< Isaiah 31 >
1 Woe vnto them that goe downe into Egypt for helpe, and stay vpon horses, and trust in charets, because they are many, and in horsemen, because they be very strong: but they looke not vnto the holy one of Israel, nor seeke vnto the Lord.
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 But he yet is wisest: therefore he wil bring euill, and not turne backe his worde, but he will arise against the house of the wicked, and against the helpe of them that worke vanitie.
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 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses flesh and not spirite: and when the Lord shall stretch out his hand, the helper shall fall, and hee that is holpen shall fall, and they shall altogether faile.
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 For thus hath the Lord spoken vnto me, As the lyon or lyons whelpe roareth vpon his praye, against whom if a multitude of shepheards be called, hee will not be afraide at their voyce, neither will humble him selfe at their noise: so shall the Lord of hostes come downe to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
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 As birds that flie, so shall the Lord of hostes defend Ierusalem by defending and deliuering, by passing through and preseruing it.
As briddis fleynge, so the Lord of oostis schal defende Jerusalem; he defendynge and delyuerynge, passynge forth and sauynge.
6 O ye children of Israel, turne againe, in as much as ye are sunken deepe in rebellion.
Ye sones of Israel, be conuertid, as ye hadden go awei in to depthe.
7 For in that day euery man shall cast out his idoles of siluer, and his idoles of golde, which your handes haue made you, euen a sinne.
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 Then shall Asshur fall by the sworde, not of man, neither shall the sworde of man deuoure him, and hee shall flee from the sworde, and his yong men shall faint.
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 And he shall go for feare to his towre, and his princes shall be afraide of the standart, sayeth the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his fornace in Ierusalem.
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.