Bible (Early Wycliffe)/Jonas

Here bigynneþ þe boke of Jonas prophete.

Capitulum I.

And þe word of þe Lord is maad to Jonas, ſone of Amaþy, ſayinge, Ryſe þou, and go in to Nynyuen, þe grete cytee, and preche þou þerynne, for þe malyce þerof ſtyeþ vp byfore me. And Jonas ros for to fleeȝ in to Tharſis, fro þe face of þe Lord. And he came doun to Joppe, and foonde a ſhip goynge in to Tharſis, and he ȝaue ſhiphijre to hem; and he wente doun in to it, for to go wiþ hem in to Tharſis, fro þe face of þe Lord. Forſoþe þe Lord ſente a grete wynde in þe ſe, and a grete tempeſt is maad in þe ſe, and þe ſhip was in peryl for to be broken. And ſhip men dredden, and men crieden to her god; and ſenten veſſels, þat weren in þe ſhip, in to þe ſe, þat it were maad liȝter of hem. And Jonas wente doun to þe ynner þingis of þe ſhip, and ſlepte in a greuouſe ſleep. And þe gouernour cam to hym, and ſaide to hym, What art þou caſt doun in ſleep? ryſe þou, ynclepe þi God, ȝif per auenture God aȝein þenk of vs, and we periſhe not. And a man ſaide to his felaw, Cum ȝe, and ſende we lot, and wite we, whi þis yuel is to vs. And þei ſenten lottis, and lot felle on Jonas. And þei ſaiden to hym, Shewe þou to vs, for cauſe of what þing þis yuel is to vs; what is þi werk, whiche þi lond, and whiþer goſt þou, or of what peple art þou? And he ſaide to hem, Y am an Ebru, and Y dreede þe Lord God of heuen, þat made heuen and erþe. And þe men dredden wiþ grete drede, and ſaiden to hym, What didiſt þou þis þing? forſoþe þe men knewen for he fleeȝ fro þe face of þe Lord, for Jonas had ſhewid to hem. And þei ſaiden to hym, What ſhuln we do to þee, and þe ſe ſhal ceeſe fro vs? for þe ſe wente, and wexe grete on hem. And he ſaide to hem, Take ȝe me, and ſende in to þe ſe, and þe ſe ſhal ceſe fro ȝou; forſoþe Y wote, for whi for me þis grete tempeſt is on ȝou. And men rowiden, for to turne aȝein to þe drye lond, and þei miȝten not, for þe ſe wente, and wexe grete on hem. And þei crieden to þe Lord, and ſaiden, Lord, we biſechen, þat we periſhe not in þe ſoule of þis man, and þat þou ȝeue not on vs innocent blode; for þou, Lord, didiſt as þou woldiſt. And þei token Jonas, and ſenten in to þe ſe; and þe ſe ſtode of his buylyng. And þe men dredden þe Lord wiþ grete dreed, and offreden ooſtis to þe Lord, and vowiden avowis. And þe Lord made redy a grete fiſſhe, þat he ſhulde ſwelow Jonas; and Jonas was in wombe of þe fiſhe þree days and þree niȝtis.

Capitulum II.

And Jonas preyede to þe Lord his God of þe fiſhis wombe, and ſaide, Y cryede to God of my tribulacioun, and he herde me; of þe wombe of helle Y criede, and þou herdiſt my voice. Þou caſtidiſt me doun in to depneſſe in þe hert of þe ſe, and þe flood aboute ȝaue me; alle þi ſwelowis and wawis paſſiden on me. And Y ſaide, Y am caſt awey fro þe ſiȝt of þin eeȝen; neþeles eftſoone Y ſhal ſee þin holy temple. Waters enuirounden me vn to my ſoule, depneſſe encloſide me, þe ſe hillide myn hed. To þe vtmeſt places of hillis Y wente doun, þe herris of erþe cloſiden me to gydre, in to wiþ outen eend; and þou ſhalt reyſe vp my lijf of corrupcioun, Lord my God. Whanne my ſoule was angwiſhid in me, Y biþouȝte of þe Lord, þat my prayer cum to þee, to þyn holy temple. Þei þat kepen vanytees, ydely ſhuln forſake her mercy. Y forſoþe in voice of preyſyng ſhal offre to þee; what euer þingis Y vowide, Y ſhal ȝeelde to þe Lord, for helþ. And þe Lord ſaide to þe fiſhe, and it caſtide out Jonas in to lond.

Capitulum III.

And þe word of þe Lord is maad þe ſecounde tyme to Jonas, ſayinge, Ryſe þou, and go in to Nynyue, þe grete cytee, and preche þou þere þe prechynge whiche Y ſpeke to þee. And Jonas ros, and wente in to Nynyue, vp þe word of þe Lord. And Nynyue was a grete cytee, in iourney of þree days. And Jonas bygan for to entre in to þe cytee, in iourney of oo day, and cryede, and ſaide, Ȝit fourty days, and Nynyue ſhal be vndirturned, or diſtruyed. And men of Nynyue byleeuyden to þe Lord, and prechiden faſtyng, and weren cloþid wiþ ſackis, fro þe more vnto þe laſſe. And þe word cam to þe kyng of Nynyue; and he ros of his ſeete, and caſtide awey his cloþing fro hym, and is cloþid wiþ ſacke, and ſate in aſhe. And he criede, and ſaide in Nynyue of þe mouþ of þe kyng and of his princes, ſayinge, Men, and werk beeſtis, and oxen, and ſheep taaſte not ony þing, neþer be fed, neþer drynke watir. And be men hillid wiþ ſackis, and werk beeſtis crie to þe Lord in ſtrengþe; and be a man conuertid, or al turnyd, fro his yuel waye, and fro wickidneſſe þat is in þe hondis of hem. Who wote, ȝif God be conuertid, and forȝeue, and be turned aȝein fro woodneſſe of his wraþ, and we ſhuln not periſhe? And God ſawȝ þe werkis of hem, for þei ben conuertid fro her yuel waye; and God hadde mercy on þe malice whiche he ſpac, þat he ſhulde do to hem, and dide not.

Capitulum IIII.

And Jonas was tourmentid wiþ grete tourment, and was wrooþ. And he preiede to þe Lord, and ſaide, Lord, Y biſeche, wher þis is not my word, whanne Y was ȝit in my lond? For þis þing Y before ocupiede, for to flee in to Tharſis; forſoþe Y wote, for þou, God, art meke and mercyful, pacient, and of myche mercy doynge, and forȝeuynge on malice. And now, Lord, Y preye, take my ſoule, or lijf, fro me; for deeþ is beter to me þan lyf. And þe Lord ſaide, Geſſiſt þou, wher þou art wel wroþ? And Jonas wente out of þe cytee, and ſate aȝeinus þe eeſt, and made to hym a ſhadewyng place þere; and ſate vndre it in ſhadewe, til he ſawȝ what byfelle to þe citee. And þe Lord God made redy an eder, or a plaunt, and it ſtyede vp on þe hed of Jonas, þat ſhadewe wer on his hed, and keuerde hym; forſoþe he hadde traueilid. And Jonas gladid on þe eder, wiþ grete gladneſſe. And God made redy a worme, in ſtyinge vp of grey day in to morew; and ſmote þe eder, and it dryede vp. And whan þe ſunne was ſprungen, þe Lord comaundide to þe hote wynd and brennynge; and þe ſunne ſmote on þe hed of Jonas, and he ſwalide. And he axide to his ſoule þat he ſhulde dye, and ſaide, It is beter to me for to dye, þan for to lyue. And þe Lord ſaide to Jonas, Geſſiſt þou, wher þou art wel wroþ on þe eder? And he ſaide, Y am wel wroþe, vn to þe deþ. And þe Lord ſaide, Þou art ſorie on þe eder, in whiche þou traueylidiſt not, neþer þou madiſt þat it wexide, þe whiche was born vnder oo niȝt, and in oo niȝt periſhide. And ſhal Y not ſpare to þe grete citee Nynyue, in whiche ben more þan a hundred and twenti þouſand of men, whiche witen not what is bitwix her riȝt half and left, and many werk beeſtis?

Here endiþ þe book of Jonas, and bigynneþ þe book of Micheas.