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

CAP. VI.

[verse 1] Beth coumfortid, ȝee sonus of Benia|myn, in the myddil of Jerusalem, and in Thecua trumpeth with a trumpe, and vp on Bethacharem rereth a baner; for euel is seen fro the north, and gret to|treding. [verse 2] To a fair womman and a deli|cat Y licned the doȝter of Sion. [verse 3] To hir shul come shepperdis and the flockis of them; thei ficcheden in it tentus in enuy|roun; feden shal eche them, that vnder his hond ben. [verse 4] Halewith vp on hir a bataile. Riseth, and steȝe wee vp in the myddai. Wo to ȝou, for doun bowide the dai, for lengere ben mad `shadewes than to euen. [verse 5] Riseth, and steȝe wee vp in the nyȝt, and to-scatere wee ther houses. [verse 6] For these thingus seith the Lord

of ostus, Hewith `tree of hir [ther tree E pr. m.] , and delueth aboute Jerusalem an erthe hilloc; this is the cite of visitacioun; eche false [Om. C pr. m. E pr. m.] cha|lenge in his myddel. [verse 7] As thanne cold maketh the cisterne his watir, so cold she hath mad [don E pr. m.] hir malice; wickenesse [wickidnes AGHK.] and wastyte [wastynesse C pr. m.] shal ben herd [hid K.] in hir befor me euermor, infirmyte and wounde. [verse 8] Be taȝt, Jerusalem, lest par auenture go awey my soule fro thee; lest par auenture I sette thee desert, a lond vndwellable. [verse 9] These thingus seith the Lord of ostus, Vnto the cluster braunch thei shul gedere [gederen eftsone E pr. m.] , thei shul gedere as in a vyneȝerd [vyne C pr. m. E pr. m.] the relikes of Irael; conuerte thin hond, as a grape kuttere to a basket. [verse 10] To whom shal Y speke, and whom shal Y witnessen, that he [she E pr. m.] here? Lo! vncircumcidid the eres of hem, and heren thei moun not; lo! the wrd of the Lord don is to them in to repref, and thei shuln not taken it. [verse 11] Therfore of the wodnesse of the Lord Y am ful, and Y trauailede sustenende. Heeld out wodnesse [Om. E pr. m.] vp on the litil child with|oute forth, and vp on the counseil of ȝunge men togidere; a man forsothe with the wif shal be caȝt, and the olde with the ful of daȝes. [verse 12] And `passe shul [thei shul passe E pr. m.] the houses of them to othere men [Om. E pr. m.] , feldis and wyues togidere; for I shal strecche myn hond vp on men dwellende the lond, seith the Lord. [verse 13] Fro the lasse forsothe vnto the more, alle to auarice studien; and fro the profete vn|to the prest, alle don treccherie [letcherie A.] . [verse 14] And thei cureden, `or heliden [Om. CE pr. m.] , the to-treding of the doȝter of my puple with shenshipe, seiende, Pes, pes, and ther was not pes. [verse 15] Thei ben confoundid, for abhomynacioun thei didyn; but more with confusioun thei ben not confoundid, and shamen thei kouthen not. Wherfore thei shul falle among the men fallende; in tyme of ther visitacioun thei shul falle togidere, seith the Lord. [verse 16] These thingus seith the Lord, Stondeth vp on

weies, and seeth, and asketh of the olde pathis, what is the goode weie; and goth in it, and ȝee shul fynde refreshinge to ȝoure soules. And thei seiden, Wee shul not go. [verse 17] And Y sette vp on ȝou tooteres, and seide, Hereth the vois of the trumpe. And thei seiden, Wee shuln not heren. [verse 18] Therfore hereth [Om. E pr. m.] , ȝee folc of kinde, and knowith, ȝee congregacioun, hou grete thingus Y shal do to them. [verse 19] Here, thou erthe, lo! Y shal bringe to eueles vp on this puple, frut of ther [his AEGHK.] thoȝtus; for my wrdus thei herden not, and my lawe thei threwen aferr. [verse 20] Wherto to me cens of Saba ȝee bringen, and the spices calamy [calamimi A. calam E pr. m. H. calamyny G sup. ras. calaminum K.] swote smellende fro a ferr lond? Ȝoure brente sacrifises ben not acceptid, ȝoure victorye sacrifises pleseden not to me. [verse 21] Therfore these thinges seith the Lord God, Lo! Y shal ȝyue in to this puple fallyngus, and shul falle in them faderes and sonus togidere, neȝhebore and cosyn, and pershen. [verse 22] These thingus seith the Lord God, Lo! the puple cam from the lond of the north, and a gret folc of kinde shal togidere rise fro the costes of the lond. [verse 23] Arwe and sheld it shal take; cruel it is, and it shal not han [ha K.] mercy; his vois as the se shal sowne, and vp on hors steȝen vp thei shul beforn mad redy as a man to bataile aȝen thee, thou doȝter of Sion. [verse 24] Wee han herd the loes [vois A.] of it, losid atwynne ben oure hondus; tribulacioun caȝte vs, sorewis as [and K.] the tra|uailende with childe. [verse 25] Wileth not gon out to [Om. E pr. m.] the feeldis, and in weie goth not, for the swerd of the enemy, the ferd [feer AG sec. m. fer E sec. m. G pr. m. H.] of the enemy in enuyroun. [verse 26] Thou doȝtir of my puple, be thou gird with an heire, and to-sprengd with asken; weilende of the onli geten mac to thee bitter morn|yng, for feerli shal come the wastere vp on vs. [verse 27] A stalwrthe prouere Y ȝaf thee in my puple, and thou shalt wite, and

preue the weie of them. [verse 28] Alle these princes of men boweden [bouwen A. boowen E sec. m. bowynge GH.] doun goende gilendely, bras [as brasse AGHK.] and yren; alle ben shent. [verse 29] Failede the meltende [belie melting E pr. m. melt|ing E sec. m.] vessel, in fyr wastid is the led, in veyn meltide togi|dere the ȝeetere; forsothe the malices of them ben not wastid. [verse 30] Repreued siluer clepeth hem, for the Lord threȝ hem aferr.