Isaiah 13
1 The birthun of Babiloyne, which birthun Ysaie, the sone of Amos, siy.
The doom of Babylon, which Isaiah Amoz' son foresaw.
2 Reise ye a signe on a myisti hil, and enhaunse ye vois; reise ye the hond, and duykis entre bi the yatis.
Upon a high mountain lift ye up a banner, raise high your voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may enter into the gates of the princes.
3 Y haue comaundid to myn halewid men, and Y clepid my stronge men in my wraththe, that maken ful out ioie in my glorie.
I have charged my prepared ones, I have also called my heroes for my anger, those that rejoice in my highness.
4 The vois of multitude in hillis, as of many puplis; the vois of sown of kyngis, of hethene men gaderit togidere. The Lord of oostis comaundide to the chyualry of batel,
There is a noise of tumult on the mountains, like that of a numerous people; a noise of shouting of kingdoms of nations assembled; the Lord of hosts mustereth a host of battle.
5 to men comynge fro a fer lond. The Lord cometh fro the hiynesse of heuene, and the vessels of his strong veniaunce, that he distrie al the lond.
They are coming from a far-off country, from the end of the heavens, [here is] the Lord, with the weapons of his indignation, to destroy all the land.
6 Yelle ye, for the dai of the Lord is niy; as wastyng it schal come of the Lord.
Wail ye; for nigh is the day of the Lord; like wasting from the Almighty shall it come.
7 For this thing alle hondis schulen be vnmyyti, and eche herte of man schal faile,
Therefore all hands shall become weak, and every mortal's heart shall melt;
8 and schal be al to-brokun. Gnawyngis and sorewis schulen holde Babiloyns; thei schulen haue sorewe, as they that trauelen of child. Ech man schal wondre at his neiybore; her cheris schulen be brent faces.
And they shall be affrighted, pangs and pains shall seize on them; they shall have throes as a woman that travaileth; one at the other shall they look amazed; red like flames shall their faces glow.
9 Lo! the dai of the Lord schal come, cruel, and ful of indignacioun, and of wraththe, and of woodnesse; to sette the lond into wildirnesse, and to al to-breke the synneris therof fro that lond.
Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, direful, [laden] with wrath and the fierceness of anger, to render the earth desolate: and its sinners will he destroy out of it.
10 For whi the sterris of heuene and the schynyng of tho schulen not sprede abrood her liyt; the sunne is maade derk in his risyng, and the moone schal not schine in hir liyt.
For the stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not give forth their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not shed abroad her light.
11 And Y schal visite on the yuels of the world, and Y schal visite ayens wickid men the wickidnesse of hem; and Y schal make the pride of vnfeithful men for to reste, and Y schal make low the boost of stronge men.
And I will visit on the world its evil, and on the wicked their iniquity; and I will stop the arrogance of the presumptuous, and the haughtiness of the tyrants will I humble.
12 A man of ful age schal be preciousere than gold, and a man schal be preciousere than pure gold and schynyng.
I will make the mortal more precious than fine gold; and man, more than the valued metal of Ophir.
13 On this thing I schal disturble heuene, and the erthe schal be moued fro his place; for the indignacioun of the Lord of oostis, and for the dai of wraththe of his strong veniaunce.
Therefore will I shake the heavens, and the earth shall start quaking out of her place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and on the day of his fierce anger.
14 And it schal be as a doo fleynge, and as a scheep, and noon schal be that schal gadere togidere; ech man schal turne to his puple, and alle bi hem silf schulen fle to her lond.
And the people shall be as the chased roe, and as flocks which no one gathereth up; every man to his own people shall they turn, and every man into his own land shall they flee.
15 Ech man that is foundun, schal be slayn; and ech man that cometh aboue, schal falle doun bi swerd.
Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.
16 The yonge children of them schulen be hurtlid doun bifore the iyen of them; her housis schulen be rauischid, and her wyues schulen be defoulid.
And their babes shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes: spoiled shall be their houses, and their wives ravished.
17 Lo! Y schal reise on them Medeis, that seken not siluer, nethir wolen gold;
Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes; who will not regard silver, and who will not delight in gold.
18 but thei shulen sle litle children bi arowis, and thei schulen not haue merci on wombis yyuynge mylk, and the iye of them schal not spare on sones.
And their bows will dash young men to pieces; and on the fruit of the womb will they have no mercy; on children their eye will not look with pity.
19 And Babiloyne, thilke gloriouse citee in rewmes, noble in the pride of Caldeis, schal be destried, as God destried Sodom and Gomore.
And [thus] shall Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the proud ornament of the Chaldeans, become like the overthrow through God of Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It shall not be enhabitid til in to the ende, and it schal not be foundid til to generacioun and generacioun; a man of Arabie schal not sette tentis there, and scheepherdis schulen not reste there.
It shall not be inhabited for ever, and it shall not be dwelt in from generation to generation; nor shall the Arabian pitch there his tent; and shepherds shall not let their flocks rest there.
21 But wielde beestis schulen reste there, and the housis of hem schulen be fillid with dragouns; and ostrichis schulen dwelle there, and heeri beestis schulen skippe there.
But there shall rest the wild beasts of the desert; and their houses shall be full of owls; and ostriches shall dwell there, and evil spirits shall dance there.
22 And bitouris schulen answere there in the housis therof, and fliynge serpentis in the templis of lust.
And jackals shall howl in her palaces, and monsters in the temples of pleasure; and near to come is her time, and her days shall not be extended.
