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.

Drink this first. Act quickly, O land of Zabulon, land of Nephthalim, and the rest [inhabiting] the sea-coast, and [the land] beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

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.

O people walking in darkness, behold a great light: you that dwell in the region [and] shadow of death, a light shall shine upon you.

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.

The multitude of the people which you have brought down in your joy, they shall even rejoice before you as they that rejoice in harvest, and as they that divide the spoil.

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.

Because the yoke that was laid upon them has been taken away, and the rod that was on their neck: for he has broken the rod of the exactors, as in the day of Madiam.

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 they shall compensate for every garment that has been acquired by deceit, and [all] raiment with restitution; and they shall be willing, [even] if they were burnt with 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 a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him.

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.

His government shall be great, and of his peace there is no end: [it shall be] upon the throne of David, and [upon] his kingdom, to establish it, and to support [it] with judgement and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The seal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

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

The Lord has sent death upon Jacob, and it has come 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,

And all the people of Ephraim, and they that lived in Samaria shall know, who say in their pride and lofty heart,

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

The bricks are fallen down, but come, let us hew stones, and cut down sycamores and cedars, and let us build for ourselves a tower.

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

And God shall dash down them that rise up against him on mount Sion, and shall scatter his enemies;

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;

[even] Syria from the rising of the sun, and the Greeks from the setting of the sun, who devour Israel with open mouth. For all this [his] anger is not turned away, but still [his] hand is exalted.

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

But the people turned not until they were struck, and they sought not the Lord.

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

So the Lord took away from Israel the head and tail, great and small, in one day:

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

the old man, and them that respect persons, this is the head; and the prophet teaching unlawful things, he is the tail.

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

And they that pronounce this people blessed shall mislead them; and they mislead them that they may devour them.

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 shall not take pleasure in their young men, neither shall he have pity on their orphans or on their widows: for they are all transgressors and wicked, and every mouth speaks unjustly. For all this [his] anger is not turned away, but [his] hand is yet exalted.

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.

And iniquity shall burn as fire, and shall be devoured by fire as dry grass: and it shall burn in the thickets of the wood, and shall devour all that is round about the hills.

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.

The whole earth is set on fire because of the fierce anger of the Lord, and the people shall be as men burnt by fire: no man shall pity 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.

But [one] shall turn aside to the right hand, for he shall be hungry; and shall eat on the left, and a man shall by no means be satisfied with eating the flesh of his own arm.

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

For Manasses shall eat [the flesh] of Ephraim, and Ephraim [the flesh] of Manasses; for they shall besiege Juda together. For all this [his] anger is not turned away, but [his] hand is yet exalted.