Isaiah · Chapter 58

[ edit] Crye, ne ceſe þou; as a trumpe enhaunce þi vois, and tel out to my puple þe hidous giltes of hem, and to þe hous of Jacob þer ſynnes. Me forſoþe fro dai in to dai þei ſechen, and witen my weies þei wiln; as a folc of kynde, þat riȝtwiſneſſe hadde do, and þat þe dom of his God forſoken not; þei preȝen me domes of riȝtwiſneſſe, and neȝhen to God þei wiln. Whi han wee faſtid, and þou haſt not biholden; wee han mekid oure ſoules, and þou haſt not knowen? Lo! in þe dai of ȝoure faſting is founde ȝoure owne wil, and alle ȝoure detoures ȝee pleten. Lo! to ples and to ſtriues ȝee faſten, and ſmyten wiþ þe fiſt vnpitouſly. Wileþ not faſten, as vnto þis dai, þat herd be in heiȝte ȝoure cry.

Wheþer ſuch is þe faſting þat I cheſe, bi þe dai a man to tormenten his ſoule? wheþer to binde togidere as a cercle his hed, and ſac and aſken to araȝen? Wheþer þis I clepede faſting, and an acceptable dai to þe Lord? Wheþer not þis is more faſting þat I ches? Vnbind þou þe togidere bindingus of vnpitouſneſſe, looſe þe bundeles doun berende; lete hem þat ben to-broke, free, and eche charge to-brec. Brec to þe hungri þi bred, and þe helpeles and vagaunt bring in to þin hous; whan þou ſhalt ſee þe nakid, couere hym, and þi fleſh þou ſhalt not diſpiſe.

Þanne ſhal breken out as morutid þi liȝt, and þin helþe ſunnere ſhal ſpringe; and bifor þi face ſhal go þi riȝtwiſneſſe, and þe glorie of þe Lord ſhal gedere þee. Þanne þou ſhalt inwardly clepen, and þe Lord ſhal heren; þou ſhalt crien, and he ſhal ſey, Lo! I am nyȝ, for merciful I am, þe Lord þi God. If þou take awei fro þi myddel þe cheyne, and ceſe þe fynger to ſtrecchen out, and to ſpeken þat profiteþ not; whan þou ſhalt heelden out to þe hungri þi ſoule, and þe tormentid lijf þou ſhalt fulfillen, ſpringe ſhal in dercneſſes þi liȝt, and þi dercneſſes ſhul ben as myddai.

And reſte ȝyue to þee ſhal þe Lord þi God euermor, and fulfillen he ſhal in ſhynynges þi ſoule, and þi bones delyueren; and þou ſhalt ben as a watri gardyn, and as a welle of watris, whos watris ſchul not failen. And bild vp ſhul ben in þee þe deſertes of worldus, þe foundemens of ieneraciouns and of ieneraciouns þou ſhalt reren; þou ſhalt ben clepid a bildere vp of hegges, turnende awei þe paþis of wickidneſſes.

If þou ſchalt turne awei fro þe ſabot þi foot, to do þin owne wil in myn hoely dai, and clepiſt a delicat ſabot, and þe hoely of þe Lord, glorious, and glorifieſt hym, whil þou doſt not þi weies, and is not founde þin owne wil, þat þou ſpeke a wrd; þanne þou ſhalt delyten vp on þe Lord, and I ſhal rere þee vp vp on þe heiȝtus of erþe, and ſhal fede þee wiþ þe eritage of Jacob, þi fader; þe mouþ forſoþe of þe Lord ſpac.