< Isaiah 65 >
1 Thei souyten me, that axiden not bifore; thei that souyten not me, founden me. Y seide, Lo! Y, lo! Y, to hethene men that knewen not me, and that clepiden not mi name to help.
I became manifest to them that asked not for me; I was found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold, I am [here], to a nation, who called not on my name.
2 I stretchide forth myn hondis al dai to a puple vnbileueful, that goith in a weie not good, aftir her thouytis.
I have stretched forth my hands all day to a disobedient and gainsaying people, to them that walked in a way that was not good, but after their sins.
3 It is a puple that stirith me to wrathfulnesse, euere bifore my face; whiche offren in gardyns, and maken sacrifice on tiel stoonys;
This is the people that provokes me continually in my presence; they offer sacrifices in gardens, and burn incense on bricks to devils, which exist not.
4 whiche dwellen in sepulcris, and slepen in the templis of idols; whiche eten swynes fleisch, and vnhooli iwisch is in the vessels of hem;
They lie down to sleep in the tombs and in the caves for the sake of dreams, [even] they that eat swine's flesh, and the broth of [their] sacrifices: all their vessels are defiled:
5 whiche seien to an hethene man, Go thou awei fro me, neiy thou not to me, for thou art vncleene; these schulen be smoke in my stronge veniaunce, fier brennynge al dai.
who say, Depart from me, draw not near to me, for I am pure. This is the smoke of my wrath, a fire burns with it continually.
6 Lo! it is writun bifore me; Y schal not be stille, but Y schal yelde, and Y schal quyte in to the bosum of hem youre wickidnessis,
Behold, it is written before me: I will not be silent until I have recompensed into their bosom,
7 and the wickidnessis of youre fadris togidere, seith the Lord, whiche maden sacrifice on mounteyns, and diden schenschipe to me on litle hillis; and Y schal mete ayen the firste werk of hem in her bosum.
their sins and [the sins] of their fathers, says the Lord, who have burnt incense on the mountains, and reproached me on the hills: I will recompense their works into their bosom.
8 The Lord seith thes thingis, As if a grape be foundun in a clustre, and it be seid, Distrie thou not it, for it is blessyng; so Y schal do for my seruantis, that Y leese not al.
Thus says the Lord, As a grape-stone shall be found in the cluster, and they shall say, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for the sake of him that serves me, for his sake I will not destroy [them] all.
9 And Y schal lede out of Jacob seed, and of Juda a man hauynge in possessioun myn hooli hillis; and my chosun men schulen enherite it, and my seruauntis schulen dwelle there.
And I will lead forth the seed [that came] of Jacob and of Juda, and they shall inherit my holy mountain: and mine elect and my servants shall inherit it, and shall dwell there.
10 And the feeldi places schulen be into floodis of flockis, and the valei of Achar in to a restyng place of droues of neet, to my puple that souyten me.
And there shall be in the forest folds of flocks, and the valley of Achor [shall] be for a resting-place of herds for my people, who have sought me.
11 And Y schal noumbre you in swerd, that forsoken the Lord, that foryaten myn hooli hil, whiche setten a boord to fortune, and maken sacrifice theronne,
But you are they that have left me, and forget my holy mountain, and prepare a table for the devil, and fill up the drink-offering to Fortune.
12 and alle ye schulen falle bi sleyng; for that that Y clepide, and ye answeriden not; Y spak, and ye herden not; and ye diden yuel bifor myn iyen, and ye chesiden tho thingis whiche Y nolde.
I will deliver you up to the sword, you shall all fall by slaughter: for I called you, and you listened not; I spoke, and you refused to hear; and you did evil in my sight, and chose the things wherein I delighted not.
13 For these thingis, the Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! my seruauntis schulen ete, and ye schulen haue hungur; lo! my seruauntis schulen drynke, and ye schulen be thirsti;
Therefore thus says the Lord, Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall hunger: behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall thirst: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed:
14 lo! my seruauntis schulen be glad, and ye schulen be aschamed; lo! my seruauntis schulen herie, for the ful ioie of herte, and ye schulen crie, for the sorewe of herte, and ye schulen yelle, for desolacioun of spirit.
behold, my servants shall exult with joy, but you shall cry for the sorrow of your heart, and shall howl for the vexation of your spirit.
15 And ye schulen leeue youre name in to an ooth to my chosun men; and the Lord God schal sle thee, and he schal clepe hise seruauntis bi another name.
For you shall leave your name for a loathing to my chosen, and the Lord shall destroy you: but my servants shall be called by a new name,
16 In which he that is blessid on erthe, schal be blessid in God amen; and he that swerith in erthe, shal swere in God feithfuli; for the formere angwischis ben youun to foryetyng, and for tho ben hid fro youre iyen.
which shall be blessed on the earth; for they shall bless the true God: and they that swear upon the earth shall swear by the true God; for they shall forget the former affliction, it shall not come into their mind.
17 For lo! Y make newe heuenes and a newe erthe, and the formere thingis schulen not be in mynde, and schulen not stie on the herte.
For there shall be a new heaven and a new earth: and they shall not at all remember the former, neither shall they at all come into their mind.
18 But ye schulen haue ioie, and make ful out ioiyng til in to with outen ende, in these thingis whiche Y make; for lo! Y make Jerusalem ful out ioiynge, and the puple therof ioie.
But they shall find in her joy and exultation; for, behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and my people a joy.
19 And Y schal make ful out ioiyng in Jerusalem, and Y schal haue ioie in my puple; and the vois of weping and the vois of cry schal no more be herd ther ynne.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and will be glad in my people: and there shall no more be heard in her the voice of weeping, or the voice of crying.
20 A yong child of daies schal no more be there, and an eld man that fillith not hise daies; for whi a child of an hundrid yeer schal die, and a synnere of an hundrid yeer schal be cursid.
Neither shall there be there any more a [child that dies] untimely, or an old man who shall not complete his time: for the youth shall be a hundred years [old], and the sinner who dies at a hundred years shall also be accursed:
21 And thei schulen bilde housis, and schulen enhabite hem, and thei schulen plaunte vynes, and schulen ete the fruytis of tho.
and they shall build houses, and themselves shall dwell in [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and themselves shall eat the fruit thereof.
22 Thei schulen not bilde housis, and an othir schal enhabite hem, thei schulen not plaunte, and an othir schal ete; for whi the daies of my puple schulen be after the daies of the tree, and the werkis of
They shall by no means build, and others inhabit; and they shall by no means plant, and others eat: for as the days of the tree of life shall be the days of my people, they shall long enjoy the fruits of their labours.
23 her hondis schulen be elde to my chosun men. Thei schulen not trauele in veyn, nether thei schulen gendre in disturblyng; for it is the seed of hem that ben blessid of the Lord, and the cosyns of hem ben with hem.
My chosen shall not toil in vain, neither shall they beget children to be cursed; for they are a seed blessed of God, and their offspring with them.
24 And it schal be, bifor that thei crien, Y schal here; yit while thei speken, Y schal here.
And it shall come to pass, [that] before they call, I will listen to them; while they are yet speaking, I will say, What is it?
25 A wolf and a lomb schulen be fed togidere, and a lioun and an oxe schulen ete stree, and to a serpent dust schal be his breed; thei schulen not anoie, nether schulen sle, in al myn hooli hil, seith the Lord.
Then wolves and lambs shall feed together, and the lion shall eat chaff like the ox, and the serpent earth as bread. They shall not injure nor destroy in my holy mountain, says the Lord.