Isaiah · Chapter 13

[ edit] The charge of Babilon, þat ſaȝ Iſaie, þe ſone of Amos. Vp on a myſti mounteyn rereþ vp a tokne, and enhaunceþ out þe vois; rereþ þe hond, and gon in to þe ȝates þe dukes. I comaundide to myn halewid men, and I clepede my ſtronge men in my wraþe, ful out ioȝende in my glorie. Þe vois of þe multitude in mounteynes, as of beſy puples; þe vois of þe ſoun of kingus, and of Jentilis gedered to gidere. Þe Lord of oſtes comaundide to þe knyȝþod of þe bataile, to þe men comende fro þe lond aferr. Fro þe ouermoſt of heuene þe Lord, and þe veſſeles of his wodneſſe, þat he ſcatere al þe erþe. Ȝelleþ, for neeȝ is þe dai of þe Lord; as waſtite fro þe Lord ſhal come.

For þat alle hondis ſhul be vnlooſid, and eche herte of a man ſhal wane, or faylen, and ben to-broſid. Tormentingus and ſorewes þei ſhul holde; as wymmen trauailende of child, þei ſhul ſorewen. Eche to his neȝhebore ſhall ſtoneȝe; brent faces þe cheeres of hem. Loo! þe day of þe Lord ſhal come, cruel, and of indignacioun ful, and of wraþe, and of wodneſſe; to be put þe erþe in to wilderneſſe, and his ſynneres to ben al tobroſid of it. For þe ſterres of heuene and þe ſhynyng of hem ſhul not ſpreden out þer liȝt; al to-derkned is þe ſunne in his riſing, and þe moone ſhal not ſhyne in his lyȝt.

I ſhal viſiten vp on þe eueles of worlde, and aȝen þe vnpitouſe þe wickidneſſes of þem; and to reſten I ſhal maken þe pride of þe vnfeiþful men, and þe proude hauncyng of ſtronge men I ſhal meeken. More precious a ful man ſhal be þan gold, and a man þan clene moſt ſhynende gold. Vp on þis heuene I ſhal diſturben, and ſhal be moued þe erþe fro his place; for þe indignacioun of þe Lord of oſtes, and for þe dai of þe wraþe of his wodneſſe. And he ſhal ben as a foun fleende, and as a ſheep, and þer ſhal not be þat gedere; eche to his puple ſhal be turned, and a rowe to þer lond þei ſhul flee. Eche þat were founde, ſhal be ſlayn; and eche þat ouer ſhal come, ſhal falle in ſwerd.

Þe fauntes of hem ſhul ben hurtlid doun in þer eȝen; to-broke doun ſhul be þe houſes of hem, and þe wyues of þem ſhul be defoulyd. Loo! I ſhal reren vp on hem Medos, þat ſiluer ſechen not, ne gold wiln; but wiþ arwis þe litle childer þei ſhul ſlen, and to þe wombis ȝyuende ſouke þei ſhul not han mercy, and vp on þe ſones ſhal not ſpare þe eȝe of hem. And þat 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 þe ende, and ſhal not be foundid vnto þe ieneracioun and ieneracioun; ne ſhal ſette þere tente a man of Arab, ne ſhepperdes ſhul reſte þere.

But ſhul reſte þere beſtes, and ſhul be fulfild þe houſes of þem wiþ dragownes; and þer ſhul dwelle þere oſtriches, and wodewoſes ſhul lepe þere. And þer ſhul anſwern þere ȝellende foules in þe houſes of it, and wengid edderes in waſſhing maumet templis of foul delit.