Isaiah · Chapter 51

[ edit] Hereþ me, ȝee þat folewen þat is riȝt, and ſechen þe Lord. Takeþ heed to þe ſton, whenus ȝee ben kut out, and to þe kaue of þe lake, of þe whiche ȝee ben kut of. Takeþ heed to Abraham, ȝoure fader, and to Sara, þat bar ȝou; for oon I clepede hym, and bliſſede hym, and multepliede hym. Coumforten ſhal þanne þe Lord Sion, and coumforte he ſhal alle þe fallingus of it; and putten his deſert as delices, and his wilderneſſe as þe gardyn of þe Lord; ioȝe and gladneſſe ſhal be founde in it, gracedoing and vois of preiſing. Takeþ heed to me, my puple, and, my lynage, me hereþ; for lawe fro me ſhal gon out, and my dom in to liȝt of puples ſhal reſten.

Nyȝ is my riȝtwis, gon out is my ſaueour, and myn armes puples ſhul demen; me iles ſhuln abide, and myn arm ſuſtenen. Rereþ in to heuene ȝoure eȝen, and ſeeþ vnder erþe beneþe; for heuenes as ſmoke ſhul melte, and þe erþe as a cloþ ſhal be to-trede, and his dwelleris as þeſe ſhul dien; myn helþe forſoþe in to euermor ſhal be, and my riȝtwiſneſſe ſhal not faile. Hereþ me, þat knowen þe riȝtwis, ȝe puple, my lawe in þe herte of hem; wileþ not drede repref of men, and þe blasfemes of þem dredeþ not. As forſoþe cloþing ſo ſhal ete þem a werm, and as wlle ſo ſhal deuoure þem þe moȝte; myn helþe forſoþe in to euermor ſhal be, and my riȝtwiſneſſe in to ieneraciouns of ieneraciouns.

Rys, rys, cloþe þou ſtrengþe, þe arm of þe Lord; rys, as in þe olde dayes, in ieneraciouns of worldis. Wheþer not þou ſmyte þe proude, woundedeſt þe dragoun? Wheþer not þou driediſt þe ſe, water of þe huge depþe, þe whiche putteſt þe depþe of þe ſe weie, þat gon ouer ſhulden þe delyuered? And now þat ben aȝeenboȝt of þe Lord, ſhul turnen aȝeen, and comen in to Sion preiſende, and euerlaſtende gladneſſe vp on þe hedis of þem; ioȝe and gladneſſe þei ſhul holden, fleen ſhal ſorewe and weiling. Lo!

I þe ſelue ſhal coumforte ȝou; who þou, þat þou drede of a deadly man, and of þe ſone of man, þat as hei ſo ſhal waxe drie; and haſt forȝete þe Lord, þi ſhapere, þat bente heuenes, and foundede þe erþe; and inwardli dreddeſt contynuelli al dai of þe face of his wodneſſe, þat þee trooblede, and hadde mad redi to leeſe? Where is now þe wodneſſe of þe troblere? Soone ſhal come þe goere to openen, and ſhal not ſlen vnto þe weie ſlaȝter, ne failen ſhal his bred. I forſoþe am þe Lord þi God, þat diſturbe þe ſe, and ſwellen his flodis; þe Lord of oſtis my name.

I ſette my wrdis in þi mouþ, and in þe ſhadewe of myn hond I defende þee; þat þou plaunte heuenus, and founde erþe, and ſey to Sion, My puple þou art. Be rered, be rered, ris þou, Jeruſalem, þat þou drunke of þe hond of þe Lord þe chalis of his wraþe; vn to þe ground of þe chalis of ſlep þou drunke, and þou drunke it vp vnto þe dreſtes. Þer is not þat ſuſteyne hir, of alle þe ſonus þat ſhe gat; and þer is not þat take hir hond, of alle þe ſonus þat ſhe nurſhede vp. Two þingus ben þat aȝencamen to þee; who ſhal ſorewen vp on þee? waſtite, and to-broſing, and hunger, and ſwerd. Who ſhal coumforten þee?

Þi ſones ben aferr caſt, þei ſlepten in þe hed of alle weies, as þe vnclene beſte grened, þat is clepid orix; ful of þe indignacioun of þe Lord, blamyng of þi God. Þerfore here þou þeſe þingus, þou porelet, and drunken, not of wyn. Þeſe þingus ſeiþ þe lordſhipere, þi Lord, and þi God, þat faȝt for his puple, Lo! I toc of þin hond þe chalis of ſlep, þe ground of þe chalis of myn indignacioun; I ſhal not lei to, þat þou drunke it more. And I ſhal putte it in þe hond of hem þat þee mekeden, and ſeiden to þi ſoule, Be þou bowid in þat wee paſſe; and þou puttiſt as erþe þi bodi, and as a weie to goeres.