Isaiah · Chapter 44

[ edit] And now here þou, Jacob, my ſeruaunt, and Irael, whom I ches. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, makende and foormende þee fro þe woombe, þin helpere, Wile þou not drede, my ſeruaunt Jacob, and þou moſt riȝt, whom I ches. I ſhal heelden out forſoþe watris vp on þe þreſtende, and flowingus vp on þe drie; I ſhall heelden out my ſpirit vp on þi ſed, and my bleſſing vp on þi ſtoc. And buriowne þei ſhuln among erbes, as wiþies, or ſalewis, biſyde þe ſyde flowende watris. Þis ſhal ſeyn, Of þe Lord I am, and he ſhal inwardly clepen in þe name of Jacob; and þis ſhal write wiþ his hond to þe Lord, and in þe name of Irael he ſhal be licned to.

Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, king of Irael, and his aȝeen biere, Lord of oſtes, I þe firſte and I þe laſte, and wiþ oute me is not God. Who lic of me? clepe he, and telle, and þe ordre expoune to me, ſiþen I ordeynede þe olde puple; þingus to come, and þat ben to come, telle he to þem. Wileþ not dreden, ne beþ diſturbid; fro þennus to heeren þee I made, and tolde; ȝee ben my witneſſes. Wheþer is God wiþoute me, and a foormere, whom I haue not knowe? Þe foormeres of þe mawmet alle noȝt ben, and þe moſt loued þingus of þem ſhul not profiten to þem; þei witneſſes of hem ben, for þei ſeen not, ne vnderſtonde, þat þei be confoundid. Who foormede God, and a grauen þing ȝetede, to no þing profitable?

Lo! alle his parceneres ſhul be confoundid; þe forgeres forſoþe ben of men. Þei ſhuln come togidere, alle þei ſhul ſtonde, and inwardli dreden, and ben confoundid togidere. Þe yren ſmyþ wiþ þe file wroȝte; in coles, and in hameres foormede it, and wroȝte in þe arm of his ſtrengþe. He ſhal hungren, and failen; he ſhal not drinke water, and he ſhal waxe weri. Þe crafti man tree werkere ſtraȝte out þe reule, and foormede it in a grauyng iren; he maade it in corneres, and in a cumpas turnede it abouten; and made an ymage of a man, as a fair man wonende in hous.

He heeȝ doun þe cedris, and toc þe keſteyn tree, and þe oek, þat hadde ſtonde among þe trees of þe wilde wode; he plauntede þe pyne tree, þat wiþ rein he nurſhede, and made is to men in to fyr. He toc of hem, and is chaufed, and brende vp, and booc loeues; of þe remnaunt forſoþe he wroȝte a god, and honourede, and made grauen þing, and is bowid biforn it. Þe myddel of it he brende wiþ fyr, and of his myddel, fleſh he ſeþede, and eet; he ſeþede potage, and is fild; and is chaufid, and ſeide, Vah, or weel, I am hat; Y ſaȝ þe fyr.

Þe remnaunt forſoþe of it a god he made, and a grauen þing to hym; he is bowid biforn it, and honoureþ it, and inwardli beſecheþ, ſeiende, Delyuere me, for my god þou art. Þey knewen not, ne vnderſtoden, forſoþe þei forȝeeten, leſt þer eȝen ſeeȝen, and leſt þei vnderſtoden in þer herte. Þei beþenken not in þer mynde, ne knowen, ne felen, þat þei ſey, Þe myddel of it I brende wiþ fyr, and I book vp on his coles loeues, and ſeþ fleſh, and eet; and of his remnaunt a maumet I ſhal make, biforn þe ſtoc þe tree I ſhal kutte. His part is aſkus; þe vnwiſe herte ſhal honouren it, and yt ſhal not delyuere his ſoule, ne ſeyn, A ſtrong leſyng is in my riȝþond.

Haue mynde of þeſe, Jacob and Irael, for my ſeruaunt þou art; I foormede þee, my ſeruaunt þou art, Irael; þou ſhalt not forȝete me. I dide awei as a cloude þi wickedneſſes, and as a litil cloude þi ſynnes; turne aȝeen to me, for I aȝeen boȝte þee. Ȝee heuenus, preiſeþ, for mercy dide þe Lord; inwardli ioȝeþ, ȝee vtmoſtus of þe erþe; aȝenſouneþ, ȝee hillis, preiſing; þe wilde wode, and eche tree of it; for þe Lord aȝeen boȝte Jacob, and Irael ſhal glorien.

Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, þin aȝeenbiere, and þi foormere of þe wombe, I am þe Lord, doende alle þingus, ſtrecchende out heuenus alone, ſtablende þe erþe, and no man wiþ me; voide makende tocnes of deuynoures, and þe deuel ſacrifyeres in to wodneſſe turnende; alturnende wyſe men bacward, þe kunnyng of þem folie makende; rerende þe wrd of his ſeruaunt, and þe counſeil of his meſſageres fulfillende; þat ſey, Jeruſalem, þou ſhalt be dwellid; and to þe cites of Juda, Ȝee ſhul ben bild vp, and his deſertes I ſhal rere; þat ſey to þe depþe, Be þou deſolat, and þi flodys I ſhal make drie; þat ſey to Ciro, My ſhepperde þou art, and al my wil þou ſhalt fulfille; þat ſey to Jeruſalem, Þou ſhalt be bild vp; and to þe temple, Þou ſhalt be foundid.