< Isaiah 31 >

1 Tragedy is coming to those who appeal to Egypt for help, depending on their horses and trusting in all their chariots and charioteers! They don't look to the Holy One of Israel for help; they don't ask the Lord for advice.
Wo to hem that goon doun in to Egipt to help, and hopen in horsis, and han trist on cartis, for tho ben manye, and on knyytis, for thei ben ful stronge; and thei tristiden not on the hooli of Israel, and thei souyten not the Lord.
2 Yet he's also wise! He will bring disaster and won't withdraw his orders. He will take action against this wicked nation and the evil people who help them.
Forsothe he that is wijs, hath brouyt yuel, and took not awei hise wordis; and he schal rise togidere ayens the hous of worste men, and ayens the helpe of hem that worchen wickidnesse.
3 The Egyptians are only human beings—they're not God! Their horses are only physical, not spiritual. When the Lord lifts up his hand to attack, those who came to help will stumble, and those who are helped will fall. They will all die together.
Egipt is a man, and not God; and the horsis of hem ben fleisch, and not spirit; and the Lord schal bowe doun his hond, and the helpere schal falle doun, and he schal falle, to whom help is youun, and alle schulen be wastid togidere.
4 This is what the Lord told me: It's like a young lion growling as it stands over its prey. Even though a lot of shepherds come to protest, it's not frightened off by their shouting or intimidated by all their noise. In the same way the Lord Almighty will come down to fight on Mount Zion.
For whi the Lord seith these thingis to me, If a lioun rorith, and a whelp of a lioun on his prey, whanne the multitude of schipherdis cometh ayens hym, he schal not drede of the vois of hem, and he schal not drede of the multitude of hem; so the Lord of oostis schal come doun, for to fiyte on the mounteyn of Sion, and on the litil hil therof.
5 Like birds that hover above, so the Lord Almighty will take care of Jerusalem. He will protect it and save it; he will pass over it and rescue it.
As briddis fleynge, so the Lord of oostis schal defende Jerusalem; he defendynge and delyuerynge, passynge forth and sauynge.
6 Come back, Israelites, to the one you so blatantly rebelled against.
Ye sones of Israel, be conuertid, as ye hadden go awei in to depthe.
7 For at that time every one of you will throw away all the idols of silver and gold made by your own sinful hands.
Forsothe in that dai a man schal caste awei the idols of his siluer, and the idols of his gold, whiche youre hondis maden to you in to synne.
8 The Assyrians will be killed by the sword of one who is not a man. They will destroyed by the sword of one who is not mortal. They will run away at the sight of the sword, and the young Assyrian men will be taken away as slave laborers.
And Assur schal falle bi swerd, not of man, and a swerd, not of man, schal deuoure hym; and he schal fle, not fro the face of swerd, and hise yonge men schulen be tributaries;
9 Their “rock” will be scared to death, and their officers will be terrified and in panic at the sight of the battle flag, declares the Lord, who has his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
and the strengthe of hym schal passe fro ferdfulnesse, and hise princes fleynge schulen drede. The Lord seide, whos fier is in Sion, and his chymeney is in Jerusalem.

< Isaiah 31 >