Isaiah 44
1 And now, Jacob, my seruaunt, here thou, and Israel, whom I chees.
Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 The Lord makynge and foryyuynge thee, thin helpere fro the wombe, seith these thingis, My seruaunt, Jacob, nyle thou drede, and thou moost riytful, whom Y chees.
This is what the LORD who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For Y schal schede out watris on the thirsti, and floodis on the dry lond; Y schal schede out my spirit on thi seed, and my blessyng on thi generacioun.
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring;
4 And thei schulen buriowne among erbis, as salewis bisidis rennynge watris.
and they will spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
5 This man schal seie, Y am of the Lord, and he schal clepe in the name of Jacob; and this man schal write with his hoond to the Lord, and schal be licned in the name of Israel.
One will say, ‘I am the LORD’s.’ Another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand ‘to the LORD,’ and honor the name of Israel.”
6 The Lord, kyng of Israel, and ayenbiere therof, the Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Y am the firste and Y am the laste, and with outen me is no God.
This is what the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of Armies, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
7 Who is lijk me? clepe he, and telle, and declare ordre to me, sithen Y made elde puple; telle he to hem thingis to comynge, and that schulen be.
Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen.
8 Nyle ye drede, nether be ye disturblid; fro that tyme Y made thee for to here, and Y telde; ye ben my witnessis. Whethir a God is with out me, and a formere, whom Y knew not?
Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.”
9 Alle the fourmeris of an idol ben no thing, and the moost louyd thingis of hem schulen not profite; thei ben witnessis of tho, that tho seen not, nether vndurstonden, that thei be schent.
Everyone who makes a carved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.
10 Who fourmyde a god, and yetide an ymage, not profitable to ony thing?
Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Lo! alle the parteneris therof schulen be schent; for the smythis ben of men. Whanne alle schulen come, thei schulen stonde, and schulen drede, and schulen be schent togidere.
Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.
12 A smith wrouyte with a file; he fourmyde it in coolis, and in hameris, and he wrouyte with the arm of his strengthe. He schal be hungri, and he schal faile; he schal not drynke watre, and he schal be feynt.
The blacksmith takes an ax, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.
13 A carpenter stretchide forth a reule, he fourmyde it with an adese; he made it in the corner places, and he turnede it in cumpas; and he made the ymage of a man, as a fair man, dwellynge in the hous.
The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.
14 He kittide doun cedris, he took an hawthorn, and an ook, that stood among the trees of the forest; he plauntide a pyne apple tre, which he nurschide with reyn,
He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a cypress tree, and the rain nourishes it.
15 and it was maad in to fier to men. He took of tho, and was warmed, and he brente, and bakide looues; but of the residue he wrouyte a god, and worschipide it, and he made a grauun ymage, and he was bowid bifore that.
Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he burns it and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 He brente the myddil therof with fier, and of the myddil therof he sethide fleischis, and eet; he sethide potage, and was fillid; and he was warmed, and he seide, Wel!
He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.”
17 Y am warmed; Y siy fier. Forsothe the residue therof he made a god, and a grauun ymage to hym silf; he is bowide bifore that, and worschipith that, and bisechith, and seith, Delyuere thou me, for thou art my god.
The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 Thei knewen not, nether vndurstoden, for thei han foryete, that her iye se not, and that thei vndurstonde not with her herte.
They don’t know, neither do they consider, for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see, and their hearts, that they can’t understand.
19 Thei bythenken not in her soule, nether thei knowen, nether thei feelen, that thei seie, Y brente the myddil therof in fier, and Y bakide looues on the coolis therof, and Y sethide fleischis, and eet; and of the residue therof schal Y make an idol? schal Y falle doun bifore the stok of a tree?
No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”
20 A part therof is aische; an vnwijs herte schal worschipe it, and he schal not delyuere his soule, nether he schal seie, A strong leesyng is in my riythond.
He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”
21 Thou, Jacob, and Israel, haue mynde of these thingis, for thou art my seruaunt; Y formyde thee, Israel, thou art my seruaunt; thou schalt not foryete me.
Remember these things, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 Y dide awei thi wickidnessis as a cloude, and thi synnes as a myist; turne thou ayen to me, for Y ayenbouyte thee.
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23 Ye heuenes, herie, for the Lord hath do merci; the laste partis of erth, synge ye hertli song; hillis, sowne ye preisyng; the forest and ech tre therof, herie God; for the Lord ayenbouyte Jacob, and Israel schal haue glorie.
Sing, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
24 The Lord, thin ayenbiere, and thi fourmere fro the wombe, seith these thingis, Y am the Lord, makynge alle thingis, and Y aloone stretche forth heuenes, and stablische the erthe, and noon is with me;
The LORD, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: “I am the LORD, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;
25 and Y make voide the signes of false dyuynours, and Y turne in to woodnesse dyuynours, that dyuynen by sacrifices offrid to feendis; and Y turne wise men bacward, and Y make her science fonned.
who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;
26 And the Lord reisith the word of his seruaunt, and fillith the councel of hise messangeris; and Y seie, Jerusalem, thou schalt be enhabitid; and to the citees of Juda, Ye schulen be bildid, and Y schal reise the desertis therof;
who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited;’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be built,’ and ‘I will raise up its waste places;’
27 and Y seie to the depthe, Be thou desolat, and Y shal make drie thi floodis;
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your rivers,’
28 and Y seie to Cirus, Thou art my scheepherde, and thou schalt fille al my wille; and Y seie to Jerusalem, Thou schalt be bildid; and to the temple, Thou schalt be foundid.
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,’ even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”
