Read the Bible

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.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.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.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.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.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.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.

⁸ The Lord sente a word in to Jacob, and it felle in Israel.⁹ And al the puple of Effraym schal wite, and thei that dwellen in Samarie, seiynge in the pride and greetnesse of herte,¹⁰ Tijl stoonys fellen doun, but we schulen bilde with square stoonys; thei han kit doun sicomoris, but we schulen chaunge cedris.¹¹ And the Lord schal reise the enemyes of Rasyn on hym, and he schal turne the enemyes of hym in to noyse;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;¹³ and the puple is not turned ayen to the Lord smytynge it, and thei souyten not the Lord of oostis.¹⁴ And the Lord schal leese fro Israel the heed and the tail; crokynge and bischrewynge, ether refreynynge, in o dai.¹⁵ An elde man and onourable, he is the heed, and a profete techynge a leesyng, he is the tail.¹⁶ And thei that blessen his puple, schulen be disseyueris, and thei that ben blessid, schulen be cast doun.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;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.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.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.²¹ In alle these thingis the strong veniaunce of hym is not turned awei, but yit his hoond is stretchid forth.