< Isaiah 54 >

1 Thou bareyn, that childist not, herie; thou that childist not, synge heriyng, and make ioie; for whi many sones ben of the forsakun `womman more than of hir that hadde hosebonde, seith the Lord.
“Sing, barren, you who did not give birth! Break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says the LORD.
2 Alarge thou the place of thi tente, and stretche forth the skynnes of thi tabernaclis; spare thou not, make longe thi roopis, and make sad thi nailis.
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
3 For thou schalt perse to the riytside and to the leftside; and thi seed schal enherite hethene men, and schal dwelle in forsakun citees.
For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and settle in desolate cities.
4 Nile thou drede, for thou schal not be schent, nether thou schalt be aschamed. For it schal not schame thee; for thou schalt foryete the schenschipe of thi yongthe, and thou schalt no more thenke on the schenschipe of thi widewehod.
“Do not be afraid, for you will not be ashamed. Do not be confounded, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth. You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.
5 For he that made thee, schal be lord of thee; the Lord of oostis is his name; and thin ayenbiere, the hooli of Israel, schal be clepid God of al erthe.
For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.
6 For the Lord hath clepid thee as a womman forsakun and morenynge in spirit, and a wijf, `that is cast awei fro yongthe.
For the LORD has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,” says your God.
7 Thi Lord God seide, At a poynt in litil tyme Y forsook thee, and Y schal gadere thee togidere in greete merciful doyngis.
“For a small moment I have forsaken you, but I will gather you with great mercies.
8 In a moment of indignacioun Y hidde my face a litil fro thee, and in merci euerlastynge Y hadde merci on thee, seide thin ayenbiere, the Lord.
In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.
9 As in the daies of Noe, this thing is to me, to whom Y swoor, that Y schulde no more bringe watris of the greet flood on the erthe; so Y swoor, that Y be no more wrooth to thee, and that Y blame not thee.
“For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 Forsothe hillis schulen be mouyd togidere, and litle hillis schulen tremble togidere; but my merci schal not go a wei fro thee, and the boond of my pees schal not be mouyd, seide the merciful doere, the Lord.
For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed, but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed,” says the LORD who has mercy on you.
11 Thou litle and pore, drawun out bi tempest, with outen ony coumfort, lo! Y schal strewe thi stoonys bi ordre, and Y schal founde thee in safiris;
“You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 and Y schal sette iaspis thi touris, and thi yatis in to grauun stoonys, and alle thin eendis in to desirable stoonys.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
13 `Y schal make alle thi sones tauyt of the Lord; and the multitude of pees to thi sones,
All your children will be taught by the LORD, and your children’s peace will be great.
14 and thou schalt be foundid in riytfulnesse. Go thou awei fer fro fals caleng, for thou schalt not drede; and fro drede, for it schal not neiye to thee.
You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, for you will not be afraid, and far from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 Lo! a straunger schal come, that was not with me; he, that was sum tyme thi comelyng, schal be ioyned to thee.
Behold, they may gather together, but not by me. Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you.
16 Lo! Y made a smyth blowynge coolis in fier, and bringynge forth a vessel in to his werk; and Y haue maad a sleere, for to leese.
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame, and forges a weapon for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy.
17 Ech vessel which is maad ayens thee, schal not be dressid; and in the doom thou schalt deme ech tunge ayenstondynge thee. This is the eritage of the seruauntis of the Lord, and the riytfulnesse of hem at me, seith the Lord.
No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the LORD’s servants, and their righteousness is of me,” says the LORD.

< Isaiah 54 >

A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark