Deuteronomy · Chapter 1

[ edit] Thes ben þe wordis þat Moiſes ſpak to al Yrael, biȝonde Jordan, in þe wijld feeldi wildernes, aȝens þe Reed See, bytwix Pharan and Tophel and Laban and Aſſeroþ, where is mych þing of gold, bi enleuen days fro Oreb bi þe wey of þe hil of Seyr, vnto Cades Barne. Þe fourteenþe ȝeer, þe enleuenþ moneþ, þe firſt day of þe moneþ, Moyſes ſpak to þe ſones of Yrael alle þingis þat þe Lord hadde comaundid to hym þat he ſhulde ſeye to hem, after þat he ſmoot Seon, þe kyng of Amorreis, þat dwellid in Eſebon, and Og, þe kyng of Baſan, þat dwellid in Aſſeroþ and in Edray, biȝonde Jordan, in þe loond of Moab.

And Moyſes biganne to opne þe lawe, and ſeie, Þe Lord oure God haþ ſpoke to vs in Oreb, ſeiynge, It ſuffiſiþ to ȝow þat in þis hil ȝe han dwelt; turneþ aȝen, and comeþ to þe hil of Amorreis, and to oþer þat þere ben next, feeldi, and hilli, and þe more lower places aȝens þe ſouþ; and to þe loond biſide þe brenk of þe ſee of Chananees, and of Libany, vnto þe greet flood of Eufraten. Loo! he ſeiþ, I haue take it to ȝow; goo ȝe yn, and weelde ȝe it, vpon þe which þe Lord haþ ſworn to ȝoure fadres Abraham, Yſaac, and Jacob, þat he ȝyue it to hem, and to þe ſeed of hem after hem.

And I haue ſeid to ȝow in þat tyme, I may not aloone ſuſteyne ȝow, for þe Lord ȝoure God haþ multiplied ȝow, and ȝe ben many as þe ſterres of heuene; þe Lord God of oure fadris adde to þis noumbre many þowſandis, and bleſſe to ȝow, as he haþ ſpokun. Y may not alone ȝoure nedis ſuſteyn, and birþens, and ſtryues; ȝyue ȝe of ȝow wyſe men, and herti, and whos conuerſacioun be preued in ȝoure lynagis, þat I putte hem to ȝow princes. Þan ȝe anſwerden to me, A good þing it is þat þou wolt doon. And I took of ȝoure lynagis wiſe men, and noble; and I haue ordeynd hem princes, and tribunes, and centuriouns, and quynquagenaryes, and denes, þat techen ȝow alle þingis.

And I haue comaundide to hem, ſeiynge, Here ȝe hem, and þat is riȝtwiȝe demeþ, wheþer he be cyteſeyn, or pilgrime. Noon ſhal be diſtaunce of perſones; ſo þe litil ȝe ſhulen here as þe more, ne ȝe ſhulen accept eny mannus perſone, for þe dome of God it is. And if eny þing hard to ȝow were ſeen, telliþ to me, and I ſhal here. And I comaundide alle þingis þat ȝe ſhulden doo. And goon forþ fro Oreb, we paſſiden bi feerful deſeert and mooſt wildernes, þat ȝe han ſeen, bi þe weye of þe hil of Amorrei, as þe Lord ȝoure God haþ comaundide to ȝow.

And whanne ȝe weren comen into Cades Barne, Y ſeide to ȝow, Ȝe ben comen to þe hil of Amorrei, þat þe Lord oure God is to ȝyuynge to vs; looke þe loond þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee; and ſty vp, and weelde it, as þe Lord oure God haþ ſpoken to þi fadris; nyl þow drede, ne eny þing be agaſt. And ȝe comen to me alle, and ſeiden, ſende we men, þat biholden þe loond, and tellen to vs bi what weie we ſhulden ſtye vp, and to what cytees goon. And whanne to me þe word pleſide, Y ſente of ȝow twelue men, eche by her lynagis.

Þe whiche whanne þei weren goon, and hadden ſtied vp into þe hillis, þei camen into þe valeye of Cluſtre; and þe loond biholdid, takynge of þe fruytis of it, þat þei myȝten ſhewe þe plenteuouſte, þei brouȝten to vs, and ſeiden, Good is þe loond þat þe Lord oure God is to ȝyuynge to vs. And ȝe wolden not ſtye vp, but myſbileuynge to þe word of þe Lord oure God, ȝe grutchiden in ȝoure tabernaclis, and ſeiden, Þe Lord hatiþ vs, and þerfore he haþ ladde vs out of þe loond of Egipte, þat he take vs in þe hoond of Amorrei, and doo awey.

Wheþer ſhulen we ſtie vp? þe meſſangeris han feerde oure hertis, ſeiynge, Þe mooſt multitude is, and in ſtature more ſhapplych þan we; greet citees, and in to heuene wallid; þe ſones of Enachym we han ſeen þere. And I ſeide to ȝow, Wole ȝe not be feryde, ne drede ȝe; þe Lord God, þat is oure ledere, for vs he ſhal fiȝte, as he haþ doo in Egipte, alle men ſeynge. And in wildernes, ȝe han ſeen, þe Lord þi God haþ born þee, as a man is wonyd to bere a litil child, his ſone, in alle weie bi þe which ȝe han goo, to þe tyme þat ȝe comen to þis place.

And ȝit not þus forſoþe ȝe leeueden to þe Lord ȝoure God, þat wente before ȝou in þe weie, and haþ ſet þe place in þe whiche ȝe ſhulden picche tentis, þe nyȝt ſhewynge þe weie to ȝow bi fier, and þe dai bi piler of a clowde. And whanne þe Lord hadde herde þe voyce of ȝoure wordis, wrooþ he ſwore, and ſeiþ, Þere ſhal not ſe eny man of þe men of þis worſt generacioun þe good loond, þat vndur ooþ Y haue bihoot to ȝoure fadris, ſaue Caleph, þe ſone of Jephone; he forſoþe ſhal ſe it, and to hym I ſhal ȝyue þe loond þat he haþ troden, and to his ſones, for he haþ folwid þe Lord.

Ne þe indignacioun aȝen þe puple is to be meruelid, ſiþ to me forſoþe þe Lord wrooþ for ȝow, ſeide, Ne þow ſhalt go in þidir, but Joſue, þe ſone of Nun, þi ſeruaunt, he ſhal goo yn for þee; þis enfourme þow, and ſtrengþe, þat he þe loond bi lot dyuyde to Yrael. Ȝoure litil children, of þe whiche ȝe han ſeid, þat cheytif þei ſhulen be lad, and þe ſones þat to day of good and yuel vnknown þe diſtaunce, þei ſhulen goon yn; and to hem Y ſhal ȝyue þe loond, and þei ſhulen weeld it. Ȝe forſoþe turneþ aȝen, and goþ þens into wildernes, bi þe weie of þe Reed See. And ȝe anſwerden to me, We han ſynned to þe Lord; we ſhulen ſtie vp, and fiȝten, as þe Lord oure God haþ comaundid.

And whanne ȝe, tauȝt in armes, wolden goo into þe hil, þe Lord ſeiþ to me, ſey þou to hem, Wole ȝe not ſtie vp, ne fiȝte; forſoþe Y am not wiþ ȝow, leſt ȝe fallen before ȝoure enemyes. I ſpak, and ȝe herden not, but contrariynge to þe heeſt of þe Lord, and bolnynge bi pride, ȝe ſtieden vp into þe hil. And ſo Amorre gon out, þat dwelt in þe hillis, and aȝen comynge purſuede vs, as been ben wont to be purſued, and ſlewen doun fro Seyr vnto Horma. And whanne turned aȝen ȝe wepten before þe Lord, he herde ȝow not, ne to ȝour voys wolde aſſent; ȝe ſeeten þerfor in Cades Barne myche tyme.