Content

CAP 4
1 This book of Goddis heestis, and the lawe which is withouten ende. Alle that holden it, schulen come to lijf. But thei that han forsake it, schulen come in to deth.
2 Jacob, be thou conuertid, and take thou it; go thou bi the weie at the briytnesse therof, ayens the liyt therof. Yyue thou not thi glorie to another, and thi dignyte to an alien folc. Israel, we ben blessid; for tho thingis that plesen God, ben open to vs.
5 The puple of God, Israel worthi to be had in mynde, be thou `of betere coumfort.
6 Ye ben seeld to hethene men, not in to perdicioun; but for that that ye in ire terreden God to wrathfulnesse, ye ben bitakun to aduersaries.
7 For ye wraththiden thilke God euerlastynge, that made you; and ye offriden to fendis, and not to God.
8 For ye foryaten hym that nurschide you, and ye maden sori youre nurse, Jerusalem.
9 For it siy wrathfulnesse of God comynge to you, and it seide, Ye niy coostis of Sion, here; forsothe God hath brouyte greet morenyng to me.
10 For Y siy the caitiftee of my puple, of my sones and douytris, which he that is with out bigynnyng and ende brouyte on hem.
11 For Y nurschide hem with myrthe; but Y lefte hem with wepyng and morenyng.
12 No man haue ioye on me, a wedewe and desolat. Y am forsakun of manye for the synnes of my sones; for thei bowiden awei fro the lawe of God.
13 Forsothe thei knewen not `the riytfulnessis of hym; nether thei yeden bi the weies of Goddis heestis, nether bi the pathis of his treuthe thei entriden with riytfulnesse.
14 The niy coostis of Sion come, and haue thei mynde on the caitifte of my sones and douytris, which he that is with out bigynnyng and ende brouyte on hem.
15 For he brouyte on hem a folk fro fer, an yuel folk, and of an other langage;
16 that reuerensiden not an eld man, nether hadden merci on children; and thei ledden awei the dereworthe sones of a widewe, and maden a womman aloone desolat of sones.
17 But what mai Y helpe you?
18 For he that brouyte on you yuels, shal delyuer you fro the hondis of youre enemyes.
19 Go ye, sones, go ye; for Y am forsakun aloone. Y haue vnclothid me of the stoole of pees; but Y haue clothid me with a sak of bisechyng, and Y schal crie to the hiyeste in my daies.
21 Sones, be ye of betere comfort; crie ye to the Lord, and he schal delyuere you fro the hond of princes, that ben youre enemyes.
22 For Y hopide youre helthe with outen ende, and ioye cam to me fro the hooli on merci, that schal come to you fro youre sauyour without bigynnyng and ende.
23 For Y sente you out with mourenyng and wepyng; but God schal brynge you ayen to me with ioye and myrthe with outen ende.
24 For as the neiyboressis of Sion sien youre caitifte maad of God, so thei schulen se and in swiftnesse youre helthe of God, which helthe schal come to you fro aboue with greet onour and euerlastynge schynyng.
25 Sones, suffre ye pacientli ire, that cam on you; for thin enemy pursuede thee, but thou schalt se soone the perdicioun of hym, and thou schalt stie on the neckes of hym.
26 My delicat men yeden scharp weies; for thei as a floc `that is rauyschid weren led of enemyes.
27 Sones, be ye pacientere, and crie ye fer to the Lord; for whi youre mynde schal be of hym that ledith you.
28 For as youre wit was, that ye erriden fro God, ye schulen conuerte eft, and schulen seke hym tensithis so myche.
29 For he that brouyte in yuels to you, schal brynge eft euerlastynge myrthe to you with youre helthe.
30 Jerusalem, be thou of betere coumfort; for he that nemyde thee, excitith thee.
31 Thei that traueliden thee, schulen perische gilti; and thei that thankiden in thi fallyng, schulen be punyschid.
32 Citees to which thi sones serueden, `schulen be punyschid, and that citee that took thi sones, schal be punyschid.
33 For as Babiloyne made ioie in thi hurlyng doun, and was glad in thi fal, so it schal be maad sori in his desolacioun.
34 And the ful out ioye of the multitude therof schal be kit awei, and the ioie therof schal be in to mourenyng.
35 For whi fier schal come on it fro hym that is without bigynnyng and ende, in ful long daies; and it schal be enhabitid of fendis, in to the multitude of tyme.
36 Jerusalem, biholde aboute to the eest, and se thou myrthe comynge of God to thee.
37 For lo! thi sones comen, which thou leftist scatered; thei comen gaderid fro the eest `til to the west in the word of the hooli, and maken ioie to the onour of God.