Jeremiah 8
1 In that tyme, seith the Lord, thei schulen caste out the boonys of the kingis of Juda, and the boonys of princes therof, and the boonys of prestis, and the boonys of profetis, and the boonys of hem that dwelliden in Jerusalem fro her sepulcris;
"At that time," says YHWH, "they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his officials, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves;
2 and thei schulen leie abrood tho boonys to the sunne, and moone, and to al the knyythod of heuene, which thei louyden, and which thei seruyden, and aftir whiche thei yeden, and whiche thei souyten, and worschipiden; tho schulen not be gaderid, and schulen not be biried; tho schulen be in to a dunghil on the face of erthe.
and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked, and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung on the surface of the earth.
3 And alle men schulen cheese deth more than lijf, whiche ben left of this worst kynrede, in alle places that ben left, to whiche places Y castide hem out, seith the Lord of oostis.
Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them," says YHWH of hosts.
4 And thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord seith these thingis, Whether he that schal falle, schal not rise ayen? and whether he that is turned awei, schal not turne ayen?
"Moreover you shall tell them, 'Thus says YHWH: Shall men fall, and not rise up again? Shall one turn away, and not return?
5 Whi therfor is this puple in Jerusalem turned awei bi turnyng awei ful of strijf? Thei han take leesyng, and nolden turne ayen.
Why then do these people of Jerusalem turn away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit; they refuse to return.
6 Y perseyuede, and herknede; no man spekith that that is good, noon is that doith penaunce for his synne, and seith, What haue Y do? Alle ben turnede togidere to her cours, as an hors goynge bi fersnesse to batel.
I listened and heard, but they did not speak what is right: no man repents him of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.
7 A kite in the eir knew his tyme; a turtle, and a swalewe, and a siconye, kepten the tyme of her comyng; but my puple knew not the doom of the Lord.
Yes, the stork in the sky knows her appointed times; and the turtledove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people do not know YHWH's law.
8 Hou seien ye, We ben wise men, and the lawe of the Lord is with vs? Verili the fals writyng of scribis wrouyte leesyng.
How can you say, "We are wise, and the law of YHWH is with us?" But, look, the lying pen of the scribes has worked falsehood.
9 Wise men ben schent, ben maad aferd and takun. For thei castiden awei the word of the Lord, and no wisdom is in hem.
The wise men are disappointed, they are dismayed and taken: look, they have rejected the word of YHWH; and what kind of wisdom is in them?
10 Therfor Y schal yyue the wymmen of hem to straungeris, and the feeldis of hem to alien eiris; for fro the leeste `til to the mooste alle suen aueryce, fro a profete `til to the preest alle maken leesyng;
therefore I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who shall possess them: for everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest every one deals falsely.
11 and thei heeliden the sorowe of the douytir of my puple to schenschipe, seiynge, Pees, pees, whanne no pees was.
They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people superficially, saying, "Peace, peace;" when there is no peace.
12 Thei ben schent, for thei diden abhomynacioun; yhe, rather thei weren not schent bi schenschipe, and kouden not be aschamed. Therfor thei schulen falle among falleris, in the tyme of her visitacioun thei schulen falle, seith the Lord.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No. They were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among those who fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, says YHWH.
13 I gaderynge schal gadere hem, seith the Lord; no grape is in the vynes, and figis ben not in the fige tre; a leef felle doun, and Y yaf to hem tho thingis that ben go out ouer.
I will utterly consume them, says YHWH: no grapes shall be on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.'"
14 Whi sitten we? come ye togidere, entre we in to a strong citee, and be we stille there; for oure Lord hath maad vs to be stille, and yaf to vs drynk the watir of galle; for we han synned to the Lord.
"Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for YHWH our God has put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against YHWH.
15 We abididen pees, and no good was; we abididen tyme of medicyn, and lo! drede is.
We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and look, dismay.
16 Gnastyng of horsis therof is herd fro Dan; al the lond is moued of the vois of neiyngis of hise werriours; and thei camen, and deuouriden the lond, and the plente therof, the citee, and the dwelleris therof.
The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan: at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembles; for they have come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it; the city and those who dwell in it.
17 For lo! Y schal sende to you the werste serpentis, to whiche is no charmyng; and thei schulen bite you, seith the Lord.
For, look, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you," says YHWH.
18 My sorewe is on sorewe, myn herte is mourenynge in me.
"My joy for me is sorrow. My heart is faint within me.
19 And lo! the vois of cry of the douyter of my puple cometh fro a fer lond. Whether the Lord is not in Sion, ethir the kyng therof is not therynne? Whi therfor stiriden thei me to wrathfulnesse bi her grauun ymagis, and bi alien vanytees?
Look, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: 'Isn't YHWH in Zion? Isn't her King in her?'" "Why have they provoked me to anger with their engraved images, and with foreign vanities?"
20 Heruest is passid, somer is endid; and we ben not sauyd.
"'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.'
21 Y am turmentid, and sori on the sorewe of the douyter of my puple; astonying helde me.
For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt: I mourn; dismay has taken hold on me.
22 Whether resyn is not in Galaad, ether a leche is not there? Whi therfor the wounde of the douytir of my puple is not heelid perfitli?
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then isn't the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
