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

CAP. II.

[verse 1] And the word of the Lord was maad [verse 2] to me, and seide, Go thou, and crye in the eeris of Jerusalem, and seie, The Lord seith these thingis, Y hadde mynde on thee, and Y hadde merci on thee in thi ȝong wexynge age, and on the charite of thi spousyng, whanne thou suedist me in desert, in the lond which is not sowun. [verse 3] Israel was hooli to the Lord, the firste of fruytis of hym; alle men that [whiche I.] deuouren that Israel, trespassen; yuelis schulen come on hem, seith the Lord. [verse 4] The hous of Ja|cob, and alle the [Om. plures.] lynagis of the hous of Israel, here ȝe the word of the Lord. [verse 5] The Lord seith these thingis, What of wickid|nesse

foundun ȝoure fadris in me, for thei ȝeden fer awey fro me, and ȝeden after vanyte, and weren maad veyn? [verse 6] And thei seiden not, Where is the Lord, that made vs to stie fro [vp fro I.] the lond of Egipt, that ledde vs ouer thorou desert, bi the lond vnabitable and with out weie, bi the lond of thirst, and bi the ymage of deeth, bi the lond in whiche a man ȝede not, nether a man dwellide. [verse 7] And Y brouȝte ȝou in to the lond of Carmele, that ȝe schulden ete the fruyt therof, and the goodis therof; and ȝe entriden, and defouliden my lond, and settiden myn eritage in to abhomynacioun. [verse 8] Preestis seiden not, Where is the Lord? and thei that helden the lawe, knewen not me; and scheepherdis trespassiden aȝens me, and profetis profesieden in Baal, and sueden idols. [verse 9] Therfor ȝit Y schal stryue with ȝou in doom, seith the Lord, and Y schal dispute with ȝoure sones. [verse 10] Go ȝe to the ilis of Cethym, and se ȝe; and sende ȝe in to Cedar, and biholde ȝe greetli; and [verse 11] se ȝe, if siche a thing is doon, if a folk chaungide hise goddis; and certeynli thei ben no goddis; but my puple chaungide hise glorie in to an ydol. [verse 12] Heuenes, be ȝe astonyed on this thing, and, ȝe ȝatis of heuene, be ȝe desolat greetli, seith the Lord. [verse 13] For whi my puple hath don tweyne yuels; thei han forsake me, the welle of quyke watir, and han diggid to hem cis|ternes, `that weren [Om. CEFGHIKMNPQRSUVX.] distried, that moun not holde watris. [verse 14] Whether [Wher ceteri passim.] Israel is a boond man, ether is borun boonde? [verse 15] Whi therfor is he maad in to prey? Liouns roriden on hym, and ȝauen her vois; thei han set the londe of hym in to wilder|nesse, the citees of him ben brent, and noon is [ther is I.] that dwellith in tho. [verse 16] Also the sones of Menfis and of Tafnys han de|foulid thee, `til to [vnto I.] the cop of the heed. [verse 17] Whether this is not don to thee, for thou forsokist thi Lord God, in that tyme in

which he ledde thee bi the weie? [verse 18] And now what wolt thou to thee in the weie of Egipt, that thou drynke troblid watir? And what is to thee with the weie of As|siriens, that thou drynke water of the flood? [verse 19] Thi malice schal repreue thee, and thi turnyng awei schal blame thee; wite thou and se, that it is yuel and bittir that thou hast forsake thi Lord God, and that his drede is not at thee, seith the Lord God of oostis. [verse 20] Fro the world thou hast broke my ȝok, thou hast broke my bondis, and seidist, Y schal not serue. For thou hoore didist hordom in ech hiȝ litil hil, and vndur ech tree ful of bowis. [verse 21] Forsothe Y plauntide thee a chosun vyner, al trewe seed; hou therfor art thou, alien [an alien A pr. m.] vyner, turned to me in to a schrewid thing? [verse 22] Thouȝ thou waischist [waische I.] thee with fulleris clei, and multypliest to thee the erbe borith, thou art defoulid in thi wickid|nesse bifore me, seith the Lord God. [verse 23] Hou seist thou, Y am not defoulid, Y ȝede not aftir Baalym? Se thi weies in the greet valei, wite thou what thou hast do; a swifte rennere ordeynynge hise weies. [verse 24] A wielde asse customable in wildirnesse drow the wynd of his loue in the desire of his soule; no man schal turne awei it. Alle that seken it, schulen not faile; thei schu|len fynde it in the flux of vncleene blood therof. [verse 25] Forbede thi foot fro nakidnesse, and thi throte fro thirst; and thou seidist, Y dispeiride, Y schal not do; for Y louede brennyngli alien goddis, and Y schal go aftir hem. [verse 26] As a theef is schent, whanne he is takun, so the hous of Israel ben schent; thei, and kyngis of hem, the princes, and prestis, and the prophetis of [verse 27] hem, that seien to a tree, Thou art my fadir; and to a stoon, Thou hast gendrid me. Thei turneden to me the bak, and not the face; and in the tyme of her tur|ment thei schulen seie, Ryse thou, and delyuere vs. [verse 28] Where ben thi goddis, whiche

thou madist to thee? Rise thei, and dely|uere thee in the tyme of thi turment; for aftir the noumbre of thi citees weren thi goddis, thou Juda. [verse 29] What wolen ȝe stryue with me in doom? Alle ȝe han forsake me, seith the Lord. [verse 30] In veyn Y smoot ȝoure sones, thei resseyueden not chastis|yng; ȝoure swerd deuouride ȝoure pro|phetis, ȝoure generacioun is distried as a lioun. [verse 31] Se ȝe the word of the Lord, whe|ther Y am maad a wildirnesse to Israel, ether a lond late bryngynge forth fruyt? Whi therfor seide my puple, We han go awei, we schulen no more come to thee? [verse 32] Whethir a virgyn schal forȝete hir ourne|ment? and a spousesse `schal forȝete [Om. I.] hir brest girdil? But mi puple hath forȝete me bi daies with out noumbre. [verse 33] What enforsist thou to schewe thi weie good to seke loue, which ferthermore bothe hast [verse 34] tauȝt thi malices thi weies, and the blood of pore men and innocentis is foundun in thi wyngis? Y fond not hem in dichis, but in alle thingis whiche Y remembride bifore. [verse 35] And thou seidist, Y am with out synne and innocent; and therfor thi stronge veniaunce be turned awei fro me. Lo! Y schal stryue with thee in doom; for thou seidist, Y synnede not. [verse 36] Hou vijl art thou maad, rehersynge thi weies? and thou schalt be schent of Egipt, as thou were schent of Assur. [verse 37] For whi and thou schalt go out of this lond, and thin hondis schulen be on thin heed; for whi the Lord hath al to-broke thi trist, and thou schalt haue no thing to prosperite.