Isaiah · Chapter 59

[ edit] Lo! þer is not abreggid þe hond of þe Lord, þat ſauen he mai not, ne agreggid is his ere, þat he ful out here not; but ȝoure wickidneſſes deuydeden betwe ȝou and ȝoure God, and ȝoure ſynnes hidden his face fro ȝou, þat he ful out here not. Forſoþe ȝoure hondis ben defoulid wiþ blod, and ȝoure fingris wiþ wickidneſſe; ȝoure lippes ſpeeken leſing, and ȝoure tunge wickeneſſe ſpekeþ. Þer is not, þat inwardly clepe riȝtwiſneſſe, ne þer is, þat deme verreli; but þei troſten in þing of noȝt, and ſpeken vanytees; þei conceyueden trauaile, and beeren wickidneſſe.

Þe eiren of edderes þei to-breeken, and þe webbis of an attercop þei wouen; who ſhal eten of þe eiren of hem, ſhal dien, and þat is hacchid, ſhal breken out in to a cokatrice. Þe webbis of hem ſhul not ben in to cloþing, ne þei ſhuln ben couered wiþ þer werkis; þe werkus of hem werkus vnprofitable, and þe werc of wickydneſſe in þer hondus. Þe feet of þem to euel rennen, and heeȝen, þat þei ſheden out innocent blod; þe þoȝtus of þem þoȝtus vnprofitable; waſtite and to-treding in þe weies of hem. Þe weie of pes þei knewen not, and þer ys not dom in þe goyngus of hem; þe paþis of þem inbowid ben to þem; eche þat tredeþ in þem, vnknowiþ pes.

For þat longid oute is fro vs dom, and ſhal not take vs riȝtwiſneſſe; wee han biden liȝt, and lo! dercneſſis; ſhynyng, and in dercneſſes wee han gon. Wee han gropid as blinde men þe wall, and as wiþoute eȝen wee han felid; wee han ſtumblid in mydday, as in dercneſſes, in myſti þingus, as deade. Wee ſhul roren as beres alle, and as culueres beþenkende wee ſhul weilen; wee han biden dom, and þer is not; helþe, and it is longid awei fro vs. Multeplied ben forſoþe oure wickeneſſes bifor þee, and oure ſynnes anſwerden to vs; for oure hidous giltes wiþ vs, and oure wickeneſſes wee han knowen, to ſynnen, and to lien aȝen þe Lord.

And wee ben turned awei, þat wee go not bihynde þe bac of oure God, þat wee ſpeke wrong chalenge, and treſpaſing. Wee conceyueden, and ſpeeken of herte wrdys of leſing; and turned is bacward dom, and riȝtwiſneſſe aferr ſtod; for fallen haþ in þe ſtrete treuþe, and equyte myȝte not gon in. For maad is treuþe in to forȝeting, and he þat wente awei fro euel, to prei was open. And þe Lord ſaȝ, and euel aperede in his eȝen, for þer is not dom. And God ſaȝ, for þer is not a man, and ſorewede, for þer is not þat aȝeen come. And he ſhal ſaue to hym his arm, and his riȝtwiſneſſe it ſhal confermen hym.

He is clad wiþ riȝtwiſneſſe as wiþ an habirioun, and þe helm of helþe in his hed; he is clad wiþ þe cloþingus of veniaunce, and couered wiþ þe mantil of ielouſte. So to veniaunce as to ȝeelding of indignacioun to his ferr enemys, and while to his nyȝ enemys, to þe ilis while he ſhal ȝelde. And dreden ſhul þat ben fro þe weſt þe name of þe Lord, and þat fro þe riſing of þe ſunne his glorie; whan he ſhal come as a violent flod, whom þe ſpirit of þe Lord conſtreyneþ. And comen ſhal þe aȝeenbiere of Sion, and to þem þat turnen aȝeen fro wickidneſſe in Jacob, ſeiþ þe Lord.

Þis my pes couenaunt wiþ þem, ſeiþ þe Lord; My ſpirit þat is in þee, and my wrdus þat I haue ſet in þi mouþ ſhul not gon awei fro þi mouþ, and fro þe mouþ of þi ſed, ſeiþ þe Lord, fro now and vnto euermore.