Deuteronomy · Chapter 7

[ edit] Whanne þe Lord þi God haþ lad þee into þe loond, þe which to weelde þow ſhalt goo yn, and doþ awey many gentilis before þee, Eþee, and Gergeſe, and Amorre, Chananee, Phereſe, Euee, and Gebuſe; ſeuen folkis, of myche more noumbre þan þow art, and ſtronger þan þow; and þe Lord God take hem to þee, and þow ſhalt ſmyte hem vnto þe deþ, þow ſhalt not maak wiþ hem couenaunt of pees, ne haue mercy of hem, ne felawſhip wiþ hem mariagis; þi douȝter þow ſhalt not ȝeue to his ſone, ne his douȝter þow ſhalt take to þi ſone; for ſhe ſhal lede aſide þi ſone, þat he folwe not me, and þat more he ſerue to alyen goddis; and þe woodenes of þe Lord ſhal wraþþe, and ſoone do þee awey.

But raþer þes þingis ȝe ſhulen doo to hem; þe auters of hem vndurturneþ, and brekiþ togidres þe ymagis, and þe mawmet wodis hewiþ down, and þe grauen þingis brenneþ. For an holy puple þou art to þe Lord þi God; þe Lord þi God haþ choſen þee, þat þow be to hym a ſpecial puple, fro al þe puples þat ben vpon erþe. Not for al þe gentilis in noumbre ȝe vencuſiden, þe Lord is ioyned to ȝow, and haþ choſun ȝow, whanne ȝe ben fewer þan alle þe puples; but for þe Lord haþ loued ȝow, and haþ kept þe teſtament þat he haþ ſworn to ȝour fadres; and he haþ lad ȝow out in a ſtrong hoond, and haþ raunſomyd fro þe hows of ſeruage, and fro þe hows of Pharao, þe kyng of Egipte.

And þow ſhalt wyte, for þe Lord þi God he is a ſtrong God, and a feiþful, kepynge couenaunt and mercy to þilk þat louen hym, and to hem þat kepen his heeſtis, into þowſande generaciouns; and ȝeeldynge anoon to hem þat haten hym, ſo þat he ſcater hem, and ferþer differre not; anoon ȝeldynge to hem þat þei deſeruen. Kepe þerfore þe heeſtis, and cerymoyns, and domes, þat I comaunde to þee to day, þat þow doo. If after þat þow heriſt þes domes, kepiſt hem, and dooſt, þe Lord þi God ſhal kepe couenaunt to þee, and mercy, þat he ſwore to þi fadres.

And he ſhal loue þee, and multiplie, and he ſhal bleſſe to þe fruyt of þi wombe, and to þe fruyt of þi loond, and to þi whete, and to þi vyndage, oyle, and droues, flockis of þi ſheep, vpon þe loond for þe which he haþ ſwore to þi fadris, þat he ȝeue it to þee. Bliſſid þow ſhalt be among alle puples; þere ſhal not be anentis þee bareyn of eiþer kynde, as wel in men, as in þi flockis. Þe Lord ſhall doo awey fro þee al ſorwe; and þe worſt infirmytees of Egipte, þat þow haſt knowun, he ſhal not put in to þee, but to al þin enemyes.

And þow ſhalt deuowr alle þe puples, þe whiche þe Lord þi God is to ȝyue to þee; þin eye ſhal not ſpare to hem, ne ſerue to þe goddis of hem, leſt þei ben into dounfallynge of þee. If þow ſeiſt in þin herte, Mo ben þes folk þan Y, what maner wiſe ſhal I mowe doo awey hem? wol þow not drede, but recorde þat þe Lord þi God haþ doo to Pharao, and to alle þe Egipciens, mooſt veniaunces, þat þin eyen han ſeen, and toknes, and wondres, and a ſtrong hoond, and a ſtrauȝt out arme, þat þe Lord þi God out lede þee; ſo þow ſhalt doo to alle puples þe which þow drediſt.

Forþermore and horſefleȝis þe Lord þi God ſhal ſende to hem, to þe tyme þat he doo awey alle, and ſcater, þat fleen þee, and ben hid mowen þei not. Þou ſhalt not drede hem, for þe Lord þi God is in þe myddil of þee, þe greet God, and feerful. He ſhal waſte þes naciouns in þi ſiȝt, litilmele and bi partees; þow ſhalt not mowe doo hem awey togidre, leſt perauenture be multiplied aȝens þee þe beeſtys of þe erþe; and þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝeue hem in þi ſiȝt, and ſle hem, to þe tyme þat fulli þei ben doon aweie. And he ſhal take þe kyngis of hem into þin hoondes, and þow ſhalt ſcater þe names of hem vndur heuene; no man ſhal mowe wiþſtoonde to þee, to þe tyme þat þow al to-trede hem.

Þe grauen þingis of hem wiþ fier þow ſhalt brenne; þow ſhalt not coueyt ſiluer and gold, of þe whiche þei ben maad, ne þow ſhalt take of hem to þee eny þing, ne offend þow for hem, for abhomynacioun it is of þe Lord þi God. Ne brynge þow yn eny þing of þe mawmet into þin hows, leſt þow be maad accurſid, as and it is; as ſtynk þow ſhalt looþ, and as filþhed and horþe of abbomynacioun þow ſhalt haue, for curſid it is.