north: the [forces] at Euphrates are become feeble, and they have fallen.
7 And the prestis, and profetis, and al the puple herden Jeremye spekynge these wordis in the hous of the Lord.
Who is this [that] shall come up as a river, and as rivers roll [their] waves?
8 And whanne Jeremye hadde fillid spekynge alle thingis, whiche the Lord hadde comaundid to hym, that he schulde speke to al the puple, the prestis, and profetis, and al the puple token hym, and seiden, Die he bi deeth;
The waters of Egypt shall come up like a river: and he said, I will go up, and will cover the earth, and will destroy the dwellers in it.
9 whi profesiede he in the name of the Lord, and seide, This hous schal be as Silo, and this citee schal be desolat, for no dwellere is? And al the puple was gaderid togidere ayens Jeremye, in the hous of the Lord.
Mount you the horses, prepare the chariots; go forth, you warriors of the Ethiopians, and Libyans armed with shields; and mount, you Lydians, bend the bow.
10 And the princes of Juda herden alle these wordis; and thei stieden fro the kyngis hous in to the hous of the Lord, and saten in the entryng of the newe yate of the hous of the Lord.
And that day [shall be] to the Lord our God a day of vengeance, to take vengeance on his enemies: and the sword of the Lord shall devour, and be glutted, and be drunken with their blood: for the Lord [has] a sacrifice from the land of the north at the river Euphrates.
11 And the prestis and profetis spaken to the princes, and to al the puple, and seiden, Doom of deth is to this man, for he profesiede ayens this citee, as ye herden with youre eeris.
Go up to Galaad, and take balm for the virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain have you multiplied your medicines; there is no help in you.
12 And Jeremye seide to alle the princes, and to al the puple, `and seide, The Lord sente me, that Y schulde prophesie to this hous, and to this citee, alle the wordis whiche ye herden.
The nations have heard your voice, and the land has been filled with your cry: for the warriors have fainted fighting one against another, [and] both are fallen together.
13 Now therfor make ye good youre weies, and youre studies, and here ye the vois of youre Lord God; and it schal repente the Lord of the yuel which he spak ayens you.
THE WORDS WHICH THE LORD SPOKE by Jeremias, concerning the coming of the king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt.
14 Lo! forsothe Y am in youre hondis; do ye to me, as it is good and riytful bifore youre iyen.
Proclaim [it] at Magdol, and declare [it] at Memphis: say you, Stand up, and prepare; for the sword has devoured your yew tree.
15 Netheles wite ye, and knowe, that if ye sleen me, ye schulen bitraie innocent blood ayens you silf, and ayens this citee, and the dwelleris therof; for in trewthe the Lord sente me to you, that Y schulde speke in youre eeris alle these wordis.
Therefore has Apis fled from you? your choice calf has not remained; for the Lord has utterly weakened him.
16 And the princes and al the puple seiden to the preestis and profetis, Doom of deth is not to this man; for he spak to vs in the name of oure Lord God.
And your multitude has fainted and fallen; and each one said to his neighbour, Let us arise, and return into our country to our people, from the Grecian sword.
17 Therfor men of the eldere men of the lond rysiden vp, and seiden to al the cumpanye of the puple,
Call you the name of Pharao Nechao king of Egypt, Saon esbeie moed.
18 and spaken, Mychee of Morasten was a profete in the daies of Ezechie, king of Juda; and he seide to al the puple of Juda, and seide, The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Sion schal be erid as a feeld, and Jerusalem schal be in to an heep of stoonys, and the hil of the hous of the Lord schal be in to hiy thingis of woodis.
[As] I live, says the Lord God, he shall come as Itabyrion amongst the mountains, and as Carmel that is on the sea.
19 Whether Ezechie, kyng of Juda, and al Juda condempnede hym bi deth? Whether thei dredden not the Lord, and bisouyten the face of the Lord? and it repentide the Lord of the yuel which he spak ayens hem. Therfor do we not greet yuel ayens oure soulis.
O daughter of Egypt dwelling [at home], prepare you stuff for removing: for Memphis shall be utterly desolate, and shall be called Woe, because there are no inhabitants in it.
20 Also Vrye, the sone of Semey, of Cariathiarym, was a man profesiynge in the name of the Lord; and he profesiede ayens this citee, and ayens this lond, bi alle the wordis of Jeremye.
Egypt is a fair heifer, [but] destruction from the north is come upon her.
21 And kyng Joachym, and alle the myyti men, and princes of hem, herden these wordis; and the kyng souyte to sle hym; and Vrye herde, and dredde, and he fledde, and entride in to Egipt.
Also her hired [soldiers] in the midst of her are as fatted calves fed in her; for they also have turned, and fled with one accord: they stood not, for the day of destruction was come upon them, and the time of their retribution.
22 And kyng Joachym sente men in to Egipt, Elnathan, the sone of Achobor, and men with hym, in to Egipt;
Their voice is as [that] of a hissing serpent, for they go upon the sand; they shall come upon Egypt with axes, as men that cut wood.
23 and thei ledden Vrye out of Egipt, and brouyten hym to kyng Joachym; and the kyng killide hym bi swerd, and castide forth his careyn in the sepulcris of the comyn puple vnnoble.
They shall cut down her forest, says the Lord, for [their number] can’t at all be conjectured, for it exceeds the locust in multitude, and they are innumerable.
24 Therfor the hond of Aicham, sone of Saphan, was with Jeremye, that he was not bitakun in to the hondis of the puple, and that it killide not hym.
The daughter of Egypt is confounded; she is delivered into the hands of a people from the north.
Behold, I [will] avenge Ammon her son upon Pharao, and upon them that trust in him.
But fear not you, my servant Jacob, neither be you alarmed, Israel: for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be at ease, and sleep, and there shall be no one to trouble him.
Fear not you, my servant Jacob, says the Lord; for I am with you: she [that was] without fear and in luxury, has been delivered up: for I will make a full end of every nation amongst whom I have thrust you forth; but I will not cause you to fail: yet will I chastise you in the way of judgement, and will not hold you entirely guiltless.
