< 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 saith the Lord, The heauen is my throne, and the earth is my footestoole: where is that house that ye will builde vnto me? and where is that 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?
For all these things hath mine hand made, and all these things haue bene, sayth the Lord: and to him will I looke, euen to him, that is poore, and of a contrite spirite and trembleth at my wordes.
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.
He that killeth a bullocke, is as if he slewe a man: he that sacrificeth a sheepe, as if he cut off a dogges necke: he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swines blood: he that remembreth incense, as if he blessed an idole: yea, they haue chosen their owne wayes, and their soule deliteth in their 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 will I chuse out their delusions, and I will bring their feare vpon them, because I called, and none woulde answere: I spake and they woulde not heare: but they did euill in my sight, and chose the things which I would not.
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.
Heare the worde of the Lord, all ye that tremble at his worde, Your brethren that hated you, and cast you out for my Names sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appeare to your ioy, and they shall be ashamed.
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 voyce soundeth from the citie, euen a voyce from the Temple, the voyce of the Lord, that recompenseth his enemies fully.
7 Bifor that sche trauelide of child, sche childide; bifor that the sorewe of hir child beryng cam, sche childide a sone.
Before she trauailed, she brought foorth: and before her paine came, she was deliuered of a man childe.
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 hath heard such a thing? who hath seene such things? shall ye earth be brought forth in one day? or shall a nation be borne at once? for assoone as Zion trauailed, she brought foorth her children.
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.
Shall I cause to trauaile, and not bring forth? shall I cause to bring forth, and shall be baren, saith thy 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;
Reioyce ye with Ierusalem, and be gladde with her, all ye that loue her: reioyce for ioy with her, all ye that mourne for 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.
That ye may sucke and be satisfied with the brestes of her consolation: that ye may milke out and be delited with ye brightnes of her glorie.
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 saith the Lord, Beholde, I will extend peace ouer her like a flood, and the glorie of the Gentiles like a flowing streame: then shall ye sucke, ye shall be borne vpon her sides, and be ioyfull vpon her knees.
13 As if a modir spekith faire to ony child, so Y schal coumforte you, and ye schulen be coumfortid in Jerusalem.
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Ierusalem.
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.
And when ye see this, your hearts shall reioyce, and your bones shall flourish like an herbe: and the hand of the Lord shall be knowen among his seruants, and his indignation against 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 beholde, the Lord will come with fire, and his charets like a whirlewinde, that he may recompence his anger with wrath, and his indignation with the flame 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 iudge with fire, and with his sworde all flesh, and the slaine of the Lord shall 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.
They that sanctifie themselues, and purifie themselues in the gardens behinde one tree in the middes eating swines flesh, and such abomination, euen the mouse, shall be consumed together, sayeth 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.
For I will visite their workes, and their imaginations: for it shall come that I will gather all nations, and tongues, and they shall come, and see my glorie.
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 signe among them, and will send those that escape of them, vnto the nations of Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, and to them that drawe the bowe, to Tubal and Tauan, yles afarre off, that haue not heard my fame, neither haue seene my glorie, and they shall declare my glorie among 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 shall bring all your brethren for an offering vnto the Lord out of all nations, vpon horses, and in charets, and in horse litters, and vpon mules, and swift beastes, to Ierusalem mine holy Mountaine, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel, offer in a cleane vessell in the House of the Lord.
21 And Y schal take of hem in to preestis and dekenes, seith the Lord.
And I will take of them for Priestes, and for Leuites, saith 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 as the newe heauens, and the newe earth which I will make, shall remaine before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seede and your name continue.
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 from moneth to moneth, and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith 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 shall goe forth, and looke vpon the carkases of the men that haue transgressed against me: for their worme shall not dye, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shalbe an abhorring vnto all flesh.