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The viseoun of Isaie, sone of Amos, that he saȝ vp on Judam and Jerusalem, in the daȝes of Osie, Joathan, Achaȝ, Esechie, kingus of Juda. Hereth, ȝee heuenus, and with eres parceyue, thou erthe, for the Lord spac. Sonus I nurshede out and enhauncede; thei forsothe dispiseden me. The oxe kneȝ his weldere, and the asse the cracche of his lord; Irael forsothe me kneȝ not, and my puple vnderstod not. Wo to synful folc, to the puple heuy with wickidnesse, to the shreude sed, to the sonus ful of hidous giltes; thei forsoken the Lord, thei blasfemeden the hoeli of Irael, thei ben aliened awei bacward. Vp on what thing I shal smyte ȝou, ferthermor addende lawe breche, or trespassing aȝeyns the lawe? Eche hed ful of langour, and eche herte ful of mornyng. Fro the plante of the foot vnto the top, ther is not in hym helthe; wounde, and wannesse, and siknesse swellende is not bounden aboute, ne curid with leching, ne nurshid with oile. Ȝoure lond is desert, ȝoure cites ben brend vp with fyr; ȝoure regioun deuouren biforn ȝou alienus, and it shal be desolat as in enemyful wastete. And the doȝter of Sion shal ben forsaken as a shadewy place in a vyneȝerd, and as an hylet in a place of goordes, and as a cite that is wastid. But ȝif the Lord of ostes hadde laft to vs sed, as Sodom wee hadden ben, and as Gomorra lijc wee shulden ben. Hereth the wrd of the Lord, ȝee princes of Sodom; and parceyueth with eres the lawe of ȝoure God, ȝee puple of Gomorre. What to me the multitude of ȝoure slayn sacrifise? seith the Lord. Ful I am; the brent sacrefises of wetheres, and the talȝ of fatte bestus, and the blod of calues, and of lombes, and off goet, I wolde not. Whan ȝee shulden come biforn my siȝte, who soȝte these thingus of ȝoure hondis, that ȝee shulden go in my porches? Ne bringe ȝee to more sacrifises in veyn; encens abhominacioun is to me; the newe moone, and sabot, and othere festus I shal not bern. Wicke ben ȝoure cumpanyes; ȝoure kalendis and ȝoure solempnetees hatede my soule; thei ben mad to me greuous, I trauailede suffrende. And whan ȝee shul strecche out ȝoure hondis, I shal turne awei myn eȝen fro ȝou; and whan ȝee shul multeplien orisoun, I shal not heren; forsothe ȝoure hondis ben ful of blod. Be ȝee washen, beth clene; taketh awei the euel of ȝoure thoȝtes fro myn eȝen; resteth to do shreudely, lerneth to do wel. Secheth dom, helpeth to the opressid, demeth to the faderles child, defendeth the widewe. And cometh, and vndernemeth mee, seith the Lord. If ȝoure synnes weren as flaume red silc, as snoȝ thei shuln ben mad white; and if thei weren rede as blod red silc, as whit wlle thei shul be. If ȝee wiln, and shuln heren me, the goodis of the erthe ȝee shuln ete. That if ȝee wiln not, and me to wrathe ȝee shulden terren, swerd shal deuoure ȝou; for the mouth of the Lord spac. What maner is mad a strumpet the feithful cite ful of dom? riȝtwisnesse dwellede in it; now forsothe mansleeres. Thi syluer is turned in to dros; thi wyn is mengd with water. Thi princes vnfeithfull, felawes of theues; alle thei loouen ȝiftus, folewen ȝeldyngus; to the faderles child thei demen not, the cause of the widewe goth not in to them. For that, seith the Lord God of ostes, strong of Irael, Allas! I shal be coumfortid vp on my straunge enemys, and I shal be vengid vp on myn enemys, that shulden be frendis. And I shal turne myn hond to thee, and I shal sethen out to the pure thi dros, and I shal taken awei al thi tyn. And I shal restoren thi domesmen, as they weren biforn, and thi counseileris, as bi old tyme. Aftir these thingus thou shalt ben clepid the cite of the riȝtwis, the cheef citee of the feithful. Syon in dom shal ben aȝen boȝt, and thei shul bringe it aȝeen in to riȝtwisnesse; and he shal to-trede the hydous gilteres and the synneres togidere, and thatt forsoken the Lord, shul ben distroȝid. Thei shul ben confoundid forsothe of the maumetes, to the whiche thei sacrifieden; and ȝee shuln ben shamed vp on the gardynes, that ȝee hadden chosen. Whan ȝee shul ben as an oek, the leues fallende doun, and as a gardyn with oute water. And ȝoure strengthe shal ben as a deed sparke of a flax top, and ȝoure werk as a sparcle; and eithir shal be brend vp togidere, and ther shal not ben that quenche.
The wrd that saȝ Isaie, the sone of Amos, vp on Judam and Jerusalem. And ther shal be in the laste daȝes beforn mad redi the mount of the hous of the Lord in the cop of mounteynes, and it shal be rered out vp on hillys. And ther shul flowe to it alle Jentilis; and ther shul go many puples, and seyn, Cometh, steȝe wee vp to the mount of the Lord, and to the hous of God of Jacob; and he shal teche vs his weyes, and wee shul go in his sties, or pathes. For fro Sion shall go out the lawe, and the wrd of the Lord fro Jerusalem. And he shal deme Jentiles, and vndernymen many puples; and thei shul bete togidere their swerdes in to shares, and ther speres in to sithes; ther shal not reren folc aȝen folc a swerd, ne thei shul ben enhauntid more to bataile. Ȝee hous of Jacob, cometh, and go wee in the liȝt of the Lord oure God. Forsothe thou hast throwen afer thi puple, the hous of Jacob, for thei ben fulfild as sum tyme; and deuynoures thei hadden, as Filisteis, and to alien childre thei cleueden. Fulfild is the erthe of siluer and gold, and ther is noon ende of the tresores of it; and fulfild is his lond with hors, and vnnoumbreable the foure horsid carres of it. And fulfild is his lond with maumetes, the werk of ther hondis thei honoureden, that ther fingris maden; and a man bowede hymself, and meekid is the stronge man. Thanne ne forȝyue thou to them. Go in to the ston, be thou hid in a dich with erthe, fro the face of the dreede of the Lord, and fro the glorie of his mageste. The eȝen of the heȝe man ben meekid, and ther shal ben inwardly crookid the heiȝte of stronge men; forsothe the Lord alone shal ben enhauncid in that dai. For the dai of the Lord of ostes vp on eche proud man and heeȝ, and vp on eche enhauncende hymself, and he shal be mekid; and vp on alle the cedres of Liban heȝe and vpriȝt, and vp on alle the oekis of Basan, and vp on alle the heȝe mounteynes, and vp on alle the rered vp hilles; and vp on eche heȝ tour, and vp on eche strengthyd wal; and vp on alle the shipis of Thars, and vp on alle thing that is fair in siȝt. And ther shal be inwardly bowid al the heiȝnesse of men, and ther shal be meekid the heiȝte of stronge men; and ther shal be rered vp the Lord alone in that day, and the maumetes hoelly shul be to-brosid. And thei shul go in to dennes of stones, and in to swolewes of the erthe, fro the face of the drede of the Lord, and fro the glorie of his mageste, whan he shal rise to smyten the erthe. In that day shal a man throwe awey the maumetes of his siluer, and the symulacris of his gold, that he hadde mad to hym, that he shulde honoure moldewerpes and reremees. And he shal go in to the chynes, or creuessis, of stones, and in to the dennes of huge stones, fro the face of the drede of the Lord, and fro the glorie of his mageste, whan he shal risen to smyte the erthe. Resteth thanne fro a man, whos spirit is in his nose therles, for heiȝ holden is he.
Loo! forsothe the lordshepere, Lord of oestes, shal do awei fro Jerusalem and fro Juda the stalwrthe, and the stronge, and al the strengthe of bred, and al the strengthe of water; the stronge, and the man fiȝtere, and domesman, and profete, and deuynour, and the olde prince vp on fifty, and the wrshepeful in cheere, and counseilor, and wis man of cheef crafty thingus, and the prudent of priue speche. And I shal ȝyue childer the princes of hem, and the mad wommanysh men shuln lordshipen to them. And the puple shal falle, man to man, eche to his neȝhebore; ther shal striue the child aȝen the old man, and the vnnoble aȝen the noble. A man forsothe shal take his brother, the homli man of his fadir, and seyn, Clothing is to thee, oure prince be thou; this forsothe falling vnder thin hond. And he shal answern in that day, seiende, I am not a leche, and in myn hous is not bred, ne clothing; wileth not sette me prince of the puple. Ther fel doun forsothe Jerusalem, and Juda fel with; for the tunge of them, and the findingus of hem aȝen the Lord, that thei shulden terre the eȝen of his mageste. The knowing of ther chere shal answere to them; and ther synne as Sodom thei precheden, and hidden not. Wo to the soule of hem, for ȝolden ben to them eueles. Seith to the riȝtwis, for weel; for the frute of hys fyndyngus he shal ete. Wo to the vnpytous man in to euel; ȝelding forsothe of his hondis shal be do to hym. My puple his pleteres, or wrong axers, spoileden, and wymmen lordshipeden of it. My puple, that blisful thee seyn, thee thei disceyuen, and the weie of thi goyngus scateren. The Lord stant to deme, and he stant to the puples to be demed; the Lord to the dom shal come, with the elderes of his puple, and with his princes. Ȝee forsothe han distroȝed my vyneȝerd; and the raueyn of the pore in ȝoure hous. Whi to-brose ȝee my puple, and the faces of pore men ȝee confounden? seith the Lord God of ostes. And the Lord God seide, For thi that arered ben the doȝtris of Sion, and thei wenten with straȝt out necke, and in beckes of eȝen ȝiden, and flappeden with hondis for ioȝe, and ȝiden, and with ther feet in curious goyng ȝiden, the Lord shal fully maken ballid the top of the doȝtris of Syon, and the Lord the her of hem shal nakenen; and for ournement shal be shenshipe. In that dai the Lord shal don awei the ournement of shon, and boces, and beȝes, and brooches, and armcercles, and mytris, and combys, and ribanes, and reuerses at the hemmis, and oynement boxes, and ere ringus, and ryngus, and iemmes in the frount hangende, and chaunging clothis, and litil palles, and shetes, and pynnes, and sheweres, and necke couercheues, and filetes, and roketes. And ther shal be for swote smel stync, and for girdil a litil corde; and for crisp her ballidnesse, and for the brest bond an heire. Also thi most faire men with swerd shuln falle, and thi stronge men in bataile. And thei shuln sorewen, and weilen shuln hir ȝates; and desolat in the erthe she shal sitten.
And seuen wymmen shul taken o man in that dai, seiende, Oure bred we shul ete, and with oure clothis wee shul be couered; onli be inwardly clepid thi name vp on vs, do awei oure repref. In that dai shal be the buriounyng of the Lord in gret doyng and glorie; and frut of the erthe heeȝ, and ful out ioȝing to them that shul be saf of Irael. And it shal be, eche that shal be laft in Sion, and residue in Jerusalem, hoeli shal be clepid; eche that is writen in lif in Jerusalem. For the Lord shal washen awey the filthes of the doȝtris of Sion, and the blod of Jerusalem shal wasshen fro the myddes of it, in spirit of dom, and spirit of brennende looue. And the Lord broȝte forth vp on eche place of the mount of Sion, and wher he is inwardli clepid, a cloude bi dai, and smoke, and shynyng of fyr flaumende in nyȝt; vp al forsothe the glorie ouercoueryng. And a tabernacle shal ben in to a shadewe hilet of the dai, fro brennyng, and in to sikirnesse and hiding, from whirlewynd and from reyn.
I shal synge to my looued a song off myn emes sone, of his vyneȝerd. The vyneȝerd is mad to my looued, in the horn to the sone of oile. And he heggede it, and stones he ches of it, and plauntede a chosen vyneȝerd; and he bilde vp a tour in the myddel of it, and a presse he rerede vp in it; and he abod, that it shulde bringe forth grapes, and it broȝte forth wilde vynes. Now thanne, ȝee dwelleris of Jerusalem, and men of Juda, demeth betwe me and my vyneȝerd. What is that I awȝte mor to do to my vyneȝerd, and dide not to it? whether that I abod, that yt shulde bringe forth grapes, and broȝte forth wilde vynes? And now I shal shewen to ȝou, what I shal do to my vyneȝerd. I shal do awei his heg, and it shal be in to destruccioun; I shal breke doun his wal, and it shal ben in to to-tredyng; and I shal setten it desert. It shal not be kut, and it shal nott be doluen, and ther shul steȝe vp vp on it breres and thornes; and to the cloudis I shal comaunde, that thei reyne not vp on it weder. Forsothe the vyneȝerd of the Lord of hostes is the hous of Irael, and the men of Juda his delytable buriounyng. I abod, that it shulde do dom, and lo! wickidnesse; and riȝtwisnesse, and lo! cry. Wo that ioynen hous to hous, and feeld to feeld coupleth, vn to the terme of a place. Whether dwellen ȝee shuln alone in the myddel of the erthe? In myn eres ben these thingus, seith the Lord of ostes; but ȝif manye houses grete and faire shul be desert, and withoute dwellere. Forsothe ten acris of vyneȝerdis shul maken o potell wyn, and thretti bussheles of sed shul make thre bussheles. Wo that risen erly to drunkenhed to be folewid, and to drinken vn to euen, that with wyn ȝee brenne. Harpe, and syngende instrument, and tymbre, and trumpe, and wyn in ȝoure festes; and the werk of the Lord ȝee biholden not, ne the werkes of his hondis ȝee waiten. Therfor lad caitif is my puple, that hadde not kunnyng; and his noble men dieden thurȝ hunger, and his multitude thurȝ thirst al out driede. Therfore helle spredde abrod his soule, and openede his mouth with oute any terme; and ther shul falle doun his stronge men, and his puple, and heeȝe, and his gloriouse to it. And ther shal be ful crookid a man, and meekid a strong man; and the eȝen of heȝe men shul be threst doun. And ther shal be enhauncid the Lord of ostes in dom, and the hoeli God shal be halewid in riȝtwisnesse. And lombis shul be fed aftir ther order, and desertes in to plente turned comelingus shul ete. Wo that drawen wickidnesse in the litle cordes of vanyte, and as the bond of a wayn synne; that seyn, Heeȝe, or haaste, he, and soone come his werk, that wee see; and neȝhe, and come the counseil of the hoeli of Irael, and wee shul witen it. Wo that seyn euel good, and good euel; puttende derknesses liȝt, and liȝt derknesses; puttende bitter in to swete, and sweete in to bitter. Wo that wise ben in ȝoure eȝen, and bifor ȝouself sleeȝe. Wo that myȝty ben to drinke wyn, and stronge men to be mengd drunkynhed; that iustefien the vnpitous for ȝiftes, and the riȝtwisnesse of the riȝtwyse ȝee taken awey fro hym. For that, as deuoureth the tunge of fyr stobil, and the hete of flaumme brenneth out, so the roote of hem as a gnast shal be, and the buriownyng of hem as pouder shal steȝe vp; forsothe thei casten awei the lawe of the Lord of ostes, and the speche of the hoeli of Irael thei blasfemeden. Therfor wrathede the wodnesse of the Lord in his puple, and straȝte out his hond vp on it, and smot it; and the mounteynes ben disturbid, and mad ben the deed carens of hem as drit in the myddel of stretes. In alle these thingus is not turned awei his wodnesse, but ȝit his hond straȝt out. And he shal rere vp a signe in naciouns aferr, and he shall whistle to hym fro the coestes of the erthe; and lo! hastid he shal come swiftli. Ther is not failing ne trauailyng in hym; he shal not nappen, ne slepen, ne shal ben loosid the girdil of his renes, ne shal be to-broke the thowng of his shoȝyng. His arwis sharpe, and alle his bowes bent; the cles of the horses of hym as flynt, and his wheles as the byre of tempest. His roring as off a leoun; he shal roren as the whelpis of leouns; he shal gnasten, and holden the prei, and biclippen, and ther shal not be, that delyuere out. And ther shal sowne vp on hym in that day, as the soun of the se; wee shul biholde in to the erthe, and lo! derknesses of tribulacioun, and liȝt al to-derked is in the derknyng of hym.
In the ȝer in which diede king Osias, I saȝ the Lord sittende vp on an heiȝ sete, and rered vp; and ful was the hous of his mageste, and tho thingus that vnder hym weren, fulfilden the temple. Serafyn stoden vp on it, sixe wenges to the oon, and sixe to the other; with two they couereden the face of hym, and with two thei couereden the feet of hym, and with two thei flown. And thei crieden the tother to the tother, and seiden, Hoeli, hoely, hoeli, Lord God of ostes; ful is al the erthe of the glorie of hym. And to-moued ben the thresholdes of the heenglis fro the vois of the criende, and the hous fullfild is with smoke. And I seide, Wo to me, for I heeld my pes; for a man defoulid in lippis I am, and in the myddel of the puple defoulid lippes hauende I dwelle, and the king Lord of ostes I saȝ with myn eȝen. And ther fleiȝ to me oon of the serafyn, and in his hond a cole, that with the toenge he toc fro the auter. And he touchede my mouth, and seide, Lo! I haue touchid with this thi lippes, and ther shal be don awei thi wickydnesse, and thi synne shal be clensid. And I herde the vois of the Lord, seiende, Whom shal I sende, and who shal go to ȝou? And I seide, Lo! I am; send me. And he seide, Go, and thou shalt sey to this puple, Hereth herende, and wileth not vnderstonde; and seeth a viseoun, and wileth not knowen. Blynde out the herte of this puple, and his eres agregge, and his eȝen close; lest par auenture he see with his eȝen, and with his eres here, and with his herte vndyrstonde, and be conuertid, and I hele hym. And I seyde, Hou longe, Lord? And he seide, To the tyme that ben desolat the citees with oute dwellere, and houses with oute man. And the lond shal be laft desert, and aferr shal make the Lord men. And ther shal be multeplied that was laft in the myddel of the erthe, and ȝit in it tithing; and it shal be conuertid, and it shal be in to shewyng as a terebynt, and as an oek, that spredeth out his braunches; hoely sed it shal ben, that that shal stonden in it.
And it is don in the daȝes of Achaz, sone of Joathan, sone of Osie, king of Juda, ther steȝede vp Rasyn, king of Cyrie, and Fascee, the sone of Romelie, king of Irael, in to Jerusalem, to fiȝte aȝen hym; and thei myȝte not ouercome it. And thei tolden to the hous of Dauid, seiende, Siria restede vp on Effraym, and to-moued is his herte and the herte of his puple, as ben moued the trees of wodis fro the face of the wynd. And the Lord seide to Isaie, Go out in to aȝencomyng of Achaz, thou, and that is laft, Jasub, thi sone, to the ende of the water condute of the ouere pond, in the weie of the feeld of the fullere. And thou shalt sey to hym, See, that thou holde thi pes; wile thou not dreden, and thin herte be not ferd of the two tailes of these smokende fyr brondis in to the wrathe of the wodnesse, of Rasyn, king of Sirie, and sone of Romelie. For thi that euel counseil he wente in aȝen thee, Ciria, and Effraym, and the sone of Romelye, seiende, Steȝe wee vp to Judam, and rere wee hym, and pulle wee hym vp to vs; and putte wee a king in his myddel, the sone of Thabel. These thingus seith the Lord God, This shal not be, and shal not stonde; but the hed of Sirie Damasch, and the hed of Damasch Rasyn; and ȝit sixti and fyue ȝer, and Effraym shal cese to ben a puple; and the hed of Effraym Samarie, and the hed of Samarie, the sone of Romelie. If ȝee shul not leeuen, ȝee shul not abide stylle. And the Lord leide to to speke to Achaz, seyende, Aske to thee a tokne fro the Lord thi God, in to the depthe of helle, or in to heiȝte aboue. And Achaz seide, I shal not aske, and I shal not tempte the Lord. And he seyde, Hereth thanne, ȝee the hous of Dauid; whether litil to ȝou is to ben greuous to men, for ȝee ben greuous and to my God? For that he the Lord shal ȝyue to ȝou a tocne. Lo! a mayde shal conceyue, and bern a sone; and thou shalt clepe his name Emanuel. Butter and hony he shal ete, that he kunne repreuen euel, and chesen good. For er the child kunne repreuen euel, and chesen good, the lond shal be forsaken, the whiche thou hast abhominacioun of, fro the face of ther two kingus. The Lord shal bringe to vp on thee, and vp on thi puple, and vp on the hous of thi fader, daȝes that camen not fro the daȝes of the seueryng of Effraym fro Juda, with the king of Assiries. And it shal be, in that day the Lord shal whistle to the fleȝe, that is in the vtmostes of the flodus of Egipt; and to the bee, that is in the lond of Assur; and thei alle shuln come, and resten in the stremes of valeys, and caues of stones, and in alle busshi places, and in alle holis. In that dai the Lord shal shauen in a sharp rasour in hem, that beȝunde the flood ben, in the king of Assiries, hed, and the heres of feet, and eche berd. And it shal be, in that day a man shal nurshen a cow of oxen, and two shep, and for plente of mylc he shal eten butter; butter and hony shal ete eche man, that shal be laft in the myddel of the lond. And it shal be, in that day eche place wher shul be a thousend vynes for a thousend syluer penys, and in to thornes and in to breres they shul be, with arwes and bowe thei shul go in thider; forsothe breres and thornes shul be in al the lond. And alle hilles that in a wode bil shul be purgid, or kytt off, ther shal not come thider ferd of thornes and of breres; and it shal be in to oxe leswe, and in treding of feld beste.
And the Lord seide to me, Tac to thee a gret boc, and writ in it with the poyntel of a man, Swiftli spoiles tac awey, soone refe. And I toc to me feithful witnesses, Vrie, the prest, and Sacharie, the sone of Barachie. And I wente to a prophetesse; and she conceyuede, and bar a sone. And the Lord seide to me, Clep his name Haste thou spoiles to tac awey, heeȝe thou to refen. For er the child kunne clepe his fader and his moder, shal be taken awei the strengthe of Damasch, and the spoiles of Samarie, bifor the king of Assiries. And the Lord leide to to speke to me, seiende, For thi that this puple hath cast awey the watris of Siloe, that gon with cilence, and more toc to Rasyne, and the sone of Romelie, for that lo! the Lord shal bringe to vp on hem watres of the flod stronge and manye, the king of Assiries, and al the glorie of him; and he shal steȝen vp vp on alle his ryueres, and flowen vp on alle his stremes. And he shal gon thurȝ Judam flowende, and passende vn to the necke he shal come; and ther shal be the spredyng out of his wenges, fulfillende the breede of thi lond, O! Emanuel. Beth gedered, ȝee puples, and beth bounde togidere; and hereth, alle ȝee londis aferr. Beth coumfortid, and be ȝee ouercomen; girdeth ȝou, and beth ouercomen; goth in counseil, and it shal be scatered; speketh a wrd, and it shal not be do, for with vs is God. These thingus forsothe seith the Lord to me, as in a strong hond he taȝte me, lest I shulde go in to the weie of this puple, seiende, Seith not, Coniuracioun, alle thingis forsothe that speketh this puple is coniuracioun; and his drede ne drede ȝee, ne takith ferd. The Lord of hostes him halewith, and he ȝoure inward drede, and he ȝoure outward drede; and he shal be to ȝou in to halewing; in to a ston forsothe of offencioun, and in to a ston of sclaunder, to the two houses of Irael; and in to a grene, and in to falling, to men dwellende Jerusalem. And manye of hem shul offenden, and fallen, and ben to-brosid, and grened, and ben taken. Bind the witnessing, marke the lawe in my disciples. I shal abide the Lord, that hidde his face fro the hous of Jacob, and I shal sechen hym. Lo! I and my childer, whom ȝaf to me the Lord in to tocne, and in to wunder to Irael, fro the Lord of ostes that dwelleth in the hil of Sion. And whan thei shul sey to ȝou, Secheth of deuel cleperes, and of deuynoures, that sounen strongli in their chauntingus, whethir not a puple of his God shal seche a viseoun for the quyke and the deade? To the lawe more and to thi witnessing, that if thei schul not sei aftir this wrd, shal not be to them morutid liȝt. And he shal passe thurȝ it, and it shal falle, and hungre. And when it shal hongre, it shal wrathen, and cursen to his kyng and to his God, and it shal beholden vp. And to the lond it shal loken, and lo! tribulacioun, and dercnesses, and vnbyndyng, and anguysh, and derk myst pursuende; and it shal not moun flee awei fro his anguysh.
The firste tyme is aleggid, or maad liȝt, the lond of Zabulon and the lond of Neptalym; and the laste tyme agreggid is the weie of the se beȝunde Jordan of Galilee of Jentiles. The puple that wente in derknesses saȝ a gret liȝt; to the men dwellende in the regioun of the shadewe of deth, liȝt sprungen is to them. Thou hast multeplyed the folc of kinde, not magnefiedist gladnesse; thei shul glade bifor thee, as thei that gladen in rip, as ful out ioȝen ouercomeres, the prey taken, whan thei deuyden spoiles. The ȝoc forsothe of his charge, and the ȝerde of his shulder, and the kingus power of his wrong asker thou ouercame, as in the dai of Madian. For eche violent reuyng with noise, and clothing mengd with blod shal be in to brennyng, and mete of fyr. A litil child forsothe is born to vs, and a sone is ȝoue to vs, and mad is princehed vp on his shulder; and his name shal be clepid Merueilous, Counseiler, God, Strong, Fadir of the world to come, Prince of pes. His empire shal be multeplied, and of pes ther shal not ben ende; vp on the see of Dauid, and vpon his regne he shal sitte, that he conferme it, and strengthe in dom and riȝtwyssnesse, fro now and unto withoute ende. The huge looue of the Lord of ostes shal don this. A wrd the Lord sente in to Jacob, and it fel in Irael. And al the puple of Effraym shal wite, and the men dwellende Samarie, in pride and gretnesse of herte seiende, Sclattes fellen, but with square stones wee shul bilden vp; sicomore trees thei hewen doun, but ceder trees wee shul newen, or chaungen. And the Lord shal reren enemys Rasyn vpon hym, and his enemys in to noise he shal turne, Cirie fro the est, and Filisteyn fro the west; and thei shul deuoure Irael with al the mouth. In alle thes thingus is not turned awei the wodnesse of hym, but ȝit his hond straȝt out; and the puple is not turned aȝeen to the smytende hym, and the Lord of ostes thei inwardlyche soȝten not. And the Lord shal scatere fro Irael the hed and the tail, the inbowende and the shrewende, in o day. The longe lyuende and the wrshepefull, he is the hed, and the profete techende lesyng, he is the tail. And thei shul be, that maken blisful this puple, bigilende; and that ben mad blisful, throwe doun. For that vp on the ȝunge waxen men of hym the Lord shal not deliten, and of his faderles childer and widewis he shal not han mercy; for eche ipocrite is and a shrewe, and eche mouth spac folie. In alle thes thingus is not turned awei his wodnesse, but ȝit his hond straȝt out. and the puple is not turned aȝeen to the smytende hym. Tend vp is forsothe as fyr vnpitousnesse; thoo breres and the thorne it shal deuoure, and it shal be brend vp in the thickenes of the wilde wode, and it shal be al towrappid in the pride of the smoke. In the wrathe of the Lord of ostes al disturbid shal be the lond, and the puple shal be as the mete of fyr; a man to his brother shal not spare. And he shal bowe doun to the riȝt, and hungren, and he shal ete at the lift, and not be fulfild; eche the flesh of his arm shal deuoure. Manasses Effraym, and Effraym Manasses, and togidere thei aȝen Judam. In alle these thyngus is not turned awei his wodnesse, but ȝit his hond straȝt out.
Wo that maken shreude lawes, and wrytende vnriȝtwisnesse writen, that thei oppresseden in dom pore men, and violence diden to the cause of meke men of my puple; that widewes were the prei of hem, and faderles childer thei destroȝeden. What shul ȝee do in the day off visiting, and of wrecchidnesse fro a ferr comende? To whos helpe shul ȝee flee? and wher shul ȝee lefe ȝoure glorie, lest ȝee bowid vnder bond, and with slayn men falleth? Vp on alle these thingus is not turned awei his wodnesse, but ȝit his hond straȝt out. Wo to Assur, the ȝerde of my wodnesse, and a staf he is; in the hond of hem, myn indignacioun. To a folc gilesum I shal senden hym, and aȝen the puple of my wodnesse I shal bidde to hym; that he take awei spoiles, and deuyde prey, and poote it in to tredyng, as the cley of stretes. He forsothe not so shal demen, and his herte not so shal eymen, but to to-treden shal ben his herte, and to sleyng of folc not fewe. Forsothe he shal sey, Whether not my princes togidere kingis ben? Whethir not as Karchamys, so Chalanno; and as Arfath, so Emath? whethir not as Damasch, so Samarie? What maner myn hond fond the reumes of mawmet, so and the symulacris of hem of Jerusalem and of Samarie. Whethir not as I dide to Samarie, and his maumetes, so I shal do to Jerusalem, and his symulacris? And it shal be, whan the Lord shall fulfelle alle his werkis in the mount of Sion and in Jerusalem, I shal visite vp on the fruyt of the gret doende herte of the king of Assur, and vp on the glorie of the heiȝte of his eȝen. Forsothe he seide, In the strengthe of myn hond I dide, and in my wisdam I vnderstod; and I toc awei the termes of puples, and the princes of them I robbede, and I droȝ awey as myȝti the sittende men in heeȝ. And myn hond fond as a nest the strengthe of puples, and as ben gedered eren that ben laft, so al the lond I gederede; and ther was not that mouede a federe, and openede mouth, and berkyd. Whethir shal glorien the ax aȝen hym that hewith in it? or shal ben enhauncid the sawe aȝen hym of whom it is drawen? what maner wise if be rered a ȝerde aȝen the rerende it, and be hauncyd a staf, that forsothe is a tree. For that shal sende the lordshepere, Lord of ostes, in his fatte thyngus thynnesse, and vnder his glorie brend shal brenne as brennyng of fyr. And ther shal be the liȝt of Irael in fyr, and his hoeli in flaume; and shal be brend out and deuoured his thorn and breres in o day. And the glorie of his wilde wode and of his Carmel, fro the soule vn to the flesh he shall be wastid; and he shal be for ferd ferr fleende. And the releef of the wode of the wilde wode for fewenesse shul be noumbred, and a child shal write them. And it shal be in that dai, shal not ley to the remnaunt of Irael, and these that shul flee fro the hous of Jacob, to leuen vp on hym that smytith hem; but it shal leue vp on the Lord, hoeli of Irael, in treuthe. The remnaunt shul be conuertid, the remnaunt forsothe of Jacob, to the stronge Lord. If forsothe shul ben thi puple, Irael, as the grauel of the se, the remnaunt shul be conuertyd of it; ending abreggid shal flowe riȝtwisnesse. Ending forsothe and abreggyng the Lord God of ostes shal make in the myddel of al erthe. For that these thingus seith the Lord God of ostes, Wile thou not drede, my puple, dwellere of Sion, of Assur, in a ȝerde forsothe he shal smyte thee, and his staf he shal reren vp on thee in the weie of Egipt. Ȝit forsothe a litil while, and a litil, and shal be ful endid myn indignacioun and myn wodnesse vp on the hidous gilte of hem. And the Lord of ostes shal reren vp on it a scourge aftir the veniaunce of Madyan in the ston of Oreb, and his ȝerde vp on the se; and he shal reren it the weie of Egipt. And it shal be in that dai, shal be don awey his berthene fro thi shulder, and his ȝoc fro thi necke; and the ȝoc shal waxen al roten fro the face of oile. It shal come in Ayot, it shal passe in Magron, anent Magmas it shal commende his vesseles. Thei wenten a cours, Gaba oure seete, Rama was stonyed, Gaba of Saul fleiȝ. Neȝe with thi vois, thou doȝter of Galyn; tac heed, Laisa, thou porelet Anathot. Wente forth Medemena; ȝee dwelleris of Jebyn, taketh coumfort. Ȝit dai is, that in Nobe me stonde; he shal shake his hond vpon the mount of the doȝter of Sion, hil of Jerusalem. Lo! the lordshepere, Lord of ostes, shal tobreke the litil wyn vessel in ferd, and the heeȝe men in stature shul ben hewe doun. And the ful heeȝe shul be lowed, and the thicke thingus of the wilde wode shul ben turned vpsodoun with iren; and Liban with heeȝe thing shall falle.
And ther shal gon out a ȝerde fro the roote of Jesse, and a flour of his roote shal steȝen vp. And ther shal resten vp on hym the Spirit of the Lord, spirit of wisdam and of vnderstondyng, spirit of counseil and of strengthe, spirit of kunnyng and of pite; and shal fulfille hym the spirit of drede of the Lord. Not aftir the seyng of eȝen he shal deme, ne after the heering of eres he shal vndernyme; but he shal deme in riȝtwisnesse pore men, and vndernymen in equyte, for the debonere of the erthe. And he shal smyte the erthe with the ȝerde of his mouth, and with the spirit of his mouth he shal sle the vnpitous. And ther shal be riȝtwisnesse the litil girdil of his lendes, and feith the girdil of his reenes. Ther shal dwelle the wlf with the lome, and the parde with the kide shal leyn; the calf, and the leoun, and the shep togidere shul dwelle, and a lytil child shal dryue them. The calf and the bere shul be fed togidere; ther shul resten the whelpus of hem, and a leoun as an oxe shal ete chaf. And the faunt, or a soukande childe, shal deliten of the tete vp on the hole of the eddere, and in the caue of the kokatrice that shal be taken awei fro sok, or wenyd, he shal putte his hond. Thei shuln not noȝen, and thei shuln not sleyn in al myn hoeli mounteyn; for fulfild is the erthe of the kunnyng of the Lord, as the watir of the se couerende. In that dai the roote of Jesse, that stant in to tocne of puples; hym Jentiles shuln louli preȝen, and shal be the sepulcre of hym glorious. And it shal be in that dai, the Lord the secunde tyme shal ley to his hond to welde the residue of his puple that shal be lafte, of the Assiries, and of Egipt, and of Fecros, and of Etheope, and of Elan, and of Sennar, and of Emath, and of the islis of the se. And he shal reren a tocne in to naciouns, and gedere togidere the ferr floun of Irael; and the to-scatered of Juda he shal gedere fro the foure coestes of the erthe. And ther shal be taken awey the enuye of Effraym, and the enemys of Juda shul pershe; Effraym shal not enuyen Judam, and Juda shal not fiȝte aȝen Effraym. And thei shul flee in to the shuldres of Filisteys, bi the se togidere thei shul robbe the sonus of the est; Ydume and Moab the heste of the hond of hem, and the sonus of Amon obeisaunt shul be. And the Lord shal make desolat the tunge of the se of Egipt, and he shal rere his hond vpon the flod in the strengthe of his spirit; and he shal smyte hym in seuene ryueres, so that thei passe thurȝ hym shod men. And ther shal be a weye to my residue puple that shal be lafte, of the Assiries, as was to Irael, in the dai that he steȝede vp from the lond of Egipt.
And thou shalt sei in that day, I shal knouleche to thee, Lord, for wroth thou art to me; turned is thi wodnesse, and thou coumfortedest mee. Loo! God my saueour, feithfulli I shal do, and not drede. For my strengthe and my preising the Lord, and he is mad to me in to helthe. Ȝee shul drawe watris in ioȝe of the welles of the saueour. And ȝee shul seyn in that dai, Knoulecheth to the Lord, and inwardly clepith his name; knowen make ȝee in puples the findingus of hym; hath mynde, for heeȝ is his name. Syngeth to the Lord, for gret doendely he dide; telleth out this in al the erthe. Ful out ioȝe, and preise, thou dwelling of Sion; for gret in the myddel of thee the hoeli of Irael.
The charge of Babilon, that saȝ Isaie, the sone of Amos. Vp on a mysti mounteyn rereth vp a tokne, and enhaunceth out the vois; rereth the hond, and gon in to the ȝates the dukes. I comaundide to myn halewid men, and I clepede my stronge men in my wrathe, ful out ioȝende in my glorie. The vois of the multitude in mounteynes, as of besy puples; the vois of the soun of kingus, and of Jentilis gedered to gidere. The Lord of ostes comaundide to the knyȝthod of the bataile, to the men comende fro the lond aferr. Fro the ouermost of heuene the Lord, and the vesseles of his wodnesse, that he scatere al the erthe. Ȝelleth, for neeȝ is the dai of the Lord; as wastite fro the Lord shal come. For that alle hondis shul be vnloosid, and eche herte of a man shal wane, or faylen, and ben to-brosid. Tormentingus and sorewes thei shul holde; as wymmen trauailende of child, thei shul sorewen. Eche to his neȝhebore shall stoneȝe; brent faces the cheeres of hem. Loo! the day of the Lord shal come, cruel, and of indignacioun ful, and of wrathe, and of wodnesse; to be put the erthe in to wildernesse, and his synneres to ben al tobrosid of it. For the sterres of heuene and the shynyng of hem shul not spreden out ther liȝt; al to-derkned is the sunne in his rising, and the moone shal not shyne in his lyȝt. I shal visiten vp on the eueles of worlde, and aȝen the vnpitouse the wickidnesses of them; and to resten I shal maken the pride of the vnfeithful men, and the proude hauncyng of stronge men I shal meeken. More precious a ful man shal be than gold, and a man than clene most shynende gold. Vp on this heuene I shal disturben, and shal be moued the erthe fro his place; for the indignacioun of the Lord of ostes, and for the dai of the wrathe of his wodnesse. And he shal ben as a foun fleende, and as a sheep, and ther shal not be that gedere; eche to his puple shal be turned, and a rowe to ther lond thei shul flee. Eche that were founde, shal be slayn; and eche that ouer shal come, shal falle in swerd. The fauntes of hem shul ben hurtlid doun in ther eȝen; to-broke doun shul be the houses of hem, and the wyues of them shul be defoulyd. Loo! I shal reren vp on hem Medos, that siluer sechen not, ne gold wiln; but with arwis the litle childer thei shul slen, and to the wombis ȝyuende souke thei shul not han mercy, and vp on the sones shal not spare the eȝe of hem. And that cite, Babilon, shal be glorious in rewmes, noble in pride of Chaldeis, turned, as God turned vp so doun Sodom and Gomorr. It shal not be dwellid vn to the ende, and shal not be foundid vnto the ieneracioun and ieneracioun; ne shal sette there tente a man of Arab, ne shepperdes shul reste there. But shul reste there bestes, and shul be fulfild the houses of them with dragownes; and ther shul dwelle there ostriches, and wodewoses shul lepe there. And ther shul answern there ȝellende foules in the houses of it, and wengid edderes in wasshing maumet templis of foul delit.
Neeȝ is that come the tyme of hym, and his daȝes shul not be longid; shal han rewthe forsothe the Lord of Jacob, and cheese ȝit of Irael, and to resten hem he shal make vp on ther erthe; shal be ioyned to a comeling to them, and cleue to the hous of Jacob. And shuln holden hem puples, and bringe them in to ther place. And shal welden hem the hous of Irael vp on the lond of the Lord in to thralles and thrallesses; and thei shul be takende hem that hem hadden taken, and sugeten ther casteres out. And ther shal be in that dai, whan reste shal ȝyue to thee God fro thi trauaile, and fro thin hurting, and fro thin harde seruage, that thou beforn seruedist, thou shalt take this parable aȝen the king of Babiloyne, and seyn, What manere cesede the wronge asker, restede the tribute? The Lord to-brosede the staf of vnpitous men, the ȝerde of lordshipende men, betende puples in indignacioun, with an vnheleable plage, the sogetende in wodnes the folkes of kynde, and the pursuende cruelly. Togidere restede, and was stille al erthe; ioȝede, and ful out gladede. Fyrre trees also gladeden vp on thee, and the cedris of Liban; sithen thou sleptest, ther steȝede not vp that heewe vs doun. Helle vndere thee is disturbid in to the aȝen comyng of thi comyng; it shal rere to thee ieauntes; alle the princes of the erthe ther risen fro ther setes, alle the princes of naciouns. Alle shuln answern, and seyn to thee, And thou art woundid as and wee, lic vs thou art mad. Drawe doun is to helle thi pride, he to-hewȝ thi careyn; vnder thee strouwed shal be a moȝte, and thi coueryng shal be wermes. Hou felle thou, Lucyfer, fro heuene, the whiche erli sprunge; thou felle in to the erthe, that woundedest the folkes of kynde. That seidest in thin herte, In to heuene I shal steȝen vp, vp on the sterres of heuene I shal enhaunce my see; I shal sitte in the hil of testament, in the sides of the north. I shal steȝen vp vp on the heiȝte of cloudis; lic I shal be to the heȝest. Nerthelatere to helle thou shalt be drawe doun, in to the depthe of the lake. That thee shul see, to thee shul be bowid, and thee shuln aferr bihold. Whether this is the man, that disturbide the erthe, that smot togidere rewmes? that putte the world desert, and his grete cites distroȝede, to his gyuede openede not the prisoun? Alle the kingus of Jentilis, eche slepten in glorie, eche in his hous. Thou forsothe art cast aferr fro thi sepulcre, as a stoc vnprofitable, as with quyture defoulid; and aboute wrappid with hem that ben slayn with swerd, and wenten doun to the foundement of the lake. As a stynkende careyn, thou shalt not han felashepe, ne with hem in biriyng thou shalt be, thou forsothe thi lond distroȝedist, thou the puple sloow; ether shal not be clepid into withoute ende the sed of the werste men. Greithe ȝe his sones to slaȝter, for the wickidnesse of ther fadris; thei shul not togidere rise, ne eritagen the erthe, ne fulfille the face of the roundnesse of the cite. And I shal with rise vp on hem, seith the Lord of ostes, and I shal destroȝe Babyloynes name, and relikes, and progenye, and buriounyng, seith the Lord. I shal putte it in to the possessioun of an irchoun, and in to myres of watres; and I shal sweepen it in a besme, treding, seith the Lord of ostes. The Lord of ostus swoor, seiende, If not as I wende, so shal be, and hou in mynde I tretede, so shal come? That I al to-brose Assirie in my lond, in my mounteynes to-trede it; and ther shal be take awey fro hem his ȝok, and his berthene fro the shulder of them shal be don awey. This the counseyl that I thoȝte vpon al erthe, and this is the hond straȝt out vpon alle Jentiles. The Lord forsothe of ostes demede, and who shal moun vnfastnen? and his hond straȝt out, and who shal turne awey it? The charge of Filisteym. In the ȝer that diede king Achaz, don is this charge. Ne glade thou, al Filistee, for to-mynusht is the ȝerde of thi smytere; of the roote forsothe of the shadewe eddere shal gon out a kocatrice, and his sed soupende awei a foul. And ther shul be fed the first goten of pore men, and pore men trostly shul resten; and to dien I shal make in hunger thi roote, and thi relikes I shal slen. Ȝelle, thou ȝate; crie, thou cite; throwe doun is eche Filiste; fro the north forsothe smoke shal come, and ther is not that flee out of his kumpanye. And what shal ben answerd to the messageres of the folc of kinde? for the Lord foundede Sion, and in hym shuln hopen the pore men of his puple.
The charge of Moab. For in nyȝt wastid is Ar, Moab heeld his pes; for in the nyȝt wastid is the wal, Moab heeld his pes. Ther steȝede vp the hous, and Debon to heeȝe thingus, in to weiling; vpon Nabo, and vp on Medaba Moab shal ȝellen. In alle his hedys ballidnesse, and eche berd shal be shaue. In his thre weied places thei ben gird with a sac, vp on his rooues and in his stretes al weiling; he shal go doun in to wepyng. Ther shal crie Esebon and Eleale, vn to Jasa herd is the vois of hem; vpon this the redi men of Moab shul ȝelle, his soule shal ȝelle to itself. Myn herte to Moab shal crien, his bareres vnto Segor, a she calf al throwende doun. Bi the steȝing vp forsothe of Luyth wepende he shal steȝen vp, and in the weie of Oronaym the cri of contricioun thei shul rere. The watris forsothe of Nemrym shul ben desert; for driede the erbe, failede the buriounyng, eche grenenesse diede. Aftir the mykilnesse of werk, and the visiting of hem, to the streme of withies thei shul leden hem. For cri cumpaside the terme of Moab; vnto Galym his ȝelling, and vnto the pit of Elym his cry. For the watris of Dibon ben fulfild with blod; forsothe I shal putte vpon Dibon ecchingus, to them that shul fleen of Moab a leoun, and to the relikis of the lond.
Send out, Lord, the lomb, lordshipere of the erthe, fro the ston of desert to the mount of the doȝter of Sion. And he shal ben as a brid fleende, and ȝunge briddes fro the nest fleende to, so shul be the doȝtris of Moab in the ouersteȝyng of Arnon. Go in counseil, constreyne counseil; put as nyȝt thi shadewe in mydday, hide thou the men fleende, and the vagaunt ne betraȝe thou. Ther shul dwelle anent thee my ferr fugityues. Moab, be thou the lurkyng place of hem fro the face of the wastere. Endid is forsothe the pouder, ful endid is the wrecche; failide that to-trad the lond. And ther shal be befor mad redy in mercy the see, and he shal sitte vpon it in treuthe, in the tabernacle of Dauid, demende, and sechende dom, and swiftli ȝeldende that is riȝtwis. Wee han herd the pride of Moab, proud he is gretli; his pride, and the proude enhauncing of hym, and also his indignacioun more than his strengthe. Therfore shall ȝelle Moab to Moab, al shal ȝelle to hem that gladen vp on the walles of anelid tyil; speketh ther veniaunces. For the suburbes of Esebon ben desert, and the vyneȝerd of Sabama. The lordis of Jentiles hewen doun his scourges; vnto Jaser thei ful camen, thei errede in desert. His railing braunches ben forsaken, thei passeden the se. Vp on this I shal weepen in wepyng Jaser, and the vyneȝerd of Sabama. I shal drunkne thee with my tere, Esebon and Eleale, for vp on thi vyntage, and vp on thi rep the vois of men tredende fel on. And ther shal be don awey gladnesse and ful out ioȝing fro Carmel; and in vyneȝerdis he shal not ful out ioȝen, ne inwardli ioȝen. Wyn in the presse he shal not trede, that to treden was wont; the vois of the trederes I toc awey. Vp on this my wombe to Moab as an harpe shal sounen, and my boweles to the wal of the anelid tyl. And it shal be, whan he shal apere, that trauailede Moab vp on his heeȝe thingus, he shal go in to his hoeli places, that he inwardly beseche, and he shal not moun. This the wrd that the Lord spac to Moab fro thennys. And now spac the Lord, seiende, In thre ȝer as the ȝeres of an hirid man, shal be don awei the glorie of Moab vpon eche myche puple; and ther shal be lafte in it as a litil branch of a cluster of grapes, and fewe, not fele.
The charge of Damasch. Lo! Damasch shal cesen to ben a cite, and it shal be as an hypil of stones in falling. The forsaken citees of Aroer to flockes shul be; and thei shul resten there, and ther shal not be that afere awey. And ther shal cesen helpe fro Effraym, and rewme fro Damasch; and the relikes of Cirie as the glorie of the sonus of Irael shul be, seith the Lord of ostus. And it shal be, in that day shal be maad thynne the glorie of Jacob, and the fatnes of his flesh shal become welewid awey. And he shal be as the gederere in rip that is laft, and his arm eres shal gedere, and he shal be as sechende eres in the valey of Rafaym. And ther shal ben laft in it as the braunche of a cluster, and as the shaking out of the oile berie, as of two or of thre olyues in the cop of the braunch, or of foure or of fyue; in the coppis of it his frutes, seith the Lord God of Irael. In that dai shal ben bowid a man to his makere, and his eȝen to the hoeli of Irael shul beholden. And he shal not be bowid to the auteres, that his hondis maden, and that his fyngris ywrouȝten; he shal not biholden maumet wodes, and the wasshing templis. In that dai the citees of his strengthe shul be forsaken as plowes, and the tilthis that ben laft fro the face of the sonus of Irael; and thou shalt ben desert. For thou forȝete of the God, thi saueour, and of the stronge, thin helpere, thou art not recordid; therfor thou shalt plaunten a feithful plaunting, and alien buriounyng thou shalt sowen. In the dai of thi plaunting bareyne vynes, and erli thi sed shal flouren; don awei is the rip in the dai of eritage, and he shal weilen greuously. Wo to the multitude of many puples, as the multitude of the se soundende, and the nois of cumpanyes as the soun of manye watris. Puplis schulen sownen as the sown of flowyng watris, and he shal blame it; and aferr it shal flee, and it shal be raueshid as the pouder of mounteynes fro the face of the wynd, and as a whirlewynd bifor the tempest. In tyme of euen, and lo! disturbing; in the morutid, and he shal not stonde stille. This is the part of hem that wasteden vs, and the lot of men tobrekende vs.
Wo to the lond, cymbal of weengus, that is beȝunde the flod of Etheope; that sendeth in the se messageres, and in resshi vesseles vp on watris. Goth, ȝee swift aungeles, to the folc al to-pullid and torn; to a ferful puple, after whyche is not an other; folc abidende and totroden, whos flodes rauesheden awei his lond; to the mount of the name of the Lord of ostus, mount of Sion. Alle ȝee dwelleris of the world, that dwellen in erthe, whan shal ben rered vp a tokne in mounteynes, ȝee shuln seen, and the noise of the trumpe ȝee shul heren. For these thingus seith the Lord to me, I shal resten, and beholden in my place, as the mydday liȝt is cleer, and as the cloude of dew in the day of rip. Bifor rip forsothe al flourede out, and vnriyp perfeccioun buriownede; and ther shul ben hewe doun the litle braunches of it with sithis, and that weren laft, shul be kut awey. Thei shul ben shaken out, and forsaken togidere to the briddes of mounteynes, and to the bestes of erthe; and in euerelastende somer shul ben vp on hym foules, and alle the bestes of erthe vp on hym shul dwelle al wynter. In that tyme shal be broȝt ȝifte to the Lord of ostes, fro the puple to-pullid and to-torn; fro the ferful puple, after whom was not an other; fro the folc abidende and to-troden, whos flodus rauesheden awei his lond; to the place of the name of the Lord of ostus, mount of Sion.
The charge of Egipt. Lo! the Lord shal steȝe vp vp on a liȝt cloude, and gon in to Egipt; and ther shul be moued the symulacris of Egipt fro the face of hym, and the herte of Egipt shal wane in the myddel of hym. And to meete togidere I shal make Egipcienus aȝen Egipcienus, and fiȝte shal a man aȝen his brother, and a man aȝen his frend, cite aȝen cite, and reume aȝen reume. And to-broken shal be the spirit of Egipt in his boweles, and his counseil I shall stumble doun; and thei shul aske ther symulacris, and ther deuynoures, and ther deuel cleperes, and ther deuel sacrifieres. And I shal take Egipt in to the hond of cruel lordis, and a strong king shal lordshipen of hem, seith the Lord God of ostes. And the water shal waxe drie fro the se, and the flod shal be desolat, and dried. And faile shul the flodes, and thynned and dried shul be the ryueres of water hepes; the reed and the resshe shal welewen. Nakened shal be the flod wombe, and the ryueres fro ther welle; and of eche sowende the watri place shal be dried, and welewen, and it shal not be. And mowrne shul the fissheres, and weilen alle into the flod puttende the angil hoc; and spredende out the net vpon the face of watris, shul waxe feble. And confoundid shul ben, that wroȝten flax, plattende and weuende sotile thingus. And ther shul ben his watri placis driende; alle that maden pondis to be caȝt fisshes. Fooles the princes of Thaneos, wise counseileres of Farao ȝeeuen vnwys counseil; what maner shul ȝee seyn to Farao, I the sone of wise men, the sone of olde kingys? Where now ben thi wise men? Telle thei to thee, and shewe, what thoȝte the Lord of ostus vp on Egipt. Fooles ben mad the princes of Thaneos; gretli languyssheden the princes of Memfeos; begileden Egipt, the corner of his puples. The Lord mengde in his myddel the spirit of turnegidy; and to erren thei maden Egipt in al his werk, as erreth a drunke man and a vomende. And ther shal not be to Egipt werke, that it make hed and tail in boowing and refreynyng. In that dai Egipt shal be as wymmen, and thei shul stoneȝen, and dreden fro the face of the stering togidere of the hond of the Lord of ostes, that he mouede vp on it. And shal be the lond of Juda to Egipt in to inward ferd; eche that of it recordede, shal inwardly dreden fro the face of the counseil of the Lord of ostes, that he thoȝte vp on it. In that dai shul be fyue citees in the lond of Egipt, spekende Canane tunge, and swerende bi the Lord of ostes; the cyte of the sunne shal ben clepid oon. In that day shal ben the auter of the Lord in the myddel of the lond off Egipt, and the title of the Lord biside his terme; and thei shul be in to tocne and to witnessing to the Lord of ostes, in the lond of Egipt. They shul crien to the Lord fro the face of the trublere, and he shal sende to them a saueour, and a forfiȝtere, that delyuere them. And the Lord shal ben knowen of Egipt, and knowen shuln the Egipcienus the Lord in that day; and thei shul herien hym in ostes and ȝiftes, and thei shul vouwe vouwes to the Lord, and ȝeelde. And smyte shal the Lord Egipt with a veniaunce, and helen it; and turnen aȝeen shuln the Egipcienus to the Lord, and he shal be plesid to them, and helen hem. In that day shal ben a weie fro Egipt in to Assiries, and seruen shul the Egipcienus to Assur; and entren shal Assirie Egipt, and Egipt in to Assiries. In that day shal ben Irael the thridde to Egipt and to Assirie, blessing in the middel of the erthe; to whom blissede the Lord of ostus, seiende, Blissid my puple of Egipt, and the werk of myn hondis to Assirie; be forsothe myn eritage Israel.
In the ȝer that Tharthan wente into Assote, whan hadde sent hym Sargon, king of Assiries, and hadde fooȝte aȝen Asote, and hadde taken it; in that tyme spac the Lord in the hond of Isaie, sone of Amos, seiende, Go, and loosne the sac fro thi leendis, and the shon tak fro thi feet. And he dide so, goende nakid and vnshod. And the Lord seide, As wente my seruaunt Isaie nakid and vnshod, of thre ȝeer tocne and wnder shal ben vp on Egipt, and vp on Ethiope; so dryuen shal the king off Assiries the caitifte of Egipt, and the transmygracioun of Etheope, ȝung and old, nakid womman and vnshod, discouered the ersis, to the shenshepe of Egipt. And thei shul drede, and ben confoundid of Etheope, ther hope, and of Egipt, ther glorie. And the dwellere of that yle shal seyn in that day, Whether this was oure hope, to whom wee floun in to helpe, that thei shulden delyueren vs fro the face of the king of Assiries; and what maner shul we moun scapen?
The charge of the desert se. As whirlewyndus fro Affrich comen, fro the desert cam, fro the orrible lond. An hard viseoun told is to me; that vnleeuende is, vnfeithfully doth; and he that is distroȝere, wasteth. Steeȝh vp, Elam, and bisege, Medeba; al his weilyng I made to cesen. Therfore ben fulfild my lendys with sorewe; anguysh weldide me, as anguysh of the trauailende with child; I fel doun, whan I herde; I am disturbid, whan I saȝ. Myche languysshede myn herte, dercnesses stoneid maden me; Babilon, my looued, put is to me in to myracle. Sett the bord, bihold in a toothil; etende and drinkende riseth, ȝee princes, taketh to the terget. These thingus forsothe seide the Lord to me, Go, and put a tootere; and what euere thing he shal see, telle he. And he saȝ a char of two horse men, a steȝere of an asse, and a steȝere vp of a camayle; and he beheeld bisily by myche looking, and he criede as a leoun, Vp on the toothil of the Lord I am stondende contynuelly bi day, and vp on my warde I am stondende alle nyȝtus. Lo! this cam, a man steȝere of the carte of horse men. And he answerde, and seide, Is falle, is falle Babilon; and alle grauen thingus of hys godus ben to-brosid in to the erthe. My thressing, and the doȝter of my cornflor, the thingus that I herde of the Lord of ostes, God of Irael, I tolde to ȝou. The charge of Duma. To me he crieth fro Seir, O! kepere, what of the nyȝt? O! kepere, what of the nyȝt? The kepere seide, Ther cometh morutid, and nyȝt; if ȝee sechen, secheth, and beth conuertid, and cometh. The charge in Araby. In the wilde wode at euen ȝee shul slepen, in the sties of Dodanym. Aȝencomende to the thristi berth water, that dwellen the lond of the south; with loeues aȝencometh to the fleende. Fro the face forsothe of swerdes thei fledden, fro the face of the swerd stondende on, fro the face of the bowe bend, fro the face of the greuous bataile. For these thingus seith the Lord to me, Ȝit in o ȝer, as in the ȝer of an hirid man, and ther shal ben take awey al the glorie of Cedar. And the relikis of the noumbre of the stronge archeres fro the sonus of Cedar shul be mynusht; the Lord forsothe, God of Israel, spac.
The charge of the valey of viseoun. What forsothe and to thee is, for thou steȝedist vp, and thou al in to the rooues, ful of cry, myche vsid cite, cite ful out ioȝende? thi slayne not slayn with swerd, ne thi deade deade in batayle. Alle thi princes floun togidere, and harde ben bounde; alle that ben founde, ben bounde togidere, aferr floun. Therfore I seide, Goth awei fro me, bitterli I shal weepe; wileth not ben bisy, that ȝee coumforte me vp on the wastite of the doȝter of my puple. Dai forsothe of slaȝter, and of to-treding, and of wepingus, fro the Lord God of ostes, in the valey of viseoun; serching the wal, and the gret doyng vp on the mounteyn. And Elam toc an arewe caas, and the char of an hors man; and the target naknide the wal. And chosen shul be thi valeis ful of foure horsid carres; and knyȝtes shul sette ther setes in the ȝate. And discoueryd shal be the coueryng of Jude; and thou shalt seen in that dai the armourie place of the house of the wilde wode; and the cliftus of the cite of Dauid ȝee shul see, for thei ben multeplied. And ȝee han gedered the watris of the nethere pond, or sisterne, and the houses of Jerusalem ȝee han noumbred, and ȝee han distroȝed the housis, to strengthe the wal; and a lake ȝee han mad betwe two walles, and the watyr of the olde fishpond, or systerne; and ȝee beheelden not to hym, that hadde mad it, and his werkere fro aferre ȝee seȝen not. And the Lord God of ostus clepede in that dai to weping, and to weiling, and to ballidnesse, and to girding of a sac; and lo! ioȝe and gladnesse to slen calues, to kutte wetheres throtes, to ete flesh, and to drinke wyn; ete wee, and drinke wee, to moru forsothe wee shul dien. And opened is in myn eres the vois of the Lord of ostes, Ther shal not be forȝyue this wickidnesse to ȝou, to the tyme that ȝee die, seith the Lord God of ostus. These thingus seith the Lord God of ostus, Go, and weend in to hym that dwelleth in the tabernacle, to Sobnam, prouost of the temple; and thou shalt sey to hym, What thou heer, or as who heer? for thou heewe out to thee heer a sepulcre, thou heewe in an heeȝ, a memorial bisily in a ston a tabernacle to thee. Lo! the Lord shal make thee to ben born awei, as is born awei a capoun, and as an amyse, so he shal vnder reren thee. Crounende he shal crowne thee with tribulacioun; as a bal he shal sende thee in to a brod lond and spacious; there thou shalt dien, and there shal be the char of thi glorie, and the shenshipe of the hous of thi Lord. And I shal putte thee out fro thi stonding, and fro thi seruyse I shal depose thee. And it shal be, in that dai I shal clepe my seruaunt Eleachym, the sone of Elchie; and clothin hym with thi coete, and with thi girdil I shal coumforten hym, and thi power I shal ȝyue in to his hondus; and he shal ben as a fader to men dwellende Jerusalem, and to the hous of Juda. And I shal ȝyue the keȝe of the hous of Dauid vp on his shulder; and he shal openen, and ther shal not be that close; and he shal closen, and ther shal not be that opene. And I shal ficchen hym as a stake in the feithful place, and he shal be in to the see of glorie of the hous of his fader. And I shal hangen vp on hym al the glorie of the hous of his fader, off vesseles dyuers kindis, eche litil vessel, fro the vesseles of wyn chalices vnto alle vessel of musikes. In that dai, seith the Lord of ostes, ther shal ben taken awey the stake that was ficchid in a feithful place, and be tobroken, and fallen; and pershe shal that that he hadde hangyd in it, for the Lord spac.
The charge of Tyry. Ȝelleth, ȝee shippes of the se, for wastid is the hous, whennus to comen thei weren wont; fro the lond of Sethym it is opened to them. Beth stylle, ȝee that dwellen in the ile, the chaffaring of Sidon; the men seilende ouer the se fulfilden thee with manye watris; the sed of Nyli, the rip of the flod his frutes, and mad is the chaffare of Jentiles. Ashame thou, Sidon, seith the se, the strengthe of the se, seiende, I trauailide not with child, and bar not, and nurshede not out ȝung childer, ne to ful waxing broȝte forth maidenes. Whan herd it shal be in Egipt, thei shuln sorewen, whan thei shuln heren of Tiro. Passeth the ses; ȝelleth, that dwellen in the ile. Whether not this ȝoure is, that gloriede fro the rathere daȝes in his eelde? leden shuln it aferr hir feet to pilgrymagen. Who thoȝte this vp on Tirun sum tyme crouned, whos nededoeres princes, his marchaundus noble men of the erthe? The Lord of ostes thoȝte this, that he drawe doun the pride of alle glorie, and to shenshipe bringe doun alle the noble men of erthe. Passe ouer thi lond as the flod, thou doȝter of the se; ther is no more girdil to thee. His hond ouer the se he strecchide, and disturbede reumes. The Lord sente aȝen Canaan, that he totrede his stronge men; and seide, Thou shalt no mor leyn to, that thou glorie, chalengis sustenende, thou maden doȝter of Sidon. In Sichym risende ouerseile thou; there forsothe shal not ben reste to thee. Lo! the lond of Caldeis such a puple was not; Assur foundide it; in to caitifte thei ouerladden the stalwrthe men of it; thei vnderdoluen his houses, thei putten it in to falling. Ȝelleth, ȝee shipes of the se, for doun wastid is ȝoure strengthe. And it shal be, in that dai in forȝeting thou shalt be, O! Tire, seuenti ȝer, as the daȝes of o king; after seuenti ȝer forsothe to Tiro shal be as a song of a strumpet. Tac harpe, go aboute the cite, thou strumpet, to forȝeting taken; weel syng, ofte vse song, that mynde of thee be. And it shal be, after seuenti ȝer, the Lord shal visite Tirum, and bringen it aȝeen to his meedes; and eft it shal ben, whan it shal do fornycacioun with alle the reumes of the erthe, vp on the face of the erthe. And his nede doyngus and his meedus shuln ben halewid to the Lord; thei shuln not ben hid, ne leid vp; for to them that dwellede bifor the Lord shal be his nede doyng, that thei ete into fulnesse, and be clad vn to oldnesse.
Loo! the Lord shal nakenen the erthe, and scateren it, and tormenten his face, and distroȝen his dwelleris. And ther shal be, as the puple, so the prest; and as the seruaunt, so his lord; as the hand woman, so hir lady; as the biere, so he that sillith; as the vsurer, so he that taketh borewing; as he that aȝeen asketh, so he that owith. Bi scateryng shal be scatered the lond, and bi robbing shal be robbid; the Lord forsothe spac this wrd. Weilede and doun flowede the erthe, and it is feblid; flowede doun the world, feblid is the heiȝte of the puple of the lond, and the lond is slayn of his dwelleris. For thei ouerpasseden the lawes, chaungeden the riȝt, scatereden the euere durende bond. For that cursing shal deuoure the lond, and synnen shuln his dwelleris; and therfore waxen woode shul his tilieres, and ther shul be lafte fewe men. Weilede the vyndage, feblid is the vyne; inwardli weileden alle that gladeden in herte. Cesede the ioȝe of tymbris, restide the soun of men gladende; al stille was the swetnesse of the harpe. With song thei shul not drinke wyn; bitter shal be the drinke to men drinkende it. Al defouled is the cite of vanyte; closid is eche hous, no man entrende. Cry shal ben vp on the wyn in the stretes, desert is alle gladnesse, translatid is the ioȝe of the lond. Laft is in the huge cite wildernesse, and wrecchidnesse shal opressen the ȝates. For these thingus shul be in the myddel of the lond, in the myddel of puples, what maner if fewe oile beries that lefen ben shaken out of the olyue tree, and cluster braunches, whan were endid the vyndage. These shul reren vp ther vois, and preisen, whan shal be glorified the Lord; thei shul neȝen fro the se. For that in techingus glorifieth the Lord; in iles of the se, the name of the Lord God of Irael. Fro the endes of the erthe preisingus wee han herd, the glorie of the riȝtwis. And I seide, My priue thing to me, my priue thing to me. Wo to me, the lawe breking thei breeken, and in lawe breking of the ouer don thingus thei breeken the lawe. Ferd, and dich, and grene vp on thee, that dwellere art of the erthe. And it shal be, he that shal flee fro the face of drede, shal falle in to the dich; and he that taketh hymself out of the dich, shal be holden with the grene; for the gooteres fro heȝe thyngus ben opened, and smyte togidere shul ben the foundemens of the erthe. With tobreking shal ben to-broken the erthe, with to-brosing shal be to-brosid the lond, with to-stering shal be to-stired the erthe, with shaking shal be to-shaken the erthe, as a drunken man. And it shal be don awey, as the tabernacle of o nyȝt, and greuen it shal his wickidnesse; and it shal falle, and it shal not leyn to, that it rise aȝeen. And it shal be, in that dai visite shal the Lord vp on the knyȝthod of heuene in heȝ, and vp on the kingus of the lond, that ben vp on erthe. And thei shul ben gedered togidere in the gederyng togidere of a bundel in to the lake, and thei shul ben closid there in prisoun; and aftir many daȝes thei shul be visitid. And the moone shal shamen, and confoundid shal be the sunne, whan shal regne the Lord of ostes in the hil of Sion, and in Jerusalem; and in the siȝt of ther olde men he shal ben glorified.
Lord, my God thou art, I shal enhaunce thee, and I shal knouleche to thi name; for thou hast do merueilous thingus, olde feithful thoȝtus. Amen. For thou hast set the cite in to noyse, the huge stronge cite in to falling, the hous of alienes, that it be not cite, and in to euermor it shal not ben bild vp. Vp on this shal preise thee a strong puple, the cite of stalwrth folc of kinde shal drede thee. For thou art mad strengthe to the pore, strengthe to the helpeles in his tribulacioun, hope fro the whirlewynd, a shadewe hilet fro hete; the spirit forsothe of stalwrthe men as a whirlewind puttende doun a wal. As with hete in thrist, the noise of alienes thou shalt meken; and as with hete vnder the cloude feerly brennende, the braunches of stronge men thou shalt make to welewyn. And the Lord of ostes shal make to alle puples in this hil a feste of fatte bestes, a feste of vyndage of merewi fatte thingus, of vyndage most pure. And he shal stumble doun in this hil the face of the bond, bounde togidere vp on alle puples, and the web that he hath weuede vp on alle nacyouns. He shal stumble doun deth in to euere lasting, and don awei shal the Lord God eche tere fro alle face; and the repref of his puple he shal don awey fro al erthe; for the Lord spac. And they shul sey in that day, Lo! the Lord oure God this; wee han abiden hym, and he shal sauen vs; this the Lord; wee han suffryd hym, and wee shul ful out ioȝen, and gladen in his helthe ȝyuere. For the hond of the Lord shal reste in this hil, and threschid shal ben Moab vnder hym, as ben to-treden strawes in a wayn. And he shal strecchen out his hondis vnder hym, as a swymmere streccheth out to swymmen; and he shal meeken his glorie with the hurling to of his hondis. And the forsemens, or strengthis, of thin heȝe walles shul togidere falle, and be lowid, and drawen doun to the erthe, vnto poudere.
In that day shal ben sungen this song in the lond of Juda. The huge cite of oure strengthe Sion; a saueour shal be set in it, the wal and the bifor walling. Openeth the ȝates, and ther shal go in a riȝtwis folc, kepende treuthe. The olde errour ȝide awei; thou shalt kepe pes, pes, for in thee, Lord, wee han hopid. Ȝee han hopid in the Lord, fro the euere lastende worldus, in the Lord God, strong in to withoute ende. For he shal inbowe the dwelleris in heiȝte, the heȝe cite he shal meeken; he shal meke it vn to the erthe, drawen it doun in to pouder. To-trede it shal the foote of the pore, the goyngus of helpeles men. The sty of the riȝtwis is euene, euene the path of the riȝtwis to gon. And in the sty of thi domes, Lord, wee han sustened thee; thi name, and thi mynde, in desyr of soule. My soule shal desire thee in nyȝt, but and with my spirit in myn herte inward thingus; fro erly I shal wake to thee. Whan thou shalt don thi domes in the erthe, riȝtwisnesse shul lernen alle the dwelleris of the world. Haue wee mercy to the vnpitouse, and he shal not lerne to do riȝtwisnesse; in the lond of halewis wicke thingus he dide, and he shal not see the glorie of the Lord. Lord, be enhauncid thin hond, that thei see not; see and be confoundid the enuyende puples, and fyr thin enemys deuoure. Lord, thou shalt ȝyuen pes to vs, alle forsothe oure werkes thou wroȝtist in vs. Lord oure God, lordis weldeden vs, with oute thee; only in thee recorde wee of thi name. Diende lyue thei not, and ieauntis ryse thei not aȝeen. Therfore thou hast visityd, and to-brosedest hem, and lost al the mynde of them; and thou hast forȝyue to the fol of kinde, Lord, thou hast forȝoue to the folc of kynde. Whether glorified thou art? thou hast drawen along alle the termes of the erthe. Lord, in anguysh thei soȝten thee; in tribulacioun of grucching thi lore to them. As she that conceyuede, whan she shulde neȝhe to the trauailing of child, sorewende crieth in hir sorewes, so wee ben maad fro thi face, Lord. Wee han conceyued, and as wee han born, and broȝte forth the spirit of helthe; riȝtwisnesse wee han not don in erthe, therfore fellen not the dwelleris of the erthe. Lyuen shul thi deade, my slayne men shuln aȝeen rise. Beth wakid, and preiseth, ȝee that dwellen in pouder; for the dew of liȝt thi dew, and the lond of ieauntus thou shalt drawe doun in to falling. Go, my puple, entre in to thi bed places, close thi dores vp on thee, be hid a litil while, to the tyme that passe myn indignacioun. Lo! forsothe the Lord shal go out fro his hoely place, that he visite the wickidnesse of the dwellere of the erthe aȝen hym; and the erthe shal opene his blod, and shal no more koueren his slayn men.
In that dai viseten shal the Lord in his harde swerd, and gret, and strong, vp on leuyathan, an eddere, a leuour, and vp on leuyathan, a crookid wounde serpent; and he shal sle the whal, that is in the se. In that day the vyneȝerd of good cleer wyn shal synge to hym. I the Lord that kepe it, feerli shal heelden out to it, lest par auenture it be visitid aȝen it; nyȝt and dai I kepe it, indignacioun is not to me. Who shal ȝyue me a thorne, and a brere? In bataile I shal go vp on it, I shal brennen it togidere. Or more I shal holde my strengthe? He shal do pes to me, pes he shal don to me. Who shal go out with bure fro Jacob? Flouren and burioune shal Irael, and they shul fulfille the face of the world with sed. Whether after the plage of the smytende hymself he smot hym? or as he slooȝ the slayne men of hym, so he is slayn? In mesure aȝen mesure, whan leid to it shal be, he shal deme it; he bithoȝte in his harde spirit, by the day of hete. Therfor vp on this shal ben forȝouen wickidnesse to the hous of Jacob, and this al the frute, that be don awei his synne, whan he shal leyn alle the stones of the auter as the hurtlid stones of askes. Stonde shul not the maumet wodes, and the maumet wasshing temples. Forsothe the strengthid cite shal be desolat, the faire shal ben forsake, and lafte as desert; there shal be fed the calf, and there shal he lyn, and waste the ouermostes of it. In the droȝte of his rip to-treden shul ben wymmen, comende and techende it. Forsothe ther is not the puple wys, therfore shal not han mercy of it, that made it; and that foormede it, shal not spare to it. And it shal be, in that dai shal the Lord smyte, fro the wombe of the flod vnto the strem of Egipt; and ȝee shul be gedered togidere oon and oon, ȝee sonus of Irael. And it shal be, in that dai shal be trumpid in a gret trumpe, and ther shul comen that weren lost, fro the lond of Assiries, and that weren cast awei, fro the lond of Egipt; and thei shul honouren the Lord, in the hoeli hil in Jerusalem.
Wo to the crowne of pride, to the drunke men of Effraym, and to the flour fallende doun of the glorie of his ful out ioȝyng, that weren in the cop of the valei most fat, errende of wyn. Lo! the stalwrthe and the stronge Lord, as the bure of hail, the tempest al brekende, as the bure of manye flowende watris, and sent out vp on the spaciouse erthe. With feet shal be to-trede the croune of pride of the drunke men of Effraym, and the flour shal be doun fallende of the glorie of his ful out ioȝing, that is vp on the cop of the valei of fatte thingus, as the biforn rijp frute bifor the rijpnesse of heruest; the whiche thing whan shal beholde the seere, anoon as with hond he shal holden, he shal deuoure it. In that dai shal be the Lord of ostes the croune of glorie, and the garlond of ful out ioȝing, to the residue of his puple; and the spirit of dom to the sittere vp on the trone, and strengthe to ther men turnende aȝeen fro the bataile to the ȝate. These also for wyn knewen not treuthe, and for drunkenesse thei erreden; preest and profete knewen not for drunkenesse; thei ben sopen awei of wyn, thei erreden in drunkenesse; thei knewe not the seere, thei vnknewe dom. Alle forsothe boordis ben fulfild with the vome and filthis, so that ther were no more place. Whom shal he teche kunnyng, and whom to vnderstonde shal he make the heryng? The wened from mylc, the put awei fro tetes. For send, eft send; send, eft send; abyd, eft byde; abijd, eft bijd; litil there, litil there. In the speche forsothe of the lippe, and in an othir tunge shal ben spoke to this puple, to whom he seide, This is my reste; releeueth the wery, and that is my refreshing; and thei wolden not heren. And ther shal be to them the wrd of the Lord, Send, eft send; send, eft send; abijd, eft bijd; abijd, eft bijd; litil there, litil there; that thei go, and falle bacward, and be to-brosid, and gnared, and taken. For that hereth the wrd of the Lord, ȝee men gileris, that lordshipen vp on my puple that is in Jerusalem. Ȝee seiden forsothe, Wee han smyte pes bond with deth, and with helle wee han maad couenaunt; scourge flowend whan shal passe, shal not come vp on vs, for wee han set lesyng oure hope, and with lesyng we ben couered. Therfor these thyngus seith the Lord God, Lo! I shal senden in the foundemens of Sion a corner ston precious, proued, in the foundement foundid; who shal beleeuen, heeȝe he not. And I shal putte in peis dom, and riȝtwisnesse in mesure; and the hail shal to-turne vpsodoun the hope of lesyng, and the proteccioun watris shul flowe. And don awey shal be ȝoure pes bond with deth, and ȝoure couenaunt with helle shal not stonde; scourge flowende whan shal passe, ȝee shul be to it in to treding. Whan euere it shal passe, it shal take ȝou awey; for erly the morutid it shal passe, in day and nyȝt; and al onli the alone greuous birthene vnderstonding shal ȝyue to the herende. Al to streit forsothe is the beddyng, so that an other falle doun; and the shorte mantil either mai not couere. As forsothe in the hil of deuyseouns shal stonde the Lord, so in the valei, that is in Gabaon, he shal wrathe, that he do his werk; alyen is the werk of hym, that he werke his werk; straunge is his werk fro hym. And now wileth not bigilen, lest par auenture be streitid ȝoure bondis; ful ending forsothe and abregging I haue herd of the Lord God of ostus, vp on al erthe. With eres parceyueth, and hereth my vois; taketh heed, and hereth my fayre speche. Whether al day shal ere the erere, that he sowe, and forth kutten, and purge his erthe? Whether not, whan he shal euenen therto his face, he shal sowe the sed gith, and the comyn sprengen, and sette the whete bi order, and barly, and myle, and ficche in ther coestes? And shal teche hym his God, in dom shal leren hym. Forsothe not in sawes shal be throsshe gith, ne the wheel of a wayn vp on the comyn shal gon aboute; but in ȝerde shal ben shaken out gith, and the comyn in a staf. Bred forsothe shal be to-mynusht, but not in to euermor the thresshere shal thresshen it, ne shal trauaile it the wheel of the wayn, ne with his cles shal to-mynushe it. And that fro the Lord God of ostes wente out, that merueilous shulde make counseil, and magnefyen the riȝtwysnesse.
Wo! Ariel, Ariel, that is, Jerusalem, and auter, cite that Dauid ouercam; added is ȝer to ȝer, solempnetees ben ouerturned. And I shal besette aboute Ariel, and it shal be dreri and sorewy; and it shal be to me as Aryel. And I shal cumpasse as a bal in thi cumpas, and I shal kaste aȝen thee an hep, and the strengthis I shal sette in to thi seging. Thou shalt be meekid, of the erthe thou shalt speke, and of the loewe erthe shal ben herd thi speche; and shal be as of a deuel clepere fro the erthe thi vois, and fro the loewe erthe shal groyne thi speche. And shal be as thynne pouder the multitude of men wynewende thee; and as a gnast thurȝ passende, the multitude of hem that aȝen thee hadden maistri. And it shal be feerly, or sudenly, anoon fro the Lord of ostus it shal be visitid, in thunder, and quauyng of erthe, and gret vois of whirlewind, and of tempest, and of flaume of fijr deuourende. And shal be as a drem of a nyȝt viseoun the multitude of alle Jentiles that foȝten aȝen Ariel; and alle that aȝen riden, and bisegeden, and hadden the maistri aȝen it. And as sweueneth the hungrende, and eteth, whan forsothe he were wakid, voide is his soule; and as sweueneth the thristende, and drinketh, and aftir that he were waken, weri ȝit he thristeth, and his soule is voide, so shal be the multitude of alle Jentiles, that foȝten aȝen the hil of Sion. Bicometh alle stoneid, and wndreth; flotereth, and wagereth; be ȝe drunken inwardli, and not of wyn; ȝee be moued, and not with drunkenesse. For mengd hath the Lord to ȝou the spirit of slep; he shal closen ȝoure eȝen, the profetes, and ȝoure princes that seen viseouns, he shal couere. And ther shal be to ȝou the viseoun of alle as the wrdis of the boc sealid; whom whan thei shul ȝyue to the kunnende lettris, thei shul sey, Reed this; and he shal answern, I mai not, forsothe it is sealid. And the boc shal be ȝyue to the not kunnende lettris, and it shal be seid to hym, Reed; and he shal answern, I kan not lettris. And the Lord seide, For thi that this puple neȝheth with his mouth, and with his lippes glorifieth me, his herte forsothe fer is fro me; and thei dradden me in maundement of men and doctrines, therfore loo! I shal adde, that gret wondring I do to this puple, with gret myracle and hidous; forsothe pershe shal wisdam fro his wise men, and the vnderstonding of his prudent men shal be hid. Wo, ȝee that deep ben in herte, that fro the Lord ȝee hide counseil; of whom the werkes ben in dercnesses, and seyn, Who seeth vs, and who kneȝ vs? Shreude is this ȝoure thenking, as if the cley aȝens the crockere thenke, and the werk sey to his makere, Thou hast not mad me; and the making sey to his makere, Thou vnderstondist not. Whether not ȝit in litil and in short shal be turned Liban in to Chermel, and Chermel in to a wilde wode shal ben holde? And heren shul in that day deue men the wrdis of the boc, and fro dercnesses and mystynesses the eȝen of blynde men shul seen; and mylde men shuln adde in the Lord gladnesse, and pore men in the hoeli Irael ful out shul ioȝen. For he hath failid, that hadde the maistri, ful endid is the gilere, and hewen doun ben alle that wakeden vp on wickidnesse; that to synnen maden men in wrd, and the vndernymere in the ȝate thei supplaunteden, and boweden doun in veyn fro the riȝtwis. For that these thingus seith the Lord to the hous of Jacob, that aȝen bouȝt Abraham, Not now shal be confoundid Jacob, ne now his chere shal shame; but whan he shal seen his sones, the werkys of myn hondis, in his myddel halewende my name. And thei shul halewen the hoeli of Jacob, and the hoeli God of Irael thei shul prechen; and knowen shul the errende in spirit vnderstonding, and the musures shul lerne the lawe.
Wo! ȝee sonus forsakeres, seith the Lord, that ȝee schulden do counseil, and not of me; and wefen a web, and not bi my spirit, that ȝee adde synne vp on synne. The whiche gon, that ȝee descende in to Egipt, and my mouth ȝee han not askid; hopende helpe in the strengthe of Farao, and hauende trost in the shadewe of Egipt. And shal be to ȝou the strengthe of Farao in to confusioun, and the trost of the vmbre of Egipt in to shenshepe. Wenten forsothe in Thampnys thi princes, and thi messageres vnto Anes cite ful camen. Alle thei ben confoundid vp on the puple, that to hem myȝte no than profited; thei weren not in to helpe, and in to any profit, but in to confusioun and repref. The charge of the bestes of the south. In the lond of tribulacioun and of anguysh, a leounesse, and a leoun, of hem a violent eddere, and a kokatrice fleende; berende vp on the shuldris of bestes ther richesses, and vp on the bocche of camailes ther tresores, to the puple that to them myȝte not han profited. Egipt forsothe wastli, and in veyn shal helpen. Therfore I criede vp on this, Pride onli it is; reste thou. Now thanne gon in, wryt to it vp on a box table, and in a boc bisili graue it; and it shal be in the laste day in to witnessyng, vn to euermore. The puple forsothe to wrathe ys terrende, and sones lieres, sones not willende to heren the lawe of God. That seyn to men seende, Wileth not see; and to men biholdende, Wileth not biholde to vs tho thingus that ben riȝte; speketh to vs plesaunt thingus, seeth to vs erroures. Doth awei fro me the weie, bowith doun fro me the sty; cese fro oure face the hoeli Irael. Therfore these thingus seith the hoeli of Irael, For thi that ȝee han repreued this wrd, and han hopid in to wronge chaleng, and in to noise, and han lened vp on it, therfore shal be to ȝou this wickidnesse as betwe brosure fallende, and aȝeen soȝt in an heeȝ wal; for sodeynly whil me hopeth not, shal come the to-brosing of it. And shal be tomynusht, as is to-brosid the galoun of the crockere with ful strong to-brosyng; and ther shal not be founde of his brosingus a shord, in whiche be born a litil fyr fro the brennyng, or be drawe a litil of water fro the dich. For these thingus seith the Lord God, hoeli of Irael, If ȝee turnen aȝeen, and resten, ȝee shul be saaf; in scilence and in hope shal be ȝoure strengthe. And ȝee wolden not. And ȝee seiden, Nai, but to hors we shul flee; therfor ȝee shul flee. And vp on swift wee shul steȝen vp; therfor more swift shul be, that shul pursue ȝou. A thousend men fro the face of the ferd of oon; and fro the ferd of the face of fyue ȝee shul fleen, to the tyme that ȝee be laft as the mast of a ship in the cop of a mounteyn, and as tocne vp on an hil. Therfor abideth the Lord, that he haue mercy of ȝou, and therfore shal ben enhauncid the sparende to ȝou; for God of dom the Lord, blisful alle that abijden hym. The puple forsothe of Sion shal dwelle in Jerusalem; wepende thou shalt not wepe, rewende, or doyng mercy, he shal han mercy of thee; at the vois of thi cry, anoen as he hereth, he shal answern to thee. And the Lord shal ȝyue to thee streit bred, and short water, and he shal not make to fleen awey fro thee more thi techere; and thin eȝen shul be seende thi comaundere, and thin eres shuln heren the wrd bihinde the bac of the monestere; This the weie, goth in it, nouther to the riȝt ne to the lyft. And thou shalt al to-foule the plates of the grauen thing of thi siluer, and the clothing of thi ȝoten gold; and thou shalt distroȝe them, as the vnclennesse of the blod flux of wymmen; Go out, and thou shalt sey to it. And ther shal be ȝoue reyn to thi sed, wher euere thou shalt sowe in the erthe, and the bred of the frutus of the erthe shal be most plenteuous and fatt; ther shul be fed in thi possessioun in that day the lomb spaciously, or largly. And thi bolis and thin asse coltes, that werken the erthe, mengd barly thei shul ete, as in the cornflor it is wynewid. And ther shul be vp on alle heeȝ mounteyn, and vp on alle rered hil, ryueres of rennende watris, and in the dai of slaȝtir of manye, whan shul falle toures. And the liȝt of the moone shal be as the liȝt of the sunne, and the liȝt of the sunne shal be seuene fold, as the liȝt of seuene daȝes, in the dai that the Lord shal bynde the wounde of his puple, and the smyting of his wounde shal helen. Lo! the name of the Lord cam fro afer; his wodnesse brennende and heuy to bern; his lippis ben fulfild with indignacioun, and his tunge as fyr deuourende. His spirit as a swift strem, flowende vnto the myddel of the hyl, to be lost Jentiles in to noȝt, and the bridil of errour, that was in the chekes of puples. A song shal be to ȝou, as the vois of the halewid solempnete; and the gladnesse of herte, as he that goth with a trumpe, that he entre in to the hil of the Lord, to the stronge of Irael. And herd the Lord shal make the glorie of his vois, and the ferd of his arm he shal shewe in threting of wodnesse, and in flaume of fyr deuourende; he shal hurtle in whirlewind, and in the ston of hail. Fro the vois forsothe of the Lord shal dreden Assur smyte with a ȝerde; and the passing of the ȝerde shal be founded, that the Lord shal make to resten vp on hym. In tymbris, and harpis, and in cheef batailis he shal ouercome them. Greithid is forsothe fro ȝistai Tofeth, fro the kyng greithid; his nurshemens deep and spred, fyr and myche wode; the blast of the Lord as a strem of brunston vp brennende it.
Wo! that gon doun in to Egipt to helpe, in hors hopende, and hauende trost vpon foure horsid carres, for thei ben manye, and vp on hors men, for bifor stalwrthe thei ben ful myche; and thei han not trosted vp on the hoely of Irael, and the Lord thei han not out soȝt. He forsothe wijs, broȝte to euel, and his wrdis he toc not awey; and he shal rise aȝen the hous of the werste men, and aȝen the helpe of men wirkende wickidnesse. Egipt a man, and not God; and his hors flesh, and not spirit; and the Lord shal boowen his hond, and togidere falle shal the helpere, and falle shal he, to whom men ȝyueth helpe, and alle togidere shul be wastid. For these thingus seith the Lord to me, What maner if a leoun rore, and the whelp of a leoun vp on his prey, whan aȝen cometh to hym the multitude of shepperdus, fro the vois of hem he shal not drede, and of the multitude of hem he shal not inwardly ben aferd; so shal come doun the Lord of ostus, that he fiȝte vp on the mount of Sion, and vp on his hilles. As briddes fleende, so defende shal the Lord of ostus Jerusalem; defendende and delyuerende, passende and sauende. Beth conuertid, as in to depthe wenten awei, ȝee sonus of Irael. In that dai forsothe casten awey shal a man the maumetes of hys siluer, and the maumetes of his gold, that maden to ȝou ȝoure hondus in to synne. And falle shal Assur in swerd, not of a man, and the swerd, not of a man, shal deuoure hym; and he shal flee, not fro the face of the swerd, and his ȝunge men shul be tributaries; and his strengthe of the ferd shal passe, and inwardly dreden shul his princes fleende. The Lord seide, whos fyr is in Syon, and hys chymne in Jerusalem.
Lo! in riȝtwisnesse regne shal a king, and princes in dom shul beforn ben. And a man shal be, as that is hid fro the wynd, and coouereth hymself fro tempest; as ryueres of watris in thrist, and shadewe of the ston ouerstondende in the desert lond. Daswen shul not the eȝen of men seende, and the eres of men herende bisily shul herknen; and the herte of fooles shal vnderstonde kunnyng, and the tunge of bufferes swiftli shal speke, and pleynly. Ther shal no more be clepid he that is vnwis a prince, ne the gylere shal be clepid a meyr. The fool forsothe fool thingus shal speke, and his herte shal do wickidnesse, that he fulfille feynyng, and speke to the Lord gilendely; and voide he shal make the soule of the hungrere, and drinc to the thristere he shal don awei. Of the gilere werst vesseles ben; he forsothe thoȝtus dide, to be lost mylde men in wrd of lesing, whan the pore shulde speke dom. A prince forsothe thoe thingus that ben wrthi a prince shal thenke, and he vp on dukes shal stonde. Ȝee plenteuous wymmen, riseth, and hereth my voys; ȝee trostende doȝtris, parceyueth with eres my speche. Aftir daȝes forsothe and a ȝer, and ȝee shul be disturbid trostende; full endid is forsothe the vyndage, gedering togidere no more shal come. Stoneȝeth, ȝee plenteuous wymmen, and beth disturbid, ȝee trostende; vnclothe ȝou, and beth confoundid; girdeth ȝoure leendus; vp on the tetes weileth, vp on the desirable regioun, vp on the plenteuous vyneȝerd. Vpon the loewe erthe of my puple thornes and brieres schul steȝen vp; hou myche more vp on alle the houses of ioȝe of the cite ful out ioȝende? The hous forsothe is left, the multitude of the huge cite is forsake; dercnesses and groping ben mad vp on the dennes, vnto with oute ende. The ioȝe of feeld asses, the leswe of flockes; to the tyme that be held out vp on us the spirit fro an heiȝ, and ther shal be desert in Chermel, and Chermel in to wilde wod shal ben holde. And ther shal dwelle in wildernesse dom, and riȝtwisnesse in Chermel shal sitte; and ther shal be the werk of riȝtwisnesse pes, and the heriyng of riȝtwisnesse scilence and sikirnesse, vnto euermore. And sitte shal my puple in fayrnes of pes, and in tabernacles of trost, and in reste plenteuous. Hail forsothe in the goyng doun of the wilde wode, and bi meknesse shal be mekid the cite. Blisful ȝee, that sowen vp on alle watris, puttende in the foot of the oxe and of the asse.
Wo! thou that robbest; whether and thi self shalt not be robbid? and thou that dispisist, whethir and thiself shalt not be dispised? Whan thou shalt han ful endid robbing, thou shalt be robbid; whan weeried thou lefest to dispise, thou shalt be dispisid. Lord, haue merci of vs, thee forsothe wee han abide; be thou oure arm in erly, and oure helthe in tyme of tribulacioun. Fro the vois of the aungil floun puples; of thin enhauncing scatered ben Jentiles. And gederede togidere shul be ȝoure spoiles, as is gedered brush, as whan the diches fulle shul be of it. Magnefied is the Lord, for he dwelte in heiȝ, he fulfild Sion with dom and riȝtwisnesse. And feith shal ben in thi tymes; richesses of helthe, wisdam and kunnyng; the drede of the Lord, it the tresor of hym. Lo! the seeres shul crien withouteforth, the aungeles of pes bitterli shul wepe. Scatered ben the weies, ceside the passid bi the sty; voyde mad is the couenaunt, he caste awei the cites, he heeld of no pris not men. Weilede, and languysshede the lond; confoundid is Liban, and becam doumb; and mad is Saron as desert, and smyte togidere is Basan, and Carmel. Now I shal rise, seith the Lord, now I shal ben enhauncid, now I shal ben vp rered. Ȝee shul conseyue brennyng, ȝee shul bern stobil; ȝoure spirit as fyr shal deuoure ȝou. And ben shul puples as of the brennyng askes; thornes gedered togidere in fyr shul be brent. Hereth, ȝee that ben aferr, what I haue do; and knowith, ȝee neȝhebores, my strengthe. Al to-brosid ben in Sion synneres, tremblyng weldede ipocrites; who shal moun dwelle of ȝou with fyr deuourende? who shal dwelle of ȝou with euere durende brennyngus? That goth in riȝtwisnesses, and speketh treuthe; that throwith awei coueitise of wrong chaleng, and shaketh out his hondis fro alle ȝifte; that stoppith his eres, lest he here blod, and closith his eȝen, lest he see euel. This in heiȝtus shal dwelle, the strengthys of huge stones his heȝte; bred to hym is ȝoue, his watris ben feithful. The king in his fairnesse seen shuln his eȝen; biholden schul the lond fro afer. Thin herte sweteli shal thenke drede; wher is the lettrid? Wher is the wrdus of the lawe chargende? wher is the doctour of litil childer? Vnprudent puple he shal not see, puple of heiȝ sermoun, so that thou mowe not vnderstonde the sleeynesse of his tunge, in whiche is no wisdam. Bihold Sion, the cite of oure solempnete; thin eȝen shul see Jerusalem, a plenteuous cite, a tabernacle that shal not moun ben ouerborn, ne his nailis shul ben take awei in to euermor; and alle his litil cordes shul not be to-broken. For onli there the grete doyng, Lord oure God; the place of flodes ryueres most brod and opene; ther entride not bi it the ship of roweres, ne the grete ship of thre stagis shal not ouergon it. The Lord forsothe oure domes man, the Lord oure lawe ȝyuere, the Lord oure king; he shal come, and sauen us. Slakid ben thi litil cordes, but thei shul not han the maistri; so shal be thi mast, that thou mow not sprede abrod a tocne. Thanne shul be deuydid spoiles of many preyes, halte men shul take awey raueyn. Ne the neȝhebore shal sey, I languyshede; the puple that dwellede in it, ther shal be don awei fro hym wickenesse.
Neȝheth, ȝee Jentiles, and hereth; taketh heed, ȝee puples; here the lond, and his fulnesse, the world, and al his buriownyng. For the indignacioun of the Lord vp on alle Jentiles, and wodnesse vp on al the chyualrie of hem; he sloȝ hem, and ȝaf them in to slaȝter. The slayne of hem shul be throwe afer, and of the careynes of hem shal steȝen vp stinc; whlaten shul mounteynes of the blod of hem. And wlate shal al the knyȝthed of heuenes, and heuenes shulen be foldid togidere as a boc, and al the knyȝthed of hem shal fade, as fadeth awey a lef of the vyne and of the fige tree. For inwardli drunken is in heuene my swerd; lo! vp on Ydume it shal come doun, and vp on the puple of my sleyng, to dom. The swerd of the Lord fulfild is of blod, innerly fattid it is with talȝ of blod of lombis and of get, of the blod of merewi wetheres; forsothe victorie sacrifises of the Lord in Bosra, and gret slaȝter in the lond of Edom. And doun shul come vnycornes with hem, and booles with the myȝty; inwardli drunken shal be the lond of hem with blod, and the loewe erthe of hem with talȝ of fatte thingis; for the dai of the veniaunce of the Lord, ȝer of ȝeelding of the dom of Sion. And turned shuln ben his stremes in to pich, and his loewȝ erthe in to brunston; and his erthe shal be in to brennende pich, nyȝt and day. It shal not be queynt in to euermor, his smoke shal steȝen vp fro ieneracioun in to ieneracioun, and desolat shal be in to worldus of worldis; ther shal not ben a passere thurȝ it. And welden shul it the foul in face lic an asse, and the irchoun; and the snyte, and the crowe dwelle shul in it; and straȝt out vp on it shal ben a mesure, that it be broȝt to noȝt, and a lyne euene doun piȝt in to desolacioun. His noble men shul not be there; the king more thei shul inwardly clepen, and ben shuln alle his princes in to noȝt. And ther shul springe in his houses thornes and netles, and tasil in the strengthis of it; and it shal be the bed place of dragownes, and the leswe of ostriches. And aȝen come shul deueles, the beste party an asse and a party a man, and the wodewose; the tothir shal crie to the tother. There shal lyn lamya, that is, a thirs, or a beste hauende the bodi lic a womman and horse feet; and he fyndeth to himself reste; there hadde diches the yrchoun, and nurshede out litle chittes, and aboute dalf, and nurshede in his shadewe; there ben gedered kites, the tother to the tother. Secheth besily in the boc of the Lord, and redeth; oon of hem failyde not, the tother at the tother soȝte not; for that of my mouth ȝide forth, he comaundide, and his spirit he gederede tho thingus. And he sente to them lot, and his hond deuydede it to them in to mesure; vnto euermore thei shul welden it, in ieneracioun and ieneracioun thei shul dwellen it.
Gladen shal desert, and the with oute weie, and ful out shal ioȝen the wildernesse, and flouren as a lilie. Buriownynge it shal burioune, and ful out ioȝen, ioȝeful and preising. The glorie of Liban is ȝoue to it, the fairnesse of Carmel and of Saron; thei shul see the glorie of the Lord, and the fairnesse of oure God. Coumforteth the hondes loosid atwynne, and the feble knees strengtheth. Seith, Ȝee of litil corage, taketh coumfort, and wileth not dreden; lo! oure God veniaunce of ȝelding shal bringe, God he shal come, and sauen vs. Thanne shul ben opened the eȝen of blynde men, and eres of deue men shul ben opened. Thanne shal lepe as an hert the halte, and opened shal be the tunge of doumbe men; for kut ben in desert watris, and stremes in wildernesse. And that was drie in to a pond, and the thristende in to welles of watris. In the couches, in the whiche biforn dwelten dragounes, shal springe the grenenesse of the reed, and of the resshe. And it shal be there in the sty, and in the weie, and an hoely weie it shal be clepid, passe shal not bi it a defoulid; and this shal be to you a straȝt riȝt weie, so that foolys erre not by it. Ther shal not be there a leoun, and euel beste shal not steȝen vp bi it, ne be founden there. And gon shul thei that shul ben delyuered; and the boȝt of the Lord shul be conuertid, and comen in to Sion with preising; and euere durende gladnesse vp on the hed of hem; ioȝe and gladnesse thei shul welde, and flee shal sorewe and weiling.
And don it is in the fourtenthe ȝer of king Ezechie, steȝede vp Senacherib, king of Assiries, vp on alle the strengthid cites of Juda, and toc hem. And the king of Assiries sente Rapsacen fro Laches in to Jerusalem, to king Ezechie, in an heuy hond; and stod in the water kundute of the ouere pond, in the weie of the fulleris feeld. And wente oute to hym Elyachym, sone of Elchie, that was vpon the hous, and Sobna, scribe, and Joae, the sone of Asaf, chaunceler. And Rapsaces seide to them, Seith to Ezechie, These thingus seith the grete king, king of Assiries, What is this trist, that thou trostest? or of counseil or strengthe to rebellen thou disposist? vp on whom hast thou trost, for thou hast gon awei fro me? Lo! thou trostist vp on this staf of reed to-broken, vp on Egipt, to whom if a man shul lene, it shal go in to his hond, and therlen it; so Farao, king of Egipt, to alle men that trosten in hym. That if thou answere to me, In the Lord oure God wee trosten; whether not he is, whos heȝe thyngus and auteres toc awei Ezechie, and seyde to Jude and to Jerusalem, Beforn this auter ȝee shul honoure? And now tac thee to my lord, the king of Assiries, and I shal ȝyue to thee two thousend hors, and thou shalt not moun ȝyuen of thee steȝeres vp of hem. And what maner sustene shal the face of a domes man of o place of the lasse seruauns of my lord? That if thou troste in Egipt, and in the foure horsid carre, and in the horse men; and now whether withoute the Lord I steȝede vp to this lond, that I shulde destroȝe it? The Lord seide to me, Steȝe vp vp on this lond, and destroȝe it. And Eleachym seide, and Sobna, and Joae, to Rapsacen, Spec to thi seruauntis in Sirie tunge, wee vnderstonden forsothe; ne speke thou to vs Jewly, in the eres of the puple, that is vp on the wal. And seide to them Rapsaces, Whether to thi lord and to thee sente me my lord, that I schuld speke alle these wrdys, and not more to the men that sytten in the wal, that thei ete ther toordes, and drinke ther vryne of their feet with ȝou? And Rapsaces stod, and criede with a gret vois Jeuly, and seide, Hereth the wrdes of the grete king, king of Assiries. These thyngus seith the king, Bigile not ȝou Esechie, for he shal not moun delyueren ȝou out; and not to ȝou trost ȝyue Ezechie vp on the Lord, seiende, Delyuerende the Lord shal delyueren vs; shal not be ȝoue this cite in the hond of the king of Assiries. Wileth not heren Ezechie. These thingus forsothe seith the king of Assiries, Doth with me blessyng, and goth out to me; and eteth eche his vyne, and eche his fige tree, and drinketh eche the water of his cisterne, to the tyme that I come, and take ȝou awei to the lond that is as ȝoure lond; lond of whete and of wyn, lond of loefes and of vynes. Ne disturbe ȝou Ezechie, seiende, The Lord shal delyuere vs. Whether delyuereden the godes of Jentiles eche his lond fro the hond of the king of Assiries? Wher is the god of Emath, and of Arfath? Wher is the god of Sefaruaym? Whether thei deliuereden Samarie fro myn hond? Who is of alle the godes of these londis that delyuerede his lond fro myn hond, that the Lord delyuere Jerusalem fro myn hond? And thei heelden ther pes, and answerden not to hym a wrd. Forsothe the king hadde comaundid to them, seiende, Ne answere ȝee to hym. And wente in Elyachym, the sone of Elchie, that was vp on the hous, and Sobna, scribe, and Joae, sone of Asaf, chaunceler, to Esechie, kut the clothis, and tolden to hym the wrdes of Rapsaes.
And it is do, whan hadde herd king Ezechie, he kutte his clothis, and wrappid is with a sac, and wente in to the hous of the Lord. And he sente Eleachym, that was vp on the hous, and Sobnam, scribe, and the elderes of the preestus, coouered with sackus, to Isaie, the sone of Amos, profete. And thei seiden to hym, These thingus seith Ezechie, The dai of tribulacioun, and of anguysh, and of correccioun, and of blasfemye, this day; for ther camen sones to the berthe, and vertue was not of bering. If any maner here the Lord thi God the wrdus of Rapsaces, whom sente the king of Assiries, his lord, to blasfemen the God lyuende, and to repreue with wrdis, whiche herde the Lord thi God, rere vp thanne orisoun for the relikes that ben founde. And ther camen seruauns of king Esechie to Isaie; and Isaie seide to them, These thingus ȝee shul seyn to ȝoure lord, These thingus seith the Lord, Ne drede thou of the face of the wrdus that thou hast herd, with whiche blasfemeden the childer of the king of Assiries me. Lo! I shal ȝyue to hym a spirit, and he shal heren a messager; and he shal be turned aȝeen to his lond, and to fallen I shal maken hym with swerd in his lond. Rapsaces forsothe is turned aȝeen, and he fond the king of Assiries fiȝtende aȝen Lobnam; forsothe he hadde herd, for he was go fro Lachis. And he herde of Theracha, king of Ethiope, seiende, He wente out, that he fiȝte aȝen thee. The whiche thing whan he hadde herd, he sente messageres to Esechie, seiende, These thingus ȝee shul sey to Esechie, king of Jude, spekende, Not thee disceyue thi God, in whiche thou trostest, seiende, Jerusalem shal not be ȝyue in the hond of the king of Assiries. Lo! thou hast herd what dide alle the kingus of Assiries to alle londes that thei turneden vpso doun; and shalt thou moun be delyuered? Whether delyuereden hem the godis of Jentiles, whom turneden vpso doun my fadris; Gosam, and Aran, and Resef, and the sones Eden, that weren in Thalasar? Wher is the king of Emath, and the king of Arfath, and the king of the huge cite Cefaruaym, and Ana, and Aua? And Esechie toc the bokes of the hond of the messager, and radde them; and he steȝede vp in to the hous of the Lord, and spredde out hem bifor the Lord; and preȝede the Lord, seiende, Lord of ostes, God of Irael, that sittist vp on cherubyn, thou art God alone of alle the reumes of erthe; thou madist heuene and erthe. Boowe doun, Lord, thin ere, and here; opene thin eȝen, Lord, and see; and here alle the wrdus of Senacherub, that he sente to blasfemen God lyuende. Verely forsothe, Lord, desert maden the kingis of Assiries londus, and the regiouns of them, and ȝeuen the goddis of hem to fyr; forsothe thei weren not goddus, but werc of the hondus of men, tree and stonus; and thei to-mynushten hem. And now, Lord oure God, saue vs fro the hond of hym; and knowen alle the reumes of erthe, for thou art Lord God alone. And Isaie, the sone of Amos, sente to Esechie, seiende, These thingus seith the Lord God of Irael, For the whiche thou preȝedest me of Senacherub, king of Assiries, this is the wrd that the Lord spac vp on hym, He dispiside thee, he vndermouwede thee, thou maiden doȝtir of Sion; aftir thee the hed he mouede, thou maide doȝter of Jerusalem. To whom hast thou repreued, and whom hast thou blasfemed? and vp on whom hast thou rered thi vois, and hast rered the heiȝte of thin eȝen? To the hoeli of Irael. In the hond of thi seruauns thou hast repreued to the Lord, and seidist, In the multitude of my foure horsed carres I steȝede vp the heiȝtus of mounteynes, ȝokes of Liban; and I shal tohewen the heȝe thingus of his cedris, and the chosene firres of it; and I shal go in to the heiȝte of his cop, the wilde wode of the Carmel of it. I dalf, and drank the water of it; and I driede with the step of my foot alle the ryueres of the waterhepes. Whether thou hast not herd what thingus sum tyme I dide to hym? Of olde daȝes I foormede it, and now I haue broȝt to; and it is do in to the drawing out bi the roote of hilles togidere fiȝtende, and of strengthid cites. The dwelleris of them with an hond shortid togidere trembleden, and ben confoundid; thei ben mad as hei of the feld, and corn of the leswe, and erbe of rooues, that out driede er it wex ryp. Thi dwelling, and thin entre, and thi going out Y knew, and thi wodnesse aȝen me. Whan thou were wod aȝen me, thi pride steȝede vp in to myn eres; I shal putte thanne a cercle in thi nose thirles, and a bridil in thi lippis; and I shal bringe aȝeen thee in to the weie, bi the whiche thou came. To thee forsothe this shall ben a tocne; et this ȝer that freeli ben sprunge, and in the secunde ȝer et appelis; in the thridde forsothe ȝer soweth, and repith, and plaunteth vynes, and eteth the frut of hem. And he shall putte it, that were saued of the hous of Juda, and that is laft setten the roote benethe, and shal make frute aboue; for fro Jerusalem shul gon out relikes, and saluacioun fro the mount of Sion; the inward loue of the Lord of ostes shal do this. Therfore these thinges seith the Lord, of the king of Assiries, He shal not go in to this cite, and he shal not throwe there an arwe; and ther shal not ocupie it a sheld, and he shal not putte in his enuyroun an hep of erthe. In the weie that he cam, bi it he shal be turned aȝeen; and this cite he shal not gon in, seith the Lord. And I shal defende this cite, that I saue it, for me, and for Dauid, my seruaunt. Wente out forsothe the aungil of the Lord, and smot in the tentus of Assiries an hundrid and fyue and eiȝteti thousend; and thei risen erli, and lo! alle the careynes of the deade men. And he wente out, and ȝide awei. And turned aȝeen is Senacherub, king of Assiries, and dwelte in Nynyue. And don is, whan he shulde honoure in the temple of Mesrach, his god, Aramalech and Sarazer, his sones, smyten hym with swerd, and floun in to the lond of Ararath; and regnede for hym Asaradon, his sone.
In tho daȝes sicnede Ezechie vnto the deth; and wente in to hym Isaie, the soun of Amos, the profete, and seide to hym, These thingus seith the Lord, Dispose to thin house, for die shalt thou, and not lyuen. And Ezechie turnede his face to the wal, and honourede the Lord, and seide, I ynwardli preȝe, Lord; haue mynde, I beseche, what maner I ȝide bifor thee in treuthe, and in parfit herte, and that is good in thin eȝen, I dide. And Ezechie wepte with gret weping. And don is the wrd of the Lord to Isaie, seiende, Go, and sei to Ezechye, These thingus seith the Lord God of Dauid, thi fader, I haue herd thin orisoun, and seen thi teres. Lo! I shal ley to vp on thi daȝes fiftene ȝer; and fro the hond of the king of Assiries I shal delyuere thee and this cite, and I shal defenden it. This forsothe to thee shal ben a tocne fro the Lord, for the Lord shal do this wrd that he spac. Loo! I shal make to turne aȝeen the shadewe of lynes, bi the whiche it hadde go doun in the oriloge of Acath, in the sunne, bacward by ten lynes. And the sunne is turned aȝeen bi ten lynes, bi the grees that it hadde go doun. The scripture of Ezechie, king of Juda, whan he hadde be syc, and hadde couered of his sycnesse. I seide, in the myddel of my daȝes I shal go to the ȝates of helle. I soȝte the residue of my ȝeres; I seide, I shal not see the Lord God in the lond of lyueres; I shal not biholde a man more ouer, and a dwellere of reste. My ieneracioun is taken awei, and al folden vp fro me, as a tabernacle of shepherdes. Kut of is as of a weuere my lif; whil ȝit I weuede, he under kutte me. Fro erli vnto euen thou shalt ende me; I hopede vnto the moru; as a leoun, so he to-brosede alle my bones. Fro erli vn to euen thou shalt ende me; as the brid of a swalewe, so I shal crien; sweteli I shal thenke as a culuer. Al to-feblid ben myn eȝen, biholdende vp in heiȝte. Lord, fors I suffre, answere thou for me; what shal I sey, or what shal answere to me, whan I myself haue do? I shal eft thenke to thee alle my ȝeres, in the bitternesse of my soule. Lord, if thus it is lyued, and in suche thingus the lif of my spirit, thou shalt chastise me, and quykene me; lo! in pes my bitternesse most bitter. Thou forsothe hast deliuered out my soule, that it shulde not pershe; thou hast throwe aferr bihinde thi bac alle my synnus. For helle shal not knouleche to thee, nor deth shal preise thee; and thei shul not abyden thi treuthe, that gon doun in to the lake. Lyuende, lyuende, he shal knouleche to thee, as and I to dai; the fader to the sonus knowe shal make thi treuthe. Lord, mac me saf, and oure salmes wee shal singe alle the daȝes of oure lif in the hous of the Lord. And Isaie comaundide, that thei shulden taken an hep of fyges, and thei shulde make an enplastre vp on the wounde; and he shulde ben hoel. And Ezechye seide, What shal be the tocne, for I shal steȝe vp in to the hous of the Lord?
In that tyme sente Marodoch Baladan, the sone of Baladan, the king of Babiloyne, lettris and ȝiftes to Ezechie; forsothe he hadde herd, that he hade be syc, and was coouered. Forsothe Ezechie gladede vp on tho thingus, and he shewede to them the selle of spices, and of siluer, and of gold, and of swote thingus, and of the beste oynement, and al the cofres of his necessarie thingus, and alle thingus that ben founde in his tresories; ther was not a wrd, that Ezechie shewede not to them in his hous, and in al his power. Forsothe Isaie, the profete, wente in to Ezechie, the king, and seide to hym, What seiden these men, and whennes camen thei to thee? And Ezechie seide, Fro a ferr lond thei camen to me, fro Babyloyne. And he seyde, What seȝen thei in thin hous? And Ezechie seide, Alle thingus that in myn hous ben, thei seȝen; ther was not a thing, that I shewede not to them in my tresories. And Isaie seide to Esechie, Here the wrd of the Lord of ostes. Lo! daȝes shul come, and alle thingus shul be don awei, that ben in thin hous, and that thi fadris han tresored vn to this dai, in to Babiloyne; ther shal not be laft any thing, seith the Lord. And of thi sonus, that shul gon out of thee, the whiche thou shalt gete, thei shul take awei; and thei shul be geldingus in the paleis of the king of Babiloyne. And Ezechie seide to Isaie, Good is the wrd of the Lord, that he spac. And he seide, Be ther do onli pes and treuthe in my daȝes.
Beth coumfortid, beth coumfortid, ȝee my puple, seith ȝoure God. Speketh to the herte of Jerusalem, and clepeth to it, for ful endid is his malice, forȝyuen is his wickidnesse; he toc of the hond of the Lord double thingus for alle his synnus. The vois of the criende in desert, Maketh redy the weie of the Lord, riȝt maketh in wildernesse the sties of oure God. Eche valei shal be enhaunced, and eche monteyn and hil shal be mekid; and ther shul be shreude thingus in to euene riȝt thingus, and sharpe thingus in to pleyne weies. And ther shal be opened the glorie of the Lord, and seen shal eche flesh togidere, that the mouth of the Lord spac. The vois of the Lord, seiende, Cry. And I seide, What shal I crien? Eche flesh hei, and al his glorie as the flower of the feld. Ful out dried is the hei, and the flour fel, for the spirit of the Lord bleȝ in it. Verely the hei is the puple; ful out dried is the hei, and the flour fel; the wrd forsothe of the Lord dwelleth in to withouten ende. Vp on an hiȝ hil steȝ vp, thou that euangelisist to Sion; enhaunce in strengthe thi vois, thou that euangelisist to Jerusalem; enhaunce, and wile thou not drede; sei to the cites of Jude, Lo! ȝoure God. Lo! the Lord God in strengthe shal come, and his arm shal lordshipen; lo! his meede with hym, and his werc biforn hym. As a shepperde shal feede his floc, in his arm he shal gedere the lombis, and in his bosum shal reren; the shep ful of frut he shal bern. Who mesurede with handful watris, and heuenes with the paume peisede? Who heeng vp with thre fingris the heuynesse of the erthe, and weȝede in peis the mounteynes, and the hilles in a ballaunce? Who helpede the Spirit of the Lord, or who his counseiler was, and shewede to hym? With whom wente he in counseil, and enformede hym, and taȝte hym the stiȝ of riȝtwisnesse, and lerede hym with kunnyng, and the weie of prudence shewede to hym? Lo! Jentiles as a drope of a boket, and as moment of a balaunce ben holden; lo! iles as litil pouder, and Liban shal not suffisen to brenne, and his bestus shuln not suffisen to brent sacrifice. Alle Jentiles as thei ben not, so thei ben bifor hym; and as noȝt and inwardli voide thei ben holden to hym. To whom thanne lic hast thou mad God? or what ymage shul ȝee putte to hym? Whether the grauen thing shal the smith ȝeete, or the craftis man with gold shall figure it, and with siluerene plates the siluer smyth? The stronge tree, and the vnable to roten ches the wise craftes man; he secheth what maner he sette the symulacre, that it moue not. Whether ȝee shul not wite? whether ȝee han not herd? whether not told to ȝou it is fro the bigynnyng? whether ȝee han not vnderstonde the foundemens of the erthe? That sitteth vp on the cumpas of the erthe, and his dwelleris ben as locustes; that streccheth out as noȝt heuenus, and spredeth abrod hem as tabernacle to indwelle. That ȝyueth the sercheres of priuytees, as thoȝ thei be not, the domes men of the erthe as voide he made. And forsothe ne plauntid, ne sowen, ne rootid in the erthe the stoc of hem, feerli he bleȝ in to them, and thei drieden, and a whirlewind as stubil shal take them awei. And to whom han ȝee licned me, and euened han me? seith the hoeli. Rereth vp in to heiȝ ȝoure eȝen, and seeth, who made of noȝt these thingus; that bringeth out in noumbre the knyȝthod of hem, and alle bi name he clepeth, for multitude of strengthe, and of stalwrthenesse, and of his vertue; ne oon was laft. Whi seist thou, Jacob, and spekest, Irael, Hid is my wey fro the Lord, and fro my God my dom passede? Whether wost thou not, or hast not herd, God euere durende? The Lord that foormede the termes of the erthe, he shal not faile, ne trauaile, ne ther is enserching of his wisdam. That ȝyueth to the weri vertue, and to them that ben not, strengthe and stalwrthenesse multeplieth. Failen shul childer, and trauailen, and ȝunge men in ther feblenesse fallen. Who forsothe hopen in the Lord, shul chaunge strengthe, take to federes as of an egle; rennen, and not trauailen; gon, and not faylen.
Bee stille to me, yles, and Jentyles strengthe chaunge thei; neȝhen, and thanne speke thei; togidere to dom nyȝ come wee. Who rerede fro the est the riȝtwis, clepede hym, that he shulde folewe hymself? He shal ȝyue in his siȝte Jentyles, and kingus he shal welde; he shal ȝyue as pouder to his swerd, as stubil with the wind raueshid to his bowe. He shal pursue hem, he shal passe in pes; the sty in his feet shal not apere. Who these thingus wroȝte and dide? clepende ieneraciouns fro the bigynnyng. I a Lord; first and the last I am. Iles seeȝen, and trembleden; the vtmostus of the erthe becamen stoneid, thei neȝheden, and wente to. Eche to his neȝhebore shal helpen, and to his brother seyn, Tac coumfort. Coumforten shal the metal smyth smytende hym with an hamer that forgede that tyme, seiende to the glyu, It is good; and he coumfortide hym with nailes, that it shulde not be moued. And thou, Irael, my seruaunt, Jacob, whom I ches, the sed of Abraham, my frend, in whom I toc thee fro the vtmostes of the erthe, and fro his ferre coestes I clepede thee, and seide to thee, My seruaunt thou art; I ches thee, and I caste not awei thee. Ne drede thou, for I am with thee; ne bowe thou doun, for I thi God. I haue coumfortid thee, and holpen thee; and vndertoc thee the riȝthond of my riȝtwis. Lo! shul be confoundid, and shamen alle that fiȝten aȝen thee; thei shul be as thoȝ thei be not, and pershe shul the men, that aȝenseyn to thee. Thou shalt sechen hem, and not finden; thi rebel men thei shul ben, as thoȝ thei ben not, and as the wasting of a man fiȝtende aȝen thee. For I the Lord thi God, takende thin hond, and seiende to thee, Ne drede thou, for I haue holpen thee. Wile thou not drede, thou werm of Jacob, that dead ȝee ben of Irael. I haue holpen thee, seith the Lord, and thin aȝeen biere, the hoeli of Irael. I haue set thee as a newe wayn thresshende, hauende pikede poeles sawende; thou shalt thresshe mounteynes, and to-mynushen, and putten as pouder hillis. Thou shalt wynewe them, and the wind shal take awei, and the whirlewind shal scatere them; and thou ful out shalt ioȝen in the Lord, and in the hoeli of Irael shalt glade. Nedi and pore men shul seche watris, and ther ben not; the tunge of them with thrist driede. I the Lord shal out heren hem, I God of Irael shal not forsake them. I shal opene in heȝe hillis flodys, and in the myddel of feeldis welles; I shall sette desert in to pondis of watris, and the lond withoute weie in to riueres of watris. I shal ȝyue in wildernesse ceder, and thorne, and myrt tree, and oliue tree; I shal sette in desert fyrr tree, and vlm tree, and box togidere. That thei see, and wite, and bethenke, and vnderstonde togidere; for the hond of the Lord dide this, and the hoeli of Irael foormede it. Nyȝ doth ȝoure dom, seith the Lord; bringeth to, if any thing parauenture ȝee han, seith the king of Jacob. Come thei nyȝ, and telle thei to vs, what euer thingus ben to come; the rathere thingus that weren, tellith, and wee shul putte oure herte, and wite; the laste thingis of hem, and that ben to come, shewith to vs. Telleth that ben to come in to tyme to come, and wee shul wite, for goddis ȝee ben; well also or euele, if ȝee moun, doth; and speke wee, and see wee togidere. Lo! ȝee ben of noȝt, and ȝour werc of that thyng that is not; abhominacioun he is, that ches ȝou. I rerede fro the north, and he shal come from the rising vp of the sunne; clepe he shal my name. He shal bringe to the cheef maistris as clei, and as a daubere, or a potter, totredende the lowe erthe. Who tolde fro the bigynnyng, that wee witen, and fro the begynnyng, that wee sey, Thou art riȝtwis? ther is not a tellere, ne a biforn seiere, ne herere ȝoure wrdis. The firste to Sion shal sei, Lo! I am nyȝ; and to Jerusalem an euangelist I shal ȝyue. And I saȝ, and ther was not of these any man that ȝide in counseil, and askid answerde a wrd. Lo! alle vnriȝtwise, and veyne the werkes of hem; wynde, and with ynne voide the symulacris of them.
Lo! my seruaunt, I shal vndertaken hym, my chosen, al plesede to hym in hym my soule. I ȝaf my spirit vp on hym, dom to Jentiles he shal bringe forth. He shal not crien, ne take persone, ne shal ben herd his voys withouteforth. A reed brosid he shal not to-trede, and flax smokende he shal not quenchen; in treuthe he shal bringe out dom. He shal not be dreri, ne trublid, to the tyme he pute in the erthe dom, and his lawe iles shul abiden. These thingus seith the Lord God, formende heuenes, and strecchende out hem, fastnende erthe, and that buriounen of it, ȝyuende breth to the puple, that is vpon it, and spirit to men tredende it. I the Lord clepede thee in riȝtwisnesse, and toc thin hond, and kepte thee, and ȝaf thee in to couenaunt of the puple, in to liȝt of Jentiles. That thou shuldist opene the eȝen of blynde men; that thou shuldyst bringe out fro closing the bounde, fro the hous of prisoun the sitteres in dercnesse. I a Lord, this is my name; my glorie to an other I shall not ȝyue, and my preising to grauen thingus. That first weren, lo! ben comen, newe thingus also I telle; er thei ben sprunge, herd I shal maken to ȝou. Syngeth to the Lord a newe song; his preising fro the vtmostes of the erthe; ȝee that gon doun in to the se, and the plente of it, iles, and the dwelleres of hem. Be rered vp the desert, and the cites of it; in his houses shal dwelle Cedar; preiseth, ȝee dwelleris of the ston; fro the top of mounteynes thei shul crien. Thei shul sette to the Lord glorie, and his preising in iles thei shul telle. The Lord as strong shal gon out, as a man fiȝtere he shal reren enuye; he shal crien out, and crien; vp on his enemys he shal be coumforted. Y heeld my pes, euermor I was stille; patient I was, as the trauailende with child I shal speke; I shal scateren, and soupen awei togidere. Desert I shal make hiȝe mounteynes and hillys, and alle the buriounyng of hem I shal out drien; and I shal sette flodis in to iles, and pondis I shal make drie. And I shal bringe out blynde men in to the weie, that thei knowe not, and in the sties that thei vnknowen, hem to gon I shal make; I shal putte the derknesses of hem beforn hem in to liȝt, and shreude thingis in to euene riȝt; these wrdus I dide to them, and I forsoc not hem. Turned thei ben bacward; be thei confoundid with confusioun, that trosten in grauen thing; that seyn to the ȝoten thing, Ȝee oure goddis. Ȝee deue men, hereth; and ȝee blinde, biholdeth to seen. Who blinde, but my seruaunt? and def, but to whom my messageres I sente? Who blind, but he that is sold? who blind, but the seruaunt of the Lord? That seest many thingus, whether thou shalt not kepe? That opened hast the eres, whether thou shalt not here? And the Lord wolde, that he shulde halewen hym, and magnefie the lawe, and enhauncen. He forsothe a puple drawen awei, and wasted; a grene of ȝunge men alle togidere, and in houses of prisouns thei ben hid. Thei ben maad in to raueyn, and ther is not that delyuere; in to taking awei, and ther is not that seie, Ȝeeld. Who is in ȝou, that here this, take heed, and herkne thingus to come? Who ȝaf Jacob in to pulling awei, and Irael to wasteres? Whether not the Lord? He is, to whom thei synneden; and thei wolden not in his weies gon, thei herden not his lawe. And he helde out vp on it the indignacioun of his wodnesse, and strong bataile; and he to-brende it in cumpas, and it kneȝ not; he tende it vp, and it vndirstod not.
And now these thingus seith the Lord God, shapende thee, Jacob, and foormende thee, Irael, Wile thou not drede, for I haue aȝeenboȝt thee, and I clepede thee bi thi name; my seruaunt thou art. Whan thou shalt passe by watris, with thee I shal be, and flodus shul not couere thee; whan thou shalt go in fyr, thou shalt not be brent, and flaume shal not brenne in thee. For I the Lord thi God, hoeli of Irael, thi saueour. I ȝaf thin helping Egipt; and Etheope and Saba for thee. Sithen wrshepeful thou art mad in myn eȝen, and glorious; I louede thee, and I shall ȝyue men for thee, and puples for thi soule. Wile thou not drede, for I am with thee; fro the est I shal bringe to thi sed, and fro the west I shal togidere gedere thee. I shal sei to the north, Ȝif, and to the south, Wile thou not forfende; bring to my sones fro aferr, and my doȝtris fro the vtmostus of the erthe. And eche that inwardli clepeth my name, in to my glorie I shop hym, foormede hym, and maad hym. Bring outforth the blinde puple, and the hauende eȝen; def, and eres ben to hym. Alle Jentilis ben gedered togidere, and gedered ben lynagus. Who in ȝou shal telle this, and that first thingus ben to here ȝou shal make? ȝiue thei the witnesses of hem, and be thei iustefied, and heren, and sei thei. Vereli ȝee my witnesses, seith the Lord, and my seruaunt, whom I ches; that ȝee wite, and leeuen to me, and vnderstonde, for I the selue am; biforn me is not foormed God, and aftir me shal not be. I am, I am the Lord, and ther is not withoute me a saueour. I tolde, and sauede; herd I made, and ther was not in ȝou an alien. Ȝee my witnesses, seith the Lord; and I God fro the bigynnyng, I the selue, and ther ys not that of myn hond delyuere; I shal werchen, and who shal turnen awei it? These thingus seith the Lord, ȝoure aȝeenbiere, hoeli of Irael, For ȝou I sente out in to Babilone, and to-droȝ alle the barres, and the Caldeis in ther hondis gloriende. I the Lord, ȝoure hoeli, shapere of Irael, ȝoure king. These thingus seith the Lord, that ȝaf in the see a weie, and in watris swiftli rennende a sty; that broȝte out the foure horsid carre, and the hors, the cumpany, and the stalwrthe; togidere thei aboute slepten, and shul not rise; thei ben to-treden as flax, and ben ful out queynt. Ne han ȝee mynde of the rathere, and olde thingis ne beholde ȝee. Lo! I do newe thingus, and now shul springe; also ȝee shul knowe them. I shal putte in desert a weie, and in the withoute weye flodus. And glorifien me shal the beste of the feeld, dragounus, and ostricches; for I ȝaf in desert watris, and flodis in the withoute weie, that I ȝyue drinc to my puple, my chosene. This puple I foormede to me, my preising it shal telle. Not me thou inwardly clepedist, Jacob; ne trauailedest in me, Irael. Thou offeredist not to me the wether of thi brent sacrifise, and in thi victorie sacrifises thou glorefiedest not me. Not thee to seruen I made in offring, ne trauaile I ȝaf in cens. Thou boȝtest not to me with siluer a reed, and with the talȝ of thi victorie sacrifises thou inwardly drunkedest not me; nerthelatere to serue me thou madest in thi synnes, thou ȝeue to me trauaile in thi wickidnesses. I am, I am he, that do awei thi wickidnesse for me, and of thi synnes I shal not recorde. Bring me in to thi mynde, and be wee demed togidere; tel, if any thing thou hast, that thou be iustefied. Thi firste fader synnede, and thi remenoures breeken the lawe aȝen me. And I defoulede hoeli princes, I ȝaf to slaȝter Jacob, and Israel in to blasfemye.
And now here thou, Jacob, my seruaunt, and Irael, whom I ches. These thingus seith the Lord, makende and foormende thee fro the woombe, thin helpere, Wile thou not drede, my seruaunt Jacob, and thou most riȝt, whom I ches. I shal heelden out forsothe watris vp on the threstende, and flowingus vp on the drie; I shall heelden out my spirit vp on thi sed, and my blessing vp on thi stoc. And buriowne thei shuln among erbes, as withies, or salewis, bisyde the syde flowende watris. This shal seyn, Of the Lord I am, and he shal inwardly clepen in the name of Jacob; and this shal write with his hond to the Lord, and in the name of Irael he shal be licned to. These thingus seith the Lord, king of Irael, and his aȝeen biere, Lord of ostes, I the firste and I the laste, and with oute me is not God. Who lic of me? clepe he, and telle, and the ordre expoune to me, sithen I ordeynede the olde puple; thingus to come, and that ben to come, telle he to them. Wileth not dreden, ne beth disturbid; fro thennus to heeren thee I made, and tolde; ȝee ben my witnesses. Whether is God withoute me, and a foormere, whom I haue not knowe? The foormeres of the mawmet alle noȝt ben, and the most loued thingus of them shul not profiten to them; thei witnesses of hem ben, for thei seen not, ne vnderstonde, that thei be confoundid. Who foormede God, and a grauen thing ȝetede, to no thing profitable? Lo! alle his parceneres shul be confoundid; the forgeres forsothe ben of men. Thei shuln come togidere, alle thei shul stonde, and inwardli dreden, and ben confoundid togidere. The yren smyth with the file wroȝte; in coles, and in hameres foormede it, and wroȝte in the arm of his strengthe. He shal hungren, and failen; he shal not drinke water, and he shal waxe weri. The crafti man tree werkere straȝte out the reule, and foormede it in a grauyng iren; he maade it in corneres, and in a cumpas turnede it abouten; and made an ymage of a man, as a fair man wonende in hous. He heeȝ doun the cedris, and toc the kesteyn tree, and the oek, that hadde stonde among the trees of the wilde wode; he plauntede the pyne tree, that with rein he nurshede, and made is to men in to fyr. He toc of hem, and is chaufed, and brende vp, and booc loeues; of the remnaunt forsothe he wroȝte a god, and honourede, and made grauen thing, and is bowid biforn it. The myddel of it he brende with fyr, and of his myddel, flesh he sethede, and eet; he sethede potage, and is fild; and is chaufid, and seide, Vah, or weel, I am hat; Y saȝ the fyr. The remnaunt forsothe of it a god he made, and a grauen thing to hym; he is bowid biforn it, and honoureth it, and inwardli besecheth, seiende, Delyuere me, for my god thou art. They knewen not, ne vnderstoden, forsothe thei forȝeeten, lest ther eȝen seeȝen, and lest thei vnderstoden in ther herte. Thei bethenken not in ther mynde, ne knowen, ne felen, that thei sey, The myddel of it I brende with fyr, and I book vp on his coles loeues, and seth flesh, and eet; and of his remnaunt a maumet I shal make, biforn the stoc the tree I shal kutte. His part is askus; the vnwise herte shal honouren it, and yt shal not delyuere his soule, ne seyn, A strong lesyng is in my riȝthond. Haue mynde of these, Jacob and Irael, for my seruaunt thou art; I foormede thee, my seruaunt thou art, Irael; thou shalt not forȝete me. I dide awei as a cloude thi wickednesses, and as a litil cloude thi synnes; turne aȝeen to me, for I aȝeen boȝte thee. Ȝee heuenus, preiseth, for mercy dide the Lord; inwardli ioȝeth, ȝee vtmostus of the erthe; aȝensouneth, ȝee hillis, preising; the wilde wode, and eche tree of it; for the Lord aȝeen boȝte Jacob, and Irael shal glorien. These thingus seith the Lord, thin aȝeenbiere, and thi foormere of the wombe, I am the Lord, doende alle thingus, strecchende out heuenus alone, stablende the erthe, and no man with me; voide makende tocnes of deuynoures, and the deuel sacrifyeres in to wodnesse turnende; alturnende wyse men bacward, the kunnyng of them folie makende; rerende the wrd of his seruaunt, and the counseil of his messageres fulfillende; that sey, Jerusalem, thou shalt be dwellid; and to the cites of Juda, Ȝee shul ben bild vp, and his desertes I shal rere; that sey to the depthe, Be thou desolat, and thi flodys I shal make drie; that sey to Ciro, My shepperde thou art, and al my wil thou shalt fulfille; that sey to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be bild vp; and to the temple, Thou shalt be foundid.
These thingus seith the Lord to my crist, Ciro, whos riȝt hond I toc, that I soogete bifor his face Jentiles, and the reggus of kingus I turne; and opene biforn hym the fyrste entrees, and the ȝates shuln not be closid. I byfor thee shal go, and the glorious men of erthe I shal meeken; the brasene ȝates I shal tobrose, and the irene barres I shal tobreke. And I shal ȝyuen to thee tresores hid, and the priue thingus of priuytees, that thou wite, for I the Lord, that clepe thi name, God of Irael, for my seruaunt Jacob, and Irael my chosen, and I clepede thee in thi name; I licnede thee, and thou knewe not me. I the Lord, and ther is not more ouer; out of me is not God. I girde thee to, and thou knewe not me; that thei wite, that fro the rising of the sunne, and that fro the west ben, for withoute me is not a God. I the Lord, and ther is not an othir; foormende liȝt, and shapende dercnesses, makende pes, and shapende euel; I the Lord, doende alle these. Deweth, ȝee heuenus fro aboue, and cloudis reyne thei the riȝtwis; be opened the erthe, and burioune it a saueour, and riȝtwisnesse springe togidere; I the Lord shop hym. Wo that with seith to his makere, the shord of the toȝ clei of erthe. Whether seith the clei to his crockere, What dost thou, and thi werc withoute hondus is? Wo that seith to the fader, What getest thou? and to the womman, What berest thou? These thingus seith the Lord, hoeli of Irael, his foormere, Thingus to come asketh me vp on my sonus, and vp the werkes of myn hondus sendeth to me. I made the erthe, and man vp on it I shop; myn hondis straȝten out heuenus, and to al the knyȝthod of hem I sente. I rerede hym to riȝtwisnesse, and alle his weies I shal riȝt reulen; he shal bilde vp my cite, and my caitifte he shal forȝyue, not in pris, ne in ȝiftes, seith the Lord of ostes. These thingus seith the Lord God, The trauaile of Egipt, and the nede doing, or marchaundise, of Ethiope, and of Sabaym; the heȝe men to thee shul passe, and thin shul be; after thee thei shul go, bounde in manycles thei shul wende, and thee thei shuln honoure, and thee louli preȝen. Onli in thee is God, and ther is not withoute thee a God. Vereli thou art God, an hid God, of Irael the saueour. Thei ben confoundid, and ful out shameden; togidere wenten awey in to confusioun the forgeres of erroures. Irael is saued in the Lord, in euere lastende helthe; ȝee shul not be confoundid, and not shamen, vnto the world of world. For these thingus seith the Lord shapende heuenus; he God foormende erthe, and makende it, he foormere of it; not in veyn he shop it, but that it be dwellid, he foormede it; I the Lord, and ther is not an other. Not in hid place I spac, in the derc place of erthe; I seide not to the sed of Jacob, In veyn secheth me. I the Lord spekende riȝtwisnesse, tellende out riȝt thingus. Beth gedered, and cometh, and neȝheth togidere, for ȝee be saued fro the Jentiles; thei wisten not, that rereden vp a tocne of ther grauyng, and preȝen the god not sauende. Telleth out, and cometh, and counseilith togidere. Who herd made this fro the biginnyng? fro thanne I biforn seide it. Whether not I a Lord, and ther is not more ouer a God withoute me? a riȝtwis God and sauende is not, beside me? Beth conuertid to me, and saaf shul be, alle ȝee coestes of erthe; for I the Lord, and ther is not an other. In myself I swor, ther shal gon out of my mouth the wrd of riȝtwisnesse, and shal not be turned aȝeen; for to me shal be bowid eche kne, and swern shal eche tunge. Therfor in the Lord thei shul seyn, Myne ben riȝtwisnesses and empire; to hym thei shul come, and confoundid shul ben alle that aȝenstonde to hym. In the Lord shal be iustefied and preisid al the sed of Irael.
To-broken is Bel, to-brosid is Nabo; broke ben the symulacris of them, with feeld bestes, and hous bestes; oure chargis with heuy berthene vnto werynesse stunken, and to-brosyd ben togidere; thei myȝten not sauen the berere, and the soule of them in to caitifte shal go. Hereth me, the hous of Jacob, and al the residue of the hous of Irael, that ben born of my wombe, that ofte ben born fro my priue wombe. Vnto the laste elde I the selue, and vnto the hoere heris I shall bern; I made, and I shal bringe; I shal bern, and I shal saue. To whom licneden ȝee me, and eueneden, and comparisounden me, and maden lic? Ȝe that togidere bringen gold fro the bagge, and siluer with a balaunce peisen, hirende the craftis man, that he make a god, and thei fallen doun, and honouren; bern it in the shuldris, berende and settende in his place; and shal stonde, and fro his place shal not be moued; but and whan thei shul crie to it, he shal not heren, fro tribulacioun he shal not saue them. Remembreth this, and beth foundid; turneth aȝeen, ȝee lawe brekeres, to the herte. Recordeth of the rathere world, for I am God, and ther is not ouer me a God, ne lic me; tellende out fro the bigynnyng the laste, and fro the bigynnyng that not ȝit ben maad, seiende, My counseil shal stonde, and al my wil shal be don; clepende fro the est a brid, and fro the ferr lond the man of my wil; and I spac, and bringe to shal it; I shop, and maken I shal it. Hereth me, ȝee with hard herte, that aferr ben fro riȝtwisnesse. Nyȝ I made my riȝtwisnesse, and it shal not be longed awei, and myn helthe shal not be taried; I shal ȝyue in to Sion helthe, and in to Jerusalem my glorie.
Go doun, sit in pouder, thou maiden doȝter of Babilon, sit in the erthe; ther is not a kingus see of the doȝtir of Caldeis, for no more thou shalt be clepid nesshe and tender. Tac a grind ston, or queerne stoon, and grind me mele; nakene thi filthed, discouere the shulder, opene the thees, passe ouer the flodis. Opened shal be thi shenshipe, and seen shal be thi repreef; a veniaunce I shal take, and ther shal not withstonde to me a man. Oure aȝeen biere the Lord of ostes; the name of hym the hoeli of Irael. Syt, be stille, and go into dercnesses, thou doȝter of Caldeis, for thou shalt no more be clepid the ladi of reumes. I am wroth vp on my puple, I defoulede myn heritage, and I ȝaf hem in thin hond; thou settest not to them mercies vp on the olde; thou agreggedist the ȝoc gretli, and seidist, In to euermor I shal ben a ladi; thou puttist not these thingus vp on thin herte, ne recordedist of thi laste. And now here thou these thingus, thou delicat, and dwellende trosteli, that seist in thin herte, I am, and ther is not biside me more ouer; I shal not sitte a widewe, and I shal vnknowe bareynete. Comen shul to thee these two sodeynli in o dai, bareynesse, and widewehed; alle thingus camen vp on thee for the multitude of thi sorceries, and for the huge hardnesse of thi deuel cleperes. And trost thou haddest in thi malice, and seidist, Ther is not that see me; thi wisdam, and this thi kunnyng disceyuede thee; and thou seidist in thin herte, I am, and biside me is not an other. Ther shal come vp on thee euel, and thou shalt not wite his rysing; and ther shal feerli falle vp on thee wastnesse, that thou shalt not moun purge; ther shal come vp on thee wrecchednesse feerli, that thou wost not. Stond with thi deuel cleperes, and with the multytude of thi sorceries, in whiche thou hast trauailid fro thi waxende ȝouthe; if par auenture any thing it profite to thee, or if thou mowe be mad strengere. Thou hast failid in the multitude of thi counseilis; stonde, and saue thee the deuynoures of heuene, that biheelde sterres, and noumbren monethis, that of hem thei telle thingus to come to thee. Lo! thei ben mad as stobil, fyr to brende them; thei shul not delyuere ther soule fro the hond of flaume; ther ben not coles, with the whiche thei ben made hot, ne fyr, that thei sitte at it. So mad ben to thee in what euere thingus thou haddest trauailid; thi marchandes fro ther ȝouthe, eche in ther weie erreden; ther ys not, that saue thee.
Hereth these thingus, the hous of Jacob, that ben cleped bi the name of Irael, and of the watris of Juda went out, that swern in the name of the Lord God of Irael, and recorden not in treuthe ne in riȝtwisnesse. Fro the hoeli cite forsothe thei ben clepid, and vp on the God of Irael thei ben stablid; the Lord of ostes his name. The rathere thinges fro thanne I tolde out, and of my mouth thei wenten out, and herd I made them; feerli I wroȝte, and thei camen. I kneȝ forsothe for thou art hard, and an irene senewe thin haterel, and thi frount brasene. I befornseide to thee fro thanne, er thei camen I shewede to thee, lest par auenture thou shuldist sey, My maumetes diden these thingus, and my grauen thingus and ȝote senten these thingus that thou hast herd. See alle thingus, ȝee forsothe han not told out. Herd I made to thee newe thingus fro thanne, and kept ben that thou knowist not; now thei ben shapen, and not fro thanne, and befor day, and thou herdest not hem; lest par auenture thou sey, Lo! I kneȝ them. Ne thou hast herd, ne thou hast knowe, ne sithen opened is thin ere; I wot forsothe, for lawe breking thou shalt lawe breke, and a trespasere fro the wombe I clepede thee. For my name ferr I shal make my wodnesse, and in my preising I shal bridele thee, lest thou die. Lo! I haue out bake thee, but not as siluer; I ches thee in the chynne of porenesse. For me I shal do that I be not blasfemed, and my glorie to an other I shal not ȝyue. Here thou me, Jacob, and Irael, whom I clepe, Y the selue; I the firste and I the laste. Myn hond also foundede the erthe, and my riȝthond mesurede heuenus; I shal clepe them, and thei shul stonden togidere. Beth gedered, alle ȝee, and hereth; who of hem tolde out these thingus? The Lord louede hym, and shal don his wil in Babilon, and his arm in Caldeis. I, Y spac, and clepede hym; broȝte to hym, and riȝt reulid is his weie. Cometh nyȝ to me, and hereth these thingus; not fro the bigynnyng in hid thing I spac; of tyme, er thei shulden be mad, I was there, and now the Lord God sente me, and his Spirit. These thingus seith the Lord, thin aȝeenbiere, the hoeli of Irael, I the Lord thi God, techende thee profitable thingus, gouernende thee in the wei that thou gost. Wolde God thou haddest taken heed to myn hestes, mad hadde be as a flod thi pes, and thi riȝtwisnesses as the swolewes of the se; and hadde ben as grauel thi sed, and the stoc of thi wombe, as his litle stones; he shulde not han died, and shulde not han be defoulid his name fro my face. Goth out fro Babylon, fleeth fro Caldeis; in vois of ful oute ioȝyng telleth out; herd maketh this, and berth it vnto the vtmostus of the erthe; seith, Aȝeenboȝte the Lord his seruaunt Jacob. Thei thristeden not in desert, whan he shulde lede them out; water of a ston he broȝte forth to them, and he kutte the ston, and ther floweden watris. Ther is not pes to vnpitous men, seith the Lord.
Hereth, ȝee iles, and taketh heed, ȝee puples fro aferr; the Lord fro the conceyuende wombe clepede me, and fro the wombe of my moder recordede of my name. And he putte my mouth as a sharp swerd, in the shadewe of his hond he defendede me, and putte me as a chosen arwe; in his arwe cas he hidde me, and seide to me, My seruaunt thou art, Irael, for in thee I shal glorie. I seide, In veyn I trauailede withoute cause, and veynlich my strengthe I wastede; therfore my dom with the Lord, and my werc with my God. And now these thingus seith the Lord, foormende me fro the wombe a seruaunt to hym, that I bringe aȝeen Jacob to hym. And Irael shal not be gedered togidere; and I am glorefied in the eȝen of the Lord, and my God mad is my strengthe. And he seide, Litil is, that thou be to me a seruaunt, to be rered the lynages of Jacob, and the drestus of Irael to be conuerted; I ȝaf thee in to liȝt of Jentiles, that thou be myn helthe vnto the vtmost of the erthe. These thingus seith the Lord, the aȝeenbiere of Irael, his hoeli, to the despisable soule, and to the wlated folc of kinde, to the seruaunt of lordis, Kingus shul seen, and togidere shul rise princes, and honoure, for the Lord, for feithfull he is, and the hoeli of Irael, that ches thee. These thingus seith the Lord, In plesaunt tyme Y ful out herde thee, and in the dai of helthe I halp thee, and kepte thee, and ȝaf thee in to pes coouenaunt of the puple, that thou shuldest rere the lond, and welden eritages scatered; that thou sey to them that ben bounde, Goth out, and to them that in dercnesses, Beth opened. Vp on weies thei shul be fed, and in alle pleynes the leswes of hem. Thei shul not hungre, ne thristen more ouer, and smyte shal not them gret hete, and the sunne; for the rewere of them shal gouerne them, and at the welles of watris ȝyuen hem to drinke. And I shal putte my mounteynes in to a weie, and my pathis shul ben enhauncid. Lo! these fro aferr shul come, and lo! tho fro the north, and the se, and these fro the south lond. Preise, ȝee heuenes, and ful out ioȝe, thou erthe; inwardli glade, ȝee hillis, preising; for coumfortid hath the Lord his puple, and of his pore shal han mercy. And Sion seide, Forsaken hath me the Lord, and the Lord hath forȝete me. Whether forȝeten mai the womman hir faunt, that she do not mercy to the sone of hir wombe? and if she shul forȝeten, I nerthelatere shal not forȝete thee. Lo! in myn hondis I haue discriued thee; thi wallis bifor myn eȝen euermor. Thi bilderes camen distroȝende thee, and scaterende fro thee shul gon out. Rere vp in cumpas thin eȝen, and see; alle these ben gederede togidere, camen to thee. I lyue, seith the Lord, for with all these as with an ournement thou shalt be clad, and cumpasen aboute to thee hem as a spouse. For thi desertes, and thi wildernesses, and the lond of thi falling now streit shul ben for the dwelleris of the erthe; and aferr shul be dryue awei that soupeden awei thee. Ȝit shul seyn in thin eres sones of thi bareynte, Streit is to me a place, mac a space to me that I dwelle. And thou shalt seyn in thin herte, Who gat to me these? I bareyn, not child berende; translatid and caitif; and these who nurshede out? I priued, and solitarie; and these wher weren? These thingus seith the Lord God, Lo! I rere to Jentilis myn hond, and shal enhaunce to puples myn tocne; and thei shul bringe to thi sones in armys, and thi doȝtris vp on shuldris thei shul bern. And kingis shul be thi nursheres, and queenes thi nurses; the chere in to the erthe put doun thei shul honoure thee, and the pouder of thi feet thei shul licke; and thou shalt wite, for I a Lord, vp on whom shuln not be confounded, that abijden hym. Whether shal be taken awei fro the stronge a prei? or that shal be take fro the stalwrthe shal moun be saaf? For these thingus seith the Lord, Forsothe and the caitifte fro the stronge shal ben taken awei, and that were taken awei fro the stalwrthe shal be saued. Hem forsothe that demeden thee I shal deme, and thi sonis I shal sauen. And I shal fede thin enemys with ther flesh, and as with must with ther blod shul be drunke; and knowen shal eche flesh, for I the Lord, sauende thee, and thin aȝeen biere, the stronge of Jacob.
These thingus seith the Lord, What is this boc of the forsaking of ȝoure moder, that I lafte hir? or who is my creauncer, to whom I solde ȝou? Lo! forsothe in ȝoure wickidnesses ȝee be sold, and in ȝoure hidous giltes I lafte ȝoure moder. For I cam, and there was not a ful man; I clepide, and ther was not that herde. Whether abreggid, and ful litil maad is myn hond, that I mai not aȝeenbien? or is not to me vertue to delyuere? Lo! in my blamyng desert I shal make the se, I shal putte flodis in to droȝte; stinke shul fisshes withoute watir, and dien in thrist. I shal clothin heuenes with dercnesses, and a sac Y shal putte the coueryng of hem. The Lord ȝaf to me a taȝt tunge, that I kunne hym susteyne, that is weri in wrd; he rereth vp the morutyd, the morutyd rereth vp to me an ere, that I here as a maister. The Lord God openede to me an ere; I forsothe aȝensei not, bacward I ȝide not awei. My bodi I ȝaf to the smyteres, and my chekes to the pulleris; my face I turnede not awei fro the blameres, and the spitteres in me. The Lord God myn helpere, and therfore I am not confoundid; therfore I putte my face as a most hard ston, and I wot for I shal not ben confoundid. Nyȝ is, that iustefieth me; who with seith to me? stonde wee togidere. Who is myn aduersarie? come he nyȝ to me. Lo! the Lord God myn helpere; who thanne is that condempneth me? Lo! alle as a cloth shul be to-trede, and a moȝte shal ete them. Who of ȝou dredende the Lord, herende the vois of his seruaunt? Who ȝide in dercnesses and ther is not liȝt to hym, hope he in the name of the Lord, and leene he vp on his God. Lo! ȝee alle teendende vp fyr, and gird with flawmes, goth in the liȝt of ȝoure fyr, and in the flaumes that ȝee teenden vp to ȝou. Of myn hond don is this to ȝou, in sorewis ȝee shul slepe.
Hereth me, ȝee that folewen that is riȝt, and sechen the Lord. Taketh heed to the ston, whenus ȝee ben kut out, and to the kaue of the lake, of the whiche ȝee ben kut of. Taketh heed to Abraham, ȝoure fader, and to Sara, that bar ȝou; for oon I clepede hym, and blissede hym, and multepliede hym. Coumforten shal thanne the Lord Sion, and coumforte he shal alle the fallingus of it; and putten his desert as delices, and his wildernesse as the gardyn of the Lord; ioȝe and gladnesse shal be founde in it, gracedoing and vois of preising. Taketh heed to me, my puple, and, my lynage, me hereth; for lawe fro me shal gon out, and my dom in to liȝt of puples shal resten. Nyȝ is my riȝtwis, gon out is my saueour, and myn armes puples shul demen; me iles shuln abide, and myn arm sustenen. Rereth in to heuene ȝoure eȝen, and seeth vnder erthe benethe; for heuenes as smoke shul melte, and the erthe as a cloth shal be to-trede, and his dwelleris as these shul dien; myn helthe forsothe in to euermor shal be, and my riȝtwisnesse shal not faile. Hereth me, that knowen the riȝtwis, ȝe puple, my lawe in the herte of hem; wileth not drede repref of men, and the blasfemes of them dredeth not. As forsothe clothing so shal ete them a werm, and as wlle so shal deuoure them the moȝte; myn helthe forsothe in to euermor shal be, and my riȝtwisnesse in to ieneraciouns of ieneraciouns. Rys, rys, clothe thou strengthe, the arm of the Lord; rys, as in the olde dayes, in ieneraciouns of worldis. Whether not thou smyte the proude, woundedest the dragoun? Whether not thou driedist the se, water of the huge depthe, the whiche puttest the depthe of the se weie, that gon ouer shulden the delyuered? And now that ben aȝeenboȝt of the Lord, shul turnen aȝeen, and comen in to Sion preisende, and euerlastende gladnesse vp on the hedis of them; ioȝe and gladnesse thei shul holden, fleen shal sorewe and weiling. Lo! I the selue shal coumforte ȝou; who thou, that thou drede of a deadly man, and of the sone of man, that as hei so shal waxe drie; and hast forȝete the Lord, thi shapere, that bente heuenes, and foundede the erthe; and inwardli dreddest contynuelli al dai of the face of his wodnesse, that thee trooblede, and hadde mad redi to leese? Where is now the wodnesse of the troblere? Soone shal come the goere to openen, and shal not slen vnto the weie slaȝter, ne failen shal his bred. I forsothe am the Lord thi God, that disturbe the se, and swellen his flodis; the Lord of ostis my name. I sette my wrdis in thi mouth, and in the shadewe of myn hond I defende thee; that thou plaunte heuenus, and founde erthe, and sey to Sion, My puple thou art. Be rered, be rered, ris thou, Jerusalem, that thou drunke of the hond of the Lord the chalis of his wrathe; vn to the ground of the chalis of slep thou drunke, and thou drunke it vp vnto the drestes. Ther is not that susteyne hir, of alle the sonus that she gat; and ther is not that take hir hond, of alle the sonus that she nurshede vp. Two thingus ben that aȝencamen to thee; who shal sorewen vp on thee? wastite, and to-brosing, and hunger, and swerd. Who shal coumforten thee? Thi sones ben aferr cast, thei slepten in the hed of alle weies, as the vnclene beste grened, that is clepid orix; ful of the indignacioun of the Lord, blamyng of thi God. Therfore here thou these thingus, thou porelet, and drunken, not of wyn. These thingus seith the lordshipere, thi Lord, and thi God, that faȝt for his puple, Lo! I toc of thin hond the chalis of slep, the ground of the chalis of myn indignacioun; I shal not lei to, that thou drunke it more. And I shal putte it in the hond of hem that thee mekeden, and seiden to thi soule, Be thou bowid in that wee passe; and thou puttist as erthe thi bodi, and as a weie to goeres.
Rys, ris, be clad, thou Sion, with thi strengthe; be thou clad with the clothis of thi glorie, thou Jerusalem, cite of the hoeli; for he shal not lei to more, that ther passe bi thee an vncircumcidid and vnclene. Be thou shaken out of the pouder; ris, sit thou, Jerusalem; loose the bondis of thi necke, thou caitif doȝtir of Sion. For these thingus seith the Lord, Freeli ȝee ben sold, and withoute siluer ȝee shul be aȝeen boȝt. For these thingus seith the Lord God, In to Egipt cam doun my puple in the bigynnyng, as a comeling tiliere he was there, and Assur withoute any cause chalengede hym. And now what to me is this? seith the Lord; for taken awei is my puple withoute cause; his lordshiperes wickidli diden, seith the Lord, and bisili al dai my name is blasfemed. For that wite shal my puple my name in that dai, for I the selue that spac, lo! I am nyȝ. Hou faire vp on mounteynes the feet of the tellende, and prechende pes, tellende good, prechende helthe, seiende, Sion, regnen shal thi God. The vois of thi tooteres; thei rereden a vois, togidere thei shul preisen; for with eȝe to eȝe thei shul see, whan conuerte shal the Lord Sion. Ioȝeth, and preiseth togidere, ȝee desertes of Jerusalem; for coumfortid hath the Lord his puple, aȝeenboȝt he hath Jerusalem. Redi made the Lord his hoeli arm in the eȝen of alle Jentiles, and seen shul alle coestes of erthe the helthe ȝyuere of oure God. Goth awei, goth awei, goth out thennes; the defoulid thing wileth not touche, goth out fro the myddel of it; be ȝe clensid, that bern the vesseles of the Lord. For not in noise ȝee shul gon out, ne in fliȝt ȝee shul gon forth; forsothe gon bifor ȝou shal the Lord, and gedere togidere ȝou shal the God of Irael. Lo! vnderstonde shal my seruaunt, and ben enhauncid, and rered, and ful heeȝ he shal be gretly. As stoneȝeden vp on hym manye, so vnglorious shal ben among men his siȝte, and the foorme of hym among the sonus of men. He shal springe manye Jentiles; vp on hym togidere holden shuln kingis ther mouth; for to whom is not told of hym, shul see, and that herden not, beheelden.
Who leeuede to oure heering? and the arm of the Lord to whom is it shewyd? And it shal steȝen vp as a quyk hegge biforn hym, and as a roote fro the threstende erthe. Ther is not shap to hym, ne fairnesse; and wee seȝen hym, and he was not of siȝte; and wee desireden hym, dispisid, and the laste of men, man of sorewes, and witende infirmyte. And as hid his chere and dispisid; wherfore ne wee setteden by hym. Vereli oure sicnesses he tooc, and oure sorewes he bar; and wee heelden hym as leprous, and smyten of God, and mekid. He forsothe woundid is for oure wickidnesses, defoulid is for oure hidous giltes; the discyplyne of oure pes vp on hym, and with his wannesse we ben heled. Alle wee as shep erreden, eche in to his weie bowede doun, and the Lord putte in hym the wickidnesse of vs alle. He is offred, for he wolde, and he openede not his mouth; as a shep to sleyng he shal be lad, and as a lomb bifor the clippere itself he shal become doumb, and he opened not his mouth. Fro anguysh and fro dom he is take awei; the ieneracioun of hym who shal tellen out? For kut awei he is fro the lond of lyueres. For the hidous gilte of my puple I smot hym. And ȝyuen he shal vnpitous men for biriyng, and riche men for his deth; for thi that wickenesse he dide not, ne treccherie was in his mouth; and the Lord wolde to-trede hym in infirmytee. If he shal putte his soule for synne he shal seen sed of long age, and the wil of the Lord in his hond shal be riȝt reulid. For thi that he trauailede, his soule shal seen, and ben fulfyld. In his kunnyng he my riȝtwis seruaunt shal iustefien manye, and the wickidnesses of hem he shal bern. Therfore I shal dele to hym manye, and of stronge men he shal deuyde spoiles; for thi that he toc in to deth his lif, and with hidous gilteres is holden; and he the synne of manye toc, and for trespaseres preȝede.
Preise, thou bareyne, that berst not; gretli sing preising, and ympne, that beere not; for manye sones of the forsaken more than of hir that hadde the man, seith the Lord. Alarge the place of thi tente, and the skynnes of thi tabernacle strecche out; ne spare thou, longe maac thi litle cordis, and thi nailes mac fast. At the riȝt forsothe and at the lift thou shalt persen; and thi sed Jentiles shal eritagen, and desert cites wonen in. Wile thou not dreden, for thou shalt not be confoundyd, ne shamen. Forsothe it shal not shamen thee; for of the confusioun of thi ȝouthe thou shalt forȝete, and of the repref of thi widewhed thou shalt recorde no more. For lordshipen shal of thee that made thee; the Lord of ostes hys name; and thin aȝeen biere, the holi of Irael, the God of al erthe shal be clepid. For as a womman forsaken and moornende in spirit, clepede thee the Lord, and a wif fro the ȝouthe cast awei. The Lord thi God seide, At a poynt in a litil I forsoc thee, and in grete mercy doinges I shal gedere thee. In a moment of indignacioun I hidde my face a litil fro thee, and in euerlastende mercy I hadde mercy of thee, seide the Lord, thi forbiere. As in the daȝes of Noe, this to me is, to whom I swor, that I shulde no mor bringen in the watris of flod vp on erthe; so I swor, that I wrathe not to thee, and blame not thee. Mounteynes forsothe shul be to-stered, and hillis shul tremblen; my mercy forsothe shal not gon awei fro thee, and the bond of my pes shal not be moued, seide the Lord, thi reewer. Thou porelet, with tempest al to-pullid, with oute any coumfort, lo! I shal araie bi order thi stones, and founde thee in safires; and I shal sette iasp thy pynacles, and thi ȝates in to grauen stones, and alle thi termes in to desirable stones. Alle thi sones taȝt of the Lord; and multitude of pes to thi sones, and in riȝtwisnesse thou shalt be foundid. Go awei aferr fro chalenge, for thou shalt not drede; and fro inward ferd, for it shal not neȝhe to thee. Lo! an earth tiliere shal come, that was not with me; thi comeling sumtyme apassid shal be ioyned to thee. Lo! I shop a smyth blowende in the fyr coles, and bringende forth a vessel in to his werk; and I shop the sleere, to destroȝen. Eche vessel that is mad aȝen thee, shal not be riȝt reulid; and eche tunge withstondende to thee, in dom thou shalt deme. This is the eritage of the seruauns of the Lord, and the riȝtwisnesse of hem anent me, seith the Lord.
Alle ȝee thristende, cometh to watris, and ȝee that han not siluer, goth forth, bieth, and eteth; cometh, bieth, withoute siluer and withoute any chaffaring, wyn and mylc. Whi poote ȝee vp siluer, not in loeues, and ȝoure trauailing, not in filling? Hereth ȝee herende me, and eteth good thing, and delite shal in fatnesse ȝoure soule. Bowith in ȝoure ere, and cometh to me; hereth, and lyuen shal ȝoure soule; and I shal smyte with ȝou euere lastende couenaunt, the feithful mercies of Dauid. Lo! witnesse I ȝaf hym to puples, duke and comaundere to Jentiles. Lo! the folc of kinde, that thou knewe not, thou shalt clepen; and the folc of kinde, that thee kneȝ not, to thee shul rennen; for the Lord thy God, and the hoeli of Israel, for he glorifiede thee. Secheth the Lord, whil he mai be founde; inwardli clepeth hym, whil he is nyȝ. Forsake the vnpitous his weie, and the wicke man his thoȝtes; and turne aȝeen to the Lord, and he shal haue mercy of hym, and to oure God, for myche he is to forȝyue. Forsothe not my thenkingus ȝoure thenkingus, ne my weies ȝoure weies, seith the Lord. For as enhauncid ben heuenus fro erthe, so enhauncid ben my weies fro ȝoure weyes, and my thoȝtus fro ȝoure thoȝtus. And what maner cometh doun weder and snoȝ fro heuene, and thider no mor is turned aȝeen, but drunkneth the erthe, and heeldeth in to it, and to buriowne maketh it, and ȝyueth sed to the sowere, and bred to the etere, so shal be my wrd, that shal gon out of my mouth. It shal not be turned aȝeen voide to me, but shal do what euere thingus I wolde, and shal be welsum in tho thingus to whiche I sende it; for in gladnesse ȝee shul gon oute, and in pes ȝee shul be lad thennus. Mounteynes and hilles shul singe bifor ȝou preising, and alle the trees of the regioun shal flappe for ioȝe with hond. For the thorny erbe that is clepid saliunka, shal steeȝen vp a firr tree, and for the nettle shal growe the tre that is clepid myrt; and the Lord shal be nemned in to an euer lastende tocne, that shal not ben don awei.
These thingus seith the Lord, Kepeth dom, and doth riȝtwisnesse, for nyȝ is myn helthe, that it come, and my riȝtwisnesse, that it be opened. Blisful the man, that doth that, and the sone of man, that shal take this; kepende the sabot, lest he defoule it, kepende his hondis, lest he do any euel. And seye not the sone of the comeling, that cleueth to the Lord, seiende, Bi seueryng shall deuyde me the Lord fro his puple; and sey not the gelding, Lo! I a drie tree. For these thingus seith the Lord to geldingus, who kepen my sabates, and chesen that I wolde, and holden my pes couenaunt. I shal ȝyue to them in myn hous and in my wallis a place, and a betere name of sones and doȝtris; an euere lastende name I shal ȝyue to them, that shal not pershen. And the sonus of the comeling, that cleuen to the Lord, that thei herien hym, and loouen his name, that thei be to hym in to seruauns; eche man kepende sabot, lest he defoule it, and the holdende my pes couenaunt; I shal bringe them in to myn hoeli hil, and gladen hem in the hous of myn orisoun; the brent sacrifises of hem and ther victorie sacrifises shul plesen to me vp on myn auter; for myn hous the hous of orisoun shal be clepid to alle puples, seith the Lord God, that gadereth the scatered of Irael. Ȝit I shal gedere to hym alle his gedered togidere. Alle bestus of the feeld, cometh to deuouren, alle ȝee bestus of the wilde wode. His tooteres alle blinde, alle thei vnknewen; doumbe dogges not mowende berken, seende veyne thingus, slepende, and loouende sweuenus; and most vnshamefast doggus knewen not fulnesse. Thei shepperdes knewe not vnderstonding; alle in to ther owne weie boweden doun, eche to his auarice, fro the hiest vn to the laste. Cometh, take wee wyn, and be wee fulfild with drunkenesse; and it shal be as to dai, so and to moru, and myche more.
The riȝtwis man persheth, and ther is not, that bethenke in his herte; and men of mercy ben gedered, for ther is not that vnderstonde; fro the face forsothe of malice gedered is the riȝtwis. Come pes, reste it in his bed, that ȝide in his riȝt reuling. Ȝee forsothe neȝheth hider, sonus of a wicche, sed of auouteresse, and of a fornycarie. Vp on whom pleieden ȝee? vp on whom spredden ȝee abrod the mouth, and ȝee casteden out the tunge? Whether not ȝee sonus hidous gilteres, sed liere? that ben coumfortid in goddis, vnder eche braunchy tree, offrende litle childer in stremes, vnder stonus stondende ouer. In partes of the strem thi part, this is thi lot; and to them thou heeldedest out sacrifice of lykoures, offredist sacrifice. Whether vp on these thingus I shal not endeyne? Vp on an hiȝ hil and enhauncid thou puttest thi bed, and thider thou steȝedest that thou offre ostes; and bihynde the dore, and bihynde the post thou settedest thi mynde tocne. For biside me thou discoueredist, and toke the auoutrer; thou spreddest thi bed, and couenauntedest with them a pes couenaunt; thou loouedist the beddyng of hem with opened hond, and enournedest thee with the kingus oynement, and multepliedest thi pymentus; and sentist thi legates aferr, and mekid thou art vnto helle. In the multitude of thi weie thou trauailedest, and seidest not, I shal resten; the weie of thin hond thou hast founde, therfore thou preȝedest not. For the whiche thou bisi dreddest, for thou liedest, and of me thou recordedest not, ne thoȝtest in thin herte, for I stille, and as not seende; and of me thou forȝete. I shal tellen out thi riȝtwisnesse, and thi werkus shul not profiten to thee. Whan thou shalt crien, delyuere thee thi gedered; and alle them shal bern awei the wynd, and shal taken awei the weder; who forsothe hath trost of me, shal eritagen the erthe, and welden myn hoeli mounteyn. And I shal seyn, Weie maketh, ȝyueth goyng, bowith doun fro the path, taketh awei hurtinge thingus fro the weie of my puple. For these thingus seith the heȝe Lord, and enhauncid, wonende the euerelastingte, and his hoeli name in heȝ, and in hoeli dwelling, and with the contrit and mekid spirit, that he quykene the spirit of meke men, and quykene the herte of contrit men. Forsothe not in to euermor I shal striue, ne vnto the ende I shal wrathe; for a spirit fro my face shal gon out, and blastis I shal maken. For the wickednesse of his auarice I wrathede, and smot hym. I hidde fro thee my face, and endeynede; and he ȝide awei vagaunt in the weie of his herte. His weies I saȝ, and helede hym, and broȝte hym aȝeen; and I ȝeeld coumfortingus to hym, and to his weileris. I shop frut of lippis pes, pes to hym that is aferr, and that nyȝ, seide the Lord; and I helede hym. Vnpitous men forsothe as the boilinge se, that resten mai not; and redounden his flodis in to to-treding, and cley. Ther is not pes, seith the Lord God, to vnpytouse men.
Crye, ne cese thou; as a trumpe enhaunce thi vois, and tel out to my puple the hidous giltes of hem, and to the hous of Jacob ther synnes. Me forsothe fro dai in to dai thei sechen, and witen my weies thei wiln; as a folc of kynde, that riȝtwisnesse hadde do, and that the dom of his God forsoken not; thei preȝen me domes of riȝtwisnesse, and neȝhen to God thei wiln. Whi han wee fastid, and thou hast not biholden; wee han mekid oure soules, and thou hast not knowen? Lo! in the dai of ȝoure fasting is founde ȝoure owne wil, and alle ȝoure detoures ȝee pleten. Lo! to ples and to striues ȝee fasten, and smyten with the fist vnpitously. Wileth not fasten, as vnto this dai, that herd be in heiȝte ȝoure cry. Whether such is the fasting that I chese, bi the dai a man to tormenten his soule? whether to binde togidere as a cercle his hed, and sac and asken to araȝen? Whether this I clepede fasting, and an acceptable dai to the Lord? Whether not this is more fasting that I ches? Vnbind thou the togidere bindingus of vnpitousnesse, loose the bundeles doun berende; lete hem that ben to-broke, free, and eche charge to-brec. Brec to the hungri thi bred, and the helpeles and vagaunt bring in to thin hous; whan thou shalt see the nakid, couere hym, and thi flesh thou shalt not dispise. Thanne shal breken out as morutid thi liȝt, and thin helthe sunnere shal springe; and bifor thi face shal go thi riȝtwisnesse, and the glorie of the Lord shal gedere thee. Thanne thou shalt inwardly clepen, and the Lord shal heren; thou shalt crien, and he shal sey, Lo! I am nyȝ, for merciful I am, the Lord thi God. If thou take awei fro thi myddel the cheyne, and cese the fynger to strecchen out, and to speken that profiteth not; whan thou shalt heelden out to the hungri thi soule, and the tormentid lijf thou shalt fulfillen, springe shal in dercnesses thi liȝt, and thi dercnesses shul ben as myddai. And reste ȝyue to thee shal the Lord thi God euermor, and fulfillen he shal in shynynges thi soule, and thi bones delyueren; and thou shalt ben as a watri gardyn, and as a welle of watris, whos watris schul not failen. And bild vp shul ben in thee the desertes of worldus, the foundemens of ieneraciouns and of ieneraciouns thou shalt reren; thou shalt ben clepid a bildere vp of hegges, turnende awei the pathis of wickidnesses. If thou schalt turne awei fro the sabot thi foot, to do thin owne wil in myn hoely dai, and clepist a delicat sabot, and the hoely of the Lord, glorious, and glorifiest hym, whil thou dost not thi weies, and is not founde thin owne wil, that thou speke a wrd; thanne thou shalt delyten vp on the Lord, and I shal rere thee vp vp on the heiȝtus of erthe, and shal fede thee with the eritage of Jacob, thi fader; the mouth forsothe of the Lord spac.
Lo! ther is not abreggid the hond of the Lord, that sauen he mai not, ne agreggid is his ere, that he ful out here not; but ȝoure wickidnesses deuydeden betwe ȝou and ȝoure God, and ȝoure synnes hidden his face fro ȝou, that he ful out here not. Forsothe ȝoure hondis ben defoulid with blod, and ȝoure fingris with wickidnesse; ȝoure lippes speeken lesing, and ȝoure tunge wickenesse speketh. Ther is not, that inwardly clepe riȝtwisnesse, ne ther is, that deme verreli; but thei trosten in thing of noȝt, and speken vanytees; thei conceyueden trauaile, and beeren wickidnesse. The eiren of edderes thei to-breeken, and the webbis of an attercop thei wouen; who shal eten of the eiren of hem, shal dien, and that is hacchid, shal breken out in to a cokatrice. The webbis of hem shul not ben in to clothing, ne thei shuln ben couered with ther werkis; the werkus of hem werkus vnprofitable, and the werc of wickydnesse in ther hondus. The feet of them to euel rennen, and heeȝen, that thei sheden out innocent blod; the thoȝtus of them thoȝtus vnprofitable; wastite and to-treding in the weies of hem. The weie of pes thei knewen not, and ther ys not dom in the goyngus of hem; the pathis of them inbowid ben to them; eche that tredeth in them, vnknowith pes. For that longid oute is fro vs dom, and shal not take vs riȝtwisnesse; wee han biden liȝt, and lo! dercnessis; shynyng, and in dercnesses wee han gon. Wee han gropid as blinde men the wall, and as withoute eȝen wee han felid; wee han stumblid in mydday, as in dercnesses, in mysti thingus, as deade. Wee shul roren as beres alle, and as culueres bethenkende wee shul weilen; wee han biden dom, and ther is not; helthe, and it is longid awei fro vs. Multeplied ben forsothe oure wickenesses bifor thee, and oure synnes answerden to vs; for oure hidous giltes with vs, and oure wickenesses wee han knowen, to synnen, and to lien aȝen the Lord. And wee ben turned awei, that wee go not bihynde the bac of oure God, that wee speke wrong chalenge, and trespasing. Wee conceyueden, and speeken of herte wrdys of lesing; and turned is bacward dom, and riȝtwisnesse aferr stod; for fallen hath in the strete treuthe, and equyte myȝte not gon in. For maad is treuthe in to forȝeting, and he that wente awei fro euel, to prei was open. And the Lord saȝ, and euel aperede in his eȝen, for ther is not dom. And God saȝ, for ther is not a man, and sorewede, for ther is not that aȝeen come. And he shal saue to hym his arm, and his riȝtwisnesse it shal confermen hym. He is clad with riȝtwisnesse as with an habirioun, and the helm of helthe in his hed; he is clad with the clothingus of veniaunce, and couered with the mantil of ielouste. So to veniaunce as to ȝeelding of indignacioun to his ferr enemys, and while to his nyȝ enemys, to the ilis while he shal ȝelde. And dreden shul that ben fro the west the name of the Lord, and that fro the rising of the sunne his glorie; whan he shal come as a violent flod, whom the spirit of the Lord constreyneth. And comen shal the aȝeenbiere of Sion, and to them that turnen aȝeen fro wickidnesse in Jacob, seith the Lord. This my pes couenaunt with them, seith the Lord; My spirit that is in thee, and my wrdus that I haue set in thi mouth shul not gon awei fro thi mouth, and fro the mouth of thi sed, seith the Lord, fro now and vnto euermore.
Rys, be thou liȝtid, Jerusalem, for comen is thi liȝt, and the glorie of the Lord vp on thee is sprunge. For lo! dercnesses shul coueren the erthe, and mystinesse puples; vp on thee forsothe shal springe the Lord, and his glorie in thee shal be seen. And gon shul Gentiles in thi liȝt, and kingus in the shynyng of thi rising. Rere in cumpas thin eȝen, and see; alle these ben gedered togidere, camen to thee; thi sonis fro aferr shul come, and thi doȝtris fro a syde shul rise. Thanne thou shalt seen, and haue plente; and merueilen, and ben spred abrod shal thin herte, whan conuertid shal be to thee the multitude of the se, the strengthe of Jentiles shal come to thee; the flowyng of camailes shal couere thee, dromedaries of Madian and Effa; alle fro Saba shul come, gold and encens bringende, and preising to the Lord tellende. Eche beste of Cedar shal be gedered to thee, wetheres of Nabaioth shuln serue to thee; thei shul ben offrid vpon my plesable auter, and the hous of my mageste I shal glorifien. Who ben these, that as cloudus fleen, and as culueres to ther wyndowes? Me forsothe abijden iles, and shipes of the se in the bigynnyng; that I bringe thi sonus fro aferr, the seluer of them, and the gold of hem with them, to the name of the Lord thi God, and to the hoeli of Irael; for he shal glorifien thee. And bilden shul sonus of pilgrimes thi wallis, and the kingus of hem serue shul to thee. In myn indignacioun forsothe I smot thee, and in my recounsiling I hadde reuthe of thee. And opened shul be thi ȝates contynueli, dai and nyȝt thei shul not be closid; that born be to thee the strengthe of Jentilis, and the kingus of them be lad to. Forsothe the folc of kinde and reume that shal not serue to thee, shal pershe, and Jentiles in wildernesse shul be wastid. The glorie of Liban to thee shal come, the fyrr tree, and box, and pyne tree togidere, to enourne the place of myn halewyng; and the place of my feet I shal glorifien. And come shul to thee the sonus of hem bowid, that mekeden thee, and honoure shul the steppis of thi feet, alle that bacbiteden to thee; and clepen shul thee The cite of the Lord, Sion of the hoeli of Irael. Forthi that thou were forsaken, and to hate had, and ther was not that bi thee shulde passe, I shal putte thee in to the pride of worldus, ioȝe in ieneracioun and ieneracioun. And thou shalt souke the mylc of Jentiles, and with the tete of kingis thou shalt be mylkid; and thou shalt wite for I the Lord, sauende thee, and thin aȝeen biere, the strong of Jacob. For metal I shal bringe to gold, and for iren I shal bringe to seluer; and for trees metal, and for stones iren; and I shal putte thi visitinge pes, and thi prouostes riȝtwisnesse. Ther shal no mor ben herd wickidnesse in thi lond, ne wastite and to-treding in thi termes; and ocupie shal helthe thi wallis, and thi ȝates preising. Ther shal ben no more to thee the sunne to liȝten bi dai, ne the shynyng of the moone liȝten shal thee; but shal be to thee the Lord in to euerlastende liȝt, and thi God in to thi glorie. Go doun no mor shal thy sunne, and thi moone shal not be mynusht; for the Lord shal be in to euerlastende liȝt, and fulfild shul be the daȝes of thi weiling. Thi puple forsothe alle riȝtwise, in to euermor thei shul eritagen the erthe, buriownyng of my plaunting, werc of myn hond to glorien. The leste shal be in to a thousend, and the litle child in to a folc of kinde most strong. I, the Lord, in his time sodeynli shal do this.
The spirit of the Lord vp on me, for that enoyntede me the Lord; to tellen out to debonere men he sente me, that I shulde leche the contrit men in herte, and prechen to caitif men forȝyuenesse, and to closid men openyng; and prechen a ȝer plesable to the Lord, and a dai of veniaunce to oure God; that I shulde coumforten alle weilende men; that I shulde putte coumforting to the weilende men of Sion, and ȝyue to them a crowne for askes, oile of ioȝe for weiling, a mantil of preising for the spirit of mornyng. And ther shul be clepid in it stronge men of riȝtwisnesse, plaunting of the Lord to glorifien. And thei shul bilden vp the desertus fro the world, and olde fallingus thei shul rere, and thei shul restore cites forsaken and scatered, in to ieneracioun and ieneracioun. And stonde shul alienus, and fede ȝoure bestus; and the sonus of pilgrimes erthe tilieres and ȝoure vyne wercheres shul be. Ȝee forsothe prestus of the Lord shul ben clepid; Seruauns of ȝoure God, it shal ben seid to ȝou. The strengthe of Jentiles ȝee shuln ete, and in the glorie of them ȝee shul ben proud. For ȝoure double confusioun and shame preise shul thei ther part; for that in ther lond double fold thingus thei shul welden, euermor gladnesse shal be to them. For I the Lord, louende dom, and to hate hauende raueyn in to brent sacrifise. And I shal ȝyue the werk of hem in treuthe, and pes couenaunt euere durende I shal smyte with them. And shal be wist in Jentilis the sed of hem, and the buriownyng of them in the myddel of puples. Alle that shul seen hem, shul knowe them, for these ben the sed, to whom blisside the Lord. Ioȝende I shal ioȝen in the Lord, and ful out ioȝen shal my soule in my God. For he clothide me with the clothing of helthe, and with the clothing of riȝtwisnesse he cumpassede me, as an husbonde wrshipid with a crowne, and as a wif enourned with hir broches. As forsothe the erthe bringeth forth his buriownyng, and as a gardyn his sed buriowneth, so the Lord God shal buriowne riȝtwisnesse, and preising bifor alle folc of kinde.
For Sion I shal not be stille, and for Jerusalem I shal not resten, to the tyme that go out as shynyng the riȝtwis of hym, and his saueour as a laumpe be tend. And seen shul Jentiles thi riȝtwis, and alle kingus thi noble; and clepid shal be to thee a newe name, that the mouth of the Lord nemnede. And thou shalt be a crowne of glorie in the hond of the Lord, and a diademe of the rewme in the hond of thi God. Thou shalt not more be clepid forsakun, and thi lond shal no mor be clepid desolat; but thou shalt be clepid My wil in it, and thi lond shal ben enhabitid; for it plesede to the Lord in thee, and thi lond shal ben enhabited. Dwelle forsothe shal the ȝunge man with the maide, and dwelle shuln in thee thi sonus; and ioȝen shal the husbonde vp on the wif, and ioȝen vp on thee shal thi God. Vp on thi wallis, Jerusalem, I sette keperes, al dai and al nyȝt euermor thei shul not be stille. Ȝee that remembren the Lord, ne beth stille, and ne ȝyueth scilence to hym, to the tyme that he stablishe, and to the tyme that he sette Jerusalem preising in the erthe. The Lord swor in his riȝthond and in the arm of his strengthe, I shal not ȝyuen thi whete more in to mete to thin enemys, and drinke shul not alien sonus thi wyn, in whiche thou trauailedist. For thei that shul gederen it, shuln ete, and preise the Lord; and that with bern it, shul drinken in myn hoeli porches. Passeth, passeth thurȝ the ȝates; greitheth weie to puple, pleyn maketh the goyng; and gedereth awei the stones, and rereth vp a tocne to puples. Lo! the Lord herd made in the vtmostus of erthe. Seith to the doȝter of Sion, Lo! thi saueour cometh; lo! his meede with hym, and his werc biforn hym. And thei shul clepen hem an hoeli puple, aȝeenboȝt of the Lord. Thou forsothe shalt be clepid a soȝt cite, and not forsaken.
Who is this that cam fro Edom, with steyned clothis fro Bosra? this shapli in his stole, goende in the multitude of his vertue? I that speke riȝtwisnesse, and a forfyȝtere am to sauen. Why thanne red is thi clothing? and thi clothis as of men tredende in the presse? The presse I trad alone, and of the folc of kinde ther is not a man with me; Y trad hem in my wodnesse, and togedere trad hem in my wrathe; and sprengd is the blod of hem vp on my clothis, and alle my clothingus I defoulid. Dai forsothe of veniaunce in myn herte, ȝer of my ȝelding cam. I beheeld aboute, and ther was not an helpere; I soȝte, and ther was not that halp; and myn arm sauede to me, and myn indignacioun itself halp to me. And I al to-trad puples in my wodnesse; and I drunknede them in myn indignacioun, and droȝ doun the vertue of them into erthe. Of the mercy doyngus of the Lord I shal recorden, the preising of the Lord vp on alle thingus that ȝeeld to vs the Lord, and vp on the multitude of the goodis to the hous of Irael, the whiche he largeli ȝaf to them after his forȝyuenesse, and aftir the multitude of his mercies. And he seide, Nerthelatere my puple is, sonus not denyende, and mad is to them a saueour. In alle the tribulacioun of hem he is not trublid, and the aungil of his face sauede hem. In his loue and in his indulgence he aȝeen boȝte them, and bar hem, and rerede them alle the daȝes of the world. Thei forsothe to wrathe terreden, and tormenteden the spirit of his hoeli; and turned he is to them in to enemy, and he faȝt them doun. And he recordide of the daȝes of the world, of Moises, and of his puple. Wher is, that ladde them out fro the se, with the shepperdis of his floc? Where is, that sette in his myddel spirit of his hoeli; the that ladde oute at the riȝtside Moisen in the arm of his mageste? that kutte watris bifor them, that he make to hym a name euere durende; that ladde out them bi water depthis, as an hors in desert not fallende, as a beste in the feeld goende doun? The Spirit of the Lord his ledere was; so thou broȝtist to thi puple, that thou make to thee a name of glorie. Loke to fro heuene, and see fro thin hoely dwelling, and fro the se of thi glorie. Wher is thin inward loue, and thi strengthe, multitude of thi boweles, and of thi mercy doyngus? Vp on me thei withheelden hem. Thou forsothe oure fader, and Abraham kneȝ not vs, and Irael vnkneȝ vs. Thou, Lord, oure fader, and oure aȝeenbiere; fro the world thi name. Whi to erren vs thou madist, Lord, fro thi weies? thou hardedist oure herte, that wee dredde not thee? be turned, for thi seruauns, lynages of thin eritage. As noȝt thei weldeden thin hoeli puple, and oure enemys al to-treeden thin halewyng. Wee ben maad as in the bigynnyng, whan thou lordshipedist not of vs, ne inwardli was clepid thi name vp on vs.
Wolde God thou shuldist to-breke heuenus, and comen doun, fro thi face hillis shulden flowe doun, as out brennyng of fyr they shulden vanshe awei, watris shulden brenne with fyr; that knowen were maad thi name to thin enemys, fro thi face Jentilis shulden ben disturbid. Whan thou shalt do merueiles, wee shuln not sustene. Thou descendedest, and fro thi face mounteynes floweden doun. Fro the world thei herden not, ne with eres parceyueden; the eȝe saȝ not, thou God, withoute thee, what thingus thou hast mad redi to men abidende thee. Thou aȝen came to the gladere, and to the doende riȝtwisnesse; in thi weies thei shul recorden of thee. Lo! thou wrathedist, and wee han synned; in hem wee weren euermor, and wee shul ben saaf. And wee ben mad as vnclene, alle wee; as the cloth of the womman roten blod flowende, alle oure riȝtwisnesses; and wee fellen as a lef alle, and oure wickidnesses as wind token awei vs. Ther is not, that inwardly clepe thi name, that rise, and holde thee; thou hast hid thi face fro vs, and thou hast hurtlid vs in the hond of oure wickidnesse. And now, Lord, oure fader thou art; wee forsothe clei, and oure makere thou, and the werkus of thin hondus, alle wee. Ne wrathe thou, Lord, ynouȝ, and no more haue thou mynde of oure wickidnesse. Lo! Lord, bihold, thi puple alle wee. The cite of thin hoeli mad is desert Sion, desert mad is Jerusalem, desolat is the hous of oure halewing and of oure glorie, where preiseden thee oure fadris, mad is in out brennyng of fyr; and alle oure desirable thingus ben turned in to fallingus. Whether vp on these thingus thou shalt withholden thee, Lord? stille shalt thou be, and tormenten vs hugeli?
Thei soȝten me, that biforn askeden not; thei founden that soȝten not me. I seide, Lo! I, lo! Y, to the Jentilis that knewe not me, and that inwardli clepeden not my name. I spredde out myn hondis al dai to a puple mystrouful, that goth in a wei not good, after ther thenkingus. The puple that to wrathe terreth me, bifor my face euermor; that offren in gardynes, and sacrifien vp on tyles; that dwellen in sepulcris, and in wasshing temples of mawmetis slepen; that eten souwe flesh, and cursid broth in the vesseles of hem; that seyn, Go awei fro me, neȝhe thou not to me, for thou art vnclene; these smoke shul ben in my wodnesse, fyr brennende all dai. Lo! it is write befor me; I shal not be stille, but I shal ȝelde, and quyte in to the bosum of them ther wickidnesses, and the wickidnesses of ȝoure fader togidere, seith the Lord, that sacrifieden vp on mounteynes, and vp on hilles repreueden to me; and I shal aȝeen mesuren the werc of hem first in the bosum of hem. These thingus seith the Lord, What maner if ther be founde a corn in the cluster, and be seid, Ne scatere thou it, for blissing it is; so I shal do for my seruauns, that I scatere not al. And I shal leden out fro Jacob sed, and of Juda the weldende myn hoeli mounteynes; and eritagen it shul my chosene, and my seruauns dwelle there. And ben shul the wilde feeldis in to foldys of flockis, and the valei of Achor in to the couche of droues, to my puple that aȝeen soȝten me. And ȝee that forsoken the Lord, that forȝeeten myn hoely mounteyn, that putten the bord of fortune, and offren licoures vp on it, I shal noumbre ȝou in swerd, and alle in slaȝter ȝee shul falle; for thi that I clepede, and ȝee answerden not; I spac, and ȝee herden not; and ȝee diden euel in myn eȝen, and that I wolde not, ȝee chosen. For these thingus, seith the Lord God, lo! my seruauntis shuln ete, and ȝee shul hungren; lo! my seruauns shul drinke, and ȝee shul thristen; lo! my seruauns shul gladen, and ȝee shul be confoundid; lo! my seruauns shul preise, for ful out ioȝinge of herte, and ȝee shul crien, for sorewe of herte, and for the totreding doun of spirit ȝee shul ȝelle. And ȝee shul leue ȝoure name in to oth to my chosene; and sle shal thee the Lord God, and his seruauns he shal clepe bi an other name. In whiche who so is blissid vp on erthe, shal ben blissid in God amen; and who swerth in erthe, shal swern in God amen; for to forȝeting ben take the rathere anguyshes, and for hid thei ben fro oure eȝen. Lo! forsothe I shape newe heuenus and newe erthe, and ben shul not in mynde the rathere, and steȝen shul thei not vp vp on herte. But ȝee shul ioȝen, and ful out ioȝen vnto euermor, in these thingus that I shape; for lo! I shape Jerusalem ful out glading, and his puple ioȝe. And I shal ful out gladen in Jerusalem, and ioȝen in my puple; and ther shal ben herd in it no more vois of weping and vois of cri. And ther shal no mor be the faunt of daȝes, and the olde that fulfillith not his daȝes; for the child of an hundrid ȝer shal dien, and the synnere of an hundrid ȝer shal be cursid. And thei shul bilden vp houses, and dwellen in, and plaunte vyne ȝerdis, and ete the frute of hem. Thei shul not bilden vp houses, and an other dwelle, ne plaunten, and an other ete; after the daȝes forsothe of the tree shul be the daȝes of my puple, and the werkes of ther hondus. My chosen vnto ful eelde shal vse; thei shul not trauaile in veyn, ne ben gendrid in disturbing; for the sed of the blissid men of the Lord it is, and the cosynes of hem with hem. And it shal be, er thei crien, I shal ful out heren; ȝit hem spekende, I shal ful out heren. The wlf and the lomb shul be fed togidere, and the leoun and the oxe shuln ete chaf, and to the serpent pouder his bred; thei shul not noȝen, ne slen, in al myn hoeli mounteyn, seith the Lord.
These thingus seith the Lord, Heuene my sete, and erthe the stonding vp place of my feet. What is this hous, that ȝee shul bilde to me, and what is this place of my reste? Alle these thingus myn hond dide, and mad ben alle these thingus, seith the Lord; to whom forsothe shall I beholde, but to my porelet and contrit in spirit, and tremblende my wrdis? That offreth an oxe, as that sle a man; that sleth a beste, as that brayne a dogge; that offreth offring, as that souwe blod he offre; that recordeth of encens, as that blisse to the mawmet; alle these thei chosen in ther weies, and in ther abominaciouns the soule of them delitede. Wherfore and I shal chesen the illusiouns of hem, and that thei dredden I shal brenge to them; for I clepede, and ther was not that shulde answern; I spac, and thei herden not; and thei diden euel in myn eȝen, and that I wolde not, thei chosen. Hereth the wrd of the Lord, that tremblen at his wrd; ȝoure brethern seiden hatende ȝou, and castende awei for my name, Glorified be the Lord, and wee shul see in ȝoure gladnesse; thei forsothe shul be confoundid. Vois of the puple fro the cite, vois fro the temple, vois of the Lord ȝeldende ȝelding to his enemys. Er sche trauelide with peyne as wymmen don, sche bar withoute; er shulde come his birthe wyth peyne, sche bar a male child. Who herde euere such a thing, and who saȝ to this lic? Whether shal with ynne bern the erthe in o dai, or shal be born a folc of kinde togidere? For with ynne bar and withoute bar Sion his sones. Whether I that othere men make to bern child, I my self shal not bern? seith the Lord. If I that ieneracioun to othere men ȝyue, bareyn shal be? seith the Lord thi God. Gladeth with Jerusalem, and ful out ioȝeth in it, alle that louen it; ioȝeth with it with ioȝe, alle that weilen vp on it; that and ȝee souke, and be fulfild of the tetes of his coumforting, that ȝee mylke, and with delices flowen, of alle maner glorie of hym. For these thingus seith the Lord, Lo! I shal bowe doun vp on it, as the flod of pes, and as strem flowende the glorie of Jentilis, that ȝee shul souke; to the tetes ȝee shul be born, and vp on the knes men shul daunte ȝou. What maner if to whom a moder daunte, so I shal coumforte ȝou, and in Jerusalem ȝee shul be coumfortid. Ȝee shul seen, and ioȝen shal ȝoure herte, and ȝoure boenes as an erbe shul buriowne. And knowe shal ben the hond of the Lord in his seruauns, and endeyne he shal to his enemys. For lo! the Lord in fyr shal come, and as a whirlewynd his foure horsid carres, to ȝelde in to indignacioun his wodnesse, and his blamyng in a flawme of fyr. For in a fyr the Lord shal be dyuersly demed, and in his swerd to alle flesh; and multeplied shul be the slayne of the Lord, that weren halewid, and cleene weeneden themself, in gardynes bihynde the firste tree, or the ȝate, with ynne forth; that eeten souwe flesh, and abominacioun, and a mous, togidere shuln ben wastid, seith the Lord. I forsothe the werkys of hem and the thoȝtus of hem, come that I gedere, with alle folkis and tungus; and thei shul comen, and seen my glorie. And I shal putte in them a tocne, and senden of hem that shul be saf to the Jentiles, in to the se, in to Affrich, and in to Liddiam, men holdende an arwe, in to Italie, and Grece, to iles aferr, to hem that herden not of me, and seȝen not my glorie. And thei shul tellen out my glorie to Jentilis, and bringen alle ȝoure brethern fro alle Jentilis a free ȝifte to the Lord, in hors, and in foure horsid carres, and in literes, and in mulys, and in cartus, to myn hoeli mounteyn, Jerusalem, seith the Lord; as if the sonus of Irael bringen in a ȝifte in a clene vessel in to the hous of the Lord. And I shal taken of them in to prestus and Leuytus, seith the Lord. For as newe heuenus and newe erthe, whiche I make to stonde bifor me, seith the Lord, so stonde shal ȝoure sed, and ȝoure name. And ther shal be monyth of monyth, and sabot of saboth; comen shal eche flesh to honoure byfor my face, seith the Lord. And gon out shuln, and seen the careynes of men, that trespasiden aȝen me; the werm of them shal not die, and the fir of hem shal not be quenchid; and thei shul be in to filling of siȝt to alle flesh.
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