Isaiah · Chapter 40

[ edit] Beþ coumfortid, beþ coumfortid, ȝee my puple, ſeiþ ȝoure God. Spekeþ to þe herte of Jeruſalem, and clepeþ to it, for ful endid is his malice, forȝyuen is his wickidneſſe; he toc of þe hond of þe Lord double þingus for alle his ſynnus. Þe vois of þe criende in deſert, Makeþ redy þe weie of þe Lord, riȝt makeþ in wilderneſſe þe ſties of oure God. Eche valei ſhal be enhaunced, and eche monteyn and hil ſhal be mekid; and þer ſhul be ſhreude þingus in to euene riȝt þingus, and ſharpe þingus in to pleyne weies. And þer ſhal be opened þe glorie of þe Lord, and ſeen ſhal eche fleſh togidere, þat þe mouþ of þe Lord ſpac. Þe vois of þe Lord, ſeiende, Cry. And I ſeide, What ſhal I crien?

Eche fleſh hei, and al his glorie as þe flower of þe feld. Ful out dried is þe hei, and þe flour fel, for þe ſpirit of þe Lord bleȝ in it. Verely þe hei is þe puple; ful out dried is þe hei, and þe flour fel; þe wrd forſoþe of þe Lord dwelleþ in to wiþouten ende. Vp on an hiȝ hil ſteȝ vp, þou þat euangeliſiſt to Sion; enhaunce in ſtrengþe þi vois, þou þat euangeliſiſt to Jeruſalem; enhaunce, and wile þou not drede; ſei to þe cites of Jude, Lo! ȝoure God. Lo! þe Lord God in ſtrengþe ſhal come, and his arm ſhal lordſhipen; lo! his meede wiþ hym, and his werc biforn hym.

As a ſhepperde ſhal feede his floc, in his arm he ſhal gedere þe lombis, and in his boſum ſhal reren; þe ſhep ful of frut he ſhal bern. Who meſurede wiþ handful watris, and heuenes wiþ þe paume peiſede? Who heeng vp wiþ þre fingris þe heuyneſſe of þe erþe, and weȝede in peis þe mounteynes, and þe hilles in a ballaunce? Who helpede þe Spirit of þe Lord, or who his counſeiler was, and ſhewede to hym? Wiþ whom wente he in counſeil, and enformede hym, and taȝte hym þe ſtiȝ of riȝtwiſneſſe, and lerede hym wiþ kunnyng, and þe weie of prudence ſhewede to hym? Lo!

Jentiles as a drope of a boket, and as moment of a balaunce ben holden; lo! iles as litil pouder, and Liban ſhal not ſuffiſen to brenne, and his beſtus ſhuln not ſuffiſen to brent ſacrifice. Alle Jentiles as þei ben not, ſo þei ben bifor hym; and as noȝt and inwardli voide þei ben holden to hym. To whom þanne lic haſt þou mad God? or what ymage ſhul ȝee putte to hym? Wheþer þe grauen þing ſhal þe ſmiþ ȝeete, or þe craftis man wiþ gold ſhall figure it, and wiþ ſiluerene plates þe ſiluer ſmyþ? Þe ſtronge tree, and þe vnable to roten ches þe wiſe craftes man; he ſecheþ what maner he ſette þe ſymulacre, þat it moue not.

Wheþer ȝee ſhul not wite? wheþer ȝee han not herd? wheþer not told to ȝou it is fro þe bigynnyng? wheþer ȝee han not vnderſtonde þe foundemens of þe erþe? Þat ſitteþ vp on þe cumpas of þe erþe, and his dwelleris ben as locuſtes; þat ſtreccheþ out as noȝt heuenus, and ſpredeþ abrod hem as tabernacle to indwelle. Þat ȝyueþ þe ſercheres of priuytees, as þoȝ þei be not, þe domes men of þe erþe as voide he made. And forſoþe ne plauntid, ne ſowen, ne rootid in þe erþe þe ſtoc of hem, feerli he bleȝ in to þem, and þei drieden, and a whirlewind as ſtubil ſhal take þem awei. And to whom han ȝee licned me, and euened han me? ſeiþ þe hoeli.

Rereþ vp in to heiȝ ȝoure eȝen, and ſeeþ, who made of noȝt þeſe þingus; þat bringeþ out in noumbre þe knyȝþod of hem, and alle bi name he clepeþ, for multitude of ſtrengþe, and of ſtalwrþeneſſe, and of his vertue; ne oon was laft. Whi ſeiſt þou, Jacob, and ſpekeſt, Irael, Hid is my wey fro þe Lord, and fro my God my dom paſſede? Wheþer woſt þou not, or haſt not herd, God euere durende? Þe Lord þat foormede þe termes of þe erþe, he ſhal not faile, ne trauaile, ne þer is enſerching of his wiſdam. Þat ȝyueþ to þe weri vertue, and to þem þat ben not, ſtrengþe and ſtalwrþeneſſe multeplieþ. Failen ſhul childer, and trauailen, and ȝunge men in þer febleneſſe fallen.

Who forſoþe hopen in þe Lord, ſhul chaunge ſtrengþe, take to federes as of an egle; rennen, and not trauailen; gon, and not faylen.