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

CAP. XXVI.

[verse 1] In the bigynnyng of the rewme of Jo|achym, the sone of Josie, kyng of Juda, this word was maad of the Lord, and [verse 2] seide, The Lord seide these thingis, Stonde thou in the porche [forȝerd CEFGHIKMNPQRSUVX.] 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 [comaunde N.] to thee, that thou speke to hem; nyle thou with|drawe [verse 3] a word; if perauenture thei heren, and ben conuertid, ech man fro his yuele weie, and it repente me of the yuel which Y thouȝte to do to hem for the malices of her studies. [verse 4] And thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord seith these thingis, If ȝe heren

not me, that ȝe go in my lawe which Y [verse 5] ȝaf to ȝou, that ȝe here the wordis of my seruauntis, profetis, whiche Y risynge bi niȝte, and dressynge, sente to ȝou, and ȝe [verse 6] herden not; Y schal ȝyue this hous as Silo, and Y schal ȝyue this citee in to cursyng to alle folkis of erthe. [verse 7] And the prestis, and profetis, and al the puple herden Je|remye spekynge these wordis in the hous of the Lord. [verse 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, [verse 9] and seiden, Die he bi deeth; 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 [ther is I.] ? And al the puple was gaderid togidere aȝens Jeremye, in the hous of the Lord. [verse 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 ȝate of the hous of the Lord. [verse 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 aȝens this citee, as ȝe herden with ȝoure eeris. [verse 12] And Jere|mye seide to alle the princes, and to al the puple, `and seide [seiynge I.] , The Lord sente me, that Y schulde prophesie to this hous, and to this citee, alle the wordis whiche ȝe herden. [verse 13] Now therfor make ȝe good ȝoure weies, and ȝoure studies, and here ȝe the vois of ȝoure Lord God; and it schal re|pente the Lord of the yuel which he spak aȝens ȝou. [verse 14] Lo! forsothe Y am in ȝoure hondis; do ȝe to me, as it is good and riȝtful bifore ȝoure iȝen. [verse 15] Netheles wite ȝe, and knowe, that if ȝe sleen me, ȝe schulen bitraie innocent blood aȝens ȝou silf, and aȝens this citee, and the dwelleris therof; for in trewthe the Lord sente me to ȝou, that Y schulde speke in ȝoure eeris alle these wordis. [verse 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. [verse 17] Therfor men of the eldere men of the lond rysiden [resen I.] vp, and seiden to al the cumpanye [verse 18] of the puple, and spaken, Mychee of Mo|rasten was a profete in the daies of Eze|chie, king of Juda; and he seide to al the puple of Juda, and [Om. I.] seide [seiynge I.] , 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 hiȝ thingis of woodis. [verse 19] Whether Ezechie, kyng of Juda, and al Juda condempnede hym bi deth? Whether thei dredden not the Lord, and bisouȝten the face of the Lord? and it re|pentide the Lord of the yuel which he spak aȝens hem. Therfor do we not greet yuel aȝens oure soulis. [verse 20] Also Vrye, the sone of Semey, of Cariathiarym, was a man profesiynge in the name of the Lord; and he profesiede aȝens this citee, and aȝens this lond, bi alle the wordis of Jere|mye. [verse 21] And kyng Joachym, and alle the myȝti men, and princes of hem, herden these wordis; and the kyng souȝte to sle hym; and Vrye herde, and dredde, and he fledde, and entride in to Egipt. [verse 22] And kyng Joachym sente men in to Egipt, Elnathan, the sone of Achobor, and men [verse 23] with hym, in to Egipt; and thei ledden Vrye out of Egipt, and brouȝten hym to kyng Joachym; and the kyng killide hym bi [with I.] swerd, and castide forth his careyn in the sepulcris of the comyn puple vnnoble. [verse 24] Therfor the hond of Aicham, sone of Sa|phan, was with Jeremye, that he was not bitakun in to the hondis of the puple, and that it killide not hym.