< Isaiah 1 >
1 The visioun, ether profesie, of Ysaie, the sone of Amos, which he siy on Juda and Jerusalem, in the daies of Osie, of Joathan, of Achas, and of Ezechie, kyngis of Juda.
2 Ye heuenes, here, and thou erthe, perseyue with eeris, for the Lord spak. Y haue nurschid and Y haue enhaunsid sones; sotheli thei han dispisid me.
3 An oxe knew his lord, and an asse knew the cratche of his lord; but Israel knewe not me, and my puple vndurstood not.
4 Wo to the synful folk, to the puple heuy in wickidnesse, to the weiward seed, to the cursid sones; thei han forsake the Lord, thei han blasfemyd the hooli of Israel, thei ben aliened bacward.
5 On what thing schal Y smyte you more, that encreessen trespassyng? Ech heed is sijk, and ech herte is morenynge.
6 Fro the sole of the foot til to the nol, helthe is not ther ynne; wounde, and wannesse, and betyng bolnynge is not boundun aboute, nether curid bi medicyn, nether nurschid with oile.
7 Youre lond is forsakun, youre citees ben brent bi fier; aliens deuouren youre cuntrei bifore you, and it schal be disolat as in the distriyng of enemyes.
8 And the douytir of Sion, `that is, Jerusalem, schal be forsakun as a schadewynge place in a vyner, and as an hulke in a place where gourdis wexen, and as a citee which is wastid.
9 If the Lord of oostis hadde not left seed to vs, we hadden be as Sodom, and we hadden be lijk as Gomorre.
10 Ye princes of men of Sodom, here the word of the Lord; and ye puple of Gommorre, perseyue with eeris the lawe of youre God.
11 Wherto offren ye to me the multitude of youre sacrifices? seith the Lord. Y am ful; Y wolde not the brent sacrifices of wetheris, and the ynnere fatnesse of fatte beestis, and the blood of calues, and of lambren, and of buckis of geet.
12 Whanne ye camen bifore my siyt, who axide of youre hondis these thingis, that ye schulden go in myn hallys?
13 Offre ye no more sacrifice in veyn; encense is abhomynacioun to me; Y schal not suffre neomenye, and sabat, and othere feestis.
14 Youre cumpenyes ben wickid; my soule hatith youre calendis and youre solempnytees; tho ben maad diseseful to me, Y trauelide suffrynge.
15 And whanne ye stretchen forth youre hondis, Y schal turne awei myn iyen fro you; and whanne ye multiplien preyer, Y schal not here; for whi youre hondis ben ful of blood.
16 Be ye waischun, be ye clene; do ye awei the yuel of youre thouytis fro myn iyen; ceesse ye to do weiwardli, lerne ye to do wel.
17 Seke ye doom, helpe ye hym that is oppressid, deme ye to the fadirles and modirles child, defende ye a widewe.
18 And come ye, and repreue ye me, seith the Lord. Thouy youre synnes ben as blood reed, tho schulen be maad whijt as snow; and thouy tho ben reed as vermylioun, tho schulen be whijt as wolle.
19 If ye wolen, and heren me, ye schulen ete the goodis of erthe.
20 That if ye nylen, and ye terren me to wrathfulnesse, swerd schal deuoure you; for whi the mouth of the Lord spak.
21 Hou is the feithful citee ful of dom maad an hoore? riytfulnesse dwellide ther ynne; but now menquelleris dwellen ther ynne.
22 Thi siluer is turned in to dros, ether filthe; thi wyn is medlid with watir.
23 Thi princes ben vnfeithful, the felowis of theuys; alle louen yiftis, suen meedis; thei demen not to a fadirles child, and the cause of a widewe entrith not to hem.
24 For this thing, seith the Lord God of oostis, the stronge of Israel, Alas! Y schal be coumfortid on myn enemyes, and Y schal be vengid on myn enemyes.
25 And Y schal turne myn hond to thee, and Y schal sethe out thi filthe to the cleene, and Y schal do awei al thi tyn.
26 And Y schal restore thi iuges, as thei weren bifor to, and thi counselours, as in elde tyme. Aftir these thingis thou schalt be clepid the citee of the riytful, a feithful citee.
27 Sion schal be ayen bouyt in dom, and thei schulen bringe it ayen in to riytfulnesse;
28 and God schal al to-breke cursid men and synneris togidere, and thei that forsoken the Lord, schulen be wastid.
29 For thei schulen be aschamed of idols, to whiche thei maden sacrifice; and ye shulen be aschamid on the orcherdis, whiche ye chesiden.
30 Whanne ye schulen be as an ook, whanne the leeues fallen doun, and as an orcherd with out watir.
31 And youre strengthe schal be as a deed sparcle of bonys, `ether of herdis of flex, and youre werk schal be as a quyk sparcle; and euer either schal be brent togidere, and noon schal be that schal quenche.