< Isaiah 61 >
1 The spirit of the Lord is on me, because I am marked out by him to give good news to the poor; he has sent me to make the broken-hearted well, to say that the prisoners will be made free, and that those in chains will see the light again;
The spirit of the Lord is on me, for the Lord anoyntide me; he sente me to telle to mylde men, that Y schulde heele men contrite in herte, and preche foryyuenesse to caitifs, and openyng to prisoneris; and preche a plesaunt yeer to the Lord,
2 To give knowledge that the year of the Lord's good pleasure has come, and the day of punishment from our God; to give comfort to all who are sad;
and a dai of veniaunce to oure God; that Y schulde coumforte alle that mourenen;
3 To give them a fair head-dress in place of dust, the oil of joy in place of the clothing of grief, praise in place of sorrow; so that they may be named trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and so that he may have glory.
that Y schulde sette coumfort to the moureneris of Sion, and that Y schulde yyue to them a coroun for aische, oile of ioie for mourenyng, a mentil of preysyng for the spirit of weilyng. And stronge men of riytfulnesse schulen be clepid ther ynne, the plauntyng of the Lord for to glorifie.
4 And they will be building again the old broken walls, and will make new the old waste places, and will put up again the towns which have been waste for long generations.
And thei schulen bilde thingis `that ben forsakun fro the world, and thei schulen reise elde fallyngis, and thei schulen restore citees `that ben forsakun and distried, in generacioun and in to generacioun.
5 And men from strange countries will be your herdsmen, and those who are not Israelites will be your ploughmen and vine-keepers.
And aliens schulen stonde, and fede youre beestis; and the sones of pilgrymes schulen be youre erthe tilieris and vyn tilieris.
6 But you will be named the priests of the Lord, the servants of our God: you will have the wealth of the nations for your food, and you will be clothed with their glory.
But ye schulen be clepid the preestis of the Lord; it schal be seid to you, Ye ben mynystris of oure God. Ye schulen ete the strengthe of hethene men, and ye schulen be onourid in the glorie of hem.
7 As they had twice as much grief, and marks of shame were their heritage, so in their land they will be rewarded twice over, and will have eternal joy.
For youre double schenschip and schame thei schulen preise the part of hem; for this thing thei schulen haue pesibli double thingis in her lond, and euerlastynge gladnesse schal be to hem.
8 For I, the Lord, take pleasure in upright judging; I will not put up with the violent taking away of right; and I will certainly give them their reward, and I will make an eternal agreement with them.
For Y am the Lord, louynge doom, and hatynge raueyn in brent sacrifice. And Y schal yyue the werk of hem in treuthe, and Y schal smyte to hem an euerlastynge boond of pees.
9 And their seed will be noted among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples: it will be clear to all who see them that they are the seed to which the Lord has given his blessing.
And the seed of hem schal be knowun among folkis, and the buriownyng of hem in the myddis of puplis. Alle men that seen hem, schulen knowe hem, for these ben the seed, whom the Lord blesside.
10 I will be full of joy in the Lord, my soul will be glad in my God; for he has put on me the clothing of salvation, covering me with the robe of righteousness, as the husband puts on a fair head-dress, and the bride makes herself beautiful with jewels.
I ioiynge schal haue ioie in the Lord, and my soule schal make ful out ioiyng in my God. For he hath clothid me with clothis of helthe, and he hath compassid me with clothis of riytfulnesse, as a spouse made feir with a coroun, and as a spousesse ourned with her brochis.
11 For as the earth puts out buds, and as the garden gives growth to the seeds which are planted in it, so the Lord will make righteousness and praise to be flowering before all the nations.
For as the erthe bryngith forth his fruyt, and as a gardyn buriowneth his seed, so the Lord God schal make to growe riytfulnesse, and preysyng bifore alle folkis.