The word of the Lord, whiche is maad to Mycheas Morastites, in the days of Joathan, Achas, Ezechie, kyngys of Juda; whiche he sawȝ on Samarie, and Jerusalem. Heere ȝe, alle peplis, and the erthe perceyue, and the plente therof; and be the Lord God to ȝou in to a witnesse, the Lord of hys holy temple. For loo! the Lord shal gon out of his place, and shal cumme doun, and shal trede on heeȝ thingus of erthe. And mounteyns shuln be waastid vndir hym, and valeys shuln be kitt, as wex fro face of fijre, as waters that rennen in to a pitt. In the grete trespas of Jacob al this thing, and in the synnes of the hous of Yrael. Whiche the grete trespas of Jacob, wher not Samarie? and whiche the heeȝ thingis of Juda, wher not Jerusalem? And Y shal putte Samarie as an heep of stoons in the feeld, whanne a vyne ȝerd is plauntid; and Y shal drawe awey the stoons therof into a valey, and shal shewe the foundementis therof. And alle sculptilis, or grauen ymagis, therof shuln be beten to gidre, and alle hijres therof shuln be brent in fijr; and Y shal putte al ydolis therof in to perdicioun; for of hijris of an hoore thei ben gadrid, and vn to hijre of an hoore thei shuln be turned aȝein. On this thing Y shal weile and ȝoule, Y shal go spuylid and nakid; and Y shal make weyling as of dragouns, and mournyng as of struciouns. For plage, or wounde, therof is dispeirid; for it came vn to Juda, it touchide the ȝate of my peple, vn to Jerusalem. In Geth nyl ȝe telle, in teris weepe ȝe not; in the hous of dust with dust togydre sprenge ȝou. And a faire dwellyng shal passe fro ȝou, confoundid with yuel fame; it is not gon out, whiche dwellith in the goynge out; a niȝ hous shal take of ȝou weylyng, whiche stode to it self. For it is maad seeke in to good, whiche dwellith in bitternessis. For yuel came doun fro the Lord in to the ȝate of Jerusalem, noyse of a four horsid cart, of dreed to the dwellynge at Lachis. It is the bygynnyng of synne of the douȝter of Syon, for in thee the grete trespassis of Yrael ben founden. Therfore he shal ȝeue vnnoble men on the heritage of Geth, an hous of lesyng in to disceyte to the kyngis of Yrael. Ȝit Y shal brenge an eir to thee, that dwellist in Maresa; vnto Odolla of glorie of Yrael shal cum. Be thou maad ballid, and be thou clippid on the sonys of ydolis; alarge thi baldnesse as an egle, for thei ben led caityf fro thee.
Woo to ȝou, that thenken vnprofitable thing, and wirchen yuel in ȝoure couchis; in the morew liȝt thei don it, for the hond of hem is aȝeinus God. Thei couetiden feeldis, and violently token; and rauyshiden housis, and falsly chalengiden a man and his hous, and a man and his eritage. Therfore these thingis saith the Lord, Loo! Y thenke on this meynee yuel, of whom ȝe shuln not take awey ȝour neckis; and ȝe shuln not walke proude, for the warst tyme is. In that daye a parable shal be taken on ȝou, and a songe shal be sungen with swetnesse of men, sayinge, By robbyng we ben distruyed; a part of my peple is chaungid to gidre; hou shal he go awey fro me, whanne he turneth aȝein that shal departe ȝoure cuntrees? For this thing there shal not be to thee the sendyng a litil coorde of sort in cumpanye of the Lord. Thou Yrael, speke ȝe not spekynge; it shal not droppe on these, confusioun shal not cacche, saith the Lord to Jacob. Wher the Spirit of the Lord is abreggid, or siche ben the thouȝtus of hym? Wher my wordis ben not goode, with hym that riȝtli goth? And aȝeinward my peple ros to gidre in to an aduersarie; ȝe toke awey the mantil aboue the coote, and ȝe turnyden hem in to bataile, hem that wenten symply. Ȝe castiden out the wymmen of my peple, of the hous of her delices; fro the litil childre of hem ȝe token awey my herying in to with outen eende. Ryse ȝe, and go, for here ȝe han not reste; for the vnclennesse therof it shal be corrupt with the warst rott. Y wolde Y were not a man hauynge spirit, and rather Y spake lesyng. Y shal droppe to thee in to wyn, and in to drunkenesse; and this peple shal be, on whom it is droppid. With gadryng Y shal gadre Jacob; Y shal leede to gydre thee al in to oon, the relikis of Yrael. Y shal putte hym to gydre, as a flok in folde; as sheep in the mydil of foldis thei shuln make noyse, of multitude of men. Forsothe he shal stye shewynge waye byfore hem; thei shuln departe, and passe the ȝate, and shuln go out therby; and the kyng of hem shal passe byfore hem, and the Lord in the hed of hem.
And Y saide, Heere, ȝe princis of Jacob, and duykys of the hous of Yrael. Wher it be ȝour for to wite dom, whiche han in hate good, and louen yuel? Whiche violentli taken awey the skinnis of hem fro aboue hem, and the fleshe of hem fro aboue the bonys of hem. Whiche eeten fleshe of my peple, and hildiden, or flewen, the skyn of hem fro aboue; and braken to gydre the bonys of hem, and kittiden to gydre as in a cawdroun, and as fleshe in the mydil of a pott. Thanne thei shuln crye to the Lord, and he shal not heer hem; and he shal hijde his face fro hem in that tyme, as thei diden wickidly in her fyndyngus. These thingus saith the Lord on the prophetis that disceyuen my peple, and biten with her teeth, and prechen pees; and ȝif eny man shal not ȝeue in the mouth of hem eny thing, thei halewyn bateyle on hym. Therfore niȝt shal be to ȝou for visioun, or prophecie, and derknessis to ȝou for dyuynacioun; and the sunne shal go doun on the prophetis, and the day shal be maad derk on hem. And thei shuln be confoundid that seen visiouns, and dyuynours shuln be confoundid, and alle shuln hille her cheeris, for it is not the answere of God. Netheles Y am fulfillid with strengthe of Spirit of the Lord, in dom and vertu, that Y shewe to Jacob his grete trespas, and to Yrael his synne. Heere ȝe these thingis, ȝe princis of the hous of Jacob, and domysmen of the hous of Yrael, whiche wlaten dom, and peruerten alle riȝt thingus; whiche beelden Syon in blodis, and Jerusalem in wickidnesse. Princis therof demyden in ȝiftus, and the prestis therof tauȝten in hijre, and prophetis therof dyuynyden in money; and on the Lord thei restiden, sayinge, Wher not the Lord in the mydil of vs? yuels shuln not cume on vs. For this thing by cause of ȝou, Syon as a feeld shal be eryd; and Jerusalem shal be as an heep of stoons, and the hill of the temple in to heeȝ thingus of wodys.
And it shal be, in the last of days the hill of the hous of the Lord shal be maad redy in the top of hillis, and heeȝ ouer smale hillis. And peplis shuln fleete to hym, and many folkis shuln hasten, and shuln saye, Cum ȝe, stye we to the hill of the Lord, and to the hous of God of Jacob; and he shal teche vs of his wayes, and we shuln go in his pathes. For of Syon the lawe shal go out, and the word of the Lord of Jerusalem; and he shal deme bitwixe manye peplis, and shal chastyse strong folkis vnto in to fer. And thei shuln bete to gydre her swerdis in to shaaris, and her speris in to pycoysis; a folk shal not take swerd aȝeinus folk, and thei shuln namore lerne for to fiȝte. And a man shal sitte vndir his vyne ȝerd, and vnder his fijge tree; and ther shal not be that shal fere, for the mouth of the Lord of hoostis spak. For alle peplis shuln go, eche man in name of the Lord her God; forsoth we schulen walke in the name of the Lord oure God into with outen ende, and ouer. In that day, seith the Lord, I schal gedere the haltinge, and hir that I castide awey Y shal gedre, and whom Y tourmentide Y shal coumforte. And Y shal putte the haltynge in to relikis, and hir that traueilide, in to a stronge folk. And the Lord shal regne on hem in the hill of Syon, fro this now and till in to the world. And thou, cloudy, or derk, tour of folk of the douȝter of Syon, vn to thee he shal cume, and the first power shal cume, the rewme of the douȝter of Jerusalem. Now whi art thou with mournyng drawen to gydre? wher a kyng is not to thee, or thi counseilour perishide? for sorewe hath cachid thee, as a womman berynge chijld. Thou douȝter of Syon, make sorewe, and tyse, or do ynewȝ, as a womman berynge chijld; for now thou shalt go out of the cyte, and thou shalt dwelle in cuntre, and thou shalt cum vn to Babiloyne; there thou shalt be delyuered, there the Lord shal aȝein bye thee, of the hond of thin enmyes. And now many folkis ben gadrid on thee, whiche sayen, Be it stoonyd, and biholde our eeȝe in to Syon. Forsothe thei knewen not the thouȝtis of the Lord, and vndirstoden not the counseil of hym, for he gadride hem as hay of the feeld. Ryse thou, and threshe, douȝter of Syon, for Y shal putte thin horn of yren, and Y shal putte thi naylis brasen; and thou shalt waste many peplis, and shalt slea to the Lord the raueyns of hem, and the strengthe of hem to the Lord of al erthe.
Now thou, douȝter of the theef, shalt be distruyed; thei puttiden on vs byseegyng, in a ȝerd thei shuln smyte the cheeke of the iuge of Yrael. And thou, Bethlem Effrata, art litil in the thousandis of Juda; of thee shal gon out to me, whiche is lordshiper in Yrael; and the goyng out of hym fro the bygynnyng of dais of euerlastyngnesse. For this thing God shal ȝeue hem vn to tyme in whiche the traueilynge of chijld shal bere chijld, and the relikis of his bretheren shuln be conuertid to the sonys of Yrael. And he shal stonde, and shal feede in strengthe of the Lord, in the heiȝt of the name of the Lord his God; and thei shuln be conuertid, for now he shal be magnyfied vn to the termes of al erthe. And this shal be pees, whanne Assirius shal cum in to oure lond, and whanne he shal trede in oure housis; and we shuln reyse on hym seuen sheperdis, and eiȝt primatis, or first men in dignyte. And thei shuln feede the lond of Assur in swerd, and the lond of Nembroth in speris of hym; and he shal delyuere vs fro Assur, whanne he shal cum in to oure lond, and whanne he shal treede in oure coostis. And relikis of Jacob shuln be in the mydil of many peplis, as dewe of the Lord, and as droppyngis on erbe, whiche abydith not man, and shal not abyde the sonys of men. And relikis of Jacob shuln be in heithen men, in the mydil of many peplis, as a lyoun in bestis of woddis, and as whelpe of lyoun rorynge in flockis of smale beestis; whiche whan shal passe, and defoule, and take, ther is not that shal delyuere. Thin hond shal be reysid on thin enmyes, and alle thin enmyes shuln perishe. And it shal be, in that day, saith the Lord, Y shal take awey thin horsis of the mydil of thee, and Y shal distruye thi foure horsid cartis. And Y shal leese the citees of thi lond, and Y shal distruye alle thi strengthis; and Y shal do awey the yuel deedis of thin hond, and dyuynaciouns, or tellyngus by deuels craft, shuln not be in thee. And Y shal make for to perishe thi sculptilis, or grauen ymagis, and Y shal breke to gydre of the mydil of thee thin ymagis, and thou shalt namore wirshipe the werkis of thin hondis. And Y shal drawe out thi mawmet wodis, and shal breke to gydre thi citees. And Y shal make in woodnesse and in indignacioun veniaunce in alle folkis, whiche herden not.
Heere ȝe whiche thingis the Lord spekith. Ryse thou, stryue thou by dome aȝeinus mounteyns, and litil hillis heere thi voice. Mounteyns heere the dom of the Lord, and the strenger foundementis of erthe; for the dom of the Lord with his peple, and with Yrael he shal be wysely demed. My peple, what haue Y don to thee, or what was Y greuous to thee? Answere thou to me. For Y ledde thee out of the lond of Egypt, and of the hous of seruage Y delyuerde thee; and Y sente byfore thi face Moyses, and Aaron, and Marie. My peple, bythenke, Y preye, what Balaac, kyng of Moab, thouȝte, and what Balaam, sone of Beor, of Sethym, answeride to hym vn to Galgala, that thou shuldist knowe the riȝtwisnesse of the Lord. What worthi thing shal Y offre to the Lord? shal Y bowe the knee to the heeȝ God? Wher Y shal offre to hym brent sacrifices, and calues of oo ȝeer? Wher God may be plesid in thousandis of wetheris, or in many thousandus of fatt goot buckis? Wher Y shal ȝeue my first bygoten for my grete trespas, the fruyte of my wombe for synne of my soule? Y shal shewe to thee, thou man, what is good, and what the Lord axith of thee; forsothe for to do dom, and for to loue mercy, and bysi for to walke with thi God. The voice of the Lord crieth to the citee, and helthe shal be to alle men dreedinge thi name. Heere, ȝe lynagis; and who shal aproue it? Ȝit fijr in the hous of the vnpitous man, the tresours of wickidnesse, and a lasse mesure ful of wrath. Wher Y shal iustifie the wickid balaunce, and the gijlful weiȝtis of litil sac, in whiche riche men therof ben fulfillid with wickidnesse? And men dwellynge theryn spaken lesyng, and the tunge of hem gijleful in the mouth of hem. And Y therfore bygan for to smyte thee, in perdicioun on thin synnys. Thou shalt ete, and shalt not be fulfillid, and thi meekyng in the mydil of thee; and thou shalt take to, and shalt not saue; and whom thou shalt saaue, Y shal ȝeue in to swerd. Thou shalt sowe, and shalt not repe; thou shalt trede the olyue, and shalt not be anoyntid with oyle; and must, and shalt not drynke wijne. And thou keptist the heestis of Amry, and al the werke of the hous of Achab, and hast walkide in the voluptees, or lustis, of hem, that Y shulde ȝeue thee in to perdicioun, and men dwellynge in it in to hissyng, or scornyng, and thou shalt bere the shenship of my peple.
Woo to me, for Y am maad as he that gadrith in heruest rasyns of grape tyme; ther is no clustre for to ete; my soule desiride fijgis rijp before other. The holy perishide of the erthe, and riȝtful is not in men; alle in blood aspien, a man hunteth his brother to deth. The yuel of her hondis thei sayn good; the prince axith, and is domesman in ȝeeldynge; and a grete man spake desijr of his soule, and thei strubliden to gydre it. He that is best in hem, is as a palyure, that is, a sharp bushe, or a thistil, or frijse; and he that is riȝtful, as a thorne of hegge. The day of thi byholdyng, thi visityng cummeth, now shal be distruying of hem. Nyl ȝe byleue to frend, and nyl ȝe trist in duyke; fro hir that restith in thi bosum, keepe thou closyngis of thi mouth. For the sone doth wronge to the fadre, and the douȝter shal rijse aȝeinus hir modir, and wijf of the sone aȝeinus hir husbond modir; the enmyes of a man, the homly, or houshold meyne, of hym. Forsothe Y shal biholde to the Lord, Y shal abijde God my saueour; the Lord my God shal heere me. Thou, myn enmy, glade not on me, for Y felle doun, Y shal ryse; whan Y shal sitte in dercnessis, the Lord is my liȝt. Y shal bere wrath of the Lord, for Y haue synned to hym, til he deme my cause, and make my dom; he shal leede me out in to liȝt, Y shal se the rijtwisnesse of hym. And myn enmye shal byholde me, and she shal be hillid with confusioun, whiche saith to me, Wher is the Lord thi God? Myn eeȝen shuln se hir, now she shal be in defoulyng, as clay, or fen, of stretis, day that thi wallis be beeldid. In that day law shal be maad afer, in that day Assur vn to thee shal come, and vn to stronge citees, and fro stronge citees vnto the flood; and to see of see, and to hill of hill. And the erthe shal be in to desolacioun for hir dwellers, and for fruyte of the thouȝtis of hem. Feed thou thi peple in thi ȝerd, the floc of thin eritage, dwellynge aloone in the wijld wode; in the mydil of Carmele thei shuln be fed Basan and Galaad, vp olde days, vp days of thi goyng out of the lond of Egypt. Y shal shewe to hym wondirful thingis; heethen men shuln see, and thei shuln be confoundid on al her strengthe; thei shuln putte hondis on the mouthe, the eris of hem shuln be defe; thei shuln lick dust as the serpent, as crepynge thingis of the erthe thei shuln be distourblid of her housis; thei shuln desijre the Lord our God, and thei shuln dreede thee. What god liche of thee, that dost awey wickidnesse, and berist ouer the synne of the relikis of thin eritage? He shal namore in sende his wodnesse, for he is willynge mercy; he shal turne aȝein, and haue mercy of vs. He shal putte doun oure wickidnessis, and he shal caste fer in to depnesse of the see alle oure synnes. Thou shalt ȝeue trewthe to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, whiche thou sworist to oure fadris fro olde days.
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