Bible (Wycliffe)/Naum

Chapter 1
The birthun of Nynyue; the book of visioun of Naum Helcesei.

The Lord is a punyschere, and the Lord is vengynge; the Lord is venginge, and hauynge strong veniaunce; the Lord is vengynge ayens hise aduersaries, and he is wraththing to hise enemyes.

The Lord is pacient, and greet in strengthe, and he clensynge schal not make innocent. The Lord cometh in tempest, and the weies of hym ben in whirlwynd, and cloudis ben the dust of hise feet;

he blameth the see, and drieth it, and bryngith alle flodis to desert. Basan is maad sijk, and Carmel, and the flour of Liban langwischide.

Mounteyns ben mouyd togidere of hym, and litil hillis ben desolat. And erthe tremblide togidere fro the face of him, and the roundenesse of erthe, and alle dwellynge ther ynne.

Who schal stonde bifore the face of his indignacioun? and who schal ayenstonde in the wraththe of his stronge veniaunce? His indignacioun is sched out as fier, and stoonys ben brokun of hym.

The Lord is good, and coumfortynge in the dai of tribulacioun, and knowynge hem that hopen in hym.

And in greet flood passynge forth, he schal make ende of his place; and derknessis schulen pursue hise enemyes.

What thenken ye ayens the Lord? He schal make ende; double tribulacioun schal not rise togidere.

For as thornes byclippen hem togidere, so the feeste of hem drynkynge togidere schal be wastyd, as stobul ful of drienesse.

Of thee schal go out a man thenkynge malice ayens the Lord, and trete trespassyng in soule.

The Lord seith these thingis, If thei schulen be parfit, and so manye, and thus thei shulen be clippid, and it schal passe bi. I turmentide thee, and Y schal no more turmente thee.

And now Y schal al to-breke the yerde of hym fro thi bak, and Y schal breke thi bondis.

And the Lord schal comaunde on thee, it schal no more be sowun of thi name. Of the hous of thi god Y schal sle; Y schal putte thi sepulcre a `grauun ymage, and wellid togidere, for thou art vnworschipid.

Lo! on hillis the feet of the euangelisynge and tellynge pees. Juda, halewe thou thi feeste daies, and yelde thi vowis, for whi Belial schal no more put to, that he passe forth in thee; al Belial perischide.

Chapter 2
He stiede up, that schal scatere bifore thee, that schal kepe bisechyng; biholde thou the weie, coumforte leendis, strengthe thou vertu greetli.

For as the Lord yeldide the pride of Jacob, so the pride of Israel; for distrieris scateriden hem, and distrieden the generaciouns of hem.

The scheld of stronge men of hym ben firi, men of the oost ben in rede clothis; raynes of fire of chare, in the dai of his makyng redi; and the leederis therof ben asleep.

In weies thei ben troblid togidere, cartis of foure horsis ben hurtlid togidere in stretis; the siyte of hem as laumpis, as leitis rennynge aboute.

He schal bithenke of his stronge men, thei schulen falle in her weies; and swiftli thei schulen stie on the wallis therof, and schadewyng place schal be maad redi.

Yatis of floodis ben openyd, and the temple is brokun doun to erthe.

And a knyyt is led awei caitif, and the handmaidis therof schulen be dryuun sorewynge as culueris, grutchynge in her hertis.

And Nynyue, as a cisterne of watris the watris therof; forsothe thei fledden; stonde ye, stonde ye, and there is not that schal turne ayen.

Rauysche ye siluer, rauysche ye gold; and there is noon ende of richessis, of alle desirable vessels.

It is distried, and kit, and to-rent, and herte failynge, and vnknyttinge of smale knees, and failynge in alle reynes; and the face of alle ben as blacnesse of a pot.

Where is the dwellyng of liouns, and lesewis of whelpis of liouns? To whiche citee the lioun yede, that the whelp of the lioun schulde entre thidur, and there is not that schal make aferd.

The lioun took ynow to hise whelpis, and slowy to his lionessis; and fillide her dennes with prei, and his couche with raueyn.

Lo! Y to thee, seith the Lord God of oostis; and Y schal brenne thi cartis of foure horsis til to the hiyeste, and swerd schal ete thi smale liouns; and Y schal distrie thi prei fro the lond, and the vois of thi messangeris schulen no more be herd.

Chapter 3
Wo to the citee of bloodis, al of leesyng, ful of to-reendyng; raueyn shal not go awei fro thee.

Vois of scourge, and vois of bire of wheel, and of hors makynge noise, and of foure horsid carte brennynge, and of kniyt stiynge vp,

and of schynynge swerd, and glesenynge spere, and of slayn multitude, and of greuouse fallyng, nether ther is eende of careyns. And thei schulen falle togidere in her bodies,

for the multitude of fornicaciouns of the hoore fair and plesaunt, and hauynge witchecraftis; which seelde folkis in her fornicaciouns, and meynees in her enchauntementis, ether sorceries.

Lo! Y to thee, seith the Lord God of oostis; and Y schal schewe thi schameful thingis in thi face; and Y schal schewe to folkis thi nakidnesse, and to rewmes thin yuel fame.

And Y schal cast out on thee thin abhomynaciouns, and Y schal punysche thee with dispitis, and Y schal putte thee in to ensaumple.

And it schal be, ech man that schal se thee, schal skippe awei fro thee, and schal seie, Nynyue is distried. Who schal moue heed on thee? wherof schal Y seke to thee a coumfortour?

Whether thou art betere than Alisaundre of puplis, that dwellith in floodis? Watris ben in cumpas therof, whos richessis is the see, watris ben wallis therof.

Ethiope is strengthe therof, and Egipt, and there is noon ende; Affrik and Libie weren in help therof.

But and it in `passyng ouer is led in to caitifte; the litle children therof ben hurtlid doun in the heed of alle weies. And on the noble men therof thei kesten lot, and alle grete men therof ben set togidere in gyues.

And thou therfor schalt be drunkun, and schalt be dispisid, and thou schalt seke helpe of enemye.

Al thi strengthis as a fige tree, with hise figis vnripe; if thei schulen be schakun, thei schulen falle in to the mouth of the etere.

Lo! thi puple ben wymmen in the myddil of thee; the yatis of thi lond schulen be schewid to openyng to thin enemyes; fier schal deuoure thin herris.

Drawe vp to thee water for asegyng, bilde thi strengthis; entre in fen, and trede, thou vndurgoynge holde a tiel stoon.

There fier schal ete thee, thou schalt perische bi swerd, it schal deuoure thee, as bruke doith; be thou gaderid togidere as a bruke, be thou multiplied as a locuste.

Thou madist thi marchaundises mo than ben sterris of heuene; a bruke is spred abrood, and flei awei.

Thi keperis ben as locustis, and thi litle children ben as locustis of locustis, whiche sitten togidere in heggis in the dai of coold; the sun is risun, and thei fledden awei, and the place of hem is not knowun, where thei weren.

Thi scheepherdis napten, thou kyng Assur, thi princes schulen be biried; thi puple ofte was hid in hillis, and ther is not that schal gadere.

Thi sorewe is not priuy, thi wounde is worst; alle men that herden thin heryng, pressiden togidere hond on thee, for on whom passide not thi malice euermore?