Isaiah · Chapter 49

[ edit] Hereþ, ȝee iles, and takeþ heed, ȝee puples fro aferr; þe Lord fro þe conceyuende wombe clepede me, and fro þe wombe of my moder recordede of my name. And he putte my mouþ as a ſharp ſwerd, in þe ſhadewe of his hond he defendede me, and putte me as a choſen arwe; in his arwe cas he hidde me, and ſeide to me, My ſeruaunt þou art, Irael, for in þee I ſhal glorie. I ſeide, In veyn I trauailede wiþoute cauſe, and veynlich my ſtrengþe I waſtede; þerfore my dom wiþ þe Lord, and my werc wiþ my God. And now þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, foormende me fro þe wombe a ſeruaunt to hym, þat I bringe aȝeen Jacob to hym.

And Irael ſhal not be gedered togidere; and I am glorefied in þe eȝen of þe Lord, and my God mad is my ſtrengþe. And he ſeide, Litil is, þat þou be to me a ſeruaunt, to be rered þe lynages of Jacob, and þe dreſtus of Irael to be conuerted; I ȝaf þee in to liȝt of Jentiles, þat þou be myn helþe vnto þe vtmoſt of þe erþe. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, þe aȝeenbiere of Irael, his hoeli, to þe deſpiſable ſoule, and to þe wlated folc of kinde, to þe ſeruaunt of lordis, Kingus ſhul ſeen, and togidere ſhul riſe princes, and honoure, for þe Lord, for feiþfull he is, and þe hoeli of Irael, þat ches þee.

Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, In pleſaunt tyme Y ful out herde þee, and in þe dai of helþe I halp þee, and kepte þee, and ȝaf þee in to pes coouenaunt of þe puple, þat þou ſhuldeſt rere þe lond, and welden eritages ſcatered; þat þou ſey to þem þat ben bounde, Goþ out, and to þem þat in dercneſſes, Beþ opened. Vp on weies þei ſhul be fed, and in alle pleynes þe leſwes of hem. Þei ſhul not hungre, ne þriſten more ouer, and ſmyte ſhal not þem gret hete, and þe ſunne; for þe rewere of þem ſhal gouerne þem, and at þe welles of watris ȝyuen hem to drinke. And I ſhal putte my mounteynes in to a weie, and my paþis ſhul ben enhauncid.

Lo! þeſe fro aferr ſhul come, and lo! þo fro þe norþ, and þe ſe, and þeſe fro þe ſouþ lond. Preiſe, ȝee heuenes, and ful out ioȝe, þou erþe; inwardli glade, ȝee hillis, preiſing; for coumfortid haþ þe Lord his puple, and of his pore ſhal han mercy. And Sion ſeide, Forſaken haþ me þe Lord, and þe Lord haþ forȝete me. Wheþer forȝeten mai þe womman hir faunt, þat ſhe do not mercy to þe ſone of hir wombe? and if ſhe ſhul forȝeten, I nerþelatere ſhal not forȝete þee. Lo! in myn hondis I haue diſcriued þee; þi wallis bifor myn eȝen euermor. Þi bilderes camen diſtroȝende þee, and ſcaterende fro þee ſhul gon out. Rere vp in cumpas þin eȝen, and ſee; alle þeſe ben gederede togidere, camen to þee.

I lyue, ſeiþ þe Lord, for wiþ all þeſe as wiþ an ournement þou ſhalt be clad, and cumpaſen aboute to þee hem as a ſpouſe. For þi deſertes, and þi wilderneſſes, and þe lond of þi falling now ſtreit ſhul ben for þe dwelleris of þe erþe; and aferr ſhul be dryue awei þat ſoupeden awei þee. Ȝit ſhul ſeyn in þin eres ſones of þi bareynte, Streit is to me a place, mac a ſpace to me þat I dwelle. And þou ſhalt ſeyn in þin herte, Who gat to me þeſe? I bareyn, not child berende; tranſlatid and caitif; and þeſe who nurſhede out? I priued, and ſolitarie; and þeſe wher weren? Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God, Lo!

I rere to Jentilis myn hond, and ſhal enhaunce to puples myn tocne; and þei ſhul bringe to þi ſones in armys, and þi doȝtris vp on ſhuldris þei ſhul bern. And kingis ſhul be þi nurſheres, and queenes þi nurſes; þe chere in to þe erþe put doun þei ſhul honoure þee, and þe pouder of þi feet þei ſhul licke; and þou ſhalt wite, for I a Lord, vp on whom ſhuln not be confounded, þat abijden hym. Wheþer ſhal be taken awei fro þe ſtronge a prei? or þat ſhal be take fro þe ſtalwrþe ſhal moun be ſaaf? For þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Forſoþe and þe caitifte fro þe ſtronge ſhal ben taken awei, and þat were taken awei fro þe ſtalwrþe ſhal be ſaued.

Hem forſoþe þat demeden þee I ſhal deme, and þi ſonis I ſhal ſauen. And I ſhal fede þin enemys wiþ þer fleſh, and as wiþ muſt wiþ þer blod ſhul be drunke; and knowen ſhal eche fleſh, for I þe Lord, ſauende þee, and þin aȝeen biere, þe ſtronge of Jacob.