Isaiah 1
1 The visioun, ether profesie, of Ysaie, the sone of Amos, which he siy on Juda and Jerusalem, in the daies of Osie, of Joathan, of Achas, and of Ezechie, kyngis of Juda.
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Ye heuenes, here, and thou erthe, perseyue with eeris, for the Lord spak. Y haue nurschid and Y haue enhaunsid sones; sotheli thei han dispisid me.
Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for the LORD has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me.
3 An oxe knew his lord, and an asse knew the cratche of his lord; but Israel knewe not me, and my puple vndurstood not.
The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel does not know. My people do not consider.”
4 Wo to the synful folk, to the puple heuy in wickidnesse, to the weiward seed, to the cursid sones; thei han forsake the Lord, thei han blasfemyd the hooli of Israel, thei ben aliened bacward.
Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.
5 On what thing schal Y smyte you more, that encreessen trespassyng? Ech heed is sijk, and ech herte is morenynge.
Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6 Fro the sole of the foot til to the nol, helthe is not ther ynne; wounde, and wannesse, and betyng bolnynge is not boundun aboute, nether curid bi medicyn, nether nurschid with oile.
From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, welts, and open sores. They have not been closed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.
7 Youre lond is forsakun, youre citees ben brent bi fier; aliens deuouren youre cuntrei bifore you, and it schal be disolat as in the distriyng of enemyes.
Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8 And the douytir of Sion, `that is, Jerusalem, schal be forsakun as a schadewynge place in a vyner, and as an hulke in a place where gourdis wexen, and as a citee which is wastid.
The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord of oostis hadde not left seed to vs, we hadden be as Sodom, and we hadden be lijk as Gomorre.
Unless the LORD of Armies had left to us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah.
10 Ye princes of men of Sodom, here the word of the Lord; and ye puple of Gommorre, perseyue with eeris the lawe of youre God.
Hear the LORD’s word, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 Wherto offren ye to me the multitude of youre sacrifices? seith the Lord. Y am ful; Y wolde not the brent sacrifices of wetheris, and the ynnere fatnesse of fatte beestis, and the blood of calues, and of lambren, and of buckis of geet.
“What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says the LORD. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed animals. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.
12 Whanne ye camen bifore my siyt, who axide of youre hondis these thingis, that ye schulden go in myn hallys?
When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
13 Offre ye no more sacrifice in veyn; encense is abhomynacioun to me; Y schal not suffre neomenye, and sabat, and othere feestis.
Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me. New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations— I cannot stand evil assemblies.
14 Youre cumpenyes ben wickid; my soule hatith youre calendis and youre solempnytees; tho ben maad diseseful to me, Y trauelide suffrynge.
My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them.
15 And whanne ye stretchen forth youre hondis, Y schal turne awei myn iyen fro you; and whanne ye multiplien preyer, Y schal not here; for whi youre hondis ben ful of blood.
When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
16 Be ye waischun, be ye clene; do ye awei the yuel of youre thouytis fro myn iyen; ceesse ye to do weiwardli, lerne ye to do wel.
Wash yourselves. Make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
17 Seke ye doom, helpe ye hym that is oppressid, deme ye to the fadirles and modirles child, defende ye a widewe.
Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”
18 And come ye, and repreue ye me, seith the Lord. Thouy youre synnes ben as blood reed, tho schulen be maad whijt as snow; and thouy tho ben reed as vermylioun, tho schulen be whijt as wolle.
“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says the LORD: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye wolen, and heren me, ye schulen ete the goodis of erthe.
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land;
20 That if ye nylen, and ye terren me to wrathfulnesse, swerd schal deuoure you; for whi the mouth of the Lord spak.
but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword; for the LORD’s mouth has spoken it.”
21 Hou is the feithful citee ful of dom maad an hoore? riytfulnesse dwellide ther ynne; but now menquelleris dwellen ther ynne.
How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice. Righteousness lodged in her, but now there are murderers.
22 Thi siluer is turned in to dros, ether filthe; thi wyn is medlid with watir.
Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.
23 Thi princes ben vnfeithful, the felowis of theuys; alle louen yiftis, suen meedis; thei demen not to a fadirles child, and the cause of a widewe entrith not to hem.
Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.
24 For this thing, seith the Lord God of oostis, the stronge of Israel, Alas! Y schal be coumfortid on myn enemyes, and Y schal be vengid on myn enemyes.
Therefore the Lord, GOD of Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says: “Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries, and avenge myself on my enemies.
25 And Y schal turne myn hond to thee, and Y schal sethe out thi filthe to the cleene, and Y schal do awei al thi tyn.
I will turn my hand on you, thoroughly purge away your dross, and will take away all your tin.
26 And Y schal restore thi iuges, as thei weren bifor to, and thi counselours, as in elde tyme. Aftir these thingis thou schalt be clepid the citee of the riytful, a feithful citee.
I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness, a faithful town.’
27 Sion schal be ayen bouyt in dom, and thei schulen bringe it ayen in to riytfulnesse;
Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
28 and God schal al to-breke cursid men and synneris togidere, and thei that forsoken the Lord, schulen be wastid.
But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 For thei schulen be aschamed of idols, to whiche thei maden sacrifice; and ye shulen be aschamid on the orcherdis, whiche ye chesiden.
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.
30 Whanne ye schulen be as an ook, whanne the leeues fallen doun, and as an orcherd with out watir.
For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.
31 And youre strengthe schal be as a deed sparcle of bonys, `ether of herdis of flex, and youre werk schal be as a quyk sparcle; and euer either schal be brent togidere, and noon schal be that schal quenche.
The strong will be like tinder, and his work like a spark. They will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”
