Here bigynneþ þe boke of Abdias þe prophete.
The viſioun of Abdias. Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord God to Edom. We herden an heeryng of þe Lord, and he ſente a legate, or meſſager, to heyþen men. Ryſe ȝe, and to gydre ryſe we aȝeinus hym in to bateile. Loo! Y ȝaue þee litil in heiþen men, þou art ful myche contemptible, or worþi to be diſpiſid. Þe pride of þin herte enhaunſide þee, dwellynge in kyttyng, or hoolis of ſtoonys, areyſynge þi ſeete. Þe whiche ſaiſt in þin herte, Who ſhal drawe me doun in to erþe? Ȝif þou ſhalt be reyſid as an egle, and ȝif þou ſhalt putte þi neſt amonge ſterris, fro þennus Y ſhal drawe þee doun, ſaiþ þe Lord. Ȝif niȝt þeeues entriden to þee, ȝif outlawis bi niȝt, hou ſhuldiſt þou haue be ſtylle? wher þei ſhulden not haue ſtoln ynowe þingus to hem? Ȝif gadreris of grapis hadden entriden to þee, wher at þe leſte þei ſhulden haue left racyns to þee? Hou ſouȝten þei Eſau, ſerchiden þe hid þingus of hym? Vn to þe termys þei ſenten þee out; and alle men of þi couenaunt ſcorneden, or diſceyueden, þee, men of þi pees wexiden ſtrong aȝeinus þee; þei þat ſhuln ete wiþ þee, ſhuln putte aſpies, or treſouns, vndir þee; þer is no prudence in hym. Wher not in þat day, ſaiþ þe Lord, Y ſhal leeſe þe wyſe men of Ydume, and prudence of þe mount of Eſau? And þi ſtronge men ſhuln dreede fro mydday, þat a man of þe hill of Eſau periſhe. For ſleayng and for wickidnes in to þi broþer Jacob, confuſioun ſhal hille þee, and þou ſhalt periſhe in to wiþ out eende. In þe day whan þou ſtodiſt aȝeinus hym, whanne aliens token þe ooſt of hym, and ſtraungers entriden þe ȝatis of hym, and on Jeruſalem ſenten lot, and þou waſt as oon of hem. And þou ſhalt not diſpiſe in þe day of þi broþer, in day of his pilgrimage, and þou ſhalt not glade on ſonys of Juda, in þe day of perdicioun of hem; and þou ſhalt not magnyfie þi mouþ in day of anguyſch, neþer ſhalt entre þe ȝate of my peple, in þe day of fallyng of hem; neþer and þou ſhalt diſpyſe in þe yuels of hym, in þe day of his diſtriyng; and þou ſhalt not be ſent out aȝens his oſt, in þe dai of his diſtriyng; neþer þou ſchalt ſtonde in þe goynge out of þe waies, þat þou ſle hem þat fledden; and þou ſchalt not cloſe to gydre þe relikis, or left men, of hym in þe day of tribulacioun, for þe day of þe Lord is niȝe vpon alle heiþen men. As þou haſt don, ſo it ſhal be don to þee; he ſhal conuerte þi ȝeldyng in to þin hed. Forſoþe as ȝe drunke on myn holy hylle, alle heiþen men ſhuln drynke byſily, and þei ſhuln drynke, and ſhuln ſoupe vp; and þei ſhuln be as þei ben not. And in þe hill of Syon ſaluacioun ſhal be, and holy ſhal be; and þe hous of Jacob ſhal weelde hem whiche weldiden hem. And þe hous of Jacob ſhal be fijr, and þe hous of Joſeph flawme, and þe hous of Eſau ſtobul; and þei ſhuln be brent in hem, and þei ſhuln deuoure hem; and relikis ſhuln namore be of þe hous of Eſau, for þe Lord ſpake. And þeſe þat ben at þe ſouþe, ſhuln enherite þe hill of Eſau; and þei þat in þe lowe feeldis, Philiſtiym; and þei ſhuln weelde þe cuntree of Effraym, and cuntre of Samarie; and Beniamyn ſhal weelde Galaad. And tranſmygracioun, or ouer paſſynge, of þis ooſt of ſonys of Yrael, alle places of Cananeys, vn to Sarepta; and þe tranſmygracioun of Jeruſalem, þat is in Boſphoro, ſhal weelde citees of þe ſouþ. And ſaueouris ſhuln ſtye in to þe hyll of Syon, for to deme þe hill of Eſau, and ſhal be rewme to þe Lord. Amen.
Here endiþ þe book of Abdias, prophete, and bigynneþ þe book of Jonas, þe prophete.