Deuteronomy · Chapter 9

[ edit] Here, Yrael; þow ſhalt to day gon ouer Jordan, þat þow weelde mooſt naciouns, and ſtrenger þan þow; greet cytees, and into heuene wallid; a greet puple, and an hieȝe; þe ſones of Enachym, þe whiche þi ſelf haſt ſeen, and herd, to þe whiche no man may aȝen wiþſtoond. Þanne to day þow ſhalt wite, þat þe Lord þi God he ſhal go before þee; fier deuowrynge and waſtynge, þe which briſſe hem down, and doo awey, and ſcatre before þi face ſwiftly, as he haþ ſpokun to þee. Ne ſey þow in þin herte, whanne þe Lord þi God haþ doo hem awey in þi ſiȝt, For my riȝtwiſnes þe Lord haþ lad me in, þat þis loond I weelde; ſiþ for her wickidneſſes þes naciouns ben doon awey.

Forſoþe ne for þi riȝtwiſneſſes, and euenneſſe of þin herte þow ſhalt goon yn, þat þow weelde þe loondes of hem; but for þei diden vnpitownes, þe comynge yn, ben doon awey, and þat þe Lord fulfille his word þat vnder ooþ he haþ bihoot to þi fadres Abraham, Yſaac, and Jacob. Wite þow þen, þat not for þi riȝtwiſneſſe þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee þis beſt loond into poſſeſſioun, ſiþ þow art a puple of mooſt hard nolle. Haue mynde, and forȝete þow not what maner wiſe to wraþþe þow terrediſt þe Lord þi God in wildernes; fro þat day þat þow wentiſt out of Egipte vnto þis place, euere more aȝens þe Lord þou ſtriuediſt.

For and in Oreb þow terrediſt hym, and wrooþ he wolde doo þee awey, whanne I ſtiede into þe hil, þat I took two ſtonen tablis, tablis of couenaunt, þe Lord couenauntide wiþ ȝou, and I abood in þe hil fourti days and nyȝt, breed not etynge, and water not drynkynge. And þe Lord ȝaf to me two ſtonen tablis, eiþer wrytun wiþ þe fyngre of God, and conteynynge alle þe wordis þat to ȝow he ſpak in þe hil, fro þe myddil of fier, whanne al þe companye of þe puple was gedrid.

And whanne fourti days weren paſſed, and ſo feele nyȝt, þe Lord ȝaf to me two ſtonen tablis, tablis of boond of pees; and he ſeide to me, Ryſe, and go hens anoon, for þi puple, þat þow haſt lad out of Egipte, han forſake ſwiftli þe weie þat þou haſt ſhewid to hem, and han maad to hem ſelf a ȝoten calf. And eft þe Lord ſeide to me, I biholde, þat þis puple is of hard nolle; ſuffre me, þat I trede hym doun, and doo awey þe name of hym vndur heuene; and Y ſhal ſet þee vpon folk þat is more and ſtrenger þan þis.

And whanne I ſhulde deſchalt ſcende fro þe hil brennynge, and two tablis of þe boond of pees I heelde wiþ eiþer hoond, and ſawȝ ȝow to haue ſynned to þe Lord ȝoure God, and haue maad to ȝow a ȝoten calf, and han forſake ſwiftly þe wey of hym, þat he ſhewide to ȝow, I þrewe afer þe tablis fro myn hoondis, and breek hem in ȝoure ſiȝt. And I felle down before þe Lord as before, fourti days and fourti nyȝt, breed not etynge, and water not drynkynge, for alle ȝoure ſynnes þat ȝe diden aȝens þe Lord, and hym to wraþþe han terred; forſoþe I dredde þe indignacioun and þe wraþþe of hym, in which aȝens ȝow ſtyryd, wold doo ȝow a wey. And þe Lord herde me alſo þis while.

Forſoþe aȝens Aaron hugeli wrooþ, he wolde hym trede, and for hym lijk maner Y preiede. Forſoþe ȝoure ſynne þat ȝe diden, þat is, þe calf, takynge Y brent wiþ fier, and in gobetis brekynge, and vtterly into powdre doynge, Y þrewe ferre into þe ſtreem þat deſcendide fro þe hil. In þe brennynge forſoþe, and in þe temptynge, and in þe Sepulcres of Luſt, ȝe terreden þe Lord; and whanne Y ſente ȝow fro Cades Barne, ſeiynge, Stye ȝe vp, and weelde ȝe þe loond þat I haue ȝeue to ȝow, and ȝe han diſpiſid þe maundement of þe Lord ȝoure God, and han not leued to hym, ne his voyce heren ȝe wolden; but euer more ȝe weren rebel, fro þe day þat I biganne to knowe ȝow.

And Y leye before þe Lord fourti days and fourti nyȝtis, in þe whiche hym mekely Y preyede, þat he ne ſhulde do ȝou awey, as he þratte. And preiynge I ſeide, Lord God, ne ſcater þow þi puple, and þin herytage, þat þow haſt bouȝt in þi mychilnes, þe which þow haſt lad out of Egipte in a ſtrong hoond.

Record of þi ſeruauntis, Abraham, Yſaac, and Jacob; ne bihold þow þe hardnes of þis puple, and vnpitowſnes, and ſynne, leſt perauenture þe dwellers of þe loond, of þe which þow haſt lad vs out, ſeyn, Þe Lord myȝte not lede hem into þe loond þat he bihiȝte hem, and hatide hem; þerfor he haþ lad out, þat he ſle hem in wildernes, þat ben þi puple, and þin herytage, þe which þow haſt lad out in þi greet ſtrengþe, and in þi ſtreiȝt out arme.