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

MICAH.

[Here byginnith the book of Michie, the profete [From EPY. Mychee, the profete. A. No initial rubric in the other Mss.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] THE word of the Lord, which was maad to `Mychee of [Mychee as of A pr. m. CEFGHI pr. m. NPY. Micheeas K. Mycheas NX.] Morasti, in the daies of Joathan, Achas, Ezechie, kyngis of Juda; which word [wordis EP pr. m. Y.] he sai on Samarie, and Jeru|salem. [verse 2] Here ȝe, alle puplis, and the erthe perseyue, and plentee [the plente EIPY.] therof, and be the Lord God to ȝou in to a witnesse, the Lord fro his hooli temple. [verse 3] For lo! the Lord schal go out of his place, and schal come doun, and schal trede on hiȝ thingis of erthe. [verse 4] And mounteyns schulen be waastid vndur hym, and valeis schulen be kit, as wex fro the face of fier, as [and as U sec. m.] watirs [watir A pr. m.] that rennen [renneth A pr. m. rennen doun U sec. m.] in to a pit. [verse 5] In the grete trespas of Jacob is al this thing, and in the synnes of the hous of Israel. Which is the greet trespas of Jacob? whether [wher ceteri fere passim.] not Samarie? and whiche ben the hiȝ thingis of Juda? whether not Jerusalem? [verse 6] And Y schal put Samarie as an heep of stoonys in the feeld, whanne a vynȝerd is plauntid; and Y schal drawe awei the stoonys therof in to a valei, and Y schal schewe the foun|dementis therof. [verse 7] And alle `grauun ymagis [sculptils, ether grauun ymagis CEFGHIKMNPQRSUXY.] therof schulen be betun togidere, and alle hiris therof schulen be brent in fier; and Y schal putte alle idols [the idols U sec. m.] therof in to per|dicioun; for of hiris [the hiris U sec. m.] of an hoore tho ben gaderid, and `til to [to C pr. m. vnto I.] hire of an hoore tho

schulen turne aȝen. [verse 8] On this thing Y schal weile and ȝelle, Y [and I I.] schal go spuylid and nakid; Y schal make weilyng of [as of U sec. m.] dra|gouns, and mournyng as of ostrigis. [verse 9] For wounde therof is dispeirid; for it cam til to Juda, it touchide the ȝate of my puple, til to Jerusalem. [verse 10] In Geth nyle ȝe telle, bi teeris wepe ȝe not; in the hous of dust with dust togidere sprynge ȝou [ȝe ȝou plures.] . [verse 11] And ȝe a fair dwellyng passe [passe to ȝou I sec. m. U sec. m.] , which is confoundid with yuel fame; it is not goon out, which dwellith in the goyng out; a niȝ hous schal take of ȝou weilyng, which stood to it silf. [verse 12] For it is maad sijk to good, which dwellith in bitternessis. For yuel cam doun fro the Lord in to the ȝate of Jerusalem, [verse 13] noise [the noise U sec. m.] of foure horsid cart, of drede to the puple dwellynge at Lachis. It is the bi|gynnyng of synne of the douȝter of Sion, for the grete trespassis of Israel ben foundun in thee. [verse 14] Therfor he schal ȝyue werriours on the eritage of Geth, on housis [the housis U sec. m.] of leesyng in to deseit [desert A pr. m. EFIPY. dissent K.] to [of S.] kyngis of Israel. [verse 15] Ȝit Y schal brynge an eir to thee, that dwellist in Maresa; the glorie of Israel schal come til to Odolla. [verse 16] Be thou maad ballid, and be thou clippid on the sones of thi delices; alarge thi ballid|nesse as an egle, for thei ben lad caitif fro thee.

CAP. II.

[verse 1] Wo to ȝou, that thenken vnprofitable thing, and worchen yuele in ȝoure beddis; in the morewtid liȝt thei don it, for the hond of hem is aȝenus God. [verse 2] Thei co|ueitiden feeldis, and tooken violentli; and rauyschiden housis, and falsli calengiden a man and his hous, a man and his eri|tage. [verse 3] Therfor the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y thenke on this meynee yuel, fro which ȝe schulen not take awei ȝoure neckis; and ȝe schulen not walke proude,

for the worste tyme is. [verse 4] In that dai a parable schal be takun on ȝou, and a song schal be songun with swetnesse of men, seiynge, Bi robbyng we ben distried; a part of my puple is chaungid; hou schal he go awei fro me, whanne he turneth aȝen that schal departe ȝoure cuntreis? [verse 5] For this thing `noon schal be [ther schal be noon I.] to thee sendynge a litil corde of sort [lot U sec. m.] in cumpeny of the Lord. [verse 6] A! thou Israel, speke ȝe not spekyng; it schal not droppe on these men, [verse 7] confusioun schal not catche, seith the hous of Jacob. Whether the Spirit of the Lord is abreggid, either [Om. A pr. m. CEFGHIK pr. m. MNPQS pr. m. U pr. m. X sec. m.] siche ben the thouȝtis of hym? Whether my wordis ben not gode, with hym that goith riȝtli? [verse 8] And aȝenward my puple roos togidere in to an aduersarie; ȝe token awei the mantil aboue the coote, and ȝe turneden in to batel hem that wenten sympli. [verse 9] Ȝe castiden the wymmen of my puple out of the hous of her delices; fro the litle children of hem ȝe token awei myn heriyng with outen ende. [verse 10] Rise ȝe, and go, for here ȝe han not [no U sec. m.] reste; for the vnclennesse therof it schal be corrupt with the worst rot. [verse 11] Y wolde that Y were not a man hauynge spirit, and rathere [rather thanne S.] Y [that Y CGIKMNQRUX.] spak a leesyng. Y schal droppe to thee in to wyn, and in to drunkenesse; and this puple schal be, on whom it is droppid. [verse 12] With gaderyng Y schal gadere Jacob [al thee, Jacob A sec. m.] ; Y schal lede togidere thee al [Om. A sec. m.] in to oon, the relifs of Israel. Y schal put hym togidere, as a floc in folde [the folde U sec. m.] ; as scheep in the myddil of fooldis thei schulen make noise, of multitude of men. [verse 13] For he schal stie [stie up I.] schewynge weie [a weie N.] bifore hem; thei schulen departe, and passe the ȝate, and schulen [thei schul I. thei shulen U sec. m.] go out therbi; and the kyng of hem schal passe bifore hem, and the Lord in the heed of hem.

CAP. III.

[verse 1] And Y seide, Ȝe princis of Jacob, and duykis of the hous of Israel, here [hereth I.] . Whe|ther

it be [is U sec. m.] not ȝoure for to knowe doom, [verse 2] whiche haten good, and louen yuele? Whiche violentli taken awei the skynnes of hem fro aboue hem, and the fleisch of hem fro aboue the bonys of hem. [verse 3] Whiche [The whiche I.] eeten the fleisch of my puple, and hiliden [hildiden IK.] the skyn of hem fro aboue; and broken [braken I.] togidere the boonys of hem, and kittiden togidere as in [Om. I pr. m.] a cawdroun, and as fleisch in the myddil of a pot. [verse 4] Thanne thei schulen crie to the Lord, and he schal not here hem; and he schal hide hise face fro hem in that tyme, as thei diden wickidli in her fyndingis. [verse 5] The Lord God [Om. ceteri.] seith these thingis on the pro|fetis that disseyuen my puple, and [that A sec. m.] biten with her teeth, and prechen pees; and if ony man ȝyueth not in the mouth of hem ony thing, thei halewen batel on hym. [verse 6] Therfor niȝt schal be to ȝou for visioun, or profesie, and derknessis to ȝou for dy|uynacioun; and sunne [the sunne U sec. m.] schal go doun on the profetis, and the dai schal be maad derk on hem. [verse 7] And thei schulen be con|foundid that seen visiouns, and dyuynours schulen be confoundid, and alle schulen hile her cheris, for it is not the answer of God. [verse 8] Netheles Y am fillid with strengthe of Spirit [the Spirit C pr. m. KRUX sec. m.] of the Lord, and in [with U sec. m.] doom and vertu, that Y schewe to Jacob his greet trespas, and to Israel his synne. [verse 9] Here these thingis, ȝe princes of the hous of Jacob, and domesmen [ȝe domesmen U sec. m.] of the hous of Israel, whiche wlaten dom, and peruerten [verse 10] alle riȝt thingis; whiche bilden Sion in bloodis, and Jerusalem in wickidnesse. [verse 11] Princes [The princis U sec. m.] therof demyden for ȝiftis, and prestis therof tauȝten for hire, and pro|fetis [the profetis U sec. m. K.] therof dyuyneden for money; and on the Lord thei restiden, and seiden, Whe|ther the Lord is not in the myddil of us? yuelis schulen not come on vs. [verse 12] For this thing bi cause of ȝou, Sion as a feeld schal be erid; and Jerusalem schal be as an heep of stoonys, and the hil of the temple schal be in to hiȝe thingis of woodis.

CAP. IV.

[verse 1] And in the laste of [Om. I.] daies the hil of the [Om. CHF sec. m. RSU pr. m.] hous of the Lord schal be maad redi in the cop of hillis [the hillis N.] , and hiȝ [shal be hiȝ U sec. m.] ouer smale hillis. And puplis schulen flete [flowe U sup. ras.] to him, [verse 2] and many puplis [folk C et ceteri.] schulen haaste, and shulen seie, Come ȝe, stie we til [Om. ceteri.] to the hil of the Lord, and to the hous of God of Jacob; and he schal teche vs of hise weies, and we schulen go in hise pathis. For lawe [the lawe I.] schal [Om. S sec. m.] go out fro [shal fro S.] Syon, and the [verse 3] word of the Lord fro Jerusalem; and he schal deme bitwixe many puplis, and schal chastise stronge folkis til in to fer. And thei schulen bete togidere her swerdis in to scharis, and her speris in to picoisis; a [Om. I.] folc schal not take swerd aȝens folc, and thei schulen no more lerne [serue U sec. m.] for [Om. S.] to fiȝte. [verse 4] And a man schal sitte vndur his vyneȝerd, and vndur his fige tree; and ther schal not be that schal make aferd, for the mouth of the Lord of oostis spak. [verse 5] For alle puplis schulen go, ech man in the name of his Lord God; but we schulen walke in the name of oure Lord God in to the world, and ouer. [verse 6] In that dai, seith the Lord, Y schal gadere the haltynge, and Y schal gadere hir that [whom I.] Y castide awei, and whom Y turmentide Y schal coumforte. [verse 7] And Y schal putte the halt|ynge in to relifs, ether remenauntis, and hir that trauelide, in a strong folc. And the Lord schal regne on hem in the hil of Sion, fro this [this tyme U sec. m.] now and til in to with outen ende. [verse 8] And thou, `derk tour [cloudi, or [ether Y] derk, tour CEGHIMNPQRUXY. cloudi, or derk F.] of the [Om. CFKS.] floc of the douȝter of Sion, `til to [vnto I.] thee he schal come, and the first power schal come, the rewme of the douȝtir of Jerusalem. [verse 9] Now whi art thou drawun to|gidere with mournyng? whether a kyng is not to thee, ether thi counselour pe|rischide? for sorowe hath take thee, as a womman trauelinge of child. [verse 10] Thou douȝter of Sion, make sorewe, and haaste,

as a womman trauelynge of child; for now thou schalt go out of the citee, and schalt dwelle in cuntree [the cuntre U sec. m.] , and schalt come `til to [vnto I.] Babiloyne; there thou schalt be delyuered, there the Lord schal aȝen bie thee, fro the hond of thin enemyes. [verse 11] And now many folkis ben gaderid on thee, whiche seien, Be it stonyd, and oure iȝe biholde in to Sion. [verse 12] Forsothe thei knewen not the thouȝtis of the Lord, and vndurstoden not the councel of hym, for he gaderide hem as the [Om. GI.] hei of feeld [the feld F pr. m. GIKNQRSUX.] . [verse 13] Rise thou, douȝter of Sion, and threische, for Y schal putte thin horn of irun, and Y schal putte thi nailis brasun; and thou schalt make lesse, ether waste, many puplis, and schalt sle to the Lord the raueyns of hem, and the strengthe of hem to the Lord of al erthe. [verse 1] Now thou, douȝter of a theef, schalt be distried; thei puttiden on [Om. N.] vs bisegyng, in a ȝerde thei schulen smyte the cheke of the [Om. EGHKSPQRMNX pr. m. a U sec. m.] iuge of Israel.

CAP. V.

[verse 2] And thou, Bethleem Effrata, art litil in the thousyndis of Juda; he that is the lordli gouernour in Israel, schal go out of thee to me; and the goyng out of hym is fro bigynnyng, fro daies of euerlastyng|nesse. [verse 3] For this thing he shal ȝyue hem til to the tyme in which the trauelinge of child schal bere child, and the relifs of hise britheren schulen be conuertid to the sones of Israel. [verse 4] And he schal stonde, and schal fede in the strengthe of the Lord, in the heiȝthe of the name of his Lord God; and thei schulen be conuertid, for now he schal be magnefied til to the endis of al erthe. [verse 5] And this schal be pees, whanne Assirius schal come in to oure lond, and whanne he schal trede in oure housis; and we schulen reise on hym se|uene scheepherdis, and eiȝte primatis men, ether the firste in dignytee. [verse 6] And thei schulen frete the lond of Assur bi swerd,

and the lond of Nembroth bi speris of hym; and he schal delyuere vs fro As|sur, whanne he schal come in to oure lond, and whanne he schal trede in oure coostis. [verse 7] And relifs of Jacob schulen be in the myddil [myddis EPSY.] of many puplis, as dew of the Lord, and as dropis on erbe, whiche abidith not man, and schal not abide sones [the sones U.] of men. [verse 8] And relifs of Jacob schu|len be in hethene men, in the myddil of many puplis, as a lioun in [among S sec. m.] beestis of the woodis, and as a whelpe of a lioun ror|ynge in flockis of scheep; and whanne he passith, and defoulith, and takith, there is not that schal delyuere. [verse 9] And thin hond schal be reisid on thin enemyes, and alle thin enemyes schulen perische. [verse 10] And it schal be, in that dai, seith the Lord, Y schal take awei thin horsis fro the myd|dil of thee, and Y schal distrie thi foure horsid cartis. [verse 11] And Y schal leese the citees of thi lond, and Y schal distrie alle thi strengthis [strengthis, ether wardingis EFGHKMNPQRSUXY.] ; and Y schal do awei witchecraftis fro [of I.] thin hond, and dyuy|naciouns [dyuynaciouns, ether tellingis [tellynge S] bi [of I] deuels craft CEFGHKMNPQRSUX. diuinaciouns, ether deuelis craft Y.] schulen not be in thee. [verse 12] And Y schal make for to perische thi `grauun ymagis [sculptilis, ether grauen ymagis CEFGHIKMNPQRSUY.] , and Y shal breke [al to-breke NRU.] togidere fro the myddil of thee thin ymagis, and thou schalt no more worschipe the werkis of thin hondis. [verse 13] And Y schal drawe out of the middis of thee thi woodis, and Y schal al to-breke thi citees. [verse 14] And Y schal make in woodnesse and indignacioun veniaunce in alle folkis, whiche herden not.

CAP. VI.

[verse 1] Here ȝe whiche thingis the Lord spek|ith. Rise thou, stryue thou bi doom aȝens mounteyns, and litle hillis here thi vois. [verse 2] Mounteyns, and the stronge foundementis of erthe, here the doom of the Lord; for the doom of the Lord with [shal be with U sec. m.] his puple, and he schal be demyd with Israel. [verse 3] Mi

puple, what haue Y don to thee, ether what was Y greuouse to thee? Answere thou to me. [verse 4] For Y ledde thee out of the lond of Egipt, and of the hous of seruage Y delyuerede thee; and Y sente bifore thi face Moises, and Aaron, and Marye. [verse 5] My puple, bithenke, Y preie, what Ba|laac, kyng of Moab, thouȝte, and what Balaam, sone of Beor, of Sethym, answer|ide to hym til to Galgala, that thou schuldist knowe the riȝtwisnesse of the Lord. [verse 6] What worthi thing schal Y offre to the Lord? schal Y bowe the knee to the hiȝe God? Whether Y schal offre to hym brent sacrifices, and calues of o ȝeer? [verse 7] Whether God mai be paid in thousyndis of wetheris, ether in many thousyndis of fatte geet buckis? Whether Y schal ȝyue my firste bigetun for my greet trespas, the fruyt of my wombe for synne of my soule? [verse 8] Y schal schewe to thee, thou man, what is good, and what the Lord axith of thee; forsothe for to do doom, and for to loue merci, and be bisi for to walke with thi God. [verse 9] The vois of the Lord cri|eth to the citee, and heelthe schal be to alle men dredynge thi name. Ȝe lynagis, here; and who schal approue it? [verse 10] Ȝit fier is in the hous of the [Om. CEFHNPQRSUX pr. m. Y.] vnpitouse man [men ES.] , the [and U.] tresouris of wickidnesse, and a lesse me|sure ful of wraththe. [verse 11] Whether Y schal iustifie the wickid balaunce, and the gile|ful [verse 12] weiȝtis of litil [a litil IS.] sak, in whiche riche men therof ben [Om. S.] fillid with wickidnesse? And men dwellynge ther ynne spaken lees|yng, and the tunge of hem was gileful in the mouth of hem. [verse 13] And Y therfor bigan for to smyte thee, in perdicioun on thi synnes. [verse 14] Thou schalt ete, and schalt not be fillid, and thi mekyng is in the middil of thee; and thou schalt take, and schalt not saue; and which thou schalt saue, Y schal ȝyue in to swerd. [verse 15] Thou schalt sowe, and schalt not repe; thou schalt trede the [in the U.] `frut of [Om. A pr. m. ERU.] oliue [oliue tre CFIKMQS. slyme H.] , and schalt not [Om. U.] be anoyntid [oyntid CFGHINQRX. noyntid S.] with oile; and must, and

schalt not drynke wyn. [verse 16] And thou kept|ist [kepist U.] the heestis of Amry, and al the werk of the [Om HQRU pr. m.] hous of Acab, and hast walkid in the lustis [voluptees, ether lustis C et ceteri.] of hem [men EPY.] , that Y schulde ȝyue thee in to perdicioun, and men dwellynge in it in to scornyng [hissing, ether scorn|yng C et ceteri.] , and ȝe schulen bere the schenschipe of my puple.

CAP. VII.

[verse 1] Wo to me, for Y am maad as he that gaderith in heruest rasyns of grapis; there is no clustre for to ete; my soule desiride figis ripe bifore othere. [verse 2] The hooli perischide fro erthe, and riȝtful is not in men; alle aspien, ether setten tre|soun, in blood, a man huntith his brother to deth. [verse 3] The yuel of her hondis thei seien good; the prince axith, and the domesman is in ȝeldyng; and a greet man spak the desir of his soule, and thei sturbliden [disturbliden C pr. m. F pr. m. S. troubliden I.] togidere [Om. S sec. m.] it. [verse 4] He that is best [the best U sec. m.] in hem, is as a paluyre [paluyre, ether a tasil, ether [or EPY] a scharpe bush C et ceteri.] [a paluyre is a tasil, ether a scharp buysch. A.] ; and he that is riȝtful, is as a thorn of hegge. The dai of thi biholdyng, thi visityng cometh, now schal be distriyng of hem. [verse 5] Nyle ȝe bi|leue to a frend, and nyle ȝe truste in a duyk; fro hir that slepith in thi bosum, kepe thou closyngis [the closyngis I.] of thi mouth. [verse 6] For the sone doith wrong [wrong, ether dispite C et ceteri.] to the fadir, and the douȝter schal rise aȝens hir modir, and the wijf of the sone aȝens the modir of hir hosebonde; the enemyes of a man ben the homeli, ether houshold [the houshold EPY.] meynee, of hym. [verse 7] Forsothe Y schal biholde to the Lord, Y schal abide God my sauyour; the Lord my God schal here me. [verse 8] Thou, myn ene|mye, be not glad on me, for Y felle [felde CIKS.] doun, Y schal rise; whanne Y sitte in derknessis, the Lord is my liȝt. [verse 9] Y schal bere wraththe of the Lord, for Y haue synned to hym, til he deme my cause, and make my doom; he schal lede out me in to liȝt, Y schal se riȝtwisnesse of hym. [verse 10] And myn enemye schal biholde me, and sche schal

be hilid with confusioun, which seith to me, Where is thi Lord God? My iȝen schulen se hir, now sche schal be in to defoulyng, as clei [clei, ether fen C et ceteri.] of stretis. [verse 11] Dai schal come, that thi wallis be bildid; in that dai lawe schal be maad afer. [verse 12] In that dai and Assur schal come til to thee, and `til to [vnto the I.] stronge citees, and fro stronge citees til to flood; and to see fro see, and to hil fro hil. [verse 13] And erthe schal be in to desolacioun [desolaciouns A pr. m.] for her dwelleris, and for fruyt of the thouȝtis of hem. [verse 14] Fede thou thi puple in thi ȝerde, the floc of thin eritage, that dwellen aloone in wielde wode; in the myddil of Carmel thei schulen be fed of Basan and of Galaad, [verse 15] bi elde daies, bi daies of thi goyng out of the lond of Egipt. Y schal schewe to hym wondurful thingis; [verse 16] hethene men schulen se, and thei schulen be confoundid on al her strengthe; thei schulen putte hondis on her mouth, the eris of hem schulen be deef; [verse 17] thei schulen licke dust as a [Om. N.] serpent; as crepynge thingis of erthe thei schulen be disturblid of her housis; thei schulen not desire oure Lord God, and thei schulen drede thee. [verse 18] God, who is lijk thee, that doist awei wickidnesse, and berist ouer the synne of relifs [the relifs I.] of thin eritage? He shal no more sende in his stronge veniaunce, for he is willynge merci; [verse 19] he schal turne aȝen, and haue merci on vs. He schal put doun oure wickidnessis, and schal caste fer in to depnesse of the see alle oure synnes. [verse 20] Thou schalt ȝyue treuthe to Jacob, merci to Abraham, whiche thou sworist to oure fadris fro elde daies.

Here endith Micheas, and here biginneth Naum. [From CFGHIMQRSU. Here endeth Micheas, the profete; se now Naum, the profete. K. Here endith the book of Micheas, and bigynneth the book of Naum. N. Here endith Micheas, and bigynneth Naum, the prophete. S. No final rubric in AEPY.]