Isaiah · Chapter 21

[ edit] The charge of þe deſert ſe. As whirlewyndus fro Affrich comen, fro þe deſert cam, fro þe orrible lond. An hard viſeoun told is to me; þat vnleeuende is, vnfeiþfully doþ; and he þat is diſtroȝere, waſteþ. Steeȝh vp, Elam, and biſege, Medeba; al his weilyng I made to ceſen. Þerfore ben fulfild my lendys wiþ ſorewe; anguyſh weldide me, as anguyſh of þe trauailende wiþ 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 þe bord, bihold in a tooþil; etende and drinkende riſeþ, ȝee princes, takeþ to þe terget.

Þeſe þingus forſoþe ſeide þe Lord to me, Go, and put a tootere; and what euere þing 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 þe tooþil of þe Lord I am ſtondende contynuelly bi day, and vp on my warde I am ſtondende alle nyȝtus. Lo! þis cam, a man ſteȝere of þe carte of horſe men. And he anſwerde, and ſeide, Is falle, is falle Babilon; and alle grauen þingus of hys godus ben to-broſid in to þe erþe. My þreſſing, and þe doȝter of my cornflor, þe þingus þat I herde of þe Lord of oſtes, God of Irael, I tolde to ȝou. Þe charge of Duma.

To me he crieþ fro Seir, O! kepere, what of þe nyȝt? O! kepere, what of þe nyȝt? Þe kepere ſeide, Þer comeþ morutid, and nyȝt; if ȝee ſechen, ſecheþ, and beþ conuertid, and comeþ. Þe charge in Araby. In þe wilde wode at euen ȝee ſhul ſlepen, in þe ſties of Dodanym. Aȝencomende to þe þriſti berþ water, þat dwellen þe lond of þe ſouþ; wiþ loeues aȝencomeþ to þe fleende. Fro þe face forſoþe of ſwerdes þei fledden, fro þe face of þe ſwerd ſtondende on, fro þe face of þe bowe bend, fro þe face of þe greuous bataile. For þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord to me, Ȝit in o ȝer, as in þe ȝer of an hirid man, and þer ſhal ben take awey al þe glorie of Cedar.

And þe relikis of þe noumbre of þe ſtronge archeres fro þe ſonus of Cedar ſhul be mynuſht; þe Lord forſoþe, God of Iſrael, ſpac.