The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XVI.

[verse 1] Lord, sende thou out a lomb, the lordli gouernour of erthe, fro the stoon of desert to the hil of the douȝter of Sion. [verse 2] And it schal be as a foule fleynge, and briddis fleynge awei fro the nest, so schulen be the douȝtris of Moab in the [Om. N.] passyng ouer of Arnon. [verse 3] Take thou councel, constreyne thou councel; sette thou as niȝt thi schadewe in myddai, hide thou hem that fleen, and bitraye thou not men of vnstidfast dwell|yng. [verse 4] My fleeris awei schulen dwelle at thee. Moab, be thou the hidyng place of hem fro the face of distriere [the distriere I.] . For whi dust is endid, the wretchid is wastid; he that defoulide the lond failude. [verse 5] And the kyngis seete schal be maade redi in merci, and he schal sitte on it in treuthe, in the taber|nacle of Dauid, demynge, and sekynge doom, and ȝeldynge swiftli that that is iust. [verse 6] We han herd the pride of Moab, he is ful proud; his pride, and his boost,

and his indignacioun is more than his strengthe. [verse 7] Therfor Moab schal ȝelle to Moab, al Moab shal ȝelle to hem that ben glad on the wallis of bakun tijl stoon; speke ȝe her woundis. [verse 8] For whi the sub|arbis of Esebon and the vyner of Sabama ben forsakun. The lordis of hethene men han kit doun the siouns therof; thei camen `til to [vnto I.] Jaser, thei erriden in desert. The bowis therof ben forsakun, thei pass|iden the see. [verse 9] On this thing Y schal wepe in the weping of Jaser, and on the vyner of Sabama. Esebon and Eleale, Y schal fille thee with my teer; for the vois of defouleris fellen on thi vyndage, and on thi heruest. [verse 10] And gladnesse and ful out ioiyng schal be takun awei fro Carmele; and noon schal make ful out ioye, nether schal synge hertli song in vyneris. He that was wont to wringe out, schal not wrynge out wyn in a pressour; Y haue take awei the vois of wryngeris out. [verse 11] On this thing my wombe schal sowne as an harpe to Moab, and myn entrails to the wal of bakun tiel stoon. [verse 12] And it schal be, whanne it schal appere, that Moab hath trauelid on hise places, it schal entre to hise hooli thingis, that it biseche, and it schal not be worth. [verse 13] This is the word which the Lord spak to Moab fro that tyme. [verse 14] And now the Lord spak, seiynge, In thre ȝeer that weren as the ȝeeris of an hirid man, the glorie of Moab schal be takun awei on al the myche puple; and ther schal be left in it as a litil rasyn [rasyn, that is, a litil boow, with litil fruyt N.] , and a litil, and not myche.