Isaiah · Chapter 5

[ edit] I ſhal ſynge to my looued a ſong off myn emes ſone, of his vyneȝerd. Þe vyneȝerd is mad to my looued, in þe horn to þe 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 þe myddel of it, and a preſſe he rerede vp in it; and he abod, þat it ſhulde bringe forþ grapes, and it broȝte forþ wilde vynes. Now þanne, ȝee dwelleris of Jeruſalem, and men of Juda, demeþ betwe me and my vyneȝerd. What is þat I awȝte mor to do to my vyneȝerd, and dide not to it? wheþer þat I abod, þat yt ſhulde bringe forþ grapes, and broȝte forþ 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 þer ſhul ſteȝe vp vp on it breres and þornes; and to þe cloudis I ſhal comaunde, þat þei reyne not vp on it weder. Forſoþe þe vyneȝerd of þe Lord of hoſtes is þe hous of Irael, and þe men of Juda his delytable buriounyng. I abod, þat it ſhulde do dom, and lo! wickidneſſe; and riȝtwiſneſſe, and lo! cry. Wo þat ioynen hous to hous, and feeld to feeld coupleþ, vn to þe terme of a place. Wheþer dwellen ȝee ſhuln alone in þe myddel of þe erþe?

In myn eres ben þeſe þingus, ſeiþ þe Lord of oſtes; but ȝif manye houſes grete and faire ſhul be deſert, and wiþoute dwellere. Forſoþe ten acris of vyneȝerdis ſhul maken o potell wyn, and þretti buſſheles of ſed ſhul make þre buſſheles. Wo þat riſen erly to drunkenhed to be folewid, and to drinken vn to euen, þat wiþ wyn ȝee brenne. Harpe, and ſyngende inſtrument, and tymbre, and trumpe, and wyn in ȝoure feſtes; and þe werk of þe Lord ȝee biholden not, ne þe werkes of his hondis ȝee waiten. Þerfor lad caitif is my puple, þat hadde not kunnyng; and his noble men dieden þurȝ hunger, and his multitude þurȝ þirſt al out driede.

Þerfore helle ſpredde abrod his ſoule, and openede his mouþ wiþ oute any terme; and þer ſhul falle doun his ſtronge men, and his puple, and heeȝe, and his gloriouſe to it. And þer ſhal be ful crookid a man, and meekid a ſtrong man; and þe eȝen of heȝe men ſhul be þreſt doun. And þer ſhal be enhauncid þe Lord of oſtes in dom, and þe hoeli God ſhal be halewid in riȝtwiſneſſe. And lombis ſhul be fed aftir þer order, and deſertes in to plente turned comelingus ſhul ete.

Wo þat drawen wickidneſſe in þe litle cordes of vanyte, and as þe bond of a wayn ſynne; þat ſeyn, Heeȝe, or haaſte, he, and ſoone come his werk, þat wee ſee; and neȝhe, and come þe counſeil of þe hoeli of Irael, and wee ſhul witen it. Wo þat ſeyn euel good, and good euel; puttende derkneſſes liȝt, and liȝt derkneſſes; puttende bitter in to ſwete, and ſweete in to bitter. Wo þat wiſe ben in ȝoure eȝen, and bifor ȝouſelf ſleeȝe. Wo þat myȝty ben to drinke wyn, and ſtronge men to be mengd drunkynhed; þat iuſtefien þe vnpitous for ȝiftes, and þe riȝtwiſneſſe of þe riȝtwyſe ȝee taken awey fro hym.

For þat, as deuoureþ þe tunge of fyr ſtobil, and þe hete of flaumme brenneþ out, ſo þe roote of hem as a gnaſt ſhal be, and þe buriownyng of hem as pouder ſhal ſteȝe vp; forſoþe þei caſten awei þe lawe of þe Lord of oſtes, and þe ſpeche of þe hoeli of Irael þei blasfemeden. Þerfor wraþede þe wodneſſe of þe Lord in his puple, and ſtraȝte out his hond vp on it, and ſmot it; and þe mounteynes ben diſturbid, and mad ben þe deed carens of hem as drit in þe myddel of ſtretes. In alle þeſe þingus 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 þe coeſtes of þe erþe; and lo! haſtid he ſhal come ſwiftli.

Þer is not failing ne trauailyng in hym; he ſhal not nappen, ne ſlepen, ne ſhal ben looſid þe girdil of his renes, ne ſhal be to-broke þe þowng of his ſhoȝyng. His arwis ſharpe, and alle his bowes bent; þe cles of þe horſes of hym as flynt, and his wheles as þe byre of tempeſt. His roring as off a leoun; he ſhal roren as þe whelpis of leouns; he ſhal gnaſten, and holden þe prei, and biclippen, and þer ſhal not be, þat delyuere out. And þer ſhal ſowne vp on hym in þat day, as þe ſoun of þe ſe; wee ſhul biholde in to þe erþe, and lo! derkneſſes of tribulacioun, and liȝt al to-derked is in þe derknyng of hym.