Isaiah · Chapter 29

[ edit] Wo! Ariel, Ariel, þat is, Jeruſalem, and auter, cite þat Dauid ouercam; added is ȝer to ȝer, ſolempnetees ben ouerturned. And I ſhal beſette aboute Ariel, and it ſhal be dreri and ſorewy; and it ſhal be to me as Aryel. And I ſhal cumpaſſe as a bal in þi cumpas, and I ſhal kaſte aȝen þee an hep, and þe ſtrengþis I ſhal ſette in to þi ſeging. Þou ſhalt be meekid, of þe erþe þou ſhalt ſpeke, and of þe loewe erþe ſhal ben herd þi ſpeche; and ſhal be as of a deuel clepere fro þe erþe þi vois, and fro þe loewe erþe ſhal groyne þi ſpeche. And ſhal be as þynne pouder þe multitude of men wynewende þee; and as a gnaſt þurȝ paſſende, þe multitude of hem þat aȝen þee hadden maiſtri.

And it ſhal be feerly, or ſudenly, anoon fro þe Lord of oſtus it ſhal be viſitid, in þunder, and quauyng of erþe, and gret vois of whirlewind, and of tempeſt, and of flaume of fijr deuourende. And ſhal be as a drem of a nyȝt viſeoun þe multitude of alle Jentiles þat foȝten aȝen Ariel; and alle þat aȝen riden, and biſegeden, and hadden þe maiſtri aȝen it. And as ſweueneþ þe hungrende, and eteþ, whan forſoþe he were wakid, voide is his ſoule; and as ſweueneþ þe þriſtende, and drinkeþ, and aftir þat he were waken, weri ȝit he þriſteþ, and his ſoule is voide, ſo ſhal be þe multitude of alle Jentiles, þat foȝten aȝen þe hil of Sion.

Bicomeþ alle ſtoneid, and wndreþ; flotereþ, and wagereþ; be ȝe drunken inwardli, and not of wyn; ȝee be moued, and not wiþ drunkeneſſe. For mengd haþ þe Lord to ȝou þe ſpirit of ſlep; he ſhal cloſen ȝoure eȝen, þe profetes, and ȝoure princes þat ſeen viſeouns, he ſhal couere. And þer ſhal be to ȝou þe viſeoun of alle as þe wrdis of þe boc ſealid; whom whan þei ſhul ȝyue to þe kunnende lettris, þei ſhul ſey, Reed þis; and he ſhal anſwern, I mai not, forſoþe it is ſealid. And þe boc ſhal be ȝyue to þe not kunnende lettris, and it ſhal be ſeid to hym, Reed; and he ſhal anſwern, I kan not lettris.

And þe Lord ſeide, For þi þat þis puple neȝheþ wiþ his mouþ, and wiþ his lippes glorifieþ me, his herte forſoþe fer is fro me; and þei dradden me in maundement of men and doctrines, þerfore loo! I ſhal adde, þat gret wondring I do to þis puple, wiþ gret myracle and hidous; forſoþe perſhe ſhal wiſdam fro his wiſe men, and þe vnderſtonding of his prudent men ſhal be hid. Wo, ȝee þat deep ben in herte, þat fro þe Lord ȝee hide counſeil; of whom þe werkes ben in dercneſſes, and ſeyn, Who ſeeþ vs, and who kneȝ vs? Shreude is þis ȝoure þenking, as if þe cley aȝens þe crockere þenke, and þe werk ſey to his makere, Þou haſt not mad me; and þe making ſey to his makere, Þou vnderſtondiſt not.

Wheþer not ȝit in litil and in ſhort ſhal be turned Liban in to Chermel, and Chermel in to a wilde wode ſhal ben holde? And heren ſhul in þat day deue men þe wrdis of þe boc, and fro dercneſſes and myſtyneſſes þe eȝen of blynde men ſhul ſeen; and mylde men ſhuln adde in þe Lord gladneſſe, and pore men in þe hoeli Irael ful out ſhul ioȝen. For he haþ failid, þat hadde þe maiſtri, ful endid is þe gilere, and hewen doun ben alle þat wakeden vp on wickidneſſe; þat to ſynnen maden men in wrd, and þe vndernymere in þe ȝate þei ſupplaunteden, and boweden doun in veyn fro þe riȝtwis.

For þat þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord to þe hous of Jacob, þat aȝen bouȝt Abraham, Not now ſhal be confoundid Jacob, ne now his chere ſhal ſhame; but whan he ſhal ſeen his ſones, þe werkys of myn hondis, in his myddel halewende my name. And þei ſhul halewen þe hoeli of Jacob, and þe hoeli God of Irael þei ſhul prechen; and knowen ſhul þe errende in ſpirit vnderſtonding, and þe muſures ſhul lerne þe lawe.