Bible (Early Wycliffe)/Joel

Þe book of Joel, prophete.

Capitulum I.

The word of þe Lord, þat is maad to Joel, þe ſone of Fatuel. Heere ȝe, olde men, þis, and wiþ eeris perceyue ȝe, alle dwellers of erþe. Ȝif þis þing is don in ȝour days, or in days of ȝour faders. Vpon þis þing telle ȝe to ȝour ſones, and ȝour ſonys to her ſonys, and þe ſonys of hem to an oþer generacioun. A locuſt eete þe reſidue of eruke, þat is, a worme of bowis, and a bruke eete þe reſidue of locuſt, and ruſt eete þe reſidue of bruke. Awake ȝe, drunken men, and weepe; and ȝoule ȝe, alle þat drynken wyne in ſwetneſſe; for it periſhide fro ȝour mouþ. Forſoþe folk haþ ſtyed vpon my lond, ſtronge and vnnoumbreable. Þe teeþ of hym as teeþ of lyoun, and his wangteeþ as whelpis of a lyoun. He haþ putte my vyne ȝerd in to deſert, and haþ drawen of þe barc of my fijg tree. He nakynge robbide it, and caſtide awey; þe braunchis þerof ben maad whijt. Weile þou, as a mayden gird wiþ a ſacche vpon þe huſbonde of hir puberte, þat is, tyme of weddynge. Sacrifice periſhide, and libacioun, þat is, offryng fleetynge þingus, of þe hous of þe Lord; and preſtis, mynyſtris of þe Lord, murneden. Þe cuntree is robbid, þe erþe mournede; for whete is waaſtid, and wijn is confoundid, and oyle langwiſhide, or failide. Erþe tiliers ben confoundid, vyne tiliers ȝouliden vpon whete, wijn, and barly; for corn of þe feeld periſhide. Þe vyne ȝerd is confoundid, and þe fyge tree langwiſhide. Poumgarnet, and palme tree, and maal tree, or fir, of whom maſtis ben maad, and alle trees of þe feeld dryeden; for ioye is confoundid fro ſonys of men. Ȝe preſtis, gyrde ȝou, and weile; ȝe mynyſtris of þe auter, ȝoule. Ȝe mynyſtris of my God, entre ȝe yn, ligge ȝe in ſak; for ſacrifice periſhide of þe hous of ȝour God, and offryng of fleetyng þing. Halewe ȝe faſtyng, clepe ȝe cumpanye, gadre ȝe olde men, and alle dwellers of þe lond in to þe hous of ȝour God; and crye ȝe to þe Lord, A! A! A! to þe day; for þe day of þe Lord is niȝ, and as waaſtynge it ſhal cum of þe miȝty. Wher not before ȝour eeȝen fodis periſhen of þe hous of your God; gladneſſe and ioye wiþ outen forþ? Beeſtus wexiden roten to gidre in her drit. Berns ben deſtruyed, celers ben ſcaterd, for whete is confuſid. What ſorewide a beeſt wiþ ynne? flockis of grete beeſtis lowiden? for leſewe is not to hem; bot and flockis of ſheep periſhiden. To þee, Lord, Y ſhal crye, for fijre ete þe fair þingus of deſert, and flawme brente alle trees of þe cuntree. Bot and beeſtis of þe feeld, as a feeld þriſtynge rayn, byhelden vp to þee; for wellis of watris ben dryed vp, and fijr deuourede þe fair þingis of deſert.

Capitulum II.

Synge ȝe wiþ trumpe in Syon, ȝoule ȝe in myn holy mounteyn. Alle dwellers of erþe be trublid to gydre; for þe day of þe Lord cummeþ, for niȝ is þe day of derkneſſis and myſt, and day of cloude and of whirlwynd. As þe mornyng ſprad abrood, vpon hillis myche peple and ſtrong. Lijc to hym was not fro þe bygynnyng, and after hym ſhal not be, vnto ȝeeris of generacioun and generacioun. Byfore þe face of hym fijr deuourynge, and after hym brenyng flawme; as a ȝerde of voluptee þe erþe byfore hym, and after hym alooneneſſe of deſert, neþer þer is þat ſhal aſcape hym. As þe ſiȝt of horſis þe ſiȝt of hem, and as horſmen ſo þei ſhuln renne. As ſown of cartis on coppis of hillis ſhuln lijpe; ſo þe ſown of flawme of fijre deuourynge ſtoble, as a ſtronge peple maad redy to bataile. Of þe face of hym peplis ſhuln be tourmentid, alle cheeris ſhuln be dryuen in to a pot. As ſtronge þei ſhuln renne, as men fiȝters þei ſhuln ſtye on þe walle. Men ſhuln go in her wayes, and þei ſhuln not bowe awey fro her paþes. Eche ſhal not ſtreyte his broþer, eche ſhuln go in his paþ; bot and by wyndowis þei ſhuln falle, and þei ſhuln not be diſtruyed. Þei ſhuln entre in to þe cyte, þei ſhuln renne in þe wall; þei ſhuln ſtye vpon houſis, þei ſhuln entre by wyndowis as a niȝt þeef. Of þe face of hym þe erþe tremblide togydre, heuens ben moued, þe ſunne and þe mone ben maad derk, and ſterris wiþdrowen her liȝt. And þe Lord ȝaue his voice byfore þe face of his ooſt, for many ben þe caſtels of hym ful myche; for ſtronge, and doynge þe word of hym. Forſoþe þe day of þe Lord grete, and dreedful ful myche, and who ſhal ſuſteyne it? Now þerfor ſaiþ þe Lord, Be ȝe conuerted to me in al ȝour herte, in faſtyng, and weepyng, and weylyng; and kerue ȝe ȝour hertis, and not ȝour cloþingus, and be ȝe conuertid to þe Lord ȝour God, for he is benygne, and mercyful, pacient, and of myche mercy, and abydynge vpon malice. Who wote, ȝif God be conuertid, and forȝeue, and leue after hym bleſſyng? ſacrifice and offryng of fleetynge þingus to þe Lord ȝour God. Synge ȝe wiþ trump in Syon, halewe ȝe faſtyng, clepe ȝe cumpanye; gadre ȝe þe peple, halewe ȝe þe chirche, gadre ȝe to gidre olde men, gadre ȝe litil children, and ſoukynge tetis; þe huſbonde go out of his couche, and þe wijf of hir chaumbre. Bitwix þe veſtiarie and þe auter preſtis, mynyſtris of þe Lord, ſhuln weepe, and ſhuln ſaye, Lord! ſpare þou, ſpare to þi peple, and ȝeue not þin eritage into ſchendſhip, þat naciouns be lordis to hem. Whi ſoþely ſayn þei in peplis, Wher is þe God of hem? Þe Lord louede his lond, and ſparide to his peple. And þe Lord anſwerde, and ſaide to his peple, Loo! Y ſhal ſende to ȝou whete, and wijn, and oyle, and ȝe ſhuln be fulfilled in hem; and Y ſhal namore ȝeue ȝou ſhenſhip in heþen men. And Y ſhal make fer fro ȝou hym þat is of þe norþ; and Y ſhal putte hym awey in to a lond wiþ outen way, and deſert; þe face þerof aȝeinus þe eeſt ſee, and þe laſt þerof to þe laſt ſee; and þe ſtynk of hym ſhal ſtye vp, and þe root of hym ſhal ſtye vp, for he did proudly. Erþe, nyl þou dreede, bot ioye þou wiþ outforþ, and be glad; for þe Lord magnyfiede þat he ſhulde do. Nyl ȝe dreede, ȝe beeſtis of þe cuntre, for þe faire þingus of deſert buriowneden; for a tree brouȝte to his fruyte, þe fijge tree and þe vyneȝerd ȝauen her vertue. And ioye ȝe, ſonys of Syon, and gladde ȝe in þe Lord ȝour God, for he ȝaue to ȝou a techer of riȝtwiſneſſe, and he ſhal make for to cum doun to ȝou morewe rayn, and late, as fro þe bygynnyng. And feeldis ſhuln be fulfillid wiþ whete, and preſſours ſhuln be plenteuouſe in wijn, and oyle. And Y ſhal ȝeelde to you þe ȝeris whom þe locuſt eete, and bruke, and ruſt, and eruke, my grete ſtrengþe, whom Y ſente in to ȝou. And ȝe ſhuln ete etynge, and ye ſhuln be fulfillid; and ye ſhuln herie þe name of þe Lord ȝour God, þat did wiþ ȝou marueilis; and my peple ſhal not be confounded in to wiþ outen eende. And ȝe ſhuln wite, for in þe mydil of Yrael Y am; and Y þe Lord ȝour God, and þere is not more; and my peple ſhal not be confoundid in to wiþ outen eende. And it ſhal be, after þeſe þingus Y ſhal helde out my ſpirit vpon eche fleſhe, and ȝour ſonys ſhuln prophecie, and ȝoure douȝters; ȝour olde men ſhuln mete ſweuens, and ȝour ȝunge men ſhuln ſee viſiouns. But and on my ſeruauntis, and hond maydens, in þo days Y ſhal heelde out my ſpirit; and Y ſhal ȝeue wondris in heuen, and in erþe, blood, and fijr, and vapour of ſmoke. Þe ſunne ſhal be turned in to derckneſſis, and þe mone in to blood, byfore þat þe grete day and orrible of þe Lord cumme. And it ſhal be, eche man þat ſhal inclepe þe name of þe Lord, ſhal be ſaaf; for in þe hill of Syon and in Jeruſalem ſhal be ſaluacioun, as þe Lord ſaide, and in þe reſidue, whom þe Lord ſhal clepe.

Capitulum III.

For loo! in þo days, and in þat tyme, whanne Y ſhal to gydre turne þe caitiftee of Juda and Jeruſalem, Y ſhal gedre alle folkis, and Y ſhal leede hem forþ in to þe valey of Joſaphaþ; and Y ſhal diſpute þere wiþ hem on my peple, and myn eritage Yrael, whom þei ſcaterden in naciouns; and þei departiden my lond, and on my peple þei ſenten lot; and þei puttiden a chijld in þe bordel hous, and ſolden a meydchijld for wijn, þat þei ſhulden drynke. Soþely what to me and ȝou, Tyrus, and Sydon, and alle þe terme of Paleſtynys? Wher ȝe ſhuln ȝelde vengyng to me? and ȝif ȝe vengen ȝou aȝeinus me, ſoone ſwiftly Y ſhal ȝeelde þe whilneſſe to ȝou on ȝour hed. Forſoþe ȝe token my ſyluer and gold, and my deſireable and moſt faire þingus ȝe baren in to ȝour templis. And ȝe ſolden ſonys of Juda, and ſonys of Jeruſalem to þe ſonys of Greekis, þat ȝe ſhulden make hem fer fro her cooſtis. Loo! Y ſhal reyſe hem of þe place in whiche ȝe ſolden hem; and Y ſhal turne to gydre ȝour ȝeldyng in to ȝour hed. And Y ſhal ſelle ȝour ſonys and ȝour douȝtris in þe hondis of þe ſonys of Juda, and þei ſhuln ſelle hem to Sabeis, a fer folc, for þe Lord ſpac. Crie ȝe þis þing in heiþen men, halewe ȝe bateile, reyſe ȝe ſtrong men; alle menfiȝters, cum to, and ſtey vp. Bete to gydre ȝour plowis in to ſwerdis, and ȝour pikoyſis, or mattokis, in to ſperis; þe ſeeke man ſaye, for Y am ſtrong. Breſte ȝe out, and come ȝe, alle folkis of cumpas, and be ȝe gadrid; þere þe Lord ſhal make þi ſtronge men for to dye. Folkis rijſe to gydre, and ſtie vp in to þe valey of Joſephaþ; for þere I ſhal ſitte, þat Y deme alle folkis in cumpas. Sende ȝe ſykelis, for þe corn haþ rypid; cum ȝe, and diſcende ȝe, for þe preſſoure is ful; preſſours ben plenteuouſe, for þe malice of hem is multiplied. Peplis, peplis in þe valey of conciſioun, or ſleaynge to gydre; for þe day of þe Lord is niȝ in þe valey of conciſioun. Þe ſonne and mone ben maad derck, and ſterris wiþdrewen her ſhynyng. And þe Lord of Syon ſhal rore, and of Jeruſalem ſhal ȝeue his voice, and heuens and erþe ſhuln be moued; and þe Lord hoope of his peple, and ſtrengþe of þe ſonys of Yrael. And ȝe ſhuln wite, for Y þe Lord ȝour God, dwellynge in Syon, in my holy hyll; and Jeruſalem ſhal be holy, and aliens ſhuln namore paſſe þerby. And it ſhal be, in þat day mounteyns ſhuln droppe ſwetnes, and litil hillis ſhuln flowe wiþ mylk, and by alle þe reuers of Juda waters ſhuln go; and a welle ſhal go out of þe hous of þe Lord, and ſhal moiſte þe reyny ſtreme of þornys. Egypt ſhal be in to deſolacioun, and Ydume in to deſert of perdicioun; for þat þat þei diden wickidly in to ſonys of Juda, and ſhedden out innocent blood in her lond. And Jude in to wiþ oute eende ſhal be enhabited, and Jeruſalem in to generacioun and generacioun. And Y ſhal clenſe þe blood of hem, whiche Y clenſide not; and þe Lord ſhal dwelle in Syon.

Here endeþ þe boke of Joel, and bigynneþ þe boke of Amos.