< Isaiah 55 >
1 Alle that thirsten, come ye to watris, and ye han not siluer, haaste, bie ye, and ete ye; come ye, bie ye, with out siluer and with outen ony chaungyng, wyn and mylk.
Ho, every one of ye that thirsteth, come ye to the water, and he too that hath no money: come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy without money and without price wine and milk.
2 Whi peisen ye siluer, and not in looues, and youre trauel, not in fulnesse? Ye herynge here me, and ete ye good, and youre soule schal delite in fatnesse.
Wherefore will ye spend money for what is not bread? and your labor for what satisfieth not? hearken then unto me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Bowe ye youre eere, and `come ye to me; here ye, and youre soule schal lyue; and Y schal smyte with you a couenaunt euerlastynge, the feithful mercies of Dauid.
Incline your ear, and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the promised mercies of David, which are sure.
4 Lo! Y yaf hym a witnesse to puplis, a duyk and a comaundour to folkis.
Behold, for a lawgiver unto the people have I appointed him, a prince and commander to the people.
5 Lo! thou schalt clepe folkis, whiche thou knewist not; and folkis, that knewen not thee, schulen renne to thee; for thi Lord God, and the hooli of Israel, for he glorifiede thee.
Behold, a nation thou knowest not shalt thou call, and a nation that knew thee not shall run unto thee; for the sake of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee.
6 Seke ye the Lord, while he mai be foundun; clepe ye hym to help, while he is niy.
Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, call ye on him, while he is near.
7 An vnfeithful man forsake his weie, and a wickid man forsake hise thouytis; and turne he ayen to the Lord, and he schal haue merci on hym, and to oure God, for he is myche to foryyue.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of unrighteousness his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and unto our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For why my thouytis ben not youre thouytis, and my weies ben not youre weies, seith the Lord.
For not my thoughts are your thoughts, and not your ways are my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as heuenys ben reisid fro erthe, so my weies ben reisid fro youre weies, and my thouytis fro youre thouytis.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.
10 And as reyn and snow cometh doun fro heuene, and turneth no more ayen thidur, but it fillith the erthe, and bischedith it, and makith it to buriowne, and yyueth seed to hym that sowith, and breed to hym that etith,
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither, but water the earth, and render it fruitful, and cause it to bring forth plants; and give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth:
11 so schal be my word, that schal go out of my mouth. It schal not turne ayen voide to me, but it schal do what euer thingis Y wolde, and it schal haue prosperite in these thingis to whiche Y sente it.
So shall ever be my word which goeth forth from my mouth, it shall not return unto me without effect; but it accomplisheth what I desire, and it prospereth in that whereto I have sent it.
12 For ye schulen go out in gladnesse, and ye schulen be led forth in pees; mounteyns and litil hillis schulen synge heriynge bifore you, and alle the trees of the cuntrei schulen make ioie with hond.
For in joy shall ye go out, and in peace shall ye be brought home: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 A fir tre schal grow for a firse, and a mirte tre schal wexe for a nettil; and the Lord schal be nemyd in to a signe euerlastynge, that schal not be doon awei.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be unto the Lord for a name, for a sign of everlasting that shall not be cut off.