Jeremiah 50

1 The word which the Lord spak of Babiloyne, and of the lond of Caldeis, in the hond of Jeremye, the profete.

The word that Jehovah spake concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet.

2 Telle ye among hethene men, and make ye herd; reise ye a signe; preche ye, and nyle ye holde stille; seie ye, Babiloyne is takun, Bel is schent, Maradach is ouer comun; the grauun ymagis therof ben schent, the idols of hem ben ouer comun.

Declare ye among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed; her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.

3 For a folk schal stie fro the north ayenus it, which folk schal sette the lond therof in to wildirnesse; and noon schal be that schal dwelle therynne, fro man `til to beeste; and thei ben moued, and yeden a wei.

For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they are fled, they are gone, both man and beast.

4 In tho daies, and in that tyme, seith the Lord, the sones of Israel schulen come, thei and the sones of Juda togidere, goynge and wepynge; thei schulen haaste, and seke her Lord God in Sion,

In those days, and in that time, saith Jehovah, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; they shall go on their way weeping, and shall seek Jehovah their God.

5 and thei schulen axe the weie. Hidur the faces of hem schulen come, and thei schulen be set to the Lord with boond of pees euerlastynge, which schal not be don awei by ony foryetyng.

They shall inquire concerning Zion with their faces thitherward, [saying], Come ye, and join yourselves to Jehovah in an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten.

6 My puple is maad a lost floc, the scheepherdis of hem disseyueden hem, and maden to go vnstabli in hillis; thei passiden fro mounteyn in to a litil hil, thei foryaten her bed.

My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray; they have turned them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting-place.

7 Alle men that founden, eeten hem, and the enemyes of hem seiden, We synneden not, for that thei synneden to the Lord, the fairnesse of riytfulnesse, and to the Lord, the abidyng of her fadris.

All that found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, We are not guilty, because they have sinned against Jehovah, the habitation of righteousness, even Jehovah, the hope of their fathers.

8 Go ye awei fro the myddis of Babiloyne, and go ye out of the lond of Caldeis, and be ye as kydis bifore the floc.

Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he-goats before the flocks.

9 For lo! Y schal reise, and brynge in to Babiloyne the gaderyng togidere of grete folkis, fro the lond of the north; and thei schulen be maad redi ayens it, and it schal be takun in the dai; the arowe therof as of a strong man a sleere, schal not turne ayen voide.

For, lo, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of an expert mighty man; none shall return in vain.

10 And Caldee schal be in to prey, alle that distrien it, schulen be fillid, seith the Lord.

And Chaldea shall be a prey: all that prey upon her shall be satisfied, saith Jehovah.

11 For ye maken ful out ioye, and speken grete thingis, and rauyschen myn eritage; for ye ben sched out as caluys on erbe, and lowiden as bolis.

Because ye are glad, because ye rejoice, O ye that plunder my heritage, because ye are wanton as a heifer that treadeth out [the grain], and neigh as strong horses;

12 Youre modir is schent greetli, and sche that gendride you, is maad euene to dust; lo! sche schal be the last among folkis, and forsakun, with out weie, and drie.

your mother shall be utterly put to shame; she that bare you shall be confounded: behold, she shall be the hindermost of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

13 For the wraththe of the Lord it schal not be enhabitid, but it schal be dryuun al in to wildirnesse; ech that schal passe bi Babiloyne, schal wondre, and schal hisse on alle the woundis therof.

Because of the wrath of Jehovah she shall not be inhabited, but she shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.

14 Alle ye that beenden bowe, be maad redi ayens Babiloyne bi cumpas; ouercome ye it, spare ye not arowis, for it synnede to the Lord.

Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about, all ye that bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against Jehovah.

15 Crye ye ayens it, euery where it yaf hond; the foundementis therof fellen doun, and the wallis therof ben distried; for it is the veniaunce of the Lord. Take ye veniaunce of it; as it dide, do ye to it.

Shout against her round about: she hath submitted herself; her bulwarks are fallen, her walls are thrown down; for it is the vengeance of Jehovah: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

16 Leese ye a sowere of Babiloyne, and hym that holdith a sikil in the tyme of heruest, fro the face of swerd of the culuer; ech man schal be turned to his puple, and ech man schal flee to his lond.

Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

17 Israel is a scaterid flok, liouns castiden out it; first kyng Assur eete it, this laste Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, dide awei the bonys therof.

Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

18 Therfor the Lord of oostis, God of Israel, seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal visite the kyng of Babiloyne, and his lond, as Y visitide the kyng of Assur;

Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

19 and Y schal brynge ayen Israel to his dwellyng place. Carmele and Baasan schal be fed, and his soule schal be fillid in the hil of Effraym, and of Galaad.

And I will bring Israel again to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.

20 In tho daies, and in that tyme, seith the Lord, the wickidnesse of Israel schal be souyt, and it schal not be; and the synne of Juda schal be souyt, and it schal not be foundun; for Y schal be merciful to hem, whiche Y schal forsake.

In those days, and in that time, saith Jehovah, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I leave as a remnant.

21 Stie thou on the lond of lordis, and visite thou on the dwelleris therof; scatere thou, and sle tho thingis, that ben aftir hem, seith the Lord; and do thou bi alle thingis which Y comaundide to thee.

Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: slay and utterly destroy after them, saith Jehovah, and do according to all that I have commanded thee.

22 The vois of batel and greet sorewe in the lond.

A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction.

23 Hou is the hamer of al erthe brokun and al defoulid? hou is Babiloyne turned in to desert, among hethene men?

How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

24 Babiloyne, Y haue snarid thee, and thou art takun, and thou wistist not; thou art foundun, and takun, for thou terridist the Lord to wraththe.

I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against Jehovah.

25 The Lord openide his tresour, and brouyte forth the vessels of his wraththe; for whi a werk is to the Lord God of oostis in the lond of Caldeis.

Jehovah hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation; for the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, hath a work [to do] in the land of the Chaldeans.

26 Come ye to it fro the fertheste endis, opene ye, that thei go out, that schulen defoule it; take ye awei stoonys fro the weie, and dryue ye in to heepis, and sle ye it, and nothing be residue.

Come against her from the utmost border; open her store-houses; cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly; let nothing of her be left.

27 Distrie ye alle the stronge men therof, go thei doun in to sleynge; wo to hem, for the dai of hem cometh, the tyme of visityng of hem.

Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

28 The vois of fleeris, and of hem that ascapiden fro the lond of Babiloyne, that thei telle in Sion the veniaunce of oure Lord God, the veniaunce of his temple.

The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of Jehovah our God, the vengeance of his temple.

29 Telle ye ayens Babiloyne to ful many men, to alle that beenden bowe. Stonde ye togidere ayens it bi cumpas, and noon ascape; yelde ye to it aftir his werk, aftir alle thingis whiche it dide, do ye to it; for it was reisid ayens the Lord, ayens the hooli of Israel.

Call together the archers against Babylon, all them that bend the bow; encamp against her round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her; for she hath been proud against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel.

30 Therfor yonge men therof schulen falle doun in the stretis therof, and alle men werriours therof schulen be stille in that dai, seith the Lord.

Therefore shall her young men fall in her streets, and all her men of war shall be brought to silence in that day, saith Jehovah.

31 Lo! thou proude, Y to thee, seith the Lord God of oostis, for thi dai is comun, the tyme of thi visitacioun.

Behold, I am against thee, O thou proud one, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts; for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

32 And the proude schal falle, and schal falle doun togidere, and noon schal be, that schal reise hym; and Y schal kyndle fier in the citees of hym, and it schal deuoure alle thingis in cumpas of it.

And the proud one shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all that are round about him.

33 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, The sones of Israel and the sones of Juda togidere suffren fals caleng; alle that token hem, holden, thei nylen delyuere hem.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together; and all that took them captive hold them fast; they refuse to let them go.

34 The ayenbyere of hem is strong, the Lord of oostis is his name; bi dom he schal defende the cause of hem, that he make the lond aferd, and stire togidere the dwelleris of Babiloyne.

Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of hosts is his name: he will thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

35 A swerd to Caldeis, seith the Lord, and to the dwelleris of Babiloyne, and to the princes, and to the wise men therof.

A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith Jehovah, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.

36 A swerd to the false dyuynours therof, that schulen be foolis; a swerd to the stronge men therof, that schulen drede.

A sword is upon the boasters, and they shall become fools; a sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed.

37 Swerd to the horsis therof, and to the charis therof, and to al the comyn puple whiche is in the myddis therof, and thei schulen be as wymmen; a swerd to the tresours therof, that schulen be rauyschid.

A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be robbed.

38 Drynesse schal be on the watris therof, and tho schulen be drye; for it is the lond of grauun ymagis, and hath glorie in false feynyngis.

A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up; for it is a land of graven images, and they are mad over idols.

39 Therfor dragouns schulen dwelle with fonned wielde men, and ostrigis schulen dwelle therynne; and it schal no more be enhabitid `til in to with outen ende, and it schal not be bildid `til to generacioun and generacioun;

Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wolves shall dwell there, and the ostriches shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

40 as the Lord distriede Sodom and Gomorre, and the niy citees therof, seith the Lord. A man schal not dwelle there, and the sone of man schal not dwelle in it.

As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith Jehovah, so shall no man dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.

41 Lo! a puple cometh fro the north, and a greet folc, and many kyngis schulen rise togidere fro the endis of erthe.

Behold, a people cometh from the north; and a great nation and many kings shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

42 Thei schulen take bowe and swerd, thei ben cruel and vnmerciful; the vois of hem schal sowne as the see, and thei schulen stie on horsis as a man maad redi to batel, ayens thee, thou douyter of Babiloyne.

They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, every one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

43 The kyng of Babiloyne herde the fame of hem, and hise hondis ben aclumsid; angwisch took hym, sorewe took hym, as a womman trauelynge of child.

The king of Babylon hath heard the tidings of them, and his hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of him, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail.

44 Lo! as a lioun he schal stie fro the pride of Jordan to the stronge fairnesse, for Y schal make hym to renne sudenli to it; and who schal be the chosun man, whom Y schal sette bifore him? For who is lijk me? and who schal suffre me? and who is this scheepherde, that schal ayenstonde my cheer?

Behold, [the enemy] shall come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoso is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? and who will appoint me a time? and who is the shepherd that can stand before me?

45 Therfore here ye the councel of the Lord, which he conseyuede in mynde ayens Babiloyne, and hise thouytis, whiche he thouyte on the lond of Caldeis, no but the litle of the flockis drawen hem doun, no but the dwellyng place of hem be destried with hem, ellis no man yyue credence to me.

Therefore hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely they shall drag them away, [even] the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.

46 The erthe is mouyd of the vois of caitiftee of Babiloyne, and cry is herd among hethene men.

At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembleth, and the cry is heard among the nations.