Isaiah · Chapter 8

[ edit] And þe Lord ſeide to me, Tac to þee a gret boc, and writ in it wiþ þe poyntel of a man, Swiftli ſpoiles tac awey, ſoone refe. And I toc to me feiþful witneſſes, Vrie, þe preſt, and Sacharie, þe ſone of Barachie. And I wente to a propheteſſe; and ſhe conceyuede, and bar a ſone. And þe Lord ſeide to me, Clep his name Haſte þou ſpoiles to tac awey, heeȝe þou to refen. For er þe child kunne clepe his fader and his moder, ſhal be taken awei þe ſtrengþe of Damaſch, and þe ſpoiles of Samarie, bifor þe king of Aſſiries.

And þe Lord leide to to ſpeke to me, ſeiende, For þi þat þis puple haþ caſt awey þe watris of Siloe, þat gon wiþ cilence, and more toc to Raſyne, and þe ſone of Romelie, for þat lo! þe Lord ſhal bringe to vp on hem watres of þe flod ſtronge and manye, þe king of Aſſiries, and al þe glorie of him; and he ſhal ſteȝen vp vp on alle his ryueres, and flowen vp on alle his ſtremes. And he ſhal gon þurȝ Judam flowende, and paſſende vn to þe necke he ſhal come; and þer ſhal be þe ſpredyng out of his wenges, fulfillende þe breede of þi lond, O! Emanuel. Beþ gedered, ȝee puples, and beþ bounde togidere; and hereþ, alle ȝee londis aferr.

Beþ coumfortid, and be ȝee ouercomen; girdeþ ȝou, and beþ ouercomen; goþ in counſeil, and it ſhal be ſcatered; ſpekeþ a wrd, and it ſhal not be do, for wiþ vs is God. Þeſe þingus forſoþe ſeiþ þe Lord to me, as in a ſtrong hond he taȝte me, leſt I ſhulde go in to þe weie of þis puple, ſeiende, Seiþ not, Coniuracioun, alle þingis forſoþe þat ſpekeþ þis puple is coniuracioun; and his drede ne drede ȝee, ne takiþ ferd.

Þe Lord of hoſtes him halewiþ, and he ȝoure inward drede, and he ȝoure outward drede; and he ſhal be to ȝou in to halewing; in to a ſton forſoþe of offencioun, and in to a ſton of ſclaunder, to þe 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 þe witneſſing, marke þe lawe in my diſciples. I ſhal abide þe Lord, þat hidde his face fro þe hous of Jacob, and I ſhal ſechen hym. Lo! I and my childer, whom ȝaf to me þe Lord in to tocne, and in to wunder to Irael, fro þe Lord of oſtes þat dwelleþ in þe hil of Sion.

And whan þei ſhul ſey to ȝou, Secheþ of deuel cleperes, and of deuynoures, þat ſounen ſtrongli in þeir chauntingus, wheþir not a puple of his God ſhal ſeche a viſeoun for þe quyke and þe deade? To þe lawe more and to þi witneſſing, þat if þei ſchul not ſei aftir þis wrd, ſhal not be to þem morutid liȝt. And he ſhal paſſe þurȝ it, and it ſhal falle, and hungre. And when it ſhal hongre, it ſhal wraþen, and curſen to his kyng and to his God, and it ſhal beholden vp. And to þe 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.