Isaiah · Chapter 41

[ edit] Bee ſtille to me, yles, and Jentyles ſtrengþe chaunge þei; neȝhen, and þanne ſpeke þei; togidere to dom nyȝ come wee. Who rerede fro þe eſt þe riȝtwis, clepede hym, þat he ſhulde folewe hymſelf? He ſhal ȝyue in his ſiȝte Jentyles, and kingus he ſhal welde; he ſhal ȝyue as pouder to his ſwerd, as ſtubil wiþ þe wind raueſhid to his bowe. He ſhal purſue hem, he ſhal paſſe in pes; þe ſty in his feet ſhal not apere. Who þeſe þingus wroȝte and dide? clepende ieneraciouns fro þe bigynnyng. I a Lord; firſt and þe laſt I am. Iles ſeeȝen, and trembleden; þe vtmoſtus of þe erþe becamen ſtoneid, þei neȝheden, and wente to. Eche to his neȝhebore ſhal helpen, and to his broþer ſeyn, Tac coumfort.

Coumforten ſhal þe metal ſmyþ ſmytende hym wiþ an hamer þat forgede þat tyme, ſeiende to þe glyu, It is good; and he coumfortide hym wiþ nailes, þat it ſhulde not be moued. And þou, Irael, my ſeruaunt, Jacob, whom I ches, þe ſed of Abraham, my frend, in whom I toc þee fro þe vtmoſtes of þe erþe, and fro his ferre coeſtes I clepede þee, and ſeide to þee, My ſeruaunt þou art; I ches þee, and I caſte not awei þee. Ne drede þou, for I am wiþ þee; ne bowe þou doun, for I þi God. I haue coumfortid þee, and holpen þee; and vndertoc þee þe riȝþond of my riȝtwis. Lo! ſhul be confoundid, and ſhamen alle þat fiȝten aȝen þee; þei ſhul be as þoȝ þei be not, and perſhe ſhul þe men, þat aȝenſeyn to þee.

Þou ſhalt ſechen hem, and not finden; þi rebel men þei ſhul ben, as þoȝ þei ben not, and as þe waſting of a man fiȝtende aȝen þee. For I þe Lord þi God, takende þin hond, and ſeiende to þee, Ne drede þou, for I haue holpen þee. Wile þou not drede, þou werm of Jacob, þat dead ȝee ben of Irael. I haue holpen þee, ſeiþ þe Lord, and þin aȝeen biere, þe hoeli of Irael. I haue ſet þee as a newe wayn þreſſhende, hauende pikede poeles ſawende; þou ſhalt þreſſhe mounteynes, and to-mynuſhen, and putten as pouder hillis. Þou ſhalt wynewe þem, and þe wind ſhal take awei, and þe whirlewind ſhal ſcatere þem; and þou ful out ſhalt ioȝen in þe Lord, and in þe hoeli of Irael ſhalt glade.

Nedi and pore men ſhul ſeche watris, and þer ben not; þe tunge of þem wiþ þriſt driede. I þe Lord ſhal out heren hem, I God of Irael ſhal not forſake þem. I ſhal opene in heȝe hillis flodys, and in þe myddel of feeldis welles; I ſhall ſette deſert in to pondis of watris, and þe lond wiþoute weie in to riueres of watris. I ſhal ȝyue in wilderneſſe ceder, and þorne, and myrt tree, and oliue tree; I ſhal ſette in deſert fyrr tree, and vlm tree, and box togidere. Þat þei ſee, and wite, and beþenke, and vnderſtonde togidere; for þe hond of þe Lord dide þis, and þe hoeli of Irael foormede it. Nyȝ doþ ȝoure dom, ſeiþ þe Lord; bringeþ to, if any þing parauenture ȝee han, ſeiþ þe king of Jacob.

Come þei nyȝ, and telle þei to vs, what euer þingus ben to come; þe raþere þingus þat weren, telliþ, and wee ſhul putte oure herte, and wite; þe laſte þingis of hem, and þat ben to come, ſhewiþ to vs. Telleþ þat ben to come in to tyme to come, and wee ſhul wite, for goddis ȝee ben; well alſo or euele, if ȝee moun, doþ; and ſpeke wee, and ſee wee togidere. Lo! ȝee ben of noȝt, and ȝour werc of þat þyng þat is not; abhominacioun he is, þat ches ȝou. I rerede fro þe norþ, and he ſhal come from þe riſing vp of þe ſunne; clepe he ſhal my name. He ſhal bringe to þe cheef maiſtris as clei, and as a daubere, or a potter, totredende þe lowe erþe.

Who tolde fro þe bigynnyng, þat wee witen, and fro þe begynnyng, þat wee ſey, Þou art riȝtwis? þer is not a tellere, ne a biforn ſeiere, ne herere ȝoure wrdis. Þe firſte to Sion ſhal ſei, Lo! I am nyȝ; and to Jeruſalem an euangeliſt I ſhal ȝyue. And I ſaȝ, and þer was not of þeſe any man þat ȝide in counſeil, and aſkid anſwerde a wrd. Lo! alle vnriȝtwiſe, and veyne þe werkes of hem; wynde, and wiþ ynne voide þe ſymulacris of þem.