The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. LIX.

[verse 1] Lo! the hoond of the Lord is not abreg|gid, that he mai not saue, nether his eere [verse 2] is maad hard, that he here not; but ȝoure wickidnessis han departid bitwixe ȝou and ȝoure God, and ȝoure synnes han hid his face fro ȝou, that he [ȝe NVX.] schulde not here. [verse 3] For whi ȝoure hondis ben defoulid with blood, and ȝoure fyngris with wickid|nesse; ȝoure lippis spaken leesyng, and ȝoure tunge spekith wickidnesse. [verse 4] Noon is [ther is I.] , that clepith riȝtfulnesse to help, and noon is, that demeth verili; but thei tristen in nouȝt, and speken vanytees;

thei conseyueden trauel, and childiden wickidnesse. [verse 5] Thei han broke eiren of snakis, and maden webbis of an yreyn; he that etith of the eiren of hem, schal die, and that that is [was I.] nurschid, ether brouȝt forth [or hacchid X sec. m. marg.] , schal breke out in to a cocatrice. [verse 6] The webbis of hem schulen not be in to cloth, nethir thei schulen be hilid with [in to N.] her werkis; the werkis of hem ben vnprofitable werkis, and the werk of wickidnesse is in the hondis of hem. [verse 7] The feet of hem rennen to yuel, and haasten to schede out innocent blood; the thouȝtis of hem ben vnprofitable thouȝtis; distriyng and defouling ben in the weies of hem. [verse 8] Thei knewen not the weie of pees, and doom is not in the goyngis of hem; the pathis of hem ben bowid to hem; ech that tredith in tho, knowith not pees. [verse 9] Therfor doom is made fer fro vs, and riȝtfulnesse schal not take vs; we abid|iden [aboodin EP. abiden GS.] liȝt, and lo! derknessis ben [ther ben I.] ; we abididen [abooden EP. abiden N.] schynyng, and we ȝeden in derknessis. [verse 10] We gropiden as blynde men the wal, and we as with outen iȝen touch|iden; we stumbliden in myddai, as in derknessis, in derk places, as deed men. [verse 11] Alle we schulen rore as beeris, and we schulen weile thenkynge as culueris; we abididen [abooden EP. abiden GNS.] doom, and noon is [ther is I.] ; we abid|iden [abooden EP. abiden N.] helthe, and it is maad fer fro vs. [verse 12] For whi oure wickidnessis [wit|nessis N.] ben multiplied bifore thee, and oure synnes answeriden to vs; for our grete trespassis ben with vs, [verse 13] and we knewen oure wickidnessis, to do synne, and to lie aȝens the Lord. And we ben turned awei, that we ȝeden not aftir [bihynde A pr. m.] the bak of oure God [Lord A pr. m.] , that we speken fals caleng, and trespassyng. We conseyueden, and spaken of herte wordis of leesyng; [verse 14] and doom was turned abak, and riȝtful|nesse stood fer; for whi treuthe felle doun in the street, and equite [equyte, ether euenesse CFGHKMNQRSUVX. equitee, ether euenhede EPY.] miȝt not entre.

[verse 15] And treuthe was maad in to forȝetyng, and he that ȝede awei fro yuel, was opyn to robbyng [prei, ether robbinge CEFGHKMNPQRSUVXY.] . And the Lord siȝ, and it ap|peride yuel in hise iȝen, for ther is no doom. [verse 16] And God siȝ, that a man is not, and he was angwischid, for noon is [ther is I.] that renneth to. And his arm schal saue to hym silf, and his riȝtfulnesse it silf schal con|ferme hym. [verse 17] He is clothid with riȝtful|nesse as with an harburioun, and the helm of helthe is in his heed; he is clothid with clothis of veniaunce, and he is hilid as with a [Om. FNS.] mentil of feruent worchyng. [verse 18] As to veniaunce, as to ȝeld|yng of indignacioun to hise enemyes, and to quityng of tyme to hise aduersaries, he schal ȝelde while to ylis. [verse 19] And thei that ben at the west, schulen drede the name of the Lord, and thei that ben at the risyng of the sunne, schulen drede the glorie of hym; whanne he schal come as a violent flood, whom the spirit of the Lord compellith. [verse 20] Whan aȝen biere schal come to Syon, and to hem that goen aȝen fro wickidnesse in Jacob, seith the Lord. [verse 21] This is my boond of pees with hem, seith the Lord; My spirit which is in thee, and my wordis whiche Y haue set in thi mouth, schulen not go awei fro thi mouth, and fro the mouth of thi seed, seith the Lord, fro hennus forth and til into with outen ende.