Isaiah 40
Isaiah chapter 40 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 The Lord meddlid a spirit of errour in the myddis therof; and thei maden Egipt for to erre in al his werk, as a drunkun man and spuynge errith. 2 And werk schal not be to Egipt, that it make an heed and tail bowynge and refreynynge. 3 In that dai Egipt schal be as wymmen, and thei schulen be astonyed, and schulen drede of the face of the mouynge of the hoond of the Lord of oostis, which he mouede on it. 4 And the lond of Juda schal be to Egipt in to drede; ech that schal thenke on it, schal drede of the face of the counsel of the Lord of oostis, whiche he thouyte on it. 5 In that dai fyue citees schulen be in the lond of Egipt, and schulen speke with the tunge of Canaan, and schulen swere bi the Lord of oostis; the citee of the sunne schal be clepid oon. 6 In that dai the auter of the Lord schal be in the myddis of the lond of Egipt, and the title of the Lord schal be bisidis the ende therof; 7 and it schal be in to a signe and witnessyng to the Lord of oostis, in the lond of Egipt. For thei schulen crie to the Lord fro the face of the troblere, and he schal sende a sauyour to hem, and a forfiytere, that schal delyuere hem. 8 And the Lord schal be knowun of Egipt, and Egipcians schulen knowe the Lord in that dai; and thei schulen worschipe hym in sacrifices and yiftis, and thei schulen make vowis to the Lord, and thei schulen paie. 9 And the Lord schal smyte Egipt with a wounde, and schal make it hool; and Egipcians schulen turne ayen to the Lord, and he schal be plesid in hem, and he schal make hem hool. 10 In that dai a wei schal be fro Egipt in to Assiriens, and Egipcians schulen serue Assur; and Assur schal entre in to Egipt, and Egipt in to Assiriens. 11 In that dai Israel schal be the thridde to Egipt and to Assur, the blessyng in the myddil of erthe; 12 whom the Lord of oostis blesside, seiynge, Blessid be my puple of Egipt, and the werk of myn hondis be to Assiriens; but myne eritage be to Israel. 14 In the yeer wherynne Tharthan entride in to Azotus, whanne Sargon, the kyng of Assiriens, hadde sent hym, and he hadde fouyte ayens Azotus, and hadde take it; 15 in that tyme the Lord spak in the hond of Isaye, the sone of Amos, and seide, Go thou, and vnbynde the sak fro thi leendis, and take awei thi schoon fro thi feet. And he dide so, goynge nakid and vnschood. 16 And the Lord seide, As my seruaunt Ysaie yede nakid and vnschood, a signe and greet wondur of thre yeer schal be on Egipt, and on Ethiopie; 17 so the kyng of Assiriens schal dryue the caitifte of Egipt, and the passyng ouer of Ethiopie, a yong man and an eld man, nakid and vnschood, with the buttokis vnhilid, to the schenschipe of Egipt. 18 And thei schulen drede, and schulen be schent of Ethiopie, her hope, and of Egipt, her glorie. 19 And a dwellere of this ile schal seie in that dai, This was our hope, to which we fledden for help, that thei schulden delyuere vs fro the face of the kyng of Assiryens; and hou moun we ascape? 21 The birthun of the forsakun see. As whirlewyndis comen fro the southwest, it cometh fro desert, fro the orible lond. 22 An hard reuelacioun is teld to me; he that is vnfeithful, doith vnfeithfuli; and he that is a distriere, distrieth. Thou Helam, stie, and thou, Meda, biseche; Y made al the weilyng therof for to ceesse. 23 Therfor my leendis ben fillid with sorewe; angwische weldide me, as the angwisch of a womman trauelynge of child; Y felle doun, whanne Y herde; Y was disturblid, whanne Y siy. 24 Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me; Babiloyne, my derlyng, is set to me in to myracle. 25 Sette thou a boord, biholde thou in to a toting place; rise, ye princes, etynge and drynkynge, take ye scheeld. 26 For whi the Lord seide these thingis to me, Go thou, and sette a lokere; and telle he, what euer thing he seeth. 27 And he siy the chare of tweyne horse men, the stiere of an asse, and the stiere of a camel; and he bihelde diligentli with myche lokyng, 28 and criede as a lioun, Y stonde contynueli bi dai on the totyng place of the Lord, and Y stonde bi alle nyytis on my kepyng. 29 Lo! this cometh, a man stiere of a carte of horse men. And Isaie criede, and seide, Babiloyne felle doun, felle doun; and alle the grauun ymagis of goddis therof ben al to-brokun in to erthe. 30 Mi threschyng, and the douyter of my cornfloor, Y haue teld to you what thingis Y herde of the Lord of oostis, of God of Israel. 31 The birthun of Duma. It crieth fro Seir to me, Kepere, what our of the niyt? `kepere, what our of the niyt?
