Isaiah · Chapter 1

[ edit] The viſeoun of Iſaie, ſone of Amos, þat he ſaȝ vp on Judam and Jeruſalem, in þe daȝes of Oſie, Joaþan, Achaȝ, Eſechie, kingus of Juda. Hereþ, ȝee heuenus, and wiþ eres parceyue, þou erþe, for þe Lord ſpac. Sonus I nurſhede out and enhauncede; þei forſoþe diſpiſeden me. Þe oxe kneȝ his weldere, and þe aſſe þe cracche of his lord; Irael forſoþe me kneȝ not, and my puple vnderſtod not. Wo to ſynful folc, to þe puple heuy wiþ wickidneſſe, to þe ſhreude ſed, to þe ſonus ful of hidous giltes; þei forſoken þe Lord, þei blasfemeden þe hoeli of Irael, þei ben aliened awei bacward. Vp on what þing I ſhal ſmyte ȝou, ferþermor addende lawe breche, or treſpaſſing aȝeyns þe lawe?

Eche hed ful of langour, and eche herte ful of mornyng. Fro þe plante of þe foot vnto þe top, þer is not in hym helþe; wounde, and wanneſſe, and ſikneſſe ſwellende is not bounden aboute, ne curid wiþ leching, ne nurſhid wiþ oile. Ȝoure lond is deſert, ȝoure cites ben brend vp wiþ fyr; ȝoure regioun deuouren biforn ȝou alienus, and it ſhal be deſolat as in enemyful waſtete. And þe 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 þat is waſtid. But ȝif þe Lord of oſtes hadde laft to vs ſed, as Sodom wee hadden ben, and as Gomorra lijc wee ſhulden ben.

Hereþ þe wrd of þe Lord, ȝee princes of Sodom; and parceyueþ wiþ eres þe lawe of ȝoure God, ȝee puple of Gomorre. What to me þe multitude of ȝoure ſlayn ſacrifiſe? ſeiþ þe Lord. Ful I am; þe brent ſacrefiſes of weþeres, and þe talȝ of fatte beſtus, and þe blod of calues, and of lombes, and off goet, I wolde not. Whan ȝee ſhulden come biforn my ſiȝte, who ſoȝte þeſe þingus of ȝoure hondis, þat ȝee ſhulden go in my porches? Ne bringe ȝee to more ſacrifiſes in veyn; encens abhominacioun is to me; þe newe moone, and ſabot, and oþere feſtus I ſhal not bern. Wicke ben ȝoure cumpanyes; ȝoure kalendis and ȝoure ſolempnetees hatede my ſoule; þei 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; forſoþe ȝoure hondis ben ful of blod. Be ȝee waſhen, beþ clene; takeþ awei þe euel of ȝoure þoȝtes fro myn eȝen; reſteþ to do ſhreudely, lerneþ to do wel. Secheþ dom, helpeþ to þe opreſſid, demeþ to þe faderles child, defendeþ þe widewe. And comeþ, and vndernemeþ mee, ſeiþ þe Lord. If ȝoure ſynnes weren as flaume red ſilc, as ſnoȝ þei ſhuln ben mad white; and if þei weren rede as blod red ſilc, as whit wlle þei ſhul be. If ȝee wiln, and ſhuln heren me, þe goodis of þe erþe ȝee ſhuln ete.

Þat if ȝee wiln not, and me to wraþe ȝee ſhulden terren, ſwerd ſhal deuoure ȝou; for þe mouþ of þe Lord ſpac. What maner is mad a ſtrumpet þe feiþful cite ful of dom? riȝtwiſneſſe dwellede in it; now forſoþe manſleeres. Þi ſyluer is turned in to dros; þi wyn is mengd wiþ water. Þi princes vnfeiþfull, felawes of þeues; alle þei loouen ȝiftus, folewen ȝeldyngus; to þe faderles child þei demen not, þe cauſe of þe widewe goþ not in to þem. For þat, ſeiþ þe 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, þat ſhulden be frendis.

And I ſhal turne myn hond to þee, and I ſhal ſeþen out to þe pure þi dros, and I ſhal taken awei al þi tyn. And I ſhal reſtoren þi domeſmen, as þey weren biforn, and þi counſeileris, as bi old tyme. Aftir þeſe þingus þou ſhalt ben clepid þe cite of þe riȝtwis, þe cheef citee of þe feiþful. Syon in dom ſhal ben aȝen boȝt, and þei ſhul bringe it aȝeen in to riȝtwiſneſſe; and he ſhal to-trede þe hydous gilteres and þe ſynneres togidere, and þatt forſoken þe Lord, ſhul ben diſtroȝid. Þei ſhul ben confoundid forſoþe of þe maumetes, to þe whiche þei ſacrifieden; and ȝee ſhuln ben ſhamed vp on þe gardynes, þat ȝee hadden choſen.

Whan ȝee ſhul ben as an oek, þe leues fallende doun, and as a gardyn wiþ oute water. And ȝoure ſtrengþe ſhal ben as a deed ſparke of a flax top, and ȝoure werk as a ſparcle; and eiþir ſhal be brend vp togidere, and þer ſhal not ben þat quenche.