Isaiah 9

1 In the firste tyme the lond of Zabulon and the lond of Neptalym was releessid; and at the laste the weie of the see biyende Jordan of Galile of hethene men was maad heuy.

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:

2 The puple that yede in derknessis siy a greet liyt; whanne men dwelliden in the cuntre of schadewe of deth, liyt roos vp to hem.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

3 Thou multipliedist folk, thou magnefiedist not gladnesse; thei schulen be glad bifore thee, as thei that ben glad in heruest, as ouercomeris maken ful out ioie, whanne thei han take a prey, whanne thei departen the spuylis.

You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people rejoice before You as they rejoice at harvest time, as men rejoice in dividing the plunder.

4 For thou hast ouercome the yok of his birthun, and the yerde of his schuldre, and the ceptre of his wrongful axere, as in the day of Madian.

For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.

5 For whi al violent raueyn with noise, and a cloth meddlid with blood schal be in to brennyng, and `schal be the mete of fier.

For every trampling boot of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6 Forsothe a litil child is borun to vs, and a sone is youun to vs, and prinsehod is maad on his schuldre; and his name schal be clepid Wondurful, A counselour, God, Strong, A fadir of the world to comynge, A prince of pees.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 His empire schal be multiplied, and noon ende schal be of his pees; he schal sitte on the seete of Dauid, and on the rewme of hym, that he conferme it, and make stronge in doom and riytfulnesse, fro hennus forth and til in to with outen ende. The feruent loue of the Lord of oostis schal make this.

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

8 The Lord sente a word in to Jacob, and it felle in Israel.

The Lord has sent a message against Jacob, and it has fallen upon Israel.

9 And al the puple of Effraym schal wite, and thei that dwellen in Samarie, seiynge in the pride and greetnesse of herte,

All the people will know it— Ephraim and the dwellers of Samaria. With pride and arrogance of heart they will say:

10 Tijl stoonys fellen doun, but we schulen bilde with square stoonys; thei han kit doun sicomoris, but we schulen chaunge cedris.

“The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with finished stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

11 And the Lord schal reise the enemyes of Rasyn on hym, and he schal turne the enemyes of hym in to noyse;

The LORD has raised up the foes of Rezin against him and joined his enemies together.

12 God schal make Sirie to come fro the eest, and Filisteis fro the west; and with al the mouth thei schulen deuoure Israel. In alle these thingis the stronge veniaunce of the Lord is not turned awei, but yit his hond is stretchid forth;

Aram from the east and Philistia from the west have devoured Israel with open mouths. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

13 and the puple is not turned ayen to the Lord smytynge it, and thei souyten not the Lord of oostis.

But the people did not return to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts.

14 And the Lord schal leese fro Israel the heed and the tail; crokynge and bischrewynge, ether refreynynge, in o dai.

So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day.

15 An elde man and onourable, he is the heed, and a profete techynge a leesyng, he is the tail.

The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.

16 And thei that blessen his puple, schulen be disseyueris, and thei that ben blessid, schulen be cast doun.

For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.

17 For this thing the Lord schal not be glad on the yonge men therof, and he schal not haue merci on the fadirles children and widewis therof; for ech man is an ypocrite and weiward, and ech mouth spak foli. In alle these thingis the stronge veniaunce of hym is not turned awei, but yit his hond is stretchid forth;

Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

18 and the puple is not turned ayen to the Lord smytynge it. For whi wickidnesse is kyndlid as fier; it schal deuoure the breris and thornes, and it schal be kyndlid in the thickenesse of the forest, and it schal be wlappid togidere in the pride of smoke.

For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes the thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets which roll upward in billows of smoke.

19 In the wraththe of the Lord of oostis the lond schal be disturblid, and the puple schal be as the mete of fier; a man schal not spare his brothir.

By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are fuel for the fire. No man even spares his brother.

20 And he schal boowe to the riyt half, and he schal hungre, and he schal ete at the left half, and he schal not be fillid; ech man schal deuoure the fleisch of his arm. Manasses schal deuoure Effraym, and Effraym `schal deuoure Manasses, and thei togidere ayens Juda.

They carve out what is on the right, but they are still hungry; they eat what is on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring.

21 In alle these thingis the strong veniaunce of hym is not turned awei, but yit his hoond is stretchid forth.

Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; together they turn against Judah. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.