Isaiah 66
1 The Lord seith these thingis, Heuene is my seete, and the erthe is the stool of my feet. Which is this hous, which ye schulen bilde to me, and which is this place of my reste?
Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What is this house that you would build for me? And what is this place of my rest?
2 Myn hond made alle these thingis, and alle these thingis ben maad, seith the Lord; but to whom schal Y biholde, no but to a pore man and contrit in spirit, and greetli dredynge my wordis?
My hand has made all these things, and all these things have been made, says the Lord. But upon whom will I look with favor, except upon a poor little one, who is contrite in spirit, and who trembles at my words?
3 He that offrith an oxe, is as he that sleeth a man; he that sleeth a scheep, is as he that brayneth a dogge; he that offrith an offryng, is as he that offrith swynes blood; he that thenketh on encense, is as he that blessith an idol; thei chesiden alle thes thingis in her weies, and her soule delitide in her abhomynaciouns.
Whoever immolates an ox, it is as if he slaughters a man. Whoever sacrifices a sheep, it is as if he is smashing the head of a dog. Whoever offers an oblation, it is as if he is offering swine’s blood. Whoever makes remembrance with incense, it is as if he is blessing an idol. All these things, they have chosen according to their own ways, and their soul has taken delight in their own abominations.
4 Wherfor and Y schal chese the scornyngis of hem, and Y schal brynge to hem tho thingis whiche thei dredden; for Y clepide, and noon was that answeride; Y spak, and thei herden not; and thei diden yuel bifor myn iyen, and chesiden tho thingis whiche Y nolde.
Therefore, I also will choose their illusions, and I will lead over them the things that they feared. For I called, and there was no one who would respond. I have spoken, and they have not listened. And they have done evil in my eyes; and what I did not will, they have chosen.
5 Here ye the word of the Lord, whiche quaken at his word; youre britheren hatynge you, and castynge a wey for my name, seiden, The Lord be glorified, and we schulen se in youre gladnesse; forsothe thei schulen be schent.
Listen to the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word. Your brothers, who hate you and who cast you out because of my name, have said: “Let the Lord be glorified, and we will see by your rejoicing.” But they themselves will be confounded.
6 The vois of the puple fro the citee, the vois fro the temple, the vois of the Lord yeldynge a reward to hise enemyes.
A voice of the people from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord repaying retribution to his enemies!
7 Bifor that sche trauelide of child, sche childide; bifor that the sorewe of hir child beryng cam, sche childide a sone.
Before she was in labor, she gave birth. Before her time arrived for delivery, she gave birth to a male child.
8 Who herde euere suche a thing, and who siy a thing lijk this? Whether the erthe schal trauele of child in o dai, ether whether a folk schal be childide togidere? For whi Sion trauelede of child, and childide hir sones.
Who has ever heard of such a thing? And who has seen anything like this? Will the earth give birth in one day? Or will a nation be born all at once? For Zion has been in labor, and she has given birth to her sons.
9 Whether that Y `my silf that make othere to bere child, schal not ber child? seith the Lord. Whether Y that yyue generacioun to othere men, schal be bareyn? seith thi Lord God.
Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God?
10 Be ye glad with Jerusalem, and alle ye that louen that, make ful out ioye ther ynne; alle ye that mourenen on that Jerusalem, make ye ioye with it in ioie;
Rejoice with Jerusalem, and exult in her, all you who love her! Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her!
11 that bothe ye souke, and be fillid of the tetis and coumfort therof, that ye mylke, and flowe in delicis, of al maner glorie therof.
So may you nurse and be filled, from the breasts of her consolations. So may you receive milk and overflow with delights, from every portion of her glory.
12 For whi the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal bowe doun on it, as a flood of pees, and as a flowynge streem the glorie of hethene men, which ye schulen souke; ye schulen be borun at tetis, and on knees thei schulen speke plesauntly to you.
For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will turn a river of peace toward her, with an inundating torrent: the glory of the Gentiles, from which you will nurse. You will be carried at the breasts, and they will caress you upon the knees.
13 As if a modir spekith faire to ony child, so Y schal coumforte you, and ye schulen be coumfortid in Jerusalem.
In the manner of one whom a mother caresses, so will I console you. And you will be consoled in Jerusalem.
14 Ye schulen se, and youre herte schal haue ioie, and youre boonys schulen buriowne as an erbe. And the hond of the Lord schal be knowun in hise seruauntis, and he schal haue indignacioun to hise enemyes.
You will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like a plant, and the hand of the Lord will be known to his servants, and he will be angry with his enemies.
15 For lo! the Lord schal come in fier, and as a whirlwynd hise charis, to yelde in indignacioun hise strong veniaunce, and his blamyng in the flawme of fier.
For behold, the Lord will arrive with fire, and his four-horse chariots will be like a whirlwind: to render his wrath with indignation, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For whi the Lord schal deme in fier, and in hys swerd to ech fleisch; and slayn men of the Lord schulen be multiplied,
For the Lord will divide with fire, and with his sword among all flesh, and those slain by the Lord will be many.
17 that weren halewid, and gessiden hem cleene, in gardyns aftir o yate with ynne; that eten swynes fleisch, and abhomynacioun, and a mows, thei schulen be waastid togidere, seith the Lord.
Those who were sanctified, who thought themselves to be clean in the gardens behind the inner gate, who were eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse: they will be consumed all at once, says the Lord.
18 Forsothe Y come to gadere togidere the werkis of hem, and the thouytis of hem, with alle folkis and langagis; and thei schulen come, and schulen se my glorie.
But I know their works and their thoughts. I am arriving, so that I may gather them together with all nations and languages. And they will approach, and they will see my glory.
19 And Y schal sette a signe in hem, and Y schal sende of hem that ben sauyd to hethene men, in to the see, in to Affrik, and in to Liddia, and to hem that holden arowe, in to Italie, and Greek lond, to ilis fer, to hem that herden not of me, and sien not my glorie. And thei schulen telle my glorie to hethene men,
And I will set a sign among them. And I will send some of those who will have been saved to the Gentiles in the sea, to Africa, and to those who draw the bow in Lydia, to Italy and Greece, to islands far away, to those who have not heard of me, and to those who have not seen my glory. And they will announce my glory to the Gentiles.
20 and thei schulen brynge alle youre britheren of alle folkis a yifte to the Lord, in horsis, and charis, and in literis, and in mulis, and in cartis, to myn hooli hil, Jerusalem, seith the Lord; as if the sones of Israel bryngen a yifte in a cleene vessel in to the hous of the Lord.
And they will lead all of your brothers from all of the Gentiles as a gift to the Lord, on horses, and in four-horse chariots, and on stretchers, and on mules, and in coaches, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, in the same manner that the sons of Israel would carry an offering in a pure vessel into the house of the Lord.
21 And Y schal take of hem in to preestis and dekenes, seith the Lord.
And I will take from them to be priests and Levites, says the Lord.
22 For as newe heuenes and newe erthe, whiche Y make to stonde bifore me, seith the Lord, so youre seed schal stonde, and youre name.
For in like manner as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will cause to stand before me, says the Lord, so will your offspring and your name stand.
23 And a monethe schal be of monethe, and a sabat of sabat; ech man schal come for to worschipe bifore my face, seith the Lord.
And there will be month after month, and Sabbath after Sabbath. And all flesh will approach, so as to adore before my face, says the Lord.
24 And thei schulen go out, and schulen se the careyns of men, that trespassiden ayens me; the worm of hem schal not die, and the fier of hem schal not be quenchid; and thei schulen be `til to fillyng of siyt to ech man.
And they will go out, and they will view the carcasses of the men who have transgressed against me. Their worm will not die, and their fire will not be extinguished. And they will be a sight to all flesh even unto revulsion.
