Here bigynneþ þe book of Naum.
Capitulum I. edit
The charge of Nynyue; þe boke of viſioun of Naum Helcheſey. Þe Lord a louer, and þe Lord vengeynge; þe Lord vengynge, and hauynge woodneſſe; þe Lord vengynge in to his enmyes, and he wraþinge to his enmyes. Þe Lord pacient, and grete in ſtrengþe, and he clenſynge ſhal not make innocent. Þe Lord in tempeſt, and in whirlwynd þe wayes of hym, and cloudis duſt of his feet; blamynge þe ſee, and dryinge it, and bryngynge alle flodis to deſert. Baſan is maad ſeek, and Carmele, and þe flour of Liban langwiſhide. Mounteyns ben moued to gidre of hym, and litil hillis ben deſolate. And þe erþe tremblide to gydre fro þe face of hym, and þe roundneſſe of erþe, and alle þe dwellyng þeryn. Bifore þe face of his indignacioun who ſhal ſtonde? and who ſhal aȝein ſtonde in þe wraþ of his woodneſſe? His indignacioun is ſhed out as fijre, and ſtoonus ben diſſolued, or broken, of hym. Þe Lord good, and coumfortynge in þe day of tribulacioun, and he knowynge men hoopynge in hym. And in grete floode paſſynge by, he ſhal make eende of his place; and dercneſſis ſhuln purſue his enmyes. What þinken ȝe aȝeinus þe Lord? He ſhal make eend; double tribulacioun ſhal not ryſe to gydre. For as þornys biclippen hem to gydre, ſo þe feeſt of hem drynkynge to gydre ſhal be eendid, as ſtoble ful of dryneſſe. Forſoþe of þee ſhal go out þe þynkynge malice aȝeinus þe Lord, in ſoule, or mynde, tretynge treſpaſſyng. Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord, Ȝif þei ſhuln be perfit, and ſo mo, and þus þei ſhuln be clippid, and it ſhal paſſe by. Y tourmentide þee, and Y ſhal namore tourmente þee. And now Y ſhal to gydre breke þe ȝerd of hym of þi bac, and Y ſhal breke þi boondis. And þe Lord ſhal comaunde on þee, it ſhal namore be ſown of þi name. Of þe hous of þi god Y ſhal ſlea; a ſculptil, or grauen ymage, and wellid to gydre, Y ſhal putte þi ſepulcre, for þou art vnwirſhipid. Loo! on hillis þe feet of euangelizinge and tellynge pees. Juda, halewe þou þi feeſt days, and ȝeelde þi vowis, for he ſhal namore putte to, þat he paſſe by in þee; al Belial periſhide.
Capitulum II. edit
He ſtyede vp, þat ſchal ſcatere byfore þee, þat ſhal kepe þe byſeeging; byholde þou þe waye, coumforte leendis, ſtrengþe þou vertu gretely. For as þe Lord ȝeldide þe pride of Jacob, ſo þe pryde of Yrael; for diſtruyers ſcatriden hem, and corrumpten, or diſtruyiden, þe generaciouns of hem. Þe ſheeld of þe ſtrong of hym fijry, men of þe hooſt in rede cloþis; raynes of fijre of þe chaare, in þe day of his makyng redy; and þe leeders þerof ben aſleepe. In wayes þei ben trublid to gydre, cartis of foure horſis he hurtlide to gydre in ſtretis; þe ſiȝt of hem as laumpis, as leiȝtis rennynge aboute. He ſhal byþenke of his ſtrenger, þei ſhulen falle in her wayes; and ſwyftly þei ſhuln ſtye vp þe wallis þerof, and þe ſhadewynge place ſhal be maad redy. Ȝatis of flodis ſhuln be opnyd, and þe temple broken doun to þe erþe. And a kniȝt caitif is led to, and þe hond maydens þerof ſhuln be dryuen ſorewyng as culuers, grucchynge in her hertis. And Nynyue, as þe cyſterne of waters þe waters þerof; forſoþe þei fledden, ſayinge, Stonde ȝe, ſtonde ȝe, and þer is not þat ſhal turne aȝein. Rauyſhe ȝe ſyluer, rauyſhe ȝe gold; and þere is not eende of richeſſis, of all deſireable veſſels. It is diſtruyed, and kitt, and to-torne, and herte feylynge, and vnknyttynge of ſmale knees, and failyng in alle reynes; and þe face of alle as blacneſſe of a pott. Where is þe dwellynge of lyouns, and þe leſewis of whelpis of lyouns? Þe lyoun wente to water, þat þe whelpe of þe lyoun ſhulde entre þidre, and þere is not þat ſhal fere. Þe lyoun toke ynowȝ to his whelpis, and ſlewȝ to his lyounneſſis; and fulfillide wiþ praye her dennys, and his couche wiþ rauyn. Loo! Y to þee, ſaiþ þe Lord God of ooſtis; and Y ſhal vndre brenne þi cartis of foure horſis vn to þe heeȝiſt, and ſwerd ſhal ete þi ſmale lyouns; and Y ſhal diſtruye of erþe þi praye, and voice of þi meſſangeres ſhal no more be herd.
Capitulum III. edit
Wo to þe citee of blodis, al of leſyng, ful of to-teryng; raueyn ſhal not go awey fro þee. Voice of ſcourge, and voice of bir of wheel, and of hors makynge noyſe, and of a foure horſid cart brennynge, and of kniȝt ſteyinge vp, and of ſhynynge ſwerd, and ſmytynge ſpere, and of þe ſlayn multitude, and greuouſe fallynge, neþer þer is eende of careins. And þei ſhuln falle to gydre in her bodies, for multitude of þe fornycaciouns of þe hoore fair and able, and hauynge euel dedis, or wicchecraftis; whiche ſolde folkis in her fornycaciouns, and meynees in her poyſouns. Loo! Y to þee, ſaiþ þe Lord God of ooſtis; and Y ſhal ſhewe þi ſhamful þingis in þi face; and Y ſhal ſhewe to folkis þi nakidneſſe, and to rewmes þin yuel fame. And Y ſhal caſte out on þee þin abomynaciouns, and Y ſhal punyſhe þee wiþ diſpitis, and Y ſhal putte þee in to enſaumple. And it ſhal be, eche man þat ſhal ſee þee, ſhal lippe aȝein fro þee, and ſhal ſaye, Nynyue is diſtruyed. Who ſhal moue togydre þe hed vpon þee? wherof ſhal Y ſeke to þee a coumfortour? Wher þou art better þan Aliſaundre, of peplis whiche dwelliþ in flodis? Waters in cumpas þerof, whos ritcheſſis þe ſe, waters þe wallis þerof. Eþiopie þe ſtrengþe þerof, and Egypt, and þer is noon eende; Affrik and Libie weren in help þerof. Bot and it in tranſmygracioun, or paſſing ouer, is led in to caitiftee; þe litil children þerof ben hirt in þe heed of alle wayes. And on þe noble men þerof þei ſenten lot, and alle grete men þerof ben ſett togider in þe ſtockis. And þou þerfore ſhalt be drunken, and þou ſhalt be diſpiſid, and þou ſhalt ſeeke help of enmy. Alle þi ſtrengþis as a fijge tree, wiþ his vnripe fijgis; ȝif þei ſhuln be ſmyten to gydre, þei ſhuln falle in to þe mouþ of þe etynge. Loo! þi peple wymmen in þe mydil of þee; to þin enmyes, to þe opnynge þe ȝatis of þi lond ſhuln be ſhewid, or opnyd; fijr ſhal deuoure þi barris, or lockis. Drawe vp to þee water for aſeegyng, beelde þi ſtrengþis; entre in to fen, and trede, þou vndergoynge holde a tijl. Þere fijr ſhal ete þee, þou ſhalt periſhe by ſwerd, it ſhal deuoure þee, as bruke; þerfor be þou gadrid togydre as bruke, be þou multiplied as locuſt. Þou madiſt þi marchaundiſes mo þan ben ſterris of heuen; bruke is ſprad o brood, and fleiȝeþ awey. Þi keepers as locuſtis, and þi litel children as locuſtis of locuſtis, whiche ſiten to gidre in heggis in þe day of cold; þe ſunne is ſprungen vp, and þei fledden awey, and þe place of hem is not knowen, where þei weren. Þi ſheperdis napten, þou kyng Aſſur, þi princes ſhuln be biried; þi peple oft derkid in hillis, and þer is not þat ſhal gadre. Þi contricioun is not derk, þi wound is warſt; alle men þat herden þi heering, preſſiden to gidre hond on þee, for vpon whom paſſide not þi malice euermore?
Here endiþ þe of Naum, prophete, and bigynneþ þe book of Abacuk, prophete.