Bible (Wycliffe)/Deuteronomy

For other versions of this work, see Deuteronomy (Bible).

Chapter 1

¹ These ben the wordis whiche Moyses spak to al Israel ouer Jordan, in the wildirnesse of the feeld, ayens the reed see, bitwix Pharan and Tophel and Laban and Asseroth, where is ful myche gold,

² by enleuene daies fro Oreb bi the weie of the hil of Seir, til to Cades Barne.

³ In the fortithe yeer, in the enleuenth monethe, in the firste dai of the monethe, Moises spak to the sones of Israel alle thingis whiche the Lord commandide to hym that he schulde seie to hem,

⁴ after that he smoot Seon, kyng of Ammorreis, that dwellide in Esebon, and Og, the kyng of Basan, that dwelide in Asseroth and in Edray, ouer Jordan, in the lond of Moab.

⁵ And Moyses bigan to declare the lawe, and to seie,

⁶ Oure Lord God spak to vs in Oreb, and seide, It suffisith to you that ye han dwellid in this hil;

⁷ turne ye ayen, and come ye to the hil of Amorreis, and to othere placis that ben next it; to places of feeldis, and of hillis, and to lowere places ayens the south, and bisidis the brenke of the see, to the lond of Cananeys, and of Liban, `til to the greet flood Eufrates.

⁸ Lo, `he seith, Y haue youe to you; entre ye, and `welde ye `that lond on which the Lord swoor to youre fadrys, Abraham, Ysaac, and Jacob, that he schulde yyue it to hem, and to her seed after hem.^[1]

⁹ And Y seide to you in that time, Y may not aloone susteyne you, for youre Lord God hath multiplied you,

¹⁰ and ye ben ful many to dai, as the sterris of heuene;

¹¹ the Lord God of youre fadris adde to this noumbre many thousyndis, and blesse you, as he spak.

¹² Y may not aloone susteyne youre causis, and birthun, and stryues; yyue ye of you men wise `in dyuyn thingis,

¹³ and witti `in mennus thingis worthi to be don, whose conuersacioun is preued in youre lynagis, that Y sette hem princes to you.

¹⁴ Thanne ye answeriden to me, The thing is good which thou wolt do.

¹⁵ And Y took of youre lynagis men wise and noble, `in vertues and kyn; and Y ordeynede hem princis, tribunes, and centuryouns, and quynquagenaries, and denys, whiche schulden teche you all thingis.

¹⁶ And Y comaundide to hem, and seide, Here ye hem, and deme ye that that is iust, whether he be a citeseyn, whether a pilgrym.

¹⁷ No difference schal be of persones; ye schulen here so a litil man, `that is, pore, as a greet man, nether ye schulen take the persoone of ony man, for it is the doom of God. That if ony thing semeth hard to you, telle ye to me, and Y schal here.

¹⁸ And Y comaundide alle thingis whiche ye ouyten to do.

¹⁹ Forsothe we yeden forth fro Oreb, and passiden bi a feerdful deseert, and grettiste wildirnesse, which ye sien, bi the weye of the hil of Ammorrey, as oure Lord God comaundide to vs. And whanne we hadden come in to Cades Barne,

²⁰ Y seide to you, Ye ben comen to the hil of Ammorrey, which youre Lord God schal yyue to you;

²¹ se thou the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee; `stie thou, and welde it, as oure Lord God spak to thi fadris; `nyle thou drede, nether `drede thou in herte ony thing.

²² And alle ye neiyiden to me, and ye seiden, Sende we men, that schulen biholde the lond, and telle to vs bi what weye we owen stie, and to whiche citees we owen to go.

²³ And whanne the word pleside to me ^[2] , Y sente of you twelue men, of ech lynage oon.

²⁴ And whanne thei hadden go, and hadden stied in to the hilli places, thei camen `til to the valei of Clustre; and whanne thei hadden biholde the lond,

²⁵ thei token of the fruytis therof, to schewe the plentee, and brouyten `to vs, and seiden, The lond is good which oure Lord God schal yyue to vs.

²⁶ And ye `nolden stie, but ye weren vnbileueful to the word of oure Lord God.

²⁷ And ye grutchiden in youre tabernaclis, and ye seiden, The Lord hatith vs, and herfor he ledde vs out of the lond of Egipt, that he schulde bitake vs in the hond of Ammorey, and schulde do awei vs.

²⁸ Whidur schulen we stie? the messangeris maden aferd oure herte, and seiden, A grettiste multitude is, and largere in stature than we; the citees ben greete, and wallid `til to the heuene; we sien there the sones of Enachym, that is, giauntis.

²⁹ And Y seide to you, `Nyle ye drede `with ynne, nether `drede withoutforth; the Lord God hym silf,

³⁰ which is youre ledere, schal fiyte for you, as he dide in Egipt, while alle men sien.

³¹ And ye sien in the wildirnesse, thi Lord God bar thee, as a man is wont to bere his litil sone, in al the weie bi which ye yeden til ye camen to this place.

³² And sotheli nether so ye bileueden to youre Lord God, that yede bifor you in the weie,

³³ and mesuride the place in which ye ouyten to sette tentis, and schewide in nyyt the weie to you bi fier, and in dai bi a piler of cloude.

³⁴ And whanne the Lord hadde herd the vois of youre wordis, he was wrooth,

³⁵ and swoor, and seide, Noon of the men of this werste generacioun schal se the good lond, which Y bihiyte vndur an ooth to youre fadris,

³⁶ outakun Caleph ^[3] , the sone of Jephone; for he schal se it, and Y schal yyue to hym the lond on which he trad, and to hise sones, for he suede the Lord.

³⁷ Nether the indignacioun ayens the puple is wondirful, sithen the Lord was wrooth also to me for you, and seide,

³⁸ Nether thou schalt entre thidur, but Josue, the sone of Nun, thi mynystre, he schal entre for thee; excyte and strengthe thou him, and he schal departe the lond bi lot to Israel.

³⁹ Youre litle children, of whiche ye seiden, that thei schulden be led prisoneris, and the sones that kunnen not to dai the diuersite of good and of yuel, thei schulen entre; and Y schal yyue to hem the lond, and thei schulen welde it.

⁴⁰ Sotheli turne ye ayen, and go ye in to the wildirnesse, bi the weie of the Reed See.

⁴¹ And ye answeriden to me, We synneden to the Lord; we schulen stie, and we schulen fiyte, as oure Lord God comaundide. And whanne ye weren arayed with armeris, and yeden `into the hil, the Lord seide to me,

⁴² Seie thou to hem, `Nyle ye stye, nether fiyte ye, for Y am not with you, lest ye fallen bifor youre enemyes.

⁴³ Y spak, and ye herden not; but ye `weren aduersaries to the comaundement of the Lord, and bolnden with prijde, and stieden in to the hil.

⁴⁴ Therfor Ammorrey yede out, that dwellide in the hillis, and he cam ayens you, and pursuede you, as bees ben wont to pursue, and killide fro Seir til Horma. And whanne ye turneden ayen,

⁴⁵ and wepten bifor the Lord, he herde not you, nether wolde asente to youre vois;

⁴⁶ therfor ye saten ^[4] in Cades Barne bi myche tyme.

1. [Note: that is, he bihiyt stidefastli]
2. [Note: pleside to me, that is, Y consentide for youre vnrestefulnesse.]
3. [Note: outakun Caleph and outakun Josue and Leuytis and children not of xx. yeer.]
4. [Note: In Ebreu it is thus, and ye saten in Cades bi many daies, bi the daies in whiche ye saten in othere dwellingis.]

Chapter 2

¹ And we yeden forth fro thennus, and camen in to the wildirnesse that ledith to the Reed See, as the Lord seide to me; and we cumpassiden the hil of Seir in long tyme.

² And the Lord seide to me, It sufficith to you to cumpasse this hil;

³ go ye ayens the north.

⁴ And comaunde thou to the puple, and seie, Ye schulen passe bi the termes ^[1] of youre britheren, the sones of Esau, that dwellen in Seir, and thei schulen drede you.

⁵ Therfor se ye diligentli, that ye be not moued ayens hem; for Y schal not yyue to you of the land `of hem as myche as the steppe of o foot may trede, for Y yaf the hil of Seir in to the possessioun of Esau.

⁶ Ye schulden bie of hem metis for money, and ye schulen ete; ye schulden drawe, and drynke watir bouyt.

⁷ Thi Lord God blesside thee in al the werk of thin hondis; he knewe thi weye, hou thou passidist this moste wildirnesse, bi fourti yeer; and thi Lord God dwellide with thee, and no thing failide to thee.

⁸ And whanne we hadden passid bi oure britheren, the sones of Esau, that dwelliden in Seir, bi the weie of the feeld of Elath, and of Asiongaber, we camen to the weie that ledith in to deseert of Moab.

⁹ And the Lord seide to me, Fiyte thou not ayens Moabitis, nether bigyn thou batel ayens hem, for Y schal not yyue to thee ony thing of the lond `of hem, for Y yaf Ar in to possessioun to `the sones of Loth.

¹⁰ Emyn, `that is, griseful men, weren first dwelleris therof, a greet puple, and strong, and so hiy, that thei weren bileued as giantis,

¹¹ of the generacioun of Enachym, and thei weren lijk the sones of Enachym; forsothe Moabitis clepen hem Emyn.

¹² Forsothe Horreis dwelliden bifore in Seir, and whanne thei weren put out, and weren doon awey, `the sones of Esau dwelliden there, as Israel dide in the lond of his possessioun, which the Lord yaf to hym.

¹³ Therfor we riseden, that we schulden passe the stronde of Zared, and camen to it.

¹⁴ Sotheli the tyme in whiche we yeden fro Cades Barne `til to the passynge of the stronde of Zared, was of eiyte and thretti yeer, til al the generacioun of `men fiyteris was wastid fro `the castels, as the Lord hadde swore; whos hond was ayens hem,

¹⁵ that thei schulden perische fro the myddis of `the castels.

¹⁶ Forsothe after that alle the fiyteris felden doun,

¹⁷ the Lord spak to me, and seide,

¹⁸ Thou schalt passe to dai the termes of Moab,

¹⁹ the cytee, Ar bi name, and thou schalt neiy in the nyy coost of the sones of Amon; be thou war that thou fiyte not ayens hem, nether be moued to batel; for Y schal not yyue to thee of the lond of the sones of Amon, for Y yaf it to the `sones of Loth in to possessioun.

²⁰ It is arettid the lond of giauntis, and giauntis enhabitiden therynne sumtyme, whiche giauntis Amonytis clepen Zonym;

²¹ a myche puple and greet, and of noble lengthe, as Enachym, whiche the Lord dide awey fro the face of hem,

²² and made hem to dwelle for `tho giauntis, as he dide to the sones of Esau, that dwellen in Seire, `and dide awai Horreis, and yaf to hem the lond `of Horreis, which `the sones of Esau welden `til in to present tyme.

²³ Also men of Capadocie puttiden out Eueys, that dwelliden in Asseryn, `til to Gaza; which yeden out fro Capadocie, and diden awey Eueis, and dwelliden for hem.

²⁴ Rise ye, and `passe ye the stronde of Arnon; lo! Y haue bitake in `thin hond Seon, king of Esebon, of Amorreis; and his lond bigynne thou `to welde, and smyte thou batel ayens him.

²⁵ To dai Y schal bigynne to sende thi drede and strengthe in to puplis that dwellen vndir al heuene, that whanne thi name is herd, thei drede, and tremble bi the maner of wymmen trauelynge of child, and `be holdun with sorewe.

²⁶ Therfor Y sente messangeris fro the wildirnesse of Cademoch to Seon, kyng of Esebon; and Y seide with pesible wordis,

²⁷ We schulen passe thorou thi lond, we schulen go in the comyn weie; we schulen not bowe nether to the riyt side, nether to the left side.

²⁸ Sille thow metis `to vs for prijs, that we ete; yif thow watir for money, and so we schulen drynke. Oneli it is that thou graunte passage to vs,

²⁹ as the sones of Esau diden, that dwellen in Seir, and as Moabitis diden, that dwellen in Ar, til we comen to Jordan, and passen to the lond which oure Lord God schal yyue to vs.

³⁰ And Seon, kyng of Esebon, nolde yyue passage `to vs; for thi Lord God made hard his spirit, and made sad in yuel `the herte of hym, that he schulde be bitakun in to thin hondis, as thou seest now.

³¹ And the Lord seide to me, Lo, Y bigan to bitake to thee Seon, and his lond; bigynne thou to welde it.

³² And Seon yede out ayens vs with al his puple to batel in Jasa.

³³ And oure Lord God bitook hym to vs, and we han smyte hym with hise sones, and al his puple.

³⁴ And we token in that tyme alle the citees, whanne the dwelleris of tho citees, men, and wymmen, and children weren slayn; we leften not in hem ony thing,

³⁵ outakun beestis that camen in to the part of men takynge prey, and outakun spuylis of the cytees whiche we tokun.

³⁶ Fro Aroer, which is on the brenke of the stronde of Arnon, fro the toun which is set in the valey, `til to Galaad, no town was ether citee, that ascapide oure hondis.

³⁷ Oure Lord God bitook alle to vs; outakun the lond of the sones of Amon, to which lond we neiyiden not, and outakun alle thingis that liggen to the stronde of Jeboth, and outakun the citees of the munteyns, and alle places fro whiche oure Lord God forbeed vs.

1. [Note: bi the termes, that is, nyy the termes.]

Chapter 3

¹ And so we turneden, and stieden bi the weie of Basan; and Og, the kyng of Basan, yede out ayens vs with his puple, to fiyte in Edrai.

² And the Lord seide to me, Drede thou not hym, for he is bitakun in thin hond, with al his puple, and his lond; and thou schalt do to hym, as thou didist to Seon, kyng of Ammoreis, that dwellide in Esebon.

³ Therfor oure Lord God bitook in oure hondis also Og, kyng of Basan, and al his puple; and we han smyte hym `til to deeth,

⁴ and wastiden alle the citees `of him in o tyme; no town was that ascapide vs; `we destrieden sixti citees, al the cuntrei of Argob, of the rewme of Og in Basan.

⁵ Alle the citees weren strengthid with hiyest wallis, and with yatis and barris; with out townes vnnoumbrable, that hadden not wallis.

⁶ And we diden awey thilke men, as we diden to Seon, kyng of Esebon; and we losten ech citee, and men, and wymmen, and litle children;

⁷ forsothe we token bi prey beestis, and the spuylis of citees.

⁸ And we token in that tyme the lond fro the hond of twey kyngis of Ammorreis, that weren biyonde Jordan, fro the stronde of Arnon `til to the hil of Hermon,

⁹ `which hil Sidonyes clepen Sarion, and Ammorreis clepen Sanyr.

¹⁰ We tooken alle the citees that weren set in the pleyn, and al the lond of Galaad, and of Basan, `til to Selcha and Edray, citees of the rewme of Og, in Basan.

¹¹ For Og aloone, kyng of Basan, was left of the generacioun of giauntis; and his yrun bed is schewid, which is in Rabath, of the sones of Amon, and hath nyne cubitis of lengthe, and foure cubitis of breede, at the mesure of a cubit of mannus hond.

¹² And we weldiden in that tyme the lond, fro Aroer, which is on the `brynke of the stronde of Arnon, `til to the myddil paart of the hil of Galaad; and Y yaf the citees `of hym to Ruben and Gad.

¹³ Forsothe Y yaf the tother part of Galaad, and al Basan, of the rewme of Og, to the half lynage of Manasses, and al the cuntrei of Argob. Al Basan was clepid the lond of giauntis.

¹⁴ Jair, `sone of Manasses, weldide al the cuntrey of Argob, `til to the lond of Gesuri and of Machati; and he clepide bi his name Basan Anothiair, that is, the townes of Jair, til in to present dai.

¹⁵ Also Y yaf Galaad to Machir; and to the lynagis of Ruben and of Gad Y yaf the lond of Galaad, `til to the strond of Arnon, the myddil of the stronde,

¹⁶ and of the endis `til to the stronde of Jeboth, which is the terme of `the sones of Amon.

¹⁷ And Y yaf the pleyn of the wildernesse `til to Jordan, and the termes of Cenereth `til to the see of deseert, which see is moost salt, at the rotis of the hil of Phasga, ayens the eest.

¹⁸ And Y comaundide to you in that tyme, and seide, Youre Lord God yyueth to you this lond in to erytage;

¹⁹ alle ye stronge men, without wyues and litle children and beestis, be maad redi, and `go ye bifor youre brithren, the sones of Israel. For Y knowe that ye han many beestis, and tho schulen dwelle in citees whiche Y yaf to you,

²⁰ til the Lord yyue reste to youre brithren, as he yaf to you, and til thei also welden the lond `which the Lord schal yyue to hem biyonde Jordan; thanne ech man schal turne ayen in to his possessioun which Y yaf to you.

²¹ Also Y comaundid to Josue in that tyme, and seide, Thin iyen sien what thingis youre Lord God dide to these twei kyngis; so he schal do to alle rewmes, to whiche thou schalt go; drede thou not hem.

²² And Y preiede the Lord in that tyme,

²³ and seide, Lord God, thou hast bigunne to schewe to thi seruaunt thi greetnesse, and strongeste hond,

²⁴ for noon other God is ether in heuene, ether in erthe, that mai do thi werkis, and may be comparisound to thi strengthe.

²⁵ Therfor Y schal passe, and schal se this beeste lond biyende Jordan, and this noble hil and Liban.

²⁶ And the Lord was wrooth to me for you, nethir he herde me, but seide to me, It suffisith to thee; speke thou no more of this thing to me.

²⁷ `Stye thou in to the hiynesse of Phasga, and caste aboute thin iyen to the west, and north, and south, and eest, and biholde, for thou schalt not passe this Jordan.

²⁸ Comaunde thou to Josue, and strengthe thou and coumforte hym; for he schal go bifore this puple, and he schal departe to hem the lond, which thou schalt se.

²⁹ And we dwelliden in the valey ayens the temple of Phegor.

Chapter 4

¹ And now, thou Israel, here the comaundementis and domes whiche Y teche thee, that thou do tho, and lyue, and that thow entre and welde the lond which the Lord God of youre fadris schal yyue to you.

² Ye schulen not adde to the word which Y speke to you ^[1] , nether ye schulen take awei `fro it; kepe ye the comaundementis of youre Lord God, which Y comaunde to you.

³ Youre iyen sien alle thingis whiche the Lord dide ayens Belphegor; how he alto brak alle the worschiperis `of hym fro the myddis of you.

⁴ Forsothe ye that cleuen to youre Lord God lyuen alle `til in to present day.

⁵ Ye witen that Y tauyte you the comaundementis and riytfulnessis, as my Lord God comaundide to me; so ye schulen do tho in the lond whiche ye schulen welde,

⁶ and ye schulen kepe, and schulen fille in werk. For this is youre wisdom ^[2] and vndurstondyng bifor puplis, that alle men here these comaundementis, and seie, Lo! a wise puple and vnderstondynge! a greet folk!

⁷ Noon other nacioun is so greet, `not in noumbre ether in bodili quantite, but in dignite, that hath Goddis neiyynge to it silf, as oure God is redi to alle oure bisechyngis.

⁸ For whi what other folk is so noble, that it hath cerymonyes and iust domes, and al the lawe which Y schal `sette forth to dai bifor youre iyen?

⁹ Therfor kepe thi silf, and thi soule bisili; foryete thou not the wordis whiche thin iyen sien, and falle tho not doun fro thin herte, in alle the daies of thi lijf. Thou schalt teche tho thi sones and thi sones sones.

¹⁰ Telle thou the day in which thou stodist bifor thi Lord God in Oreb, whanne the Lord spak to me, and seide, Gadere thou the puple to me, that it here my wordis, and lerne for to drede me in al tyme in which it lyueth in erthe, and teche hise sones.

¹¹ And ye neiyiden to the `roote of the hille, that brente `til to heuene; and derknessis, and cloude, and myist weren therynne.

¹² And the Lord spak to you fro the myddis of fier; ye herden the vois of hise wordis, and outirli ye sien no fourme.

¹³ And he schewide to you his couenaunt, which he comaundide, that ye schulden do, and `he schewide ten wordis, whiche he wroot in two tablis of stoon.

¹⁴ And he comaundide to me in that tyme, that Y schulde teche you cerymonyes and domes, whiche ye owen to do in the lond whiche ye schulen welde.

¹⁵ Therfor kepe ye bisili youre soulis; ye sien not ony licnesse in the dai in which the Lord spak to you in Oreb, fro the myddis of the fier;

¹⁶ lest perauenture ye be disseyued and make to you a grauun licnesse, ether an ymage of male, ether of female;

¹⁷ a licnesse of alle beestis that ben on erthe, ether of bridis fleynge vndur heuene,

¹⁸ and of crepynge beestis that ben moued in erthe, ether of fischis that dwellen vndur the erthe in watris; lest perauenture,

¹⁹ whanne thin iyen ben reisid to heuene, thou se the sonne, and moone, and alle the sterris of heuene, and be disseyued bi errour, and worschipe tho, `bi outermer reuerence, and onour, `bi ynner reuerence, `tho thingis whiche thi Lord God made of nouyt, in to seruyce to alle folkis that ben vndur heuene.

²⁰ Forsothe the Lord took you, and ledde out of the yrun furneys of Egipt, that he schulde haue a puple of eritage ^[3] , as it is in `present dai.

²¹ And the Lord was wrooth ayens me for youre wordis, and swoor that Y schulde not passe Jordan, and schulde not entre in to the beeste lond, which he schal yyue to you.

²² Lo! Y die in this erthe; Y schal not passe Jordan; ye schulen passe, and schulen welde the noble lond.

²³ Be thou war, lest ony tyme thou foryete the couenaunt of thi Lord God, which he made with thee, and lest thou make to thee a grauun licness of tho thingis whiche the Lord forbeed to make.

²⁴ For thi Lord God is fier wastynge ^[4] ; `God, a feruent louyere.

²⁵ If ye gendren sones, and sones of sones, and ye dwellen in the lond, and ye be disceyued, and make to you ony licnesse, and doen yuel bifor youre Lord God, that ye terren hym to greet wrathe,

²⁶ Y clepe witnesses to dai heuene and erthe, `that is, ech resonable creature beynge in heuene and in erthe, that ye schulen perische soone fro the lond, which ye schulen welde, whanne ye han passid Jordan; ye schulen not dwelle long tyme therynne, but the Lord schal do awey you,

²⁷ and schal scatere `in to alle hethen men, and ye schulen leeue fewe among naciouns, to whiche the Lord schal lede you.

²⁸ And there ye schulen serue to goddis, that ben maad bi `the hond of men, to a tre and a stoon, that `seen not, nether heren, nether eten, nether smellen.

²⁹ And whanne thou hast souyt there ^[5] thi Lord God, thou schalt fynde hym; if netheles thou sekist with al the herte, and with al the tribulacioun of thi soule.

³⁰ Aftir that alle thingis han founde thee, that ben biforseid ^[6] , forsothe in the laste tyme, thou schalt turne ayen to thi Lord God, and thou schalt here his vois.

³¹ For thi Lord God is merciful God; he schal not forsake thee, nethir he schal do awey outirli, nethir he schal foryete the couenaunt, in which he swoor to thi fadris.

³² Axe thou of elde daies that weren bifor thee, fro the day in which thi Lord God made of nouyt man on erthe, axe thou fro that oon ende of heuene `til to the tother ende therof ^[7] , if sich a thing was doon ony tyme, ether if it was euere knowun,

³³ that a puple herde the vois of God spekynge fro the myddis of the fier, as thou herdist, and siest;

³⁴ if God `dide, that he entride, and took to him silf a folc fro the middis of naciouns, bi temptaciouns, myraclis, and grete wondris, bi batel, and strong hond, and arm holdun forth, and orrible siytis, bi alle thingis whiche youre Lord God dide for you in Egipt, `while thin iyen sien;

³⁵ that thou schuldist wite, that the Lord hym silf is God, and noon other is, outakun oon.

³⁶ Fro heuene he made thee to here his vois, that he schulde teche thee; and in erthe he schewide to thee his grettiste fier, and thou herdist the wordis `of hym fro the myddis of the fier;

³⁷ for he louyde thi fadris, and chees her seed aftir hem. And he ledde thee out of Egipt, and yede bifore in his greet vertu,

³⁸ that he schulde do awei grettiste naciouns, and strongere than thou, in thin entryng, and that he schulde lede thee ynne, and schulde yyue to thee the lond `of hem in to possessioun, as thou seest in `present day.

³⁹ Therfor wite thou to dai, and thenke in thin herte, that the Lord him silfe is God in heuene aboue, and in erthe bynethe, and noon other is.

⁴⁰ Kepe thou hise heestis, and comaundementis ^[8] , whiche Y comaunde to thee, that it be wel to thee, and to thi sones after thee, and that thou dwelle mych tyme on the lond, which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee.

⁴¹ Thanne Moises departide thre citees biyende Jordan at the eest coost,

⁴² that he fle to tho, that sleeth his neighbore not wilfuli, and was not enemy bifore oon and `the tother dai, and that he mai fle to summe of these citees;

⁴³ Bosor in the wildirnesse, which is set in the feeldi lond, of the lynage of Ruben; and Ramoth in Galaad, which is in the lynage of Gad; and Golan in Basan, which is in the lynage of Manasses.

⁴⁴ This is the lawe which Moises `settide forth bifor the sones of Israel,

⁴⁵ and these ben the witnessyngis, and cerymonyes, and domes, whiche he spak to the sones of Israel, whanne thei yeden out of Egipt,

⁴⁶ biyende Jordan, in the valey ayens the temple of Phegor, in the lond of Seon, kyng of Ammorreis, that dwellide in Esebon, whom Moises killide. And the sones of Israel yeden out of Egipt, and weldiden `the lond of him,

⁴⁷ and the lond of Og, kyng of Basan, twei kyngis of Ammoreis, that weren biyende Jordan, at the rysyng of the sunne;

⁴⁸ fro Aroer which is set on the brenke of the stronde of Arnon, `til to the hil of Seon, which is Hermon;

⁴⁹ thei weldiden al the pleyn biyende Jordan, at the eest coost, `til to the see of wildirnesse, and `til to the rootis of the hil of Phasga.

1. [Note: ye schulen not adde to the word etc. Here that adding is forbedun, that depraueth, ether peruertith the vndurstonding of the lawe; that adding, that declarith, ether makith cleer, is not forbedun, bi this that is writun in xxiiij. co. of Ecci. in the name of wisdom, ether of hooly scripture; Thei that declaren me, schulen haue euerlastynge liyf.]
2. [Note: wisdom, that is, saueri kunnyng, that bringith in to the loue of God. Sothely the wisdom of filosoforis brouyten more to hiynesse and pride.]
3. [Note: a puple of eritage, that is, cleuynge to him vnmouably; as eritage is possessioun vnmouable.]
4. [Note: fier wastinge, that is, punyschinge scharply, as fier among othere elementis worchith more.]
5. [Note: in the heestis, domes, and in cerymonies, paciently abidinge the Lord.]
6. [Note: that is, after alle these forseid thinges ben bifallen to thee.]
7. [Note: that is, take hede to alle thinges that euer weren do.]
8. [Note: preueili and appertli, in prosperitee and in aduersitee.]

Chapter 5

¹ And Moises clepide al Israel, and seide to hym, Here, thou Israel, the cerymonyes and domes, whiche Y speke to dai in youre eeris; lerne ye tho, and `fille ye in werk.

² Oure Lord God made a boond of pees with vs in Oreb;

³ he made not couenaunt, `that is, of lawe writun, with oure fadris, but with vs that ben present, and lyuen.

⁴ Face to face he spak to vs in the hil, fro the myddis of the fier.

⁵ Y was recouncelere and mediatour bitwixe God and you in that tyme, that Y schulde telle to you the wordis `of hym, for ye dredden the fier, and `stieden not in to the hil. And `the Lord seide,

⁶ Y am thi Lord God, that ladde thee out of the lond of Egipt, fro the hows of seruage.

⁷ Thou schalt not haue alien Goddis in my siyt.

⁸ Thou schalt not make to thee a grauun ymage, nether a licnesse of alle thingis ^[1] that ben in heuene aboue, and that ben in erthe bynethe, and that lyuen in watris vndur erthe;

⁹ thou schalt not herie tho, `and thou schalt not worschipe tho; for Y am thi Lord God, `God a feruent louyer; and Y yelde the wickidnesse of fadris, in to sones in to the thridde and the fourthe generacioun to hem that haten me,

¹⁰ and Y do mersy in to many thousyndis to hem that louen me, and kepen myn heestis.

¹¹ Thou schalt not mystake the name of thi Lord God in veyn, for he schal not be vnpunyschid, that takith the name of God on a veyn thing.

¹² Kepe thou the `day of sabat that thou halewe it, as thi Lord God comaundide to thee.

¹³ In sixe daies thou schalt worche, and thou schalt do alle thi werkis;

¹⁴ the seventhe day is `of sabat, that is the reste of thi Lord God. Thou schalt not do therynne ony thing of werk <sup>[2]</sup> ; thou, and thi sone, and douyter, seruaunt, and handmaide, and oxe, and asse, and `al thi werk beeste, and the pilgrym which is with ynne thi yatis; that thi seruaunt reste and thin handmaide, as also thou.

¹⁵ Bithenke thou, that also thou seruedist in Egipt, and thi Lord God ledde thee out fro thennus, in a strong hond, and arm holdun forth; therfor he comaundide to thee, that thou schuldist kepe the `dai of sabat.

¹⁶ Onoure thi fadir and thi modir, as thi Lord God comaundide to thee, that thou lyue in long tyme, and that it be wel to thee, in the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee.

¹⁷ Thou schalt not sle.

¹⁸ Thou schalt not do letcherie.

¹⁹ And thou schalt not do thefte.

²⁰ Thou schalt not speke fals witnessyng ayens thi neiybore.

²¹ Thou schalt not coueite `the wijf of thi neiybore, not hows, not feeld, not seruaunt, not handmayde, not oxe, not asse, and alle thingis ^[3] that ben hise.

²² The Lord spak these wordis to al youre multitude, in the hil, fro the myddis of fier and of cloude and of myist, with greet vois, and addide no thing more; and he wroot tho wordis in two tablis of stoon, whiche he yaf to me.

²³ Forsothe after that ye herden the vois fro the myddis of the derknessis, and sien the hil brenne, alle ye princis of lynagis, and the grettere men in birthe, neiyiden to me, and seiden, Lo!

²⁴ oure Lord God schewide to vs his maieste and greetnesse; we herden his vois fro the myddis of fier, and we preueden to day that a man lyuede, `while God spak with man.

²⁵ Whi therfor schulen we die, and schal this gretteste fier deuoure vs? For if we heren more the vois of oure Lord God, we schulen die.

²⁶ What is ech man, that he here the vois of God lyuynge, that spekith fro the myddis of fier, as we herden, and that he may lyue?

²⁷ Rathere neiye thou, and here thou alle thingis whiche oure Lord God schal seie to thee; and thou schalt speke to vs, and we schulen here, and schulen do tho wordis.

²⁸ And whanne the Lord hadde herd this, he seide to me, Y herde the vois of the wordis of this puple, whiche thei spaken to thee; thei spaken wel alle thingis.

²⁹ Who schal yyue `that thei haue siche soule, that thei drede me, and kepe alle my comaundementis in al tyme, that it be wel to hem and to the sones `of hem, with outen ende?

³⁰ Go thou, and seye to hem, Turne ye ayen in to youre tentis.

³¹ Sotheli stonde thou here with me, and Y schal speke to thee alle comaundementis, and cerymonyes, and domes, whiche thou schalt teche hem, that thei do tho in the lond which Y schal yyue to hem in to possessioun.

³² Therfor kepe ye, and `do ye tho thingis, whiche the Lord God comaundide to you; ye schulen not bowe awey, nether to the riyt side ^[4] nether to the left side,

³³ but ye schulen go bi the weie whiche youre Lord God comaundide, that ye lyue, and that it be wel to you, and that youre daies be lengthid in the lond of youre possessioun.

1. [Note: that is, of nothing of eny of alle tho thingis.]
2. [Note: forbooden of God to the.]
3. [Note: that is, no thing of alle the thinges.]
4. [Note: riyt side, etc. that is, nether for ony prosperite to be getun, nether aduersite to be eschewid.]

Chapter 6

¹ These ben the comaundementis, and cerymonyes, and domes, whiche youre Lord God comaundide that Y schulde teche you, and that ye do tho in the lond to which ye passen ouer to welde;

² that thou drede thi Lord God, and kepe alle hise comaundementis, and heestis, whiche Y comaunde to thee, and to thi sones, and sones of sones, in alle the daies of thi lijf, that thi daies be lengthid.

³ Thou Israel, here, and kepe, that thou do tho thingis whiche the Lord comaundide to thee, and that it be wel to thee, and thou be multiplied more, as the Lord God of thi fadris bihiyte, to yyue to thee a lond flowynge with mylk and hony.

⁴ Thou Israel, here, thi Lord God is o God.

⁵ Thou schalt loue thi Lord God of al thin herte, and of al thi soule, and of al thi strengthe.

⁶ And these wordis whiche Y comaunde to thee to dai, schulen be in thin herte;

⁷ and thou schalt telle tho to thi sones, and thou schalt thenke on tho, sittynge in thin hows, and goynge in the weie, slepynge, and rysinge ^[1] .

⁸ And thou schalt bynde tho as a signe in thin hond; and tho schulen be, and schulen be moued bifor thin iyen; and thou schalt write tho in the lyntel,

⁹ and in the doris of thin hows.

¹⁰ And whanne thi Lord God hath brouyt thee in to the lond, for which he swoor to thi fadris, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and hath youe to thee grete citees, and beeste, whiche thou bildidist not,

¹¹ housis fulle of alle richessis, whiche thou madist not, and cisternes, which thou diggedist not, `places of vynes, and `places of olyues, whiche thou plauntidist not,

¹² and thou hast ete, and art fillid,

¹³ be war diligentli, lest thou foryete the Lord, that ladde thee out of the lond of Egipt, fro the hows of seruage. Thou schalt drede thi Lord God, and thou schalt serue hym aloone, `bi seruyce due to God onely, and thou schalt swere bi his name ^[2] .

¹⁴ Ye schulen not go aftir alien goddis, of alle hethen men that ben `in youre cumpas;

¹⁵ for God is a feruent louyere, thi Lord God is in the myddis of thee, lest ony tyme the `strong veniaunce of thi Lord God be wrooth ayens thee, and do awei thee fro `the face of the erthe.

¹⁶ Thou schalt not tempte thi Lord God, as thou temptidist in the place of temptyng.

¹⁷ Kepe thou the comaundementis of thi Lord God, and the witnessyngis, and cerymonyes, whiche he comaundide to thee;

¹⁸ and do thou that that is plesaunt and good in the siyt of the Lord, that it be wel to thee, and that thou entre, and welde the beste lond, of which the Lord swoor to thi fadris,

¹⁹ that he schulde do awey alle thin enemyes bifor thee, as he spak.

²⁰ And whanne thi sone schal axe thee to morewe, that is, in tyme comyng, and schal seie, What wolen these witnessyngis, and cerymonyes, and domes to hem silf, whiche oure Lord God comaundide to vs?

²¹ thou schalt seie to hym, We weren `seruauntis of Farao in Egipt, and the Lord ledde vs out of Egipt, in strong hond;

²² and he dide myraclis, and grete wondris, and werste, `that is, moost peyneful veniaunces, in Egipt, ayens Farao and al his hows, in oure siyt.

²³ And he ledde vs out therof, that he schulde yyue to vs led yn, the lond of which he swoor to oure fadris.

²⁴ And the Lord comaundide to vs, that we do alle these lawful thingis, and drede oure Lord God, that it be wel to vs in alle the daies of oure lijf, as it is to dai.

²⁵ And he schal be merciful to vs, if we schulen do and kepe alle hise heestis, bifor oure Lord God, as he comaundide to vs.

1. [Note: slepynge and risynge. In Ebreu it is thus, ligginge doun and risinge. for in the entring of the bed to slepe, and in the goyng out to wake, a man owith reduce his herte bi his loue in to God; also slepinge may be expowned thus, for fantasies ben wont to come to a man in sleep of these thingis, aboute whiche he is bisied in waking; and so if men in waking ben bisi aboute the loue of God, liyk fantasies ben wont to come in sleep. he that spendith wel al his wakinge.]
2. [Note: speking treuth and fulfilling it.]

Chapter 7

¹ Whanne thi Lord God hath lad thee in to the lond, in to which thou schalt entre to welde, and hath do awey many folkis bifor thee, Ethei, and Gergesei, and Ammorrey, Canenei, and Pherezei, Euey, and Jebusei; seuene folkis, of myche gretter noumbre than thou art, and strengere than thou;

² and thi Lord God hath bitake hem to thee, thou schalt smyte hem `til to deeth, thou schalt not make `with hem a boond of pees, nether thou schalt haue merci on hem,

³ nether thou schalt felowschipe mariagis with him; thou schalt not yyue thi douyter to the sone `of hym ^[1] , nether thou schalt take his douytir to thi sone;

⁴ for sche schal disceyue thi sone, that he sue not me, and that he serue more alien goddis; and the strong veniaunce of the Lord schal be wrooth, and schal do awei thee soone.

⁵ But rather thou schalt do these thingis to hem; destrie ye the auteris `of hem, and breke ye ymagis `of metal, and kitte ye doun wodis, and brenne ye grauun ymagis.

⁶ For thou art an hooli puple to thi Lord God; thi Lord God chees thee, that thou be a special puple to hym, of alle puplis that ben on erthe.

⁷ Not for ye ouercamen in noumbre alle folkis, the Lord is ioyned to you, and chees yow, sithen ye ben fewere than alle puplis;

⁸ but for the Lord louede you, and kepte the ooth which he swoor to youre fadris; and he ledde you out in strong hond, and ayen bouyte you fro the hows of seruage, fro `the hows of Farao, kyng of Egipt.

⁹ And thou schalt wite, that thi Lord God hym silf is a strong God, and feithful, and kepith couenaunt and mersi to hem that louen hym, and to hem that kepen hise comaundementis, in to a thousynde generaciouns;

¹⁰ and yeldith anoon to hem that haten hym, so that he destrie hem, and differr no lengere; restorynge anoon to hem that that thei disseruen.

¹¹ Therfor kepe thou the comaundementis, and cerymonyes, and domes, whiche Y comaunde to thee to dai, that thou do.

¹² If aftir that thou herist these domes, thou kepist, and doist tho, thi Lord God schal kepe to thee couenaunt, and mersi, which he swoor to thi fadris.

¹³ And he schal loue thee, and schal multiplie thee, and he schal blesse the fruyt of thi wombe, and the fruyt of thi lond, thi wheete, and vindage, oile, and droues of beestis, and the flockis of thi scheep, on the lond for which he swoor to thi fadris, that he schulde yyue it to thee.

¹⁴ Thou schalt be blessid among alle puplis; noon bareyn of euer eithir kynde schal be at thee, as well in men, as in thi flockis.

¹⁵ The Lord schal do awei fro thee all ache, `ether sorewe; and he schal not brynge to thee the worste siknessis of Egipt, whiche thou knewist, but to alle thin enemyes.

¹⁶ And thou schalt `deuoure, that is, distrie, alle puplis, whiche thi Lord God schal yyue to thee; thin iye schal not spare hem, nethir thou schalt serue the goddis `of hem, lest thei ben in to the fallyng of thee.

¹⁷ If thou seist in thin herte, These folkis ben mo than Y, hou may Y do awei hem?

¹⁸ `nyle thou drede, but haue thou mynde, what thingis thi Lord God dide to Farao, and alle Egipcians;

¹⁹ `he dide the gretteste veniaunces, whiche thin iyen sien, and miraclis and grete wondris, and the strong hond, and arm `holdun forth, that thi Lord God schulde lede thee out; so he schal do to alle puplis whiche thou dredist.

²⁰ Ferthermore and thi Lord God schal sende venemouse flies in to hem, til he do awei, and destrye alle men, that fledden thee, and thei schulen not mowe be hid.

²¹ Thou schalt not drede hem, for thi Lord is in the myddis of thee, grete God, and ferdful.

²² He hym silf schal waste these naciouns in thi siyt, litil and litil, and bi partis; thou schalt not mow do awey `tho naciouns togidere, lest peraventure beestis of erthe be multiplied ayens thee;

²³ and thi Lord God schal yyue hem in thi siyt, and he schal sle hem, til thei be doon awey outerly.

²⁴ And he schal bitake the kyngis `of hem in to thin hondis, and thou schalt destrie the names `of hem vndur heuene; noon schal mow ayenstonde thee, til thou al to-breke hem.

²⁵ Thou schalt brenne in fier the grauun ymagis `of hem; thou schalt not coueite the siluer and gold, of whiche tho ymagis ben maad, nether thou schalt take of tho ony thing to thee, lest thou offende therfor, for it is abhominacioun of thi Lord God.

²⁶ Nether thou schalt brynge ony thing of the idol in to thin hous, lest thou be maad cursid, as also that idol is; thou schalt wlate it as filthe, and thou schalt haue it as defoulyng, and filthis of abhomynacioun, for it is cursid.

1. [Note: that duellith in eny of these londis.]

Chapter 8

¹ Be thou war diligentli, that thou do ech comaundement which Y comaunde to thee to dai, that ye moun lyue, and be multiplied, and that ye entre, and welde the lond, for which the Lord swoor to youre fadris.

² And thou schalt haue mynde of al the weie, bi which thi Lord God ledde thee by fourti yeer, bi deseert, that he schulde turmente, and schulde tempte ^[1] thee; and that tho thingis that weren tretid in `thi soule schulden be knowun, whether thou woldist kepe hise comaundementis, ethir nay.

³ And he turmentide thee with nedynesse, and he yaf to thee meete, manna which thou knewist not, and thi fadris `knewen not, that he schulde schewe to thee, that a man lyueth not in breed aloone, but in ech word <sup>[2]</sup> that cometh `out of the Lordis mouth, `that is, bi manna, that cam down `at the heest of the Lord.

⁴ Thi cloth, bi which thou were hilid, failide not for eldnesse, and thi foot was not brokun undernethe, lo!

⁵ the fourtith yeer is; that thou thenke in thin herte, for as a man techith his sone,

⁶ so thi Lord God tauyte thee, that thou kepe the comaundementis of thi Lord God, and go in hise weies, and drede hym.

⁷ For thi Lord God schal lede thee in to a good lond, in to the lond of ryueris, and of `stondynge watris, and of wellis, in whos feeldis and mounteyns the depthis of floodis breken out;

⁸ in to the lond of wheete, of barli, and of vyneris, in which lond fige trees, and pumgranadis, and `olyue trees comen forth; in to the lond of oile, and of hony;

⁹ where thow schalt ete thi breed with out nedynesse, and schalt vse the aboundaunce of alle thingis; of which lond the stonys ben yrun, and metals of tyn ben diggid of the hillis therof;

¹⁰ that whanne thou hast ete, and art fillid, thou blesse thi Lord God for the beste lond which he yaf to thee.

¹¹ Therfor kepe thou, and be war, lest ony tyme thou foryete thi Lord God, and dispise hise comaundementis, and domes, and cerymonyes, whiche Y comaunde to thee to dai;

¹² lest aftir that thou hast ete, and art fillid, hast bildid faire housis, and hast dwellid in tho,

¹³ and hast droues of oxun, and flockis of scheep, and plente of siluer, and of gold, and of alle thingis, thine herte be reisid,

¹⁴ and thenke not on thi Lord God, that ledde thee out of the lond of Egipt, and fro the hous of seruage,

¹⁵ and was thi ledere in the greet wildirnesse and ferdful, in which was a serpent ^[3] brenninge with blast, and scorpioun ^[4] , and dipsas ^[5] , and outirli no `watris; which Lord ledde out stremes of the hardeste stoon,

¹⁶ and fedde thee with manna in the wildirnesse, which manna thi fadris knewen not. And after that the Lord turmentid thee, and preuede, at the last he hadd mersi on thee,

¹⁷ lest thou woldist seie in thin herte, My strengthe, and the myyt of myn hond yaf alle these thingis to me.

¹⁸ But thenke thou on thi Lord God, that he yaf strengthis to thee, that he schulde fille his couenaunt, of whiche he swoor to thi fadris, as present dai schewith.

¹⁹ Forsothe if thou foryetist thi Lord God, and suest aliene goddis, and worschipist hem `in herte, and onourist `with outforth, lo! now Y biforseie to thee, that thou schalt perische outerli;

²⁰ as hethen men perischiden, whiche the Lord dide awei in thin entryng, so and ye schulen perische, if ye schulen be vnobedient to the vois of youre Lord God.

1. [Note: that he schulde turmente thee, and schulde tempte, that thi pacience were knowun to othere men, to ensaumple of hem, and to merit to thee; and the Scripture spekith here, as to the goode men of that puple, for bi the rule of Isidore, ofte a thing is arettid to al the puple, which thyng acordith to it bi resoun of o part.]
2. [Note: word is not in Ebreu.]
3. [Note: in which was a serpent and so forth, fro the hirting of whiche the Lord defendide thee; and the synguler is takun here for the plurel, a serpent, that is, serpentis, and so of scorpioun and dipsas, as in viij co. of Exodi, a greuouseste flie cam, that is, the multitude of flies; also the glos seith, that dipsas is a kynde of the leeste serpent, so that it is unnethis perseyued, and he perischith soone, whom euere dipsas bitith.]
4. [Note: that is, an eddre that feyneth swetnesse with the heed, but venemeth with the tayl.]
5. [Note: that is, an eddre. dipsas is an eddre, that makith hem whom he stinggith to die for thirst.]

Chapter 9

¹ Here thou, Israel; thou schalt passe Jordan to dai, that thou welde mooste naciouns, and strengere than thou; grete citees, and wallid `til to heuene;

² a greet puple, and hiy; the sones of Enachym, whiche thi silf `siest, and herdist, whiche no man may ayenstonde in the contrarie part.

³ Therfor thou schalt wite to dai, that thi Lord God hym silf schal passe bifor thee; he is a fier deuourynge and wastynge, that schal al to breke hem, and schal do awei, and destrie bifor thi face swiftli, as he spak to thee.

⁴ Seie thou not in thin herte, whanne thi Lord God hath do hem awey in thi siyt, For my riytfulnesse the Lord brouyte me yn, that Y schulde welde this lond; sithen these naciouns ben doon awey for her wickidnessis.

⁵ For not for thi riytfulnessis, and equyte of thin herte thou schalt entre that thou welde the lond `of hem; but for thei diden wickidli, thei weren doon awey, whanne thou entridist, and that the Lord schulde fille his word which he bihiyte vndur an ooth to thi fadris, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

⁶ Therfor wite thou that not for thi riytfulnesses thi Lord God yaf to thee this beste lond in to possessioun, sithen thou art a puple of hardeste nol.

⁷ Haue thou mynde, and foryete not, hou in the wildirnesse thou terridist thi Lord God to greet wraththe; fro that dai in which thou yedist out of Egipt `til to this place, thou striuedist euere ayens the Lord.

⁸ For whi also in Oreb thou terridist hym, and he was wrooth, and wolde do thee awei, whanne Y stiede in to the hil,

⁹ that Y schulde take two tablis of stoon, the tablis of couenaunt which the Lord made with you, and Y continuede in the hil fourti daies and nyytis, and Y eet not breed, and Y drank not watir.

¹⁰ And the Lord yaf to me, twey tablis of stoon, euer either wrytun with Goddis fyngur, and conteynynge alle the wordis whiche he spak to you in the hil, fro the myddis of the fier, whanne the cumpany of puple was gaderid togidere.

¹¹ And whanne fourti daies and so many nyytis hadden passid, the Lord yaf to me twei tablis of stoon, tablis of boond of pees;

¹² and he seide to me, Rise thou, and go doun for hennys soone, for thi puple, which thou leddist out of Egipt, han forsake swiftli the weie which thou schewidist to hem, and thei han maad to hem a yotun calf.

¹³ And eft the Lord seide to me, `Y se that this puple is of hard nol;

¹⁴ suffre thou me, that I alto breke hym, and do awey the name `of hym fro vndur heuene; and Y schal ordeyne thee on a folk which is grettere and strongere than this folk.

¹⁵ And whanne Y cam doun fro the hil brennynge, and helde with euer either hond twei tablis of boond of pees, and Y seiy,

¹⁶ that ye hadde synned to youre Lord God, and hadden maad to you a yotun calf, and hadden forsake swiftli the weie of God which he schewide to you,

¹⁷ Y castide doun the tablis fro myn hondis, and brak tho tablis in youre siyt.

¹⁸ And Y felde doun bifor the Lord as `biforto, in fourti daies and fourti nyytis, and Y eet not breed, `and drank not watir, for alle youre synnes whiche ye diden ayens the Lord, and terriden hym to `greet wraththe;

¹⁹ for Y dredde the indignacioun and yre of hym, by which he was stirid ayens you, and wolde do you awey. And the Lord herde me also in this tyme.

²⁰ Also the Lord was wrooth greteli ayens Aaron, and wolde alto breke hym, and Y preiede in lijk maner for hym.

²¹ `Forsothe Y took youre synne which ye maden, that is, the calf, and brente it in fier, and Y alto brak in gobetis, and droof outerli in to dust, and castide forth in to the stronde, that cam doun fro the hil.

²² Also in the brennyng, and in the temptacioun at the watris of ayenseiyng, and in the Sepulcris of Coueytise, ye terriden the Lord;

²³ and whanne Y sente you fro Cades Barne, and seide, `Stye ye, and welde the lond which Y yaf to you, and ye dispisiden the comaundement of youre Lord God, and ye bileueden not to him, nether ye wolden here his vois;

²⁴ but euere ye weren rebel, fro the day in which Y bigan to knowe you.

²⁵ And Y lay byfore the Lord fourti daies and fourti nyytis, in whiche Y bisouyte hym mekeli, that he schulde not `do awey you, as he manaasside.

²⁶ And Y preiede, and seide, Lord God, distrye not thi puple, and thin eritage, which thou `ayen bouytist in thi greetnesse, which thou leddist out of Egipt in strong hond.

²⁷ Haue thou mynde of thi seruauntis, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; biholde thou not the hardnesse of this puple, and the wickidnesse, and the synne therof,

²⁸ lest perauenture the dwelleris of the lond, out of which thou leddist vs, seien, The Lord myyte not bryng hem in to the lond which he bihiyte to hem, and he hatide hem; therfor he ledde hem out that he schulde sle hem in wildirnesse;

²⁹ and thei ben thi puple and thin eritage, which thou leddist out in thi greet strengthe, and in thin arm holdun forth.

Chapter 10

¹ In that tyme the Lord seide to me, Hewe thou twei tablis of stoon to thee, as the formere weren; and stie thou to me `in to the hil. And thou schalt make an arke,

² `ether a cofere, of tree, and Y schal write in the tablis, the wordis that weren in these tablis whiche thou brakist bifore; and thou schalt putte tho tablis in to the arke.

³ Therfor Y made an ark of the trees of Sechim, and whanne Y hadde hewe twei tablis of stoon, at the licnesse of the formere tablis, Y stiede in to the hil, and hadde the tablis in the hondis.

⁴ And he wroot in the tablis, bi that that he `hadde writun bifore, ten wordis, whiche the Lord spak to you in the hil, fro the myddis of the fyer, whanne the puple was gaderid, and he yaf the tablis to me.

⁵ And Y turnide ayen fro the hil, and cam doun, and puttide the tablis in to the arke which Y hadde maad, `whiche tablis ben there hidur to, as the Lord comaundide to me.

⁶ Forsothe the sones of Israel moueden tentis fro Beroth of the sones of Jachan in to Mosera, where Aaron was deed, and biried, for whom his sone Eleazar was set in preesthod.

⁷ Fro thennus thei camen in to Galgad; fro which place thei yeden forth, and settiden tentis in Jehabatha, in the lond of watris and of strondis.

⁸ In that tyme Y departide the lynage of Leuy, that it schulde bere the arke of boond of pees of the Lord, and schulde stonde bifor hym in seruyce, and schulde blesse in his name til in to present dai.

⁹ For which thing Leuy hadde not part, nether possession with hise brithren, for the Lord hym silf is his possessioun, as thi Lord God bihiyte to hym.

¹⁰ Forsothe Y stood in the hil as bifore, fourti daies and fourti niytis, and the Lord herde me also in this tyme, and nolde leese thee.

¹¹ And he seide to me, Go thou, and go bifor this puple, that it entre, and welde the lond which Y swoor to her fadris, that Y schulde yeue to hem.

¹² And now, Israel, what axith thi Lord God of thee, no but that thou drede thi Lord, and go in hise weies, and that thou loue hym, and serue thi Lord God in al thin herte, and in al thi soule;

¹³ and that thou kepe the comaundementis of thi Lord God, and the cerymonyes of hym, whiche Y comaunde to thee to dai, that it be wel to thee.

¹⁴ Lo! heuene is of thi Lord God, and heuene of heuene; the erthe and alle thingis that ben ther ynne ben hise;

¹⁵ and netheles the Lord was glued ^[1] to thi fadris, and louede hem, and he chees her seed after hem, and you of alle folkis, as it is preued to dai.

¹⁶ Therfor circumcide ye the prepucie, `ethir vnclennesse, of youre herte ^[2] , and no more make ye harde youre nol.

¹⁷ For youre Lord God hym silf is God of goddis, and Lord of lordis, `God greet, and miyti, and feerdful, which takith not persoone, nether yiftis.

¹⁸ He makith doom to the fadirles, and modirles, and to the widewe; he loueth a pilgrym, and yyueth to hym lyiflode and clothing.

¹⁹ And therfor `loue ye pilgryms, for also ye weren comelyngis in the lond of Egipt.

²⁰ Thou schalt drede thi Lord God, and thou schalt serue hym aloone, and thou schalt cleue to hym, and thou schalt swere in his name.

²¹ He is thi preisyng, and thi God, that made to thee these grete dedis, and ferdful, whiche thin iyen siyen.

²² In seuenti men thi fadris yeden doun in to Egipt, and lo! now thi Lord God hath multiplied thee as the sterris of heuene.

1. [Note: the Lord was glued, that is, was ioyned to hem with the glu of charite bi his pure liberalte, for he hadde no nede to hem, as nether to thee.]
2. [Note: of youre herte, that is, in doinge awey al yuel thouyt and wille.]

Chapter 11

¹ Therfor loue thi Lord God, and kepe thou hise comaundementis and cerymonyes, domes and heestis, in al tyme.

² Knowe ye to day tho thingis whiche youre sones knowen not, `whiche sones sien not the doctryn of youre Lord God, hise grete dedis, and strong hond, and `arm holdun forth,

³ myraclis and werkis, whiche he dide `in the myddis of Egipt to Farao, kyng, and to al `the lond of hym, and to al the oost of Egipcians,

⁴ and to horsis, and carris; hou the watris of the reed see hiliden hem, whanne thei pursueden you, and the Lord `dide awei hem `til in to `present dai;

⁵ and whiche thingis the Lord dide to you in wildernesse, til ye camen to this place;

⁶ and to Dathan and Abiron, `the sones of Heliab, that was `the sone of Ruben, whiche the erthe swolewide, whanne his mouth was openyd, with `the housis and tabernaclis, and al the catel `of hem which thei hadden, in the myddis of Israel.

⁷ Youre iyen sien alle the grete werkis of the Lord,

⁸ whiche he dide, that ye kepe alle hise heestis whiche Y comaunde to dai to you, and that ye moun entre, and welde the lond,

⁹ to which ye schulen entre, and ye lyue therynne in myche time; which lond, flowynge with mylk and hony, the Lord bihiyte vndur an ooth to youre fadris and to `the seed of hem.

¹⁰ For the lond, to which thou schalt entre to welde, is not as the lond of Egipt, `out of which thou yedist, where whanne the seed is cast in the maner of gardyns, moist waters ben led;

¹¹ but it is hilli, and feldi, and abidith reynes fro heuene,

¹² which lond thi Lord God biholdith, and hise iyen ben therynne, fro the bigynnyng of the yeer `til to the ende therof.

¹³ Therfor if ye schulen obeie to myn heestis whiche Y comaunde to dai to you, that ye loue youre Lord God, and serue hym in al youre herte, and in al youre soule;

¹⁴ he schal yyue to youre lond reyn tymeful and late, that ye gadere wheete, and wyn, and oile,

¹⁵ hey of the feeldis to feede beestis, that ye bothe ete and be fillid.

¹⁶ Be ye war, lest perauenture youre herte be disseyued, and ye go awei fro the Lord, and serue alien goddis, and worschipe hem;

¹⁷ and the Lord be wrooth, and close heuene, and reynes come not doun, nether the erthe yyue his fruyt, and ye perische swiftli fro the beste lond which the Lord schal yyue to you.

¹⁸ Putte ye thes wordis in youre hertes and soules, and honge ye `tho wordis for a signe in the hondis, and sette ye bitwixe youre iyen.

¹⁹ Teche youre sones, that thei thenke on tho wordis, whanne thou sittist in thin hows, and goist in the weie, and lyggist doun, and risist.

²⁰ Thou schalt write tho wordis on the postis, and yatis of thin hous,

²¹ that the daies of thee and of thi sones be multiplied in the lond which the Lord swoor to thi fadris, that he schulde yyue to hem, as long as heuene is aboue erthe.

²² For if ye kepen the heestis whiche Y comaunde to you, and ye do tho, that ye loue youre Lord God, and go in alle hise weies,

²³ and cleue to hym, the Lord schal destrie alle these hethen men bifor youre face, and ye schulen welde tho folkis that ben grettere and strongere than ye.

²⁴ Ech place which youre foot schal trede, schal be youre; fro the deseert, and fro the Liban, and fro the greet flood Eufrates `til to the west see, schulen be youre termes.

²⁵ Noon schal stonde ayens you; youre Lord God schal yiue youre outward drede and inward drede on ech lond which ye schulen trede, as he spak to you.

²⁶ Lo! Y sette forth in youre siyt to day blissyng and cursyng;

²⁷ blessyng, if ye obeien to the heestis of youre Lord God, whiche Y comaunde to you to dai;

²⁸ cursyng, if ye heren not the heestis of youre Lord God, but goen awei fro the weie which Y schewe now to you, and goen after alien goddis whiche ye knowen not.

²⁹ Sotheli whanne thi Lord God hath brouyt thee in to the lond, to which to enhabite thou goist, thou schalt sette blessyng on the hil Garisym, cursyng on the hil Hebal, whiche hillis ben biyende Jordan,

³⁰ aftir the weie that goith to the goyng doun of the sunne, in the lond of Cananey, that dwellith in the feeldi places ayens Galgala, which is bisidis the valey goynge and entrynge fer.

³¹ For ye schulen passe Jordan, that ye welde the lond which youre Lord God schal yyue to you, and that ye haue and welde that lond.

³² Therfor se ye, `that ye fille the cerymonyes and domes, whiche I schal sette to dai in youre siyt.

Chapter 12

¹ These ben the heestis and domes, whiche ye owen to do, in the lond which the Lord God of thi fadrys schal yyue to thee, that thou welde it, in alle daies in whiche thou schalt go on erthe.

² Distrie ye alle the places wherynne hethen men whiche ye schulen welde, worschipiden her goddis, on hiy mounteyns, and litle hillis, and vndur ech tre ful of bowis.

³ Distrie ye `the auteris of hem, and `breke ye the ymagis; brenne ye the wodis with fier, and al to breke ye the idolis; destrie ye `the names of hem fro the places.

⁴ Ye schulen not do so to youre Lord God ^[1] ;

⁵ but ye schulen come to the place which youre Lord God chees of alle youre lynagis, that he putte his name there, and dwelle therynne;

⁶ and ye schulen come, and schulen offre in that place youre brent sacrifices, and slayn sacrifices, the dymes, and firste fruytis of youre hondis, and avowis and yiftis, the firste gendrid thingis of oxun, and of scheep.

⁷ And ye and youre housis schulen ete there in the siyt of youre Lord God; and ye schulen be glad in alle thingis to whiche ye putten hond, in whiche youre Lord God blesside you.

⁸ Ye schulen not do there tho thingis whiche we don here to dai, ech man that semeth riytful to `hym silf.

⁹ For `til in to present tyme ye camen not to reste and possessioun, which the Lord God schal yyue to you.

¹⁰ Ye schulen passe Jordan, and ye schulen dwelle in the lond which youre Lord God schal yyue to you, that ye reste fro alle enemyes `bi cumpas, and dwelle without ony drede.

¹¹ In the place which youre Lord God chees that his name be therynne. Thidur ye schulen bere alle thingis, whiche Y comaunde, brent sacrifices, and sacrifices, and the dymes, and firste fruytis of youre hondis, and what euere is the beste in yiftis, whiche ye auowiden to the Lord.

¹² Ther ye schulen ete bifor youre Lord God, ye, and youre sones and douytris, youre seruauntis, and seruauntessis, and the dekenes, that dwellen in youre citees; for thei han not other part and possessioun among you.

¹³ Be thou war lest thou offre thi brent sacrifices in ech place which thou seest,

¹⁴ but in that place which the Lord chees in oon of thi lynagis thou schalt offre sacrifices, and schalt do what euer thingis Y comaunde to thee.

¹⁵ Forsothe if thou wolt ete, and the etyng of fleischis delitith thee, sle thou, and ete, bi the blessyng of thi Lord God, which he yaf to thee in thi citees, whether it is vnclene, `that is, spottid ether wemmed and feble, ether clene, `that is, hool in membris and with out wem, which is leueful to be offrid, thou schalt ete as a capret and hert; oneli without etyng of blood,

¹⁶ which thou schalt schede out as watir on the erthe.

¹⁷ Thou schalt not mowe ete in thi citees the tithis of thi wheete, wyn, and oile, the firste gendrid thingis of droues, and of scheep, and alle thingis whiche thou hast avowid and wolt offre bi fre wille, and the firste fruytis of thin hondis;

¹⁸ but thou schalt ete tho bifor thi Lord God, in the place which thi Lord God chees, thou, and thi sone, and douyter, seruaunt, and seruauntesse, and the dekene that dwellith in thi citees; and thou schalt be glad, and schalt be fillid bifor thi Lord God in alle thingis to whiche thou holdist forth thin hond.

¹⁹ Be thou war lest thou forsake the dekene in al tyme, `in which thou lyuest in erthe.

²⁰ Whanne thi Lord God hath alargid thi termes, as he spak to thee, and thou wolt ete fleischis, whiche thi soule desirith,

²¹ forsothe if the place is fer, which thi Lord God chees, that his name be there, thou schalt sle of thin oxun, and scheep, whiche thou hast, as `the Lord comaundide to thee; and thou schalt ete in thi citees as it plesith thee.

²² As a capret and hert is etun, so thou schalt ete tho; bothe a cleene man and vncleene schulen ete therof in comyn.

²³ Oneli eschewe thou this, that thou ete not blood; for the blood `of tho beestis is for the lijf, and therfor thou owist not ete the lijf with fleischis,

²⁴ but thou schalt schede as watir `the blood on the erthe,

²⁵ that it be wel to thee, and to thi sones after thee, whanne thou hast do that, that plesith in the siyt of the Lord.

²⁶ Sotheli thou schalt take that that thou `auowidist, and halewidist to the Lord, and thou schalt come to the place which the Lord chees;

²⁷ and thou schalt offre thin offryngis, fleischis, and blood, on the auter of thi Lord God; thou schalt schede in the auter the blood of sacrifices; forsothe thou schalt ete the fleischis.

²⁸ Kepe thou and here alle thingis whiche Y comaunde to thee, that it be wel to thee, and to thi sones after thee, with outen ende, whanne thou hast do that, that is good and plesaunt in the siyt of thi Lord God.

²⁹ Whanne thi Lord God hath distryed bifor thi face folkis, to whiche thou schalt entre to welde, and thou hast weldid tho folkis, and hast dwellid in `the lond of hem,

³⁰ be thou war lest thou sue hem, aftir that thei ben distried, whanne thou entrist, and thou seke `the cerymonyes of hem, and seie, As these folkis worschipyden her goddis, so and Y schal worschipe.

³¹ Thou schalt not do in lijk manere to thi Lord God; for thei diden to her goddis alle abhomynaciouns whiche the Lord wlatith, and offriden her sones and douytris, and brenten with fier.

³² Do thou to the Lord this thing oneli which Y comaunde to thee, nethir adde thou ony thing, nether abate.

1. [Note: ye schulen not do so to youre Lord God; that is, in offringe sacrifices in dyuerse places, as idolatrouris diden to her idols. as mysbileuing men don, seching her Goddis hither and thider]

Chapter 13

¹ If a prophete risith in the myddis of thee, ethir he that seith hym silf to haue seyn a dreem, and he biforseith a signe and a wondur to comynge aftir,

² and this that he spak bifallith, and he seith to thee, Go we, and sue alien goddis, whiche thou knowist not, and serue we hem,

³ thou schalt not here the wordis of that prophete, ether of dremere; for youre Lord God assaieth you ^[1] , that he wite ^[2] opynli whether ye louen hym ether nay, in al youre herte, and in al youre soule.

⁴ Sue ye youre Lord, and `drede ye hym; kepe ye his comaundementis, and here ye `the vois of hym; ye schulen serue hym, and ye schulen cleue to hym.

⁵ Forsothe thilke prophete, ether the feynere of dremes, schal be slayn ^[3] ; for he spak that he schulde turne you awei fro youre Lord God, that ladde you out of the lond of Egipt, and ayenbouyte you fro the hous of seruage, that `thilke prophete schulde make thee to erre fro the weie which thi Lord God comaundide to thee; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee.

⁶ If thi brothir, the sone of thi modir, ether thi sone, ethir thi douyter, ether the wijf which is in thi bosum, ethir thi freend whom thou louest as thi soule, wole counsele thee, and seith priueli, Go we and serue alien goddis, whiche thou knowist not,

⁷ and thi fadris, of alle the folkis `in cumpas, that ben niy ether fer, fro the bigynnyng `til to the ende of the lond,

⁸ assente thou not to hym, nether here thou, nether thin iyen spare hym, that thou haue mercy,

⁹ and hide hym, but anoon thou schalt sle hym ^[4] . Thin hond be fyrst on him and aftir thee al the puple putte to hond.

¹⁰ He schal be oppressid with stoonus, and `schal be slayn; for he wolde drawe thee awei fro thi Lord God, that ledde thee out of the lond of Egipt, fro the hous of seruage,

¹¹ that al Israel here and drede, and do no more ony thing lijk this thing.

¹² If thou herist ony men seiynge in oon of thi citees, whiche thi Lord God schal yyue to thee to enhabite,

¹³ The sones of Belial yeden out fro the myddis of thee, and turneden awei the dwelleris of the citee, and seiden, Go we, and serue alien goddis whiche ye knowen not,

¹⁴ enquere thou bisili, and whanne the treuthe of the thing is biholdun diligentli, if thou fyndist that this thing is certeyn, which is seid, and that this abhominacioun is doon in werk,

¹⁵ anoon thou schalt smyte the dwelleris of that citee bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and thou schalt `do it awey, and alle thingis that ben ther ynne, `til to beestis.

¹⁶ Also what euer thing of purtenaunce of houshold is, thou schalt gadere in the myddis of the stretis therof, and thou schalt brenne with that citee, so that thou waste alle thingis to thi Lord God, and it be a biriel euerlastynge; it schal no more be bildid.

¹⁷ And no thing of that cursyng schal cleue in thin hond, that the Lord be turned awei fro the yre of his strong veniaunce, and haue mercy on thee, and multiplie thee, as he swoor to thi fadris.

¹⁸ Whanne thou hast herd the vois of thi Lord God, thou schalt kepe alle hise heestis whiche Y comaunde to thee to day, that thou do that that is plesaunt in the siyt of thi Lord God.

1. [Note: asaieth you, that is, suffrith siche thingis to be doon, that ye be preued.]
2. [Note: that he wite, that is, that he make to be knowun of othere men, for he takith not of newe the knowing of ony thing, but he knewe alle thingis fro with out bigynnyng, and in this maner God spekith in xxij. co. of Genesis, Now Y haue knowe that thou dredist the Lord, that is, Y haue made knowun, for bi the offring of Isaac the obedience of Abraham was knowun to men, and was put to hem into ensaumple.]
3. [Note: schal be slayn without mersy, while he is conuyct bi witnessis ether knoulechith.]
4. [Note: anoon thou schalt sle him, whanne he is demed bi iugis.]

Chapter 14

¹ Be ye the sones of youre Lord God; ye schulen not kitte you ^[1] , nether ye schulen make ballidnesse,

² on a deed man, for thou art an hooli puple to thi Lord God, and he chees thee that thou be to hym in to a special puple, of alle folkis that ben on erthe.

³ Ete ye not tho thingis that ben vncleene.

⁴ This is a beeste which ye schulen ete; an oxe, and a scheep, and a goet, an hert,

⁵ a capret, a `wielde oxe, tregelafun, `that is, a beeste in parti lijk `a buk of geet, and in parti liik an hert, a figarde, an ostrich, a camelioun, `that is, a beeste lijk in the heed to a camel, and hath white spottis in the bodi as a parde, and `is lijk an hors in the necke, and in the feet is lijc a `wilde oxe, and a parde.

⁶ Ye schulen ete ech beeste that departith the clee `in to twei partis, and chewith code.

⁷ Sotheli ye schulen not ete these beestis, of these that chewen code, and departen not the clee; a camel, an hare, and a cirogrille, `that is, a beeste ful of prickis, and is more than an irchoun; for tho chewen code, and departen not the clee, tho schulen be vncleene to you;

⁸ also a swyn, for it departith the clee, and chewith not code, schal be vncleene; ye schulen not ete the fleischis of tho, and ye schulen not touche the deed bodies.

⁹ Ye schulen ete these thingis, of alle that dwellen in watris; ete ye tho thingis that han fynnes and scalis;

¹⁰ ete ye not tho thingis that ben with out fynnes and scalis, for tho ben vncleene.

¹¹ Ete ye alle clene briddis;

¹² ete ye not vncleene briddis, that is, an egle, and a gripe,

¹³ and an aliete, ixon, `that is, a whijt brid lesse than a vultur, and is of the `kynde of vultris, and a vultur, and a kite bi his kynde,

¹⁴ and al thing of rauenys kynde,

¹⁵ and a strucioun, and a nyyt crowe, and a lare,

¹⁶ and an hauk bi his kynde, a fawcun,

¹⁷ and a swan, and a siconye, and a dippere, a pursirioun, and a reremous, a cormeraunt,

¹⁸ and a caladrie, alle in her kynde; also a lapwynke and a backe.

¹⁹ And al thing that crepith, and hath fynnes, schal be vncleene, and schal not be etun.

²⁰ Ete ye al thing that is cleene; sotheli what euer thing is deed bi it silf, ete ye not therof.

²¹ Yyue thou to the pilgrym which is with ynne thi yatis, that he ete, ether sille thou to hym, for thou art the hooli puple of thi Lord God. Thou schalt not sethe a kyde in `the mylk of his modir.

²² Thou schalt departe the tenthe part of alle thi fruytis that comen forth in the lond bi ech yeer;

²³ and thou schal ete in the siyt of thi Lord God, in the place which he chees, that his name be clepid therynne; thou schalt offre the tithe of thi wheete, wyn, and oile, and the firste gendryd thingis of thi droues, and scheep, that thou lerne to drede thi Lord God in al tyme.

²⁴ Sotheli whanne the wei is lengere, and the place which thi Lord God chees is fer, and he hath blessid thee, and thou maist not bere alle these thingis to that place,

²⁵ thou schalt sille alle thingis, and schalt turne in to prijs, and thou schalt bere in thin hond, and thou schalt go to the place which thi Lord God chees;

²⁶ and thou schalt bie of the same money what euer thing plesith to thee, ethir of droues, ether of scheep; also thou schalt bie wyn, and sidur, and al thing that thi soule desirith; and thou schalt ete bifor thi Lord God, and thou schalt make feeste,

²⁷ thou, and thin hows, and the dekene which is withynne thi yatis; be thou war lest thou forsake hym, for he hath not other part in possessioun.

²⁸ In the thridde yeer thou schalt departe another dyme of alle thingis that growen to thee in that yeer, and thou schalt kepe withynne thi yatis.

²⁹ And the dekene schal come, whych hath noon other part nether possessioun with thee, and the pilgrym, and the fadirles, ether modirles child, and widue, that ben withynne thi yatis, `schulen come, and schulen ete, and be fillid, that thi Lord God blesse thee, in alle werkis of thin hondis whiche thou schalt do.

1. [Note: kitte you, in Ebreu it is, ye schulen not to-reende you.]

Chapter 15

¹ In the seuenthe yeer thou schalt make remyssioun,

² that schal be fillid bi this ordre. To whom ony thing is `dettid, ethir owid of his freend, ether neiybore, and brother, he schal not mowe axe, for it is the yeer of remyssioun of the Lord.

³ Thou schalt axe of a pilgrym ^[1] and comelyng; thou hast not power to axe of a citeseyn and neiybore;

⁴ and outerli a nedi man and begger schal not be among you, that thi Lord God blesse thee, in the lond which he schal yyue to thee in to the possessioun.

⁵ If netheles thou schalt here the vois of thi Lord God, and schalt kepe alle thingis whiche he comaundide, and whiche Y comaunde to dai to thee, he schal blesse thee, as he bihiyte.

⁶ Thou schalt leene to many folkis ^[2] , and thou schalt not take borewyng of ony man; thou schalt be lord of ful many naciouns, and no man schal be lord of thee.

⁷ If oon of thi britheren that dwellen with ynne the yatis of thi citee, in the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, cometh to pouert, thou schalt not make hard thin herte, nether thou schalt `drawe to gydere the hond,

⁸ but thou schalt opene it to the pore man, and thou schalt `yyue loone to which thou siest hym haue nede.

⁹ Be thou war lest perauenture wickid thouyt crepe priueli to thee, and thou seie in thin herte, The seuenthe yeer of remyssioun neiyeth; and thou turne awey the iyen fro thi pore brother, and thou nyle yyue to hym the loone that he axith; lest he crie ayens thee to the Lord, and it be maad to thee in to synne.

¹⁰ But thou schalt yyue to hym, and thou schalt `not do ony thing falsly in releuynge `hise nedis, that thi Lord God blesse thee in al tyme, and in alle thingis to whiche thou schalt sette to hond.

¹¹ Pore men schulen not faile in the lond of `thin habitacioun; therfor Y comaunde to thee, that thou opene the hond to thi brother nedi and pore, that lyuen with thee in the lond.

¹² Whanne thi brothir an Ebrew man, ethir an Ebrew womman, is seeld to thee, and hath serued thee sixe yeer, in the seuenthe yeer thou schalt delyuere hym fre.

¹³ And thou schalt not suffre hym go awey voide, to whom thou hast yyue fredom;

¹⁴ but thou schalt yyue lijflode in the weye, of flockis, and of cornfloor, and of thi pressour, in whiche thi Lord God hath blessid thee.

¹⁵ Haue thou mynde that also thou seruedist in the lond of Egipt, and thi Lord God delyurede thee, `ether made thee free, and therfor Y comaunde now to thee.

¹⁶ Forsothe if `the seruaunt seith, Y nyle go out, for he loueth thee, and thin hows, and feelith that it is wel to hym at thee, thou schalt take `a nal,

¹⁷ and thou schalt peerse his eere in the yate of thin hous, and he schal serue thee til in to the world, `that is til to the iubilee, ethir fiftithe yeer; also thou schalt do in lijk maner to the handmayde.

¹⁸ Thou schalt not turne awei fro hem thin iyen, whanne thou schalt delyure hem fre, for bi the hire of an hirid man thei serueden thee bi sixe yeer; that thi Lord God blesse thee, in alle the werkis whiche thou doist.

¹⁹ Of the first gendrid thingis that ben borun in thi droues, and scheep, what euer is of male kynde, thou schalt halewe to thi Lord God. Thou schalt not worche in the firste gendrid thing `of oxe, and thou schalt not clippe the firste gendrid thinges of scheep.

²⁰ Thou schalt ete tho bi alle yeeris in the siyt of thi Lord God, thou, and thin hows, in the place `which the Lord chees.

²¹ Sotheli if it hath a wem, ethir is crokid, ethir is blynd, ethir is foul, ethir feble in ony part, it schal not be offrid to thi Lord God;

²² but thou schalt ete it with ynne the yatis of thi citee, bothe a cleene man and vncleene schulen ete tho in lijk maner, as a capret and an hert.

²³ Onely thou schalt kepe this, that thou ete not the blood of tho, but schede out as watir in to erthe.

1. [Note: of a pilgrym, in Ebreu it is, of a straungere; a straungere is he, that is not of the feith of Jewis.]
2. [Note: leene to many folkis, in Ebreu it is, thou schalt take weddis of many folkis.]

Chapter 16

¹ Kepe thou the monethe of newe fruytis, and of the bigynnyng of somer, that thou make pask to thi Lord God; for in this monethe thi Lord God ledde thee out of Egipt in the nyyt.

² And thou schalt offre pask to thi Lord God, of scheep and of oxun, in the place which thi Lord God chees, that his name dwelle there.

³ Thou schalt not ete `ther ynne breed `diyt with sourdouy; in seuene daies thou schalt ete breed of affliccioun, with out sourdouy, for in drede thou yedist out ^[1] of Egipt, that thou haue mynde of the dai of thi goyng out of Egipt, in alle the daies of thi lijf.

⁴ No thing `diyt with sourdouy schal appere in alle thi termes by seuene daies, and of the fleischis of that ^[2] that is offrid in the euentid, schal not dwelle in the firste dai in the morewtid.

⁵ Thou schalt not mow offre pask in ech of thi citees whiche thi Lord God schal yyue to thee,

⁶ but in the place which thi Lord God chees, that his name dwelle there; thou schalt offre pask in the euentid, at the goyng doun of the sunne, whanne thou yedist out of Egipt.

⁷ And thou schalt sethe, and ete, in the place which thi Lord God hath chose, and thou schalt rise in the morewtid of the secunde dai, and thou schalt go in to thi tabernaclis.

⁸ Bi sixe daies thou schalt ete therf breed; and in the seuenthe dai, for it is the gaderyng of thi Lord God ^[3] , thou schalt not do werk.

⁹ Thou schalt noumbre to thee seuene woukis, fro that dai in which thou settidist a sikil in to the corn;

¹⁰ and thou schalt halewe the feeste dai of woukis to thi Lord God, a wilful offryng of thyn hond, which thou schalt offre by the blessing of thi Lord God.

¹¹ And thou schalt ete bifore thi Lord God, thou, and thi sone, and thi douytir, and thi seruaunt, and thin handmayde, and the dekene which is with ynne thi yatis, and the comelynge, and the fadirles ethir modirles child, and the widue, that dwellen with you, in the place `which thi Lord God chees that his name dwelle there.

¹² And thou schalt haue mynde for thou were seruaunt in Egipt, and thou schalt kepe and do tho thingis that ben comaundid.

¹³ And thou schalt halewe the solempnytee of tabernaclis bi seuene daies, whanne thou hast gaderid thi fruytis of the cornfloor, and pressour.

¹⁴ And thou schalt ete in thi feeste dai, thou, and thi sone, and douytir, and thi seruaunt, and handmayde, also the dekene, and comelyng, and the fadirles ether modirles child, and the widewe, that ben with ynne thi yatis, `schulen ete.

¹⁵ Bi seuene daies thou schalt halewe feestis to thi Lord God, in the place which the Lord chees; and thi Lord God schal blesse thee, in alle thi fruytis, and in al the werk of thin hondis, and thou schalt be in gladnesse.

¹⁶ In thre tymes bi the yeer al thi male kynde schal appere in the siyt of thi Lord, in the place which he chees, in the solempnyte of therf looues, and in the solempnyte of woukis, and in the solempnyte of tabernaclis. A man schal not appere voide bifor the Lord;

¹⁷ but ech man schal offre vpe this that he hath, bi the blessyng of his Lord God, which he yaf to `that man.

¹⁸ Thou schalt ordeyne `iugis, and maystris ^[4] , in alle thi yatis ^[5] whiche thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, bi ech of thi lynagis, that thei deme the puple bi iust doom,

¹⁹ and bowe not in `to the tother part for fauour, ethir yifte `ayens equete. Thou schalt not take persoone nether yiftis, for whi yiftis blynden the iyen of wise men, `and chaungen the wordis of iust men.

²⁰ Thou schalt pursue iustli that that is iust, that thou lyue and welde the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee.

²¹ Thou schalt not plaunte a wode, and ech tre bi the auter of thi Lord God;

²² nether thou schalt make to thee, and ordeyne an ymage; whiche thingis thi Lord God hatith.

1. [Note: in drede thou yedist out; in Ebreu it is, sudeynly, ether hastily thou yedist out.]
2. [Note: of the fleischis of that, that is, of the lomb of pask.]
3. [Note: the gadering of thy Lord God; in Ebreu it is, the withholding of thi Lord God.]
4. [Note: jugis and maistris; this word and is set for this word that is, for iugis owen to be lernyd in the lawis; in Ebreu it is, iugis and exactours; exactours ben thei that enqueren the truthe bi mesurable betingis and turmentis; and performen the sentence of iugis.]
5. [Note: in alle thi yatis, that is, in the yatis of each citee, netheles not in each yate therof.]

Chapter 17

¹ Thou schalt not offre to thi Lord God an oxe and a scheep in which is a wem, ether ony thing of vice, for it is abhominacioun to thi Lord God.

² And whanne a man ether a womman, that doon yuel in the siyte of thi Lord God, ben foundun at thee, with ynne oon of thi yatis whiche thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, and thei breken the couenaunt of God,

³ that thei go and serue alien goddis, and worschipe hem, the sunne, and moone, and al the knyythod of heuene, whiche thingis Y comaundide not;

⁴ and this is teld to thee, and thou herist, and `enquerist diligentli, and fyndist that it is soth, and abhomynacioun is doon in Israel;

⁵ thou schalt lede out the man and the womman, that diden a moost cursid thing, to the yatis of thy citee, and thei schulen be oppressid with stoonus.

⁶ He that schal be slayn, schal perische in the mouth of tweyne, ethir of thre witnessis; no man be slayn, for o man seith witnessyng ayens hym.

⁷ The hond of witnessis schal first sle hym, and the last hond of the tothir puple schal be sent, that thou do awei yuel fro the myddis of thee.

⁸ If thou perseyuest, that hard and douteful doom is at thee, bitwixe blood and blood, cause and cause, lepre and not lepre, and thou seest that the wordis of iugis with ynne thi yatis ben dyuerse; rise thou, and stie to the place which thi Lord God hath choose;

⁹ and thou schalt come to the preestis of the kyn of Leuy, and to the iuge which is in that tyme, and thou schalt axe of hem, whiche schulen schewe to thee the treuthe of doom.

¹⁰ And thou schalt do, what euer thing thei seien, that ben souereyns in the place which the Lord chees, and techen thee bi the lawe of the Lord;

¹¹ thou schalt sue the sentence of hem; thou schalt not bowe to the riyt side, ether to the lefte.

¹² Forsothe that man schal die, which is proud, and nyle obeie to the comaundement of the preest, `that mynystrith in that tyme to thi Lord God, and to the sentence of iuge, and thou schalt do awei yuel fro the myddis of Israel;

¹³ and al the puple schal here, and drede, that no man fro thennus forth bolne with pride.

¹⁴ Whanne thou hast entrid in to the lond, which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, and weldist it, and dwellist therynne, and seist, Y schal ordeyne a kyng on me, as alle naciouns `bi cumpas han;

¹⁵ thou schalt ordeyne hym ^[1] , whom thi Lord God chesith of the noumbre of thi brethren. Thou schalt not mow make king a man of anothir folk, which man is not thi brother.

¹⁶ And whanne the king is ordeyned, he schal not multiplie horsis to hym, nethir he schal lede ayen the puple in to Egipt, nethir he schal be reisid bi the noumbre of knyytis, moost sithen the Lord comaundide to you, that ye turne no more ayen bi the same weie.

¹⁷ The kyng schal not haue ful many wyues, that drawen his soule `to ouer myche fleischlynesse, nether `he schal haue grete burthuns of siluer and of gold.

¹⁸ Forsothe after that he hath sete in the trone of his rewme, he schal write ^[2] to himsilf the deuteronomy of this lawe in a `volym ether book, and he schal take `a saumpler at preestis of `the kyn of Leuy;

¹⁹ and he schal haue it with hym ^[3] , and he schal rede it in alle the daies of his lijf, that he lerne to drede his Lord God, and to kepe hise wordis and cerymonyes, that ben comaundid in the lawe;

²⁰ nether his herte be reisid in to pride on hise brithren, nether bowe he in to the riyt side, ether left side, that he regne long tyme, he and hise sones on Israel.

1. [Note: thou schalt ordeyne him, that is, in to the king; this is not a comaundement, but a simple graunt, which is of yuel; if this were an heest, the puple hadde not synned in axinge a king, but the puple synnede in this axing, as it is seid in j. book of Kingis xij. co.]
2. [Note: schal write, that is, schal make to be writun.]
3. [Note: and schal haue with him; Ebrews seyen that he schulde have ij. bokis, oon to bere with him, that he myyte ofte rede there, and another book to be kept in the hows of his tresour, as a most preciouse thing: the king schal not haue grete chargis of siluer and of gold, that is to superfluyte, but onely to the nede of his staat, and to defence of his rewme: the king schal not multiplie horsis to him silf to pride, but onely to the oneste of his staat, and to defence of his rewme.]

Chapter 18

¹ Preestis and dekenes, and alle men that ben of the same lynage, schulen `not haue part and eritage with the tother puple of Israel, for thei schulen ete the sacrifices of the Lord, and the offryngis of hym;

² and thei schulen not take ony othir thing of the possessioun of her britheren; for the Lord hym silf is the `eritage of hem, as he spak to hem.

³ This schal be the doom ^[1] of preestis of the puple, and of hem that offren sacrifices; whether `thei offren an oxe, ether a scheep, thei schulen yyue to the preest the schuldre, and the paunche, the firste fruytis of wheete,

⁴ and of wyn, and of oile, and a part of wollis of the scheryng of scheep.

⁵ For thi Lord God chees hym of alle thi lynagis, that he stonde and mynystre to `the name of the Lord, he and hise sones, with outen ende.

⁶ If a dekene goith out of oon of thi citees of al Israel, in which he dwellith, `and wole come and desirith the place which the Lord chees,

⁷ he schal mynystre in the name of his Lord God as alle hise britheren dekenes, that schulen stonde in that tyme byfore the Lord.

⁸ He schal take the same part of meetis, `which and othere dekenes schulen take; outakun that that is due to hym in his citee, bi `successioun ethir eritage `of fadir.

⁹ Whanne thou hast entrid in to the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, be thou war lest thou wole sue abhomynaciouns of tho folkis;

¹⁰ noon be foundun in thee that clensith his sone, ether his douytir, `and ledith bi the fier, ethir that axith questiouns of dyuynouris `that dyuynen aboute the auteris, and that taketh hede to dremes and chiteryng of bryddis; nethir ony wicche be,

¹¹ nethir an enchauntere, `that is, that disseyueth mennus iyen that a thing seme that is not; nether a man take counsel at hem that han a feend spekynge `in the wombe, nether take counsel at false dyuynouris nethir seke of deed men the treuthe.

¹² For the Lord hath abhomynacioun of alle these thingis, and for siche wickidnessis he schal do awei hem in thin entryng.

¹³ Thou schalt be perfit and without filthe, with thi Lord God.

¹⁴ These hethen men, `the lond of whiche thou schalt welde, heren hem that worchen bi chiteryng of briddis, and false dyuynouris; forsothe thou art tauyt in other maner of thi Lord God.

¹⁵ Thi Lord God schal reise a prophete of thi folk and of thi britheren as me, thou schalt here hym;

¹⁶ as thou axidist of thi Lord God in Oreb, whanne the cumpany was gaderid, and thou seidist, Y schal no more here the vois of my Lord God, and Y schal no more se `this grettiste fier, lest Y die.

¹⁷ And the Lord seide to me, Thei spaken wel alle thingis.

¹⁸ Y schal reise to hem a prophete, lijk thee, of the myddis of her britheren, and Y schal putte my wordis in his mouth, and he schal speke to hem alle thingis, whiche I schal comaunde to him.

¹⁹ Forsothe Y schal be vengere of `that man, that nyle here the wordis `of hym, whiche he schal speke in my name.

²⁰ `Sotheli a prophete `schal be slayn, which is bischrewid with pride, and wole speke in my name tho thingis, whiche Y comaundide not to hym, that he schulde seie, ethir bi the name of alien goddis.

²¹ That if thou answerist bi pryuy thouyt, Hou may Y vndirstonde the word, which the Lord spak not? thou schalt haue this signe ^[2] ,

²² `The Lord spak not this thing which thilke prophete biforseid in the name of the Lord, `and it bifallith not, but `the prophete feynede bi the pride of his soule, and therfor thou schalt not drede hym.

1. [Note: that is, the thing iustly youun ether grauntid.]
2. [Note: to knowe a false prophete fro a trewe prophete.]

Chapter 19

¹ Whanne thi Lord God hath distried the folkis, whose lond he schal yyue to thee, and thou hast weldid it, and hast dwellid in the citees and housis therof;

² thou schalt departe thre citees to thee `in the myddis of the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee into possessioun.

³ Thou schalt make redi diligentli the weye, and thou schalt departe euenly in to thre partis al the prouynce of thi lond, that he that is exilid for mansleyng, haue `of nyy whidur he may ascape.

⁴ This schal be the lawe of a mansleere fleynge, whos lijf schal be kept. If a man smytith vnwityngli his neiybore, and which is preuyd to haue not had ony hatered ayens hym yistirdai and the thridde dai agoon,

⁵ but to haue go sympli with hym in to the wode to hewe doun trees, and in the fellyng doun of trees the axe fleeth fro the hond, and the yrun slidith fro the helue, and smytith, and sleeth his freend; this man schal flee to oon of the forseid citees, and schal lyue;

⁶ lest perauenture the next kynesman of hym, whos blood is sched out, be prickid with sorewe, and `pursue, and take hym, if the weie is lengere, and smyte `the lijf of hym which is not gilti of deeth; for it is schewid that he hadde not ony hatered bifore ayens hym that is slayn.

⁷ Therfor Y comaunde to thee, that thou departe thre citees of euene space bitwixe hem silf.

⁸ Forsothe whanne thi Lord God hath alargid thi termes, as he swoor to thi fadris, and hath youe to thee al the lond which he bihiyte to hem; if netheles thou kepist hise comaundementis,

⁹ and doist tho thingis whiche Y comaunde to thee to day, that thou loue thi Lord God, and go in hise weies in al tyme, thou schalt adde to thee thre othere citees, and thou schalt double the noumbre of the forseid citees,

¹⁰ that gilteles blood be not sched out in the myddis of the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee to haue in possessioun, lest thou be gilti of blood.

¹¹ Forsothe if ony man hatith his neiybore, and settith aspies, `ether tresouns, to his lijf, and risith, and smytith him, and he is deed, and he fleeth to oon of the forseid citees,

¹² the eldere men of that citee schulen sende, and `thei schulen take hym fro the place of refuyt; and thei schulen bitake hym in to the hond of the nexte kynesman of hym, whos blood is sched out,

¹³ and he schal die, and thou schalt not haue mercy on hym; and thou schalt do awey gilti blood fro Israel, that it be wel to thee.

¹⁴ Thou schalt not take, and turne ouer the termes of thi neiybore, which the formere men settiden in thi possessioun, which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee in the lond, `which lond thou schalt take `to be weldid.

¹⁵ O witnesse schal not stonde ayens ony man, what euer thing it is of synne and of wickidnesse; but ech word schal stonde in the mouth of tweyne ethir of thre witnessis.

¹⁶ If a fals witnesse stondith ayens a man, and accusith hym of brekyng of the lawe, bothe,

¹⁷ of whiche the cause is, schulen stonde bifor the Lord, in the siyt of preestis, and of iugis, that ben in tho daies.

¹⁸ And whanne thei sekynge moost diligentli han founde that the fals witnesse seide a leesyng ayens his brothir,

¹⁹ thei schulen yelde to hym, as he thouyte to do to his brother; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee, that othere men here,

²⁰ and haue drede, and be no more hardi to do siche thingis.

²¹ Thou schalt not haue mercy on hym, but thou schalt axe lijf for lijf, iye for iye, tooth for tooth, hond for hond, foot for foot.

Chapter 20

¹ If thou goist out to batel ayens thin enemyes, and seest multitude of knyytis, and charis, and grettere multitude of the aduersarie oost than thou hast, thou schalt not drede hem; for thi Lord God is with thee, that ledde thee out of the lond of Egipt.

² Sotheli whanne the batel neiyeth now, the preest schal stonde bifor the scheltrun, and thus he schal speke to the puple,

³ Thou, Israel, here to dai, ye han batel ayens youre enemyes; youre herte drede not, `nyle ye drede; nyle ye yyue stede, drede ye not hem;

⁴ for youre Lord God is in the myddis of you, and he schal fiyte for you ayens aduersaries, that he delyuere you fro perel.

⁵ `Also the duykis schulen crie bi alle cumpanyes, `while the oost schal here, Who is a man that bildide a newe hows, and halewide not it ^[1] ? go he and turne ayen into his hows, lest perauenture he die in batel, and another man halewe it.

⁶ Who is a man that plauntide a vyner, and not yit made it to be comyn, and of which it is leeueful to alle men to ete? go he, and turne ayen in to his hows, lest perauenture he die in batel, and anothir man be set in his office.

⁷ Who is a man that spowside a wijf, and `took not hir `bi fleischli knowyng? go he, and turne ayen in to his hows, lest perauenture he die in batel, and anothir man take hir.

⁸ Whanne these thingis ben seid, thei schulen adde othere thingis, and schulen speke to the peple, Who is a ferdful man, and of gastful herte? go he, and turne ayen in to his hows, lest he make `the hertis of his britheren for to drede, as he is agast bi drede.

⁹ And whanne the duykis of the oost ben stille, and han maad ende of speking, ech `of the princis and cheuenteyns of the oost schal make redie his cumpeneyes to batel.

¹⁰ If ony tyme thou schalt go to a citee to ouercome it, first thou schalt profire pees to it ^[2] .

¹¹ If the citee resseyueth, and openeth to thee the yatis, al the puple that is ther ynne schal be saued, and schal serue thee vndur tribut.

¹² Sotheli if they nylen make boond of pees, and bigynnen batel ayens thee, thou schalt fiyte ayens it.

¹³ And whanne thi Lord God hath bitake it in thin hond, thou schalt smyte bi the scharpnesse of swerd al thing of male kynde which is ther ynne,

¹⁴ with out wymmen, and yonge children, beestis and othere thingis that ben in the citee. Thou schalt departe al the prey to the oost, and thou schalt ete of the spuylis of thin enemyes, whiche spuylis thi Lord God yaf to thee.

¹⁵ Thus thou schalt do to alle the citees, that ben ful fer fro thee, and ben not of these citees which thou schalt take in to possessioun.

¹⁶ Sotheli of these citees that schulen be youun to thee, thou schalt not suffre eny to lyue,

¹⁷ but thou schalt sle bi the scharpnesse of swerd; that is to seie, Ethei, and Ammorrey, and Cananei, Ferezei, Euey, and Jebusei, as `thi Lord God comaundide to thee;

¹⁸ lest perauenture thei techen you to do alle abhomynaciouns, whiche thei wrouyten to her goddis, and ye doon synne ayens youre Lord God.

¹⁹ Whanne thou hast bisegid a citee `in myche tyme, and hast cumpassid with strengthingis that thou ouercome it, thou schalt not kitte doun trees, of whiche `me may ete, nether thou schalt waste the cuntrey `bi cumpas with axis; for it is `a tree, and not man, nether it may encresse the noumbre of fiyteris ayens thee.

²⁰ Forsothe if onye ben not appil trees, but `of the feeld, and ben able in to othere vsis, kitte doun, and make thou engynes, til thou take the citee that fiytith ayens thee.

1. [Note: and halewide not it, that is, made not a solempne feeste of enhabiting therof.]
2. [Note: profre pees to il, that is vndurstondun of citees without the lond of biheest.]

Chapter 21

¹ Whanne the careyn of a man slayn is foundun in the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, and `the gilti of sleyng is vnknowun,

² the grettere men in birthe and thi iugis schulen go out, and schulen mete fro the place of the careyn the spaces of alle citees `bi cumpas;

³ and the eldre men of that citee, `which thei seen to be neer than othere, schulen take of the droue a cow calf, that `drow not yok, nether kittide the erthe with a schar;

⁴ and thei schulen lede that cow calf to a scharp `valey, and ful of stoonys, that was neuere erid, nether resseyuede seed; and in that valey thei schulen kitte the heed of the cow calf.

⁵ And the preestis, the sones of Leuy, schulen neiye, whiche thi Lord God chees, that thei mynystre to hym, and blesse in his name, and al the cause hange at `the word of hem; and what euer thing is cleene ethir vncleene, be demed.

⁶ And the grettere men in birthe of that citee schulen come to the slayn man, and thei schulen waische her hondis on the cow calf, that was slayn in the valei;

⁷ and thei schulen seie ^[1] , Oure hondis schedden not out this blood, nether oure iyen sien.

⁸ Lord, be mercyful to thi puple Israel, whom thou `ayen brouytist, and arette thou not innocent blood in the myddis of thi puple Israel. And the gilt of blood schal be don awey fro hem.

⁹ Forsothe thou schalt be alien fro the blood of the innocent which is sched, whanne thou hast do that that the Lord comaundide.

¹⁰ If thou goist out to batel ayens thin enemyes, that thi Lord God bitakith hem in thin hond, and thou ledist prisoneris,

¹¹ and thou seest in the noumbre of prisounneris a fair womman, and thou louest hir, and wole haue hir to wijf,

¹² thou schalt brynge hir in to thin hows; `which womman schal schaue the heer, and schal kitte the nailes aboute, and sche schal putte awei the clooth,

¹³ wher ynne sche was takun, and sche schal sitte in thin hows, and schal biwepe hir fadir and modir o monethe; and aftirward thou schalt entre to hir, and schalt sleepe with hir, and sche schal be thi wijf.

¹⁴ But if aftirward sche sittith not in thi soule, `that is, plesith not thi wille, thou schalt delyuere hir fre, nethir thou schalt mowe sille hir for money, nether oppresse bi power, for thou `madist hir lowe.

¹⁵ If a man hath twey wyues, oon loued, and `the tothir hateful, and he gendrith of hir fre children, and the sone of the hateful wijf is the firste gendrid,

¹⁶ and the man wole departe the catel bitwixe hise sones, he schal not mowe make the sone of the loued wijf the firste gendrid, and sette bifor the sone of the hateful wijf,

¹⁷ but he schal knowe the sone of the hateful wijf the firste gendrid, and he schal yyue to that sone alle thingis double of tho thingis that he hath; for this sone is the begynnyng of his fre children, and the firste gendrid thingis ben due to hym.

¹⁸ If a man gendrith a sone rebel, and ouerthewert, which herith not the comaundement of fadir and modir, and he is chastisid,

¹⁹ and dispisith to obei, thei schulen take hym, and schulen lede to the eldre men of that citee, and to the yate of doom;

²⁰ and thei schulen seie to hem, This oure sone is ouerthewert and rebel; he dispisith to here oure monestyngis, `ethir heestis, he yyueth tent to glotonyes, and letcherie, and feestis.

²¹ The puple of the citee schal oppresse hym with stoonus, and he schal die, that ye do awei yuel fro the myddis of you, and that al Israel here, and drede.

²² Whanne a man doith a synne which is worthi to be punyschid bi deeth, and he is demed to deeth, and is hangid in a iebat,

²³ his careyn schal not dwelle in the tre, but it schal be biried in the same dai; for he that hangith in the cros is cursid of God ^[2] , and thou schalt not defoule thi lond which thi Lord God yaf thee in to possessioun.

1. [Note: seye with an ooth.]
2. [Note: that is, curs is takun here for peyne of hangyng, youun of the iugis that holdun the place of God. is cursid of God: In Ebreu it is thus, the iustifiyng of God is hanging bi oure translacioun; curs is takun here for the peyne of hanging, youun of the iugis that holden the place of God; that this be the vndurstonding, for he that hangith in the tre, is cursid of God, that is, for sich peyne set of hem that holden the place of God, owith to suffise, and therfor ouer this he owith not to be priued fro biriyng.]

Chapter 22

¹ Thou schalt not se `thi brotheris oxe, ethir scheep, errynge, and schalt passe, but thou schalt brynge ayen to thi brother.

² And if thi brother is not nyy, nether thou knowist hym, thou schalt lede tho beestis in to thin hows, and tho schulen be at thee, as long as thi brother sekith tho, and til he resseyue hem.

³ In lijk maner thou schalt do of `the asse, and clooth, and of ech thing of thi brother, that was lost; if thou fyndist it, be thou not necgligent as of an alien thing.

⁴ If thou seest that the asse, ethir oxe of thi brothir felde in the weye, thou schalt not dispise, but thou schalt `reise with hym.

⁵ A womman schal not be clothid in a mannys clooth ^[1] , nether a man schal vse a wommannys cloth; for he that doith thes thingis is abhomynable bifor God. If thou goist in the weie,

⁶ and fyndist a `nest of a brid in a tree, ethir in the erthe, and fyndist the modir sittynge on the briddis ethir eyrun, thou schalt not holde the modir with `the children, but thou schalt suffre `the modir go,

⁷ and schalt holde the sones takun, that it be wel to thee, and thou lyue in long tyme. Whanne thou bildist a newe hows,

⁸ thou schalt make a wal of the roof bi cumpas, lest blood be sched out in thin hows, and thou be gilti, if another man slidith, and falle in to a dich.

⁹ Thou schalt not sowe thi vyner ^[2] `of another seed, lest bothe the seed which thou hast sowe, and tho thingis that `comen forth of the vyner, ben halewid togidere.

¹⁰ Thou schalt not ere with an oxe and asse togidere.

¹¹ Thou schalt not be clothid in a cloth, which is wouun togidir of wolle and `of flex.

¹² Thou schalt make litle cordis bi foure corneris in the hemmys of thi mentil, `with which thou art hilid.

¹³ If a man weddith a wijf, and aftirward hatith hir,

¹⁴ and sekith occasiouns bi which he `schal forsake hir, and puttith ayens hir `the werste name, and seith, Y haue take this wijf, and Y entride to hir, and Y foond not hir virgyn; the fadir and modir of hir schulen take

¹⁵ hir, and thei schulen bere with hem the signes of her virgynyte to the eldre men of the citee, that ben in the yate;

¹⁶ and the fadir schal seie, Y yaf my douytir wijf to this man, and for he hatith hir, he puttith to hir `the werste name,

¹⁷ that he seye, Y foond not thi douytir virgyn; and lo! these ben the signes of virgynyte of my douytir; thei schulen sprede forth a cloth ^[3] bifor the eldre men of the citee. And the eldere men of that citee schulen

¹⁸ take the man, and schulen bete hym,

¹⁹ and ferthermore thei schulen condempne hym in an hundrid siclis of siluer, whiche he schal yyue to the `fadir of the damysel, for he diffamide the werste name on a virgyn of Israel; and he schal haue hir wijf, and he schal not mowe forsake hir, in al `the tyme of his lijf.

²⁰ That if it is soth, that he puttith ayens hir, and virgynyte is not foundun in the damysel, thei schulen caste hir `out of `the yatis of

²¹ the hous of hir fadir; and men of that citee schulen oppresse hir with stoonys, and sche schal die, for sche dide vnleueful thing in Israel, that sche dide fornycacioun ^[4] in `the hows of hir fadir; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee.

²² If a man slepith with `the wijf of another man, euer eithir schal die, that is, auowter and auowtresse; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro Israel.

²³ If a man spousith a damysel virgyn, and a man fyndith hir in the citee, and doith letcherie with hir,

²⁴ thou schalt lede euer eithir to the yate of that citee, and thei schulen be oppressid with stoonus; the damysel schal be stonyd, for sche criede not, whanne sche was in the citee; the man schal `be stonyd, for he `made low the wijf of his neiybore; and thou schalt do awei yuel fro the myddis of thee.

²⁵ Forsothe if a man fyndith in the feeld a `damysel, which is spousid, and he takith, and doith letcherie with hir, he aloone schal die;

²⁶ the damysel schal suffre no thing of yuel, nethir is gilti of deeth; for as a theef risith ayens his brothir, and sleeth `his lijf, so and the damysel suffride; sche was aloone in the feeld,

²⁷ sche criede, and noon was present, that schulde delyuer hir.

²⁸ If a man fyndith a damysel virgyn that hath no spowse, and takith, and doith letcherie with hir, and the thing cometh to the doom,

²⁹ he that slepte with hir schal yyue to `the fadir of the damysel fifti siclis of siluer, and he schal haue hir wijf, for he `made hir low; he schal not mow forsake hir, in alle the daies of his lijf.

³⁰ A man schal not take `the wijf of his fadir, nethir he schal schewe `the hilyng of hir.

1. [Note: in a mannes clooth: In Ebreu it is thus, the vessel, that is, armer of a man schal not be on a womman.]
2. [Note: thou schalt not sowe thi vyner: In Ebreu it is thus, thou schalt not sowe meddlid thing, lest the fulnesse of the seed, which thou hast sowe, be defoulid, and the fruyt of the vyner; the cause of sich dyuersite is this, for the Ebreu word here signefieth bothe halewing, and defouling; fruyt of the vyner, plauntid of the newe, is vncleene bi iij. yeer, and the corn touchinge the fruyt vncleene schulde also be vnclene, and so offringis, as the firste fruytis and tithis, myyten not be maad therof to the Lord.]
3. [Note: sprede forth clooth; that is, as Ebrews seyen, thei schulen declare the virgynete of her douyter bi the wordis of witnessis.]
4. [Note: that sche dide fornycacioun, aftir feith youun to the hosebonde, ellis sche schulde not die for sich synne, as it is had in the ende of this co. and in xxij. co. of Exodi.]

Chapter 23

¹ A geldyng whanne hise stoonys ben brokun, ethir kit awey, and his yerde is kit awei, schal not entre in to the chirche of the Lord.

² A child borun of hordom schal not entre ^[1] in to the chirche of the Lord, `til to the tenthe generacioun.

³ Ammonytis and Moabitis, yhe aftir the tenthe generacioun, schulen not entre into the `chirche of the Lord with outen ende;

⁴ for thei nolden come to you with breed and watir in the weie, whanne ye yeden out of Egipt; and for thei hireden ayens thee Balaam, the sone of Beor, fro Mesopotanye of Sirye, that he schulde curse thee;

⁵ and thi Lord God nolde here Balaam, and God turnede `the cursyng of Balaam in to thi blessyng, for he louyde thee.

⁶ Thou schalt not make pees with hem, nethir thou schalt seke goodis to hem, in alle the daies of thi lijf in to with outen ende.

⁷ Thou schalt not `haue abhomynacioun of a man of Ydumye, for he is thi brothir, nethir of a man of Egipt, for thou were a comelyng in the lond of hym.

⁸ Thei that ben borun of hem, schulen entre in the thridde generacioun in to the `chirche of the Lord.

⁹ Whanne thou schalt go out `in to batel ayens thin enemyes, thou schalt kepe thee fro al yuel thing.

¹⁰ If a man is among you, which is defoulid in `sleep of nyyt, he schal go out of `the castels ^[2] ;

¹¹ and he schal not turne ayen bifore that he be waischun in watir at euentid, and aftir the goyng doun of the sunne he schal go ayen in to the castels.

¹² Thou schalt haue a place without the castels, to which thou schalt go out to nedeful thingis of kynde;

¹³ and thou schalt bere a litil stake in the girdil; and whanne thou hast sete, thou schalt digge `bi cumpas, and `thou schalt hile with erthe thingis `defied out,

¹⁴ where thou art releuyd. For thi Lord God goeth in the myddis of castels, that he diliuere thee, and bitake thin enemyes to thee, that thi castels be hooli, and no thing of filthe appere in tho, lest he forsake thee.

¹⁵ Thou schalt not bitake a seruaunt to his lord ^[3] , which seruaunt fleeth to thee;

¹⁶ he schal dwelle with thee in the place that plesith hym, and he schal reste in oon of thi citees; and make thou not hym sori.

¹⁷ Noon hoore schal be of the douytris of Israel, nether a letchour of the sones of Israel.

¹⁸ Thou schalt not offre the hire of `an hoore hows, nether the prijs of a dogge, in the hows of thi Lord God, what euer thing it is that thou hast avowid; for euer eithir is abhomynacioun bifor thi Lord God.

¹⁹ Thou schalt not leene to thi brothir to vsure money, neither fruytis,

²⁰ nethir ony othir thing, but to an alien ^[4] . Forsothe thou schalt leene to thi brothir without vsure that that he nedith, that thi Lord God blesse thee in al thi werk, in the lond to which thou schalt entre to welde.

²¹ Whanne thou makist auow to thi Lord God, thou schalt not tarie to yelde, for thi Lord God schal `requyre, ether axe, that; and if thou tariest, it schal be arretid to thee in to synne.

²² If thou `nylt bihete, thou schalt be with out synne.

²³ Forsothe ^[5] thou schalt kepe, and `do that that yede out onys of thi lippis, as thou bihiytist to thi Lord God, and hast spoke with thin owne wille and thi mouth.

²⁴ If thou entrist in to the vynere of thi neiybore, ete thou grapis, as myche as plesith thee; but bere thou not out with thee.

²⁵ If thou entrist in to `the corn of thi freend, thou schalt breke `eeris of corn, and frote togidere with `the hond; but thou schalt not repe with a sikil.

1. [Note: a child born of hordum schal not entre etc. that is, to the hiy gouernaunce of the peple, but ech man that wolde, was resseyued to feith, and vertuouse liyf nedeful to saluacioun.]
2. [Note: he schal go out of the castels of the Godhed and of Leuytis, not out of the castels of the comyn peeple.]
3. [Note: thou schalt not bitake a seruaunt to his lord, that is, whanne the seruaunt is souyt of his lord to be slayn, ether to be meymed, ether to be turmentid in other maner vnduly: he schal dwelle with thee, and so forth; til the ire of his lord ceese, and thanne he schal be yoldun to his lord, sithen he is the thing ether catel of his lord, as also other thingis schulen be restorid.]
4. [Note: but to an alien, this is graunting of a thing not leueful, but of a thing lesse yuel to eschewe a more yuel, that is, lest they wolden greue her britheren Iewis with vsuris.]
5. [Note: Forthi kepe the heestis for that thou hast auowid, in comparisoun of him that hootith, and fulfillith it not.]

Chapter 24

¹ If a man takith a wijf, and hath hir, and sche fyndith not grace bifor hise iyen for sum vilite, he schal write a `libel, ethir litil book, of forsakyng, and he schal yyue in `the hond of hir, and he schal delyuere hir fro his hows.

² And whanne sche goith out, and weddith anothir hosebonde,

³ and he also hatith hir, and yyueth to hir a `litil booke of forsakyng, and delyuereth hir fro his hows, ethir certis he is deed,

⁴ the formere hosebonde schal not mow resseyue hir in to wijf, for sche is defoulid, and maad abhomynable bifore the Lord; lest thou make thi lond ^[1] to do synne, which lond thi Lord God yaf to thee to welde.

⁵ Whanne a man hath take late a wijf, he schal not go forth to batel, nethir ony thing ^[2] of comyn nede schal be enioyned to hym, but he schal yyue tent with out blame to his hows, that he be glad in o yeer with his wijf.

⁶ Thou schalt not take in the stide of wed the lowere and the hiyere queerne stoon of thi brothir, for he puttide his lijf to thee.

⁷ If a man is takun, `that is, conuyct in doom, bisili aspiynge to stele his brothir of the sones of Israel, and whanne he hath seeld hym, takith priys, he schal be slayn; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee.

⁸ Kepe thou diligentli, lest thou renne in to the sijknesse of lepre, but thou schalt do what euer thingis the preestis of the kyn of Leuy techen thee, bi that that Y comaundide to hem, and `fille thou diligentli.

⁹ Haue ye mynde what thingis youre Lord God dide to Marie, in the weie, whanne ye yede `out of Egipt.

¹⁰ Whanne thou schalt axe of thi neiyebore ony thing which he owith to thee, thou schalt not entre in to his hows, that thou take awei a wed;

¹¹ but thou schalt stonde with out forth, and he schal brynge forth that that he hath.

¹² Sotheli if he is pore, the wed schal not dwelle bi nyyt at thee,

¹³ but anoon thou schalt yelde to hym bifor the goyng doun of the sunne, that he slepe in his cloth, and blesse thee, and thou haue riytfulnesse bifor thi Lord God.

¹⁴ Thou schalt not denye the hire of thi brother nedi and pore, ethir of the comelyng that dwellith with thee in thi lond, and is with ynne thi yatis;

¹⁵ but in the same dai thou schalt yelde to hym the prijs of his trauel, bifor the goyng doun of the sunne, for he is pore, and susteyneth therof his lijf; lest he crye ayens thee to the Lord, and it be arettid to thee into synne.

¹⁶ The fadris schulen not be slayn for the sones, nether the sones for the fadris, but ech man schal die for hys owne synne.

¹⁷ Thou schalt not `peruerte, ethir waiwardli turne, the doom of the comelyng, and of fadirles ethir modirles; nethir thou schalt take awei in the stide of wed the cloth of a widewe.

¹⁸ Haue thou mynde, that thou seruedist in Egipt, and thi Lord God delyuerede thee fro thennus; therfor Y comaunde to thee that thou do this thing.

¹⁹ Whanne thou repist corn in the feeld, and foryetist, and leeuest a repe, thou schalt not turne ayen to take it, but thou schalt suffre that a comelyng, and fadirles, ethir modirles, and a widewe take awei, that thi Lord God blesse thee in al the werk of thin hondis.

²⁰ If thou gaderist fruytis of olyues, what euer thing leeueth in trees, thou schalt not turne ayen to gadere, but thou schalt leeue to a comelyng, fadirles, ether modirles, and to a widewe.

²¹ If thou gaderist grapis of the vyner, thou schalt not gadere raisyns that leeuen, but tho schulen falle in to the vsis of the comelyng, of the fadirles, ethir modirles, and of the wydewe.

²² Haue thou mynde that also thou seruedist in Egipt, and therfor Y comaunde to thee, that thou do this thing.

1. [Note: thi lond, that is, men dwellinge in thi lond.]
2. [Note: nether ony thing etc. In Ebren it is, nether ony thing schal be enioyned to him, that is, of thingis perteynynge to batel.]

Chapter 25

¹ If cause is bitwixe ony men, and thei axen iugis, thei schulen yyue the victorie of riytfulnesse to him, whom thei perseyuen to be iust, thei schulen condempne hym of wickidnesse, whom thei perseyuen to be wickid.

² Sotheli if thei seen hym that synnede, worthi of betyngis, thei schulen caste him doun, and make to be betun bifor hem; also the maner of betyngis schal be for the mesure of synne,

³ so oneli that tho passe not the noumbre of fourti, lest thi brother be to-rent viliche bifore thin iyen, and go awei.

⁴ Thou schalt not bynde the `mouth of the oxe tredynge thi fruytis in the corn floor.

⁵ Whanne britheren dwellen to gidere, and oon of hem is deed with out fre children, the wijf of the deed brother schal not be weddid to anothir man, but his brothir schal take hir, and schal reise seed of his brother.

⁶ And he schal clepe the firste gendrid sone `of hir bi the name `of hym, `that is, of the deed brothir, that his name be not don awei fro Israel.

⁷ Forsothe if he nyle take the wijf of his brother, which is due to hym bi lawe, the womman schal go to the yate of the citee; and sche schal axe the grettere men in birthe, and sche schal seie, `The brother of myn hosebonde nyle reise seed of his brother in Israel, nethir wole take me in to mariage.

⁸ And anoon thei schulen make hym to be clepid, and thei schulen axe. If he answerith, Y nyle take hir to wijf;

⁹ the womman schal go to hym bifor the eldre men of Israel, and sche schal take awei the schoo, and sche schal spete in to his face, and schal seie, So it schal be doon to the man, that bildith not `the hows of his brother;

¹⁰ and `the name of hym schal be clepid in Israel, The hows of the man vnschood.

¹¹ If twei men han strijf bitwixe hem silf, and oon bigynneth to stryue ayens another, and the wijf of `the tother man wole delyuere hir hosebonde fro the hond of the strongere man, and puttith hond, and `takith the schamefast membris `of hym,

¹² thou schalt kitte awei `the hond of hir, nether thou schalt be bowid on hir bi ony mercy.

¹³ Thou schalt not haue in the bagge dyuerse weiytis,

¹⁴ a grettere and a lesse, nether a buyschel more and lesse schal be in thin hows.

¹⁵ Thou schalt haue a iust weiyte and trewe, and an euene buyschel `and trewe schal be to thee, that thou lyue in myche tyme on the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee.

¹⁶ For the Lord schal haue hym abhomynable that doith these thingis, and he wlatith, `ethir cursith, al vnriytfulnesse.

¹⁷ Haue thou mynde what thingis Amalech dide to thee in the weie, whanne thou yedist out of Egipt;

¹⁸ hou he cam to thee, and killide the laste men of thin oost, that saten wery, whanne thou were disesid with hungur and trauel, and he dredde not God.

¹⁹ Therfor whanne thi Lord God hath youe reste to thee, and hath maad suget alle naciouns `bi cumpas, in the lond which he bihiyte to thee, thou schalt do awei `the name of hym vndur heuene; be thou war lest thou foryete.

Chapter 26

¹ And whanne thou hast entrid in to the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee to welde, and thou hast gete it, and hast dwellid therynne,

² thou schalt take the firste fruytis of alle thi fruytis, and thou schalt putte in a panyere; and thou schalt go to the place which thi Lord God chees, that his name be inwardly clepid there.

³ And thou schalt go to the preest, that schal be in tho daies, and thou schalt seie to hym, Y knowleche to dai bifor thi Lord God, that Y entride in to the lond, for which he swoor to oure fadris, that he schulde yyue it to vs.

⁴ And the preest schal take the panyere of thin hond, and schal sette bifor the auter of thi Lord God.

⁵ And thou schalt speke in the siyt of thi Lord God, Sirus pursuede my fadir, `which fadir yede doun in to Egipt, and was a pilgrym there in feweste noumbre; and he encreesside in to a greet folk, and strong, and of multitude without noumbre.

⁶ And Egipcians turmentiden vs, and pursueden, and puttiden greuouseste birthuns.

⁷ And we crieden to the Lord God of oure fadris, which herde vs, and bihelde oure mekenesse, and trauel, and angwischis;

⁸ and he ledde vs out of Egipt in myyti hond, and arm holdun forth, in grete drede, in myraclis, and grete wondris,

⁹ and ledde vs in to this place; and yaf to vs a lond flowynge with mylk and hony.

¹⁰ And therfor Y offre now to thee the fyrste fruytis of the fruitis of the lond which the Lord yaf to me. And thou schalt leeue tho in the siyt of thi Lord God. And whanne thi Lord God is worchipid,

¹¹ thou schalt ete in alle the goodis whiche thi Lord God yaf to thee and to thin hows, thou, and the dekene, and the comelyng which is with thee.

¹² Whanne thou hast fillid the tithe of alle thi fruytis, in the thridde yeer of tithis, thou schalt yyue to the dekene, and to the comelyng, and to the fadirles, ether modirles child, and to widewe, that thei ete with ynne thi yatis, and be fillid.

¹³ And thou schalt speke in the siyt of thi Lord God, Y haue take awai ^[1] that that is halewid of myn hows, and Y yaf it to the dekene, and to the comelyng, to the fadirles, ethir modirles child, and to the widewe, as thou comaundidist to me; Y passide not thi comaundementis, Y foryat not thin heest.

¹⁴ Y ete not of tho thingis in my morenyng ^[2] , nether Y departide tho in ony vnclennesse, nethir Y spendide of tho ony thing in biriyng of deed body, `that is, in makynge feestis therof in biryynge of deed men. Y obeiede to the vois of my Lord God, and Y dide alle thingis as thou comaundidist to me.

¹⁵ Bihold thou fro thi seyntuarie, fro the hiy dwellyng place of heuene, and blesse thou thi puple Israel, and the lond which thou hast youe to vs, as thou `hast swoore to oure fadris; the lond flowynge with mylk and hony.

¹⁶ To dai thi Lord God comaundide to thee, that thou do these comaundementis and domes, that thou kepe and fille of al thin herte, and of al thi soule.

¹⁷ Thou hast chose the Lord to day, that he be God to thee, and thou go in hise weies, and thou kepe hise cerymonyes, and heestis, and domes, and obeie to his comaundement.

¹⁸ Lo! the Lord chees thee to day, that thou be a special puple ^[3] to hym, as he spak to thee, and that thou kepe alle hise comaundementis;

¹⁹ and he schal make thee hiyere than alle folkis, whiche he made in to his preisyng, and name, and glorie; that thou be an holi puple of thi Lord God, as he spak to thee.

1. [Note: Y haue take awey, that is, Y haue departid fro othere thingis that perteynen to myn hows.]
2. [Note: Y eet not of tho thingis in my morenyng; that is, in the tyme of my nede; Y wastide not siche thingis in myn vsis.]
3. [Note: a special puple; that is, loued singulerly.]

Chapter 27

¹ Forsothe Moyses comaundide, and the eldre men, to the puple of Israel, and seiden, Kepe ye ech `comaundement which Y comaunde to you to dai.

² And whanne ye han passid Jordan, in to the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, thou schalt reyse grete stoonus, and thou schalt make tho pleyn with chalk,

³ that thou mow write in tho alle the wordis of this lawe, whanne Jordan is passid, that thou entre in to the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, the lond flowynge with mylke and hony, as he swoor to thi fadris.

⁴ Therfor whanne thou hast passid Jordan, reise thou the stonus whiche Y comaunde to dai to thee, in the hil of Hebal; and thou schalt make tho pleyn with chalk.

⁵ And there thou schalt bilde an auter to thi Lord God, of stoonys whiche yrun touchide not,

⁶ and of stonys vnformed and vnpolischid; and thou schalt offre theron brent sacrifices to thi Lord God; and thou schalt offre pesible sacrifices,

⁷ and thou schalt ete there, and thou schalt make feeste bifor thi Lord God.

⁸ And thou schalt write pleynli and clereli on the stoonys alle the wordis of this lawe.

⁹ And Moises and the preestis of the kynde of Leuy seiden to al Israel, Israel, perseyue thou, and here; to day thou art maad the puple of thi Lord God;

¹⁰ thou schalt here his vois, and thou schalt do `the comaundementis, and riytfulnessis, whiche Y comaunde to thee to dai.

¹¹ And Moises comaundide to the puple in that day,

¹² and seide, These men schulen stonde on the hil of Garizym to blesse the Lord, whanne Jordan `is passid; Symeon, Leuy, Judas, Isachar, Joseph, and Benjamyn.

¹³ And euene ayens these men schulen stonde in the hil of Hebal to curse, Ruben, Gad, and Aser, Zabulon, Dan, and Neptalym.

¹⁴ And the dekenes schulen pronounce, and schulen seie `with hiy vois to alle the men of Israel,

¹⁵ Cursid is the man that makith a grauun ymage and yotun togidere, abhomynacioun of the Lord, the werk of `hondis of crafti men, and schal sette it in priuey place; and al the puple schal answere, and schal seie, Amen!

¹⁶ He is cursid that onoureth not his fadir and modir ^[1] ; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

¹⁷ Cursid is he that `berith ouer the termes of his neiybore ^[2] ; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

¹⁸ Cursid is he that makith a blynde man to erre in the weie; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

¹⁹ He is cursid that peruertith the doom of a comelyng, of a fadirles, ethir modirles child, and of a widewe; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

²⁰ Cursid is he that slepith with `the wijf of his fadir, and schewith the hiling of his bed; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

²¹ Cursid is he that slepith with ony beeste; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

²² Cursid is he that slepith with his sistir, the douytir of his fadir, ethir of his modir; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

²³ Cursid is he that slepith with his wyues modir; and al the puple schal seye, Amen!

²⁴ Cursid is he that sleeth pryueli his neiybore; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

²⁵ Cursid is he that slepith with `the wijf of his neiybore; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

²⁶ Cursid is he that takith yiftis, that he smyte the lijf of innocent blood; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

²⁷ Cursid is he that dwellith not in the wordis of this lawe, nethir `parfourmeth tho in werk; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

1. [Note: that onourith not his fadir, etc. In Ebreu it is, that dispisith his fadir.]
2. [Note: he fordoth his neiybour termes, that doth other wise to his neiybore, than he wolde he dide to him]

Chapter 28

¹ Forsothe if thou herist the vois of thi Lord God, that thou do and kepe alle hise comaundementis, whiche Y comaunde to thee to dai, thi Lord God schal make the hiyere than alle folkis that lyuen in erthe.

² And alle these blessyngis schulen come on thee, and schulen take thee; if netheles thou herist hise comaundementis.

³ Thou schalt be blessid in citee, and blessid in feeld;

⁴ blessid schal be the fruyt of thi wombe, and the fruyt of thi lond, and the fruit of thi beestis; `blessid schulen be the flockis of thi grete beestis, and the fooldis of thi scheep;

⁵ blessid schulen be thi bernes, and `blessid schulen be `thi relifs;

⁶ thou schalt be blessid entrynge, and goynge out.

⁷ The Lord schal yyue thin enemyes fallynge in thi siyt, that schulen rise ayens thee; bi o weie thei schulen come ayens thee, and by seuene weies thei schulen fle fro thi face.

⁸ The Lord schal sende out blessyng on thi celeris, and on alle the werkis of thin hondis; and he schal blesse thee in the lond which thou hast take.

⁹ The Lord schal reise thee to hym silf in to an hooli puple, as he swoor to thee, if thou kepist the heestis of thi Lord God, and goist in his weies.

¹⁰ And alle the puples of londis schulen se, that the name of the Lord is inwardli clepid on thee, and thei schulen drede thee.

¹¹ The Lord schal make thee to be plenteuouse in alle goodis, in fruyt of thi wombe, and in fruyt of thi beestis, in the fruyt of thi lond, which the Lord swoor to thi fadris, that he schulde yyue to thee.

¹² The Lord schal opene his beste tresour, heuene, that he yyue reyn to thi lond in his tyme; and he schal blesse alle the werkis of thin hondis; and thou schalt leene to many folkis, and of no man thou schalt take borewyng.

¹³ The Lord God schal sette thee in to the heed, and not in to the tail, and euere thou schalt be aboue, and not bynethe; if netheles thou herist the comaundementis of thi Lord God, whiche Y comaunde to thee to day, and kepist,

¹⁴ and doist, and bowist not awey fro tho, nether to the riyt side nether to the lefte side, nether suest alien goddis, nethir worschipist hem.

¹⁵ That if thou nylt here the vois of thi Lord God, that thou kepe and do alle hise heestis, and cerymonyes, whiche Y comaunde to thee to day, alle these cursyngis schulen come on thee, and schulen take thee.

¹⁶ Thou schalt be cursid in citee, cursid in feeld.

¹⁷ Cursid `schal be thi berne, and cursid schulen be thi relifs.

¹⁸ Cursid schal be the fruit of thi wombe, and the fruyt of thi lond; `cursid schulen be the drooues of thin oxun, and the flockis of thi scheep.

¹⁹ Thou schalt be cursid goynge in, and `thou schalt be cursid goynge out.

²⁰ The Lord schal sende on thee hungur, and thurst, and blamyng in to alle thi werkis whiche thou schalt do, til he al to-breke thee, and leese swiftli, for thi werste fyndyngis ^[1] , in whiche thou hast forsake me.

²¹ The Lord ioyne pestilence to thee, til he waaste thee fro the lond, to which thou schalt entre to welde.

²² The Lord smyte thee with nedynesse ^[2] , feuyr, and coold, brennynge, and heete, and with corrupt eir, and rust; and pursue thee til thou perische.

²³ Heuene which is aboue thee be brasun; and the erthe which thou tredist be yrun.

²⁴ The Lord yyue dust for reyn to thi lond, and aysche come doun fro heuene on thee, til thou be al to-brokun.

²⁵ The Lord yyue thee fallynge bifor thin enemyes; bi o weie go thou ayens hem, and bi seuene weies fle thou, and be thou scaterid bi alle the rewmes of erthe;

²⁶ and thi deed bodi be in to mete to alle volatils of heuene, and to beestis of erthe, and noon be that dryue hem awai.

²⁷ The Lord smyte thee with the botche of Egipt, and `the Lord smyte the part of bodi wherbi `ordures ben voyded; also `the Lord smyte thee with scabbe, and yicchyng, so that thou mayst not be curid.

²⁸ The Lord smyte thee with madnesse, and blyndnesse, and woodnesse of thouyt;

²⁹ and grope thou in mydday, as a blynd man is wont to grope in derknessis; and dresse he not thi weies; in al tyme suffre thou fals chaleng, and be thou oppressid bi violence, nethir haue thou ony that schal delyuere thee.

³⁰ Take thou a wijf, and anothir man sleepe with hir; bilde thou an hows, and dwelle thou not ther ynne; plaunte thou a vyner, and gadere thou not grapis therof.

³¹ Thin oxe be offrid bifor thee, and ete thou not therof; thin asse be rauyschid in thi siyt, and be not yoldun to thee; thi scheep be youun to thin enemyes, and noon be that helpe thee.

³² Thi sones and thi douytris be youun to another puple, `while thin iyen seen, and failen at the siyt of hem al day; and no strengthe be in thin hond.

³³ A puple whom thou knowist not ete the fruytis of thi lond, and alle thi trauels; and euere be thou suffrynge fals calengis, and be thou oppressid in alle daies,

³⁴ and wondrynge at the ferdfulnesse of tho thingis whiche thin iyen schulen se.

³⁵ The Lord smyte thee with the worste botche in the knees ^[3] , and in the hyndere partes of the leg; and thou mow not be heelid fro the sole of the foot `til to the top.

³⁶ And the Lord schal lede thee, and thi kyng, whom thou schalt ordeyne on thee, in to a folc which thou knowist not, thou, and thi fadris; and thou schalt serue there to alien goddis, to a tre, and stoon.

³⁷ And thou schalt be lost in to prouerbe, and fable to alle puplis, to whiche the Lord schal brynge thee yn.

³⁸ Thou schalt caste myche seed in to the erthe, and thou schalt gadere litil; for locustis schulen deuoure alle thingis.

³⁹ Thou schalt plaunte, and schalt digge a vyner, and thou schalt not drynke wyn, nether thou schalt gadere therof ony thing; for it schal be wastid with wormes.

⁴⁰ Thou schalt haue olyue trees in alle thi termes, and thou schalt not be anoyntid with oile; for tho schulen falle doun, and schulen perische.

⁴¹ Thou schalt gendre sones and douytris, and thou schalt not vse hem; for thei schulen be led in to caitifte.

⁴² Rust schal waaste alle thi trees and fruytis of thi lond.

⁴³ A comelyng, that dwellith with thee in the lond, schal stie on thee, and he schal be the hiyere; forsothe thou schalt go doun, and schalt be the lowere.

⁴⁴ He schal leene to thee, and thou schalt not leene to hym; he schal be in to the heed, and thou schalt be in to the tail.

⁴⁵ And alle these cursyngis schulen come on thee, and schulen pursue, and schulen take thee, til thou perische; for thou herdist not the vois of thi Lord God, nether kepist hise comaundementis and cerymonyes, whiche he comaundide to thee.

⁴⁶ And signes, and grete wondris schulen be in thee, and in thi seed, til in to withouten ende;

⁴⁷ for thou seruedist not thi Lord God in the ioye and gladnesse of herte, for the abundaunce of alle thingis.

⁴⁸ Thou schalt serue thin enemye, whom God schal sende to thee in hungur, and thirst, and nakidnesse, and in pouert of alle thingis; and he schal putte an yrun yok on thi nol, til he al to-breke thee.

⁴⁹ The Lord schal brynge on thee a folk fro fer place, and fro the laste endis of erthe, in to the licnesse of an egle fleynge with bire, of which folc thou maist not vnderstonde the langage;

⁵⁰ a folk moost greedi axere, that schal not yyue reuerence to an elde man, nethir haue mercy on a litil child.

⁵¹ And schal deuoure the fruyt of thi beestis, and the fruytis of thi lond, til thou perischist, and schal not leeue to thee wheete, wyn, and oile, droues of oxun, and flockis of scheep,

⁵² til he leese thee, and al to-breke in alle thi citees, and til thi sadde and hiye wallis be distried, in whiche thou haddist trust in al thi lond. Thou schalt be bisegid withynne thi yatis in al thi lond, which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee.

⁵³ And thou schalt ete the fruyt of thi wombe, and the fleischis of thi sones, and of thi douytris, whiche thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, in the angwisch and distriyng, bi which thin enemye schal oppresse thee.

⁵⁴ A man delicat of lijf, and `ful letcherouse, schal haue enuye to his brother, and wijf that liggith in his bosum,

⁵⁵ lest he yyue to hem of the fleischis of hise sones whiche he schal ete; for he hath noon other thing in biseging and pouert, bi which thin enemyes schulen waaste thee with ynne alle thi yatis.

⁵⁶ A tendur womman and delicat, that myyte not go on the erthe, nether set a step of foot, for most softnesse and tendirnesse, schal haue enuye to hir hosebonde that liggith in hir bosum, on the fleischis of sone and douyter,

⁵⁷ and on the filthe of skynnes, wherynne the child is wlappid in the wombe, that gon out of the myddis of hir `scharis, ethir hipe bonys, and on fre children that ben borun in the same our. Thei schulen ete `tho children priueli, for the scarsete of alle thingis in bisegyng and distriyng, bi which thin enemy schal oppresse thee with ynne thi yatis.

⁵⁸ No but thou schalt kepe and do alle the wordis of this lawe, that ben writun in this volym, `ether book, and schalt drede his gloriouse name and ferdful, that is thi Lord God,

⁵⁹ the Lord schal encreese thi woundis, and the woundis of thi seed; grete woundis and contynuel, sikenessis worste and euerlestinge.

⁶⁰ And he schal turne in to thee alle the turmentyngis of Egipt, whiche thou dreddist, and tho schulen cleue to thee.

⁶¹ Ferthermore the Lord schal brynge on thee also alle the sorewis and woundis, that ben not writun in the volym of this lawe, til he al to-breke thee.

⁶² And ye schulen dwelle fewe in noumbre, that weren bifore as the sterris of heuene for multitude, for thou herdist not the vois of thi Lord God.

⁶³ And as the Lord was glad bifore on you, and dide wel to you, and multipliede you; so he schal be glad, `and schal leese, and distrie you, that ye be takun awei fro the lond, to which thou schalt entre to welde.

⁶⁴ The Lord schal leese thee in to alle puplis, fro the hiynesse of erthe `til to the termes therof; and thou schalt serue there to alien goddis, whiche thou knowist not, and thi fadris `knowen not, to trees and stoonys.

⁶⁵ Also thou schalt not reste in tho folkis, nether rest schal be to the step of thi foot. For the Lord schal yyue to thee there a ferdful herte, and iyen failynge, and lijf waastyd with morenyng.

⁶⁶ And thi lijf schal be as hangynge bifore thee; thou schalt drede in nyyt and dai, and thou schal not bileue to thi lijf.

⁶⁷ In the morewtid thou schalt seie, Who schal yyue the euentid to me? and in the euentid `thou schalt seie, Who schal yyue the morewtid to me? for the drede of thin herte, bi which thou schalt be maad aferd, and for tho thingis whiche thou schalt see with thin iyen.

⁶⁸ The Lord schal lede thee ayen bi schipis in to Egipt, by the weie of which he seide to thee, that thou schuldist no more se it. There thou schalt be seeld to thin enemyes, in to seruauntis and `hand maidis; and noon schal be that schal delyuere thee.

1. [Note: thi worste fyndingis, that is, synnes that ben of vs, but goodis ben of God.]
2. [Note: and sith multitude of children makith many men ofte nedi, it is ful lickely that in to greate veniaunce many wedlokis ben now suffrid of God.]
3. [Note: that thei be stijf to obeie to his wille, and souple to ydolatrie.]

Chapter 29

¹ These ben the wordis of boond of pees, which the Lord comaundide to Moyses, that he schulde smyte with the sones of Israel in the lond of Moab, outakun that bond of pees, which he couenauntide with hem in Oreb.

² And Moises clepid al Israel, and seide to hem, Ye sien alle thingis whiche the Lord dide bifor you in the lond of Egipt, to Farao and alle hise seruauntis, and to al his lond;

³ the greet temptaciouns whiche thin iyen sien, `tho signes, and grete wondris.

⁴ And the Lord yaf not to you an herte vndurstondynge, and iyen seynge, and eeris that moun here, til in to present dai.

⁵ He ledde you bi fourti yeer thoruy deseert; youre clothis weren not brokun, nether the schoon of youre feet weren waastid bi eldnesse;

⁶ ye eetun not breed, ye drunken not wyn and sidur, that ye schulden wite that he is youre Lord God.

⁷ And ye camen to this place; and Seon, the kyng of Esebon yede out, and Og, the kyng of Basan, and camen to us to batel. And we han smyte hem,

⁸ and we token awey the lond `of hem, and we yauen `the lond to possessioun, to Ruben, and to Gad, and to the half lynage of Manasses.

⁹ Therfor kepe ye the wordis of this couenaunt, and fille ye tho, that ye vndirstonde all thingis whiche ye schulen do.

¹⁰ Alle ye stonden to day bifor youre Lord God, youre princes, and lynagis, and the grettere men in birthe, and techeris, al the puple of Israel,

¹¹ fre children, and youre wyues, and comelyngis that dwellen with thee in castels, outakun the heweris of stonus, and outakun hem that beren watris;

¹² that thou go in the boond of pees of thi Lord God, and in the ooth which thi Lord God smytith with thee,

¹³ that he reise thee in to a puple to hym silf, and that he be thi Lord God, as he spak to thee, and as he swoor to thi fadris, to Abraham, Ysaac, and Jacob.

¹⁴ And not to you aloone Y smyte this loond of pees, and conferme these othis,

¹⁵ but to alle men, present and absent.

¹⁶ For ye witen hou we dwelliden in the lond of Egipt, and how we passiden bi the myddis of naciouns; whiche ye passiden,

¹⁷ and siyen abhomynaciouns and filthis, that is, idols `of hem, tre and stoon, siluer and gold, whiche thei worschipiden.

¹⁸ Lest perauenture among you be man ether womman, meyne ether lynage, whos herte is turned away to dai fro youre Lord God, that he go, and serue the goddis of tho folkis; and a roote ^[1] buriounnynge galle and bitternesse be among you;

¹⁹ and whanne he hath herd the wordis of this ooth, he blesse hym silf ^[2] in his herte, and seie, Pees schal be to me, and Y schal go in the schrewidnesse of myn herte; and lest the drunkun take the thirsti,

²⁰ and the Lord forgyue not to hym, but thanne ful greetli his strong veniaunce be feers, and the feruour ayens that man, and alle the cursis that ben writun in this book `sitte on hym; and `the Lord do away his name vndur heuene,

²¹ and waaste hym in to perdicioun fro alle the lynagis of Israel, bi the cursis that ben conteyned in the book of this lawe and of boond of pees.

²² And the generacioun suynge schal seie, and the sones that schulen be borun aftirward, and pilgrimys that schulen come fro fer, seynge the veniauncis of that lond, and the sikenessis bi whiche the Lord turmentide that lond,

²³ brennynge `that lond with brymston and heete of the sunne, so that it be no more sowun, nether bringe forth ony grene thing, in to ensaumple of destriyng of Sodom and of Gommorre, of Adama and of Seboym, whiche the Lord destriede in his ire and stronge veniaunce.

²⁴ And alle folkis schulen seie, Whi dide the Lord so to this lond? What is the greet ire of his stronge veniaunce?

²⁵ and thei schulen answere, For thei forsoken the couenaunt of the Lord, whiche he couenauntide with her fadris, whanne he ledde hem out of the lond of Egipt,

²⁶ and thei serueden alien goddis, and worschipiden hem, whiche thei knewen not, and to whiche thei weren not youun;

²⁷ therfor the strong veniaunce of the Lord was wrooth ayens this lond, that he brouyte yn on it alle the cursis that ben writun in this book;

²⁸ and he castide hem out of her lond, in ire and strong veniaunce, and in gretteste indignacioun; and he castide forth in to an alien lond, as it is preued to dai.

²⁹ Thingis ben hid ^[3] of oure Lord God, `that is, in his biforknowing, whiche thingis ben schewid to us, and to oure sones with outen ende, that we do alle the wordis of this lawe.

1. [Note: a roote, etc. that is, ony man corrupt bi idolatrie that corrumpe othere men bi his wickid tising.]
2. [Note: he blesse him silf; that is, biheete foryyuenesse to him silf, and so breke more tristily Goddis lawe.]
3. [Note: thingis ben hid, etc. Ebrews expownen thus, synnes hid fro God ben reserued to dampnacioun; whiche ben schewid to vs, that is, ben punyschid by mannus doom.]

Chapter 30

¹ Therfor whanne alle these wordis comen on thee, blessyng ether cursing, which Y settide forth in thi siyt, and thou art led bi repentaunce of thin herte among alle folkis, in to whiche thi Lord God hath scaterid thee,

² and turnest ayen to hym, and obeiest to hise comaundementis, as Y comaundide to thee to dai, with thi sones, in al thin herte and in al thi soule,

³ thi Lord God schal lede thee ayen fro thi caitifte, and schal haue mercy on thee, and eft he schal gadre thee from alle puplis, in to whiche he scateride the bifore.

⁴ If thou art scaterid to the endis ^[1] of heuene, fro thennus thi Lord God schal withdrawe thee;

⁵ and he schal take and schal bringe thee in to the lond which thi fadris weldiden; and thou schalt holde it, and he schal blesse thee, and schal make thee to be of more noumbre than thi fadris weren.

⁶ Thi Lord God schal circumcide thin herte, and the herte of thi seed, that thou loue thi Lord God in al thin herte and in al thi soule, and maist liue ^[2] .

⁷ Forsothe the Lord schal turne alle these cursyngis on thin enemyes, and on hem that haten and pursuen thee.

⁸ Sotheli thou schalt turne ayen, and schalt here the vois of thi Lord God, and schalt do alle the heestis whiche Y comaunde to thee to dai;

⁹ and thi Lord God schal make thee to be plenteuouse, in alle the workis of thin hondis, in the children of thi wombe, and in the fruyt of thi beestis, in abundaunce of thi lond, and in largenesse of alle thingis. For the Lord schal turne ayen, that he haue ioye on thee in alle goodis, as he ioyede in thi fadris;

¹⁰ if netheles thou herist the voys of thi Lord God, and kepist hise heestis and cerymonys, that ben writun in this lawe, and thou turne ayen to thi Lord God in al thin herte, and in al thi soule.

¹¹ This comaundement whiche Y comaunde to thee to day,

¹² is not aboue thee, nethir is set fer, nethir is set in heuene, that thou maist seie, Who of vs may stie to heuene, that he brynge it to vs, and we here, and fille in werk?

¹³ nether it is set biyende the see, `that thou pleyne, and seye, Who of vs may passe ouer the see, and brynge it til to vs, that we moun here and do that that is comaundid?

¹⁴ But the word is ful nyy thee, in thi mouth and in thin herte, that thou do it.

¹⁵ Biholde thou, that to day Y haue set forth in thi siyt lijf and good, and ayenward deeth and yuel;

¹⁶ that thou loue thi Lord God, and go in hise weies, and kepe hise heestis, and cerymonyes, and domes; and that thou lyue, and he multiplie thee, and blesse thee in the lond to which thou schalt entre to welde.

¹⁷ But if thin herte is turned awey, and thou nylt here, and thou art disseyued bi errour, and worschipist alien goddis,

¹⁸ and seruest hem, Y biforseie to thee to dai, that thou schalt perische, and schalt dwelle litil tyme in the lond to which thou schalt entre to welde, whanne thou schalt passe Jordan.

¹⁹ Y clepe to day heuene and erthe witnesses, that is, aungels and men, that Y haue set forth to you lijf and deeth, good and yuel, blessyng and cursyng; therfor chese thou lijf, that bothe thou lyue and thi seed,

²⁰ and that thou loue thi Lord God, and obeie to his vois, and cleue to hym, for he is thi lijf, and the lengthe of thi daies; that thou dwelle in the lond, for which the Lord swoor to thi fadris, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that he schulde yyue it to hem.

1. [Note: the endis etc. that is, to the ferthereste partis of erthe.]
2. [Note: Loue therfore your enemyes hertily and preieth for hem.]

Chapter 31

¹ And so Moises yede, and spak alle these wordis to al Israel,

² and seide to hem, Y am to dai of an hundrid and twenti yeer, Y may no ferthere go out and go yn, moost sithen also the Lord seide to me, Thou schalt not passe this Jordan.

³ Therfor thi Lord God schal passe bifore thee; he schal do awei these folkis in thi siyt, and thou schalt welde hem; and this Josue schal go bifor thee, as the Lord spak.

⁴ And the Lord schal do to hem as he dide to Seon, and Og kyng of Ammorreis, and to `the lond of hem; and he schal do hem awey.

⁵ Therfor whanne the Lord hath bitake to you also hem, ye schulen do in lijk maner to hem, as Y comaundide to you.

⁶ Do ye manli, and be ye coumfortid; nyle ye drede in herte, nethir drede ye at the siyt of hem, for thi Lord God hym silf is thi ledere, and he schal not leeue, nether schal forsake thee.

⁷ And Moyses clepid Josue, and seide to hym bifor al the multitude of the sones of Israel, Be thou coumfortid, and be thou strong; for thou schalt lede this puple in to the lond which the Lord swoor that he schal yyue to `the fadris of hem; and thou schalt departe it bi lot.

⁸ And the Lord hym silf whiche is youre ledere, schal be with thee, he schal not leeue, nether schal forsake thee; nyle thou drede, nether drede thou in herte.

⁹ Therfor Moyses wroot this lawe, and bitook it to the preestis, sones of Leuy, that baren the arke of the bond of pees of the Lord, and to alle the eldere men of Israel.

¹⁰ And Moyses comaundide to hem, and seide, Aftir seuen yeer, in the yeer of remyssioun, in the solempnete of tabernaclis,

¹¹ whanne alle men of Israel schulen come togidere, that thei appere in the siyt of her Lord God, in the place `which the Lord chees, thou schalt rede the wordis of this lawe bifor al Israel,

¹² while thei heren, and while al the puple is gaderid to gidere, as wel to men, as to wymmen, to litle children, and comelyngis that ben with ynne thi yatis; that thei here, and lerne, and drede youre Lord God, and kepe and fille alle the wordis of this lawe;

¹³ also that the sones of hem, that now knowen not, moun here, and that thei drede her Lord God in alle daies in whiche thei lyuen in the lond to whiche ye schulen go to gete, whanne Jordan is passid.

¹⁴ And the Lord seide to Moises, Lo! the daies of thi deeth ben nyy; clepe thou Josue, and stonde ye in the tabernacle of witnessyng, that Y comaunde to hym. Therfor Moises and Josue yeden, and stooden in the tabernacle of witnessyng;

¹⁵ and the Lord apperide there in a pilere of cloude, that stood in the entryng of the tabernacle.

¹⁶ And the Lord seide to Moises, Lo! thou schalt slepe with thi fadris, and this puple schal rise, and schal do fornycacioun aftir alien goddis in the lond, to which lond it schal entre, that it dwelle ther ynne; there it schal forsake me, and schal make void the boond of pees, which Y couenauntide with it.

¹⁷ And my strong veniaunce schal be wrooth ayens that puple in that dai, and Y schal forsake it, and Y schal hide my face fro it, and it schal be in to deuouryng; alle yuels and turmentyngis schulen fynde it, so that it seie in that dai, Verili for the Lord is not with me, these yuelis han founde me.

¹⁸ Forsothe Y schal hide, and schal hile `my face in that dai, for alle the yuels `whiche it dide, for it suede alien goddis.

¹⁹ Now therfor write ye to you this song, and `teche ye the sones of Israel, that thei holde it in mynde, and synge bi mouth; and that this song be to me for a witnessyng among the sones of Israel.

²⁰ For Y schal lede hym in to the lond, for which Y swoor to hise fadris, flowynge with mylk and hony; and whanne thei han ete, and ben fillid, and ben maad fat, thei schulen turne to alien goddis, and thei schulen serue hem; and thei schulen bacbite me, and schulen make voide my couenaunt.

²¹ Aftir that many yuels and turmentyngis han founde hym, this song schal answere hym for witnessing, which song no foryetyng schal do awey fro the mouth of thi seed. For Y knowe the thouytis therof to day, what thingis it schal do, bifore that Y bringe it in to the lond which Y bihiyte to it.

²² Therfor Moises wroot the song, and tauyte the sones of Israel.

²³ And the Lord comaundide to Josue, the sone of Nun, and seide, Be thou coumfortid, and be thou strong; for thou schalt lede the sones of Israel in to the lond which Y bihiyte, and Y schal be with thee.

²⁴ Therfor aftir that Moises wroot the wordis of this lawe in a book, and fillide,

²⁵ he comaundide to Leuytis ^[1] that baren the ark of boond of pees of the Lord,

²⁶ and seide, Take ye this book, and putte ye it in the side of the arke of boond of pees of youre Lord God, that it be there ayens thee in to witnessyng.

²⁷ For Y knowe thi stryuyng, and thin hardest nol; yit while Y lyuede and entride with you, ye diden euere stryuyngli ayens the Lord; hou myche more whanne Y schal be deed.

²⁸ Gadere ye to me all the grettere men in birthe, and techeris, bi youre lynagis, and Y schal speke to hem, herynge these wordis, and Y schal clepe ayens hem heuene and erthe.

²⁹ For Y knowe, that aftir my deeth ye schulen do wickidli, and schulen bowe awei soone fro the weie which Y comaundide to you; and yuels schulen come to you in the laste tyme, whanne ye `han do yuel in the siyt of the Lord, that ye terre hym to ire bi the werkis of youre hondis.

³⁰ Therfor while al the cumpeny of the sones of Israel herde, Moises spak the wordis of this song, and fillide `til to the ende.

1. [Note: to Leuylis, that is, to prestis of the lynage of Leuy.]

Chapter 32

¹ Ye heuenes, here what thingis Y schal speke; the erthe here the wordis of my mouth.

² My techyng wexe togidere as reyn; my speche flete out as dew, as lytil reyn on eerbe, and as dropis on gras.

³ For Y schal inwardli clepe the name of the Lord; yyue ye glorie to oure God.

⁴ The werkis of God ben perfit, and alle hise weies ben domes; God is feithful, and without ony wickidnesse; God is iust and riytful.

⁵ Thei synneden ayens hym, and not hise sones in filthis, `that is, of idolatrie; schrewid and waiward generacioun.

⁶ Whether thou yeldist these thingis to the Lord, thou fonned puple and vnwijs? Whether he is not thi fadir, that weldide thee, and made, `and made thee of nouyt?

⁷ Haue thou minde of elde daies, thenke thou alle generaciouns; axe thi fadir, and he schal telle to thee, axe thi grettere men, and thei schulen seie to thee.

⁸ Whanne the hiyeste departide folkis, whanne he departide the sones of Adam, he ordeynede the termes of puplis bi the noumbre of the sones of Israel ^[1] .

⁹ Forsothe the part of the Lord is his puple; Jacob is the litil part of his eritage.

¹⁰ The Lord foond hym in a deseert lond, `that is, priued of Goddis religioun, in the place of orrour `ethir hidousnesse, and of wast wildirnesse; the Lord ledde hym aboute, and tauyte hym, and kepte as the apple of his iye.

¹¹ As an egle stirynge his briddis to fle, and fleynge on hem, he spredde forth his wyngis, and took hem, and bar in hise schuldris.

¹² The Lord aloone was his ledere, and noon alien god was with hym.

¹³ The Lord ordeynede hym on an hiy lond, that he schulde ete the fruytis of feeldis, that he schulde souke hony of a stoon, and oile of the hardeste roche;

¹⁴ botere ^[2] of the droue, and mylke of scheep, with the fatnesse of lambren and of rammes, of the sones of Basan; and that he schulde ete kydis with the merowe of wheete, and schulde drynke the cleereste blood of grape.

¹⁵ The louede puple was `maad fat, and kikide ayen <sup>[3]</sup> ; maad fat withoutforth, maad fat with ynne, and alargid; he forsook God his makere, and yede awei fro `God his helthe.

¹⁶ Thei terriden hym to ire in alien goddis, and thei excitiden to wrathfulnesse in abhomynaciouns.

¹⁷ Thei offriden to feendis, and not to God, to goddis whiche thei knewen not, newe goddis, and freische camen, whiche `the fadris of hem worschipiden not.

¹⁸ Thou hast forsake God that gendride thee, and thou hast foryete `thi Lord creatour.

¹⁹ The Lord siy, and was stirid to wrathfulnesse; for hise sones and douytris terriden hym.

²⁰ And the Lord seide, Y schal hyde my face fro hem, and Y schal biholde `the laste thingis of hem; for it is a waiward generacioun, and vnfeithful sones.

²¹ Thei terriden me in hym that was not God, and thei `terriden to ire in her vanytees; and Y schal terre hem in hym, that is not a puple, and Y schal terre hem `to yre in a fonned folk.

²² Fier, that is, peyne maad redi to hem, is kyndlid in my stronge veniaunce, and it schal brenne `til to the laste thingis of helle; and it schal deuoure the lond with his fruyt, and it schal brenne the foundementis of hillis.

²³ Y schal gadere `yuels on hem, and Y schal fille myn arewis in hem.

²⁴ Thei schulen be waastid with hungur, and briddis schulen deuoure hem with bitteriste bityng; Y schal sende in to hem the teeth of beestis, with the woodnesse of wormes drawynge on erthe, and of serpentis.

²⁵ Swerd with outforth and drede with ynne schal waaste hem; a yong man and a virgyn togidre, a soukynge child with an elde man.

²⁶ And Y seide, Where ben thei? Y schal make the mynde of hem to ceesse of men.

²⁷ But Y delayede for the yre of enemyes, lest perauenture `the enemyes of hem shulden be proude, and seie, Oure hiy hond, and not the Lord, dide alle these thingis.

²⁸ It is a folk with out counsel, and with out prudence;

²⁹ Y wolde that thei saueriden, and `vnderstoden, and purueiden the laste thingis.

³⁰ How pursuede oon of enemyes a thousynde of Jewis, and tweyne dryuen awey ten thousynde? Whether not therfore for her God selde hem, and the Lord closide hem togidere?

³¹ For oure God is not as the goddis of hem, and oure enemyes ben iugis.

³² The vyner of hem is of the vyner of Sodom, and of the subarbis of Gomorre; the grape of hem is the grape of galle, and the clustre is most bittir.

³³ The galle of dragouns is the wyn of hem, and the venym of eddris, that may not be heelid.

³⁴ Whether these thingis ben not hid at me, and ben seelid in myn tresouris?

³⁵ Veniaunce is myn, and Y schal yelde to hem in tyme, that the foot of hem slide; the dai of perdicioun is nyy, and tymes hasten to be present.

³⁶ The Lord schal deme his puple, and he schal do merci in hise seruauntis; the puple schal se that the hond of fiyteres is sijk, and also men closid failiden, and the residues ben waastid.

³⁷ And thei ^[4] schulen seie, Where ben `the goddis of hem, in whiche thei hadden trust?

³⁸ Of whos sacrifices thei eeten fatnessis, and drunkun the wyn of fletynge sacrifices, rise thei and helpe you, and defende thei you in nede.

³⁹ Se ye that Y am aloone, and noon other God is outakun me; Y schal sle, and Y schal make to lyue; Y schal smyte, and Y schal make hool; and noon is that may delyuere fro myn hond.

⁴⁰ And Y schal reise myn hond to heuene, and Y schal seie, Y lyue with outen ende.

⁴¹ If Y schal whette my swerd as leit, and myn hond schal take doom, Y schal yelde veniaunce to myn enemyes, and Y schal quyte to hem that haten me.

⁴² Y schal fille myn arewis with blood, and my swerd schal deuoure fleischis ^[5] of the blood of hem that ben slayn, and of the caitifte of the heed of enemyes maad nakid ^[6] .

⁴³ Folkis, preise ye the puplis of hym, for he schal venie the blood of hise seruauntis, and he schal yelde veniaunce in to the enemyes of hem; and he schal be merciful to the lond of his puple.

⁴⁴ Therfor Moises cam, and spak alle the wordis of this song in the eeris of the puple; bothe he and Josue, the sone of Nun.

⁴⁵ And `he fillide alle these wordis, and spak to alle Israel, and seide to hem,

⁴⁶ Putte ye youre hertis in to alle the wordis whiche Y witnesse to you to day, that ye comaunde to youre sones, to kepe, and do tho, and to fulfille alle thingis that ben writun in the book of this lawe;

⁴⁷ for not in veyn tho ben comaundid to you, but that alle men schulden lyue in tho; whiche wordis ye schulen do, and schulen contynue in long tyme in the lond, to which ye schulen entre to welde, whanne Jordan is passid.

⁴⁸ And the Lord spak to Moises in the same day,

⁴⁹ and seide, Stie thou in to this hil Abirym, that is, passyng, in to the hil of Nebo, which is in the lond of Moab, ayens Jerico; and se thou the lond of Canaan, which Y schal yyue to the sones of Israel to holde, and die thou in the hil.

⁵⁰ In to which hil thou schalt stie, and schalt be ioyned to thi puplis, as Aaron, thi brother, was deed in the hil of Hor, and was put to his puplis.

⁵¹ For ye trespassiden ayens me, in the myddis of the sones of Israel, at the Watris of Ayenseiyng, in Cades of deseert of Syn; and ye halewiden not me among the sones of Israel.

⁵² Ayenward thou schalt se the lond, and schalt not entre in to it, which Y schal yyue to the sones of Israel.

1. [Note: of the sones of Israel, the translacioun of lxx. hath, of the sones of God.]
2. [Note: butre geten bi traueil is pacience in aduersite, sweet milk is loue that nurschith vertu, fatnesse is good ensaumple flowinge charitabli to other.]
3. [Note: it wynside, it was maad fatt, ful gretid and out largid fat, and it wynsede ayen God bi grucchinge and vnfeithfulnesse; it was maad fat with oute forth, it was maad fat with inne forth, and alargid bi good fame.]
4. [Note: and they, that is, good men among the Jewis.]
5. [Note: that is, hem that lyuen after the fleshe.]
6. [Note: of the blood of hem that ben slain here thury deedly synne, and of the caitiftee of auntecrist her heed, maad nakid of Goddis help, Crist shal take veniaunce, and distric hem alle with his word.]

Chapter 33

¹ This is the blessing, bi which Moises, the man of God, blesside the sones of Israel bifor his deeth;

² and seide, The Lord cam fro Syna, and he roos to us fro Seir; he apperide fro the hil of Pharan, and thousandis of seyntis with hym; a lawe of fier in his riythond.

³ He louede puplis; alle seyntis ben in his hond, and thei that neiyen to hise feet schulen take of his doctryn.

⁴ Moisis comaundide lawe `to vs, eritage ^[1] of the multitude of Jacob.

⁵ And the king schal be at the moost riytful, whanne princes of the puple schulen be gaderid togidere with the lynagis of Israel.

⁶ Ruben lyue, and die not, and be he litil in noumbre.

⁷ This is the blessyng of Juda; Lord, here thou the vois of Juda, and brynge in hym to his puple; hise hondis schulen fiyte for hym, and the helpere of hym schal be ayens hise aduersaries.

⁸ Also he seide to Leuy, Thi perfeccioun and thi techyng is of an hooly man, whom thou preuedist in temptacioun, and demedist at the Watris of Ayenseiynge;

⁹ which Leuy seide to his fadir and to his modir, Y knowe not you, and to hise britheren, Y knowe not hem; and knewen not her sones. These kepten thi speche, and these kepten thi couenaunt; A!

¹⁰ Jacob, thei kepten thi domes, and `thou, Israel, thei kepten thi lawe; thei schulen putte encense in thi strong veniaunce ^[2] , and brent sacrifice on thin auter.

¹¹ Lord, blesse thou the strengthe of hym, and resseyue thou the werkis of his hondis; smyte thou the backis of hise enemyes, and thei that haten hym, rise not.

¹² And he seide to Benjamyn, The moost loued of the Lord schal dwelle tristili in hym, `that is, in the Lord; he schal dwelle al day as in a chaumbur, and he schal reste bitwixe the schuldris of hym.

¹³ Also he seide to Joseph, `His lond is of the Lordis blessyng; of the applis of heuene, and of the dewe, and of watir liggynge bynethe;

¹⁴ of the applis of fruytis of the sunne and moone; of the coppe of elde munteyns,

¹⁵ and of the applis of euerlastynge litle hillis;

¹⁶ and of the fruytis of the lond, and of the fulnesse therof. The blessyng of hym that apperide in the busch come on the heed of Joseph, and on the cop of Nazarey, `that is, hooli, among hise britheren.

¹⁷ As the first gendrid of a bole is the feirnesse of hym; the hornes of an vnicorn ben the hornes of hym; in tho he schal wyndewe folkis, `til to the termes of erthe. These ben the multitudis of Effraym, and these ben the thousyndis of Manasses.

¹⁸ And he seide to Zabulon, Zabulon, be thou glad in thi goyng out, and, Ysacar, in thi tabernaclis.

¹⁹ Thei schulen clepe puplis to the hil, there thei schulen offre sacrifices of riytfulnesse; whiche schulen souke the flowing of the see as mylk, and hid tresours of grauel.

²⁰ And he seide to Gad, Gad is blessid in broodnesse; he restide as a lioun, and he took the arm and the nol.

²¹ And he siy his prinshed, that `the techere was kept in his part; which Gad was with the princes of the puple, and dide the riytfulnesses of the Lord, and his doom with Israel.

²² Also he seide to Dan, Dan, a whelp of a lioun, schal flowe largeli fro Basan.

²³ And he seide to Neptalym, Neptalym schal vse abundaunce, and he schal be ful with blessyngis of the Lord; and he schal welde the see ^[3] and the south.

²⁴ Also he seide to Aser, Aser, be blessid in sones, and plese he hise britheren; dippe he his foot in oile.

²⁵ Yrun and bras the scho of hym; as the dai of thi youthe so and thin eelde.

²⁶ Noon other god is as the God of the moost riytful, that is, `as the God `of the puple of Israel, gouerned bi moost riytful lawe; the stiere of heuene is thin helpere; cloudis ^[4] rennen aboute bi the glorie of hym.

²⁷ His dwellynge place is aboue, and armes euerlastynge ben bynethe; he schal caste out fro thi face the enemy, and he schal seie, Be thou al to-brokun.

²⁸ Israel schal dwelle trustili and aloone; the iye of Jacob in the lond of whete, and of wyn; and heuenes schulen be derk with dew.

²⁹ Blessed art thou, Israel; thou puple that art saued in the Lord, who is lijk thee? The scheld of thin help and the swerd of thi glorie is thi God; thin enemyes schulen denye thee, and thou schalt trede her neckis.

1. [Note: eritage, for eritage is a thing vnmoutable. So the lawe was youun to Jewis, that it schulde be kept of hem vnmouably.]
2. [Note: putte encense in thi strong veniaunce, that is, to turn awey thi strong veniaunce fro thi peple.]
3. [Note: he schal welde the see, etc.; for the see of Galilee, as to the south part therof, felde in the lot of Neptalym.]
4. [Note: cloudis. In Ebrew it is, heuenes and armes of the world.]

Chapter 34

¹ Therfor Moyses stiede fro the feeldi places of Moab on the hil of Nebo, in to the cop of Fasga, ayens Gerico. And the Lord schewide to hym al the lond of Galaad `til to Dan,

² and al Neptalym, and the lond of Effraym and of Manasses, and al the lond of Juda, `til to the laste see; and the south part,

³ and the breede of the feeld of Jerico, of the citee of Palmes `til to Segor.

⁴ And the Lord seide to hym, This is the lond for which Y swoor to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and Y seide, Y schal yyue it to thi seed; thou hast seyn it with thin iyen, and thou schalt not passe `to it.

⁵ And Moyses, the seruaunt of the Lord, was deed there, in the lond of Moab, `for the Lord comaundide.

⁶ And the Lord biriede hym ^[1] in a valey of the lond of Moab, ayens Fegor, and no man knewe his sepulcre `til in to present day.

⁷ Moises was of an hundrid and twenti yeer whanne he diede; his iye dasewide not, nethir hise teeth weren stirid.

⁸ And the sones of Israel biwepten hym thretti daies in the feeldi places of Moab; and the daies of weilyng of men `bymorenynge Moises weren fillid.

⁹ Forsothe Josue, the sone of Nun, was fillid with `the spyrit of wisdom, for Moises settide hise hondis on hym; and the sones of Israel obeieden to Josue, and diden as the Lord comaundide to Moises.

¹⁰ And `a profete roos no more in Israel `as Moises ^[2] , whom the Lord knewe face to face,

¹¹ in alle myraclis, and grete wondris, whiche the Lord sente bi hym, that he schulde do in the lond of Egipt to Farao, and alle hise seruauntis, and to al the lond `of hym,

¹² and al strong hond, and the `grete merueylis, whiche Moyses dide bifor al Israel.

1. [Note: biriede him, by the seruyce of aungels.]
2. [Note: as Moyses, that is, euene to him.]

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