Deuteronomy · Chapter 12

[ edit] Thes ben þe heeſtes and domes, þat ȝe owen to doon in þe loond þat þe Lord God is to ȝyue to þee, þat þow weelde it, alle dayes in þe whiche vpon þe erþe þow ſhalt goon. Turne ȝe doun alle places in þe whiche þe gentilis þat ȝe ben to weelde, heried her goddis, vpon hiȝe mounteyns, and hillis, and vndir al þik braunchid tree.

Scatre ȝe þe auters of hem, and brekiþ togidre þe ymagis; þe mawmet wodes brenneþ wiþ fier, and þe mawmettis deſtruy ȝe; ſcatre ȝe þe names of hem fro þe places. Ȝe ſhulen not doo ſo to þe Lord ȝoure God; but to þe place þat þe Lord ȝoure God cheſiþ of alle ȝoure lynages, þat he putte his name þere, and dwelle in it; ȝe ſhulen come, and offre in þat place brent ſacrificis, and ȝoure ſlayn offryngis, and dymes, and firſt fruytis of ȝoure hoondis, and auowis and ȝiftis, þe firſt goten of oxen, and of ſheep.

And ȝe ſhulen eete þere in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord ȝoure God; and ȝe ſhulen glade in alle þingis, to which putten hoond, ȝe and ȝoure howſes, in þe whiche þe Lord ȝoure God bleſſe to ȝou. Ȝe ſhulen not doo þere þat we doon here to day, eche þat to hym ſelf ſemeþ riȝt. Forſoþe ne vnto þe tyme þat is nowe ȝe comen to reſt and to þe poſſeſſioun, þat þe Lord God is to ȝeue to ȝow. Ȝe ſhulen paſſe Jordan, and dwelle in þe loond þat þe Lord ȝoure God is to ȝyue to ȝow, þat ȝe reſten fro alle enemyes bi enuyroun, and dwellen wiþ outen eny drede. In þe place þat þe Lord ȝour God cheſiþ, þat his name be in it.

Þidre alle þingis þat Y comaunde ȝe ſhulen bere, brent ſacrifices, and ooſtis, and dymes, and firſt fruytis of ȝoure hoondes, and what euer þing cheefe is in ȝiftis, þat ȝe han vowid to þe Lord. Þere ȝe ſhulen eete before þe Lord ȝoure God, ȝe, and ſones, and ȝoure douȝtres, men ſeruauntis, and wymmen ſeruauntis, and Leuytis, þat in ȝoure cytees dwellen; forſoþe ne þei han oþer part and poſſeſſioun among ȝow. Be war þat þou offre not þi brent ſacrifices in alle places þat þou ſhalt ſe, but in it þat þe Lord ſhal cheſe in oon of þi lynagis þow ſhalt offre ooſtis, and doo alle þingis þat Y comaunde to þee.

Forſoþe if þow wolt eete, and þee þe etynge of fleſh delyte, ſle, and eete after þe bleſſynge of þe Lord þi God, þat he haþ ȝeue to þee in þy cytees, oþer vnclene it were, þat is, wemmed and feble, oþer cleene, þat is, hool and wiþouten wemme, þat is leueful to ben offrid, and as capret and hert þow ſhalt eete; wiþ outen etynge oonli of þe blood, þat vpon þe erþe as water þow ſhalt heeld out.

Þow ſhalt not mowe eete in þy burghtownes dimes of whete, of wyn, and of þin oyle, þe firſt geten of droues, and beeſtis, and alle þingis þat þow auowiſt, and wilfulli wolt offre, and þe firſt fruytis of þin hoondes; but bifore þe Lord þi God þow ſhalt ete hem, in þe place þat þe Lord þi God cheſiþ, þow, and þi ſone, and þi douȝter, knaue ſeruaunt, and meyde ſeruaunt, and þe Leuyte þat dwelliþ in þi citees; and þow ſhalt glade, and be fulfild before þe Lord þi God, in alle þingis to þe which þou ſtrecchiſt þin hoond. Be war þat þow forſake not þe Leuyte in al tyme, in þe which þow dwelliſt in erþe.

Whanne þe Lord þi God ſhal large þi termes, as he haþ ſpoke to þee, and þow wolt ete fleſh, þat þi ſoule deſireþ, forſoþe þe place þat þe Lord þi God cheſiþ, þat his name be þere, if it were ferre, þow ſhalt ſlee of þe droues, and of þi beeſtis, þe whiche þow haſt, as he haþ comaundid to þee; and þow ſhalt eete in þi burȝtouns, as it pleſiþ to þee. As is etun a capret and an hert, ſo þow ſhalt eete hem; and cleene and unclene in comun ſhulen be ete.

Þat oonli ſhun, leſt þow eete blood; forſoþe blood of hem is for þe ſoule, and þerfore þow ſhalt not eete a ſoule wiþ fleſh, but as water þow ſhalt heeld vpon erþe, þat wel it be to þee, and to þi ſones after þee, whanne þow doſt þat pleſiþ in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord. And þat þow auowiſt and halowiſt to þe Lord, þow ſhalt take, and come to þe place þat þe Lord cheſiþ, and offre þin offryngis, fleſh and blood, vpon þe auter of þe Lord þi God; þe blood of þe ooſtis þou ſhalt heelde in þe auter, and fleſh þi ſilf ſhalt eete.

Kepe wel and here alle þingis þat I comaunde to þee, þat it wel be to þee, and to þi ſones after þee, into wiþ outen eende, whanne þow doſt þat is good and pleſaunt in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord þi God. Whanne þe Lord þi God ſcaterreþ before þi face þe gentilis, to þe whiche to be weeldid þou ſhalt goon yn, and weelde hem, and dwelle in þe loond of hem, be war þat þow folwe not hem, after þat þe comynge yn þei weren vnder turned, and ſeche þe cerymoyns of hem, ſeiynge, As þeſe gentils heryden her goddis, ſo and Y ſhal hery.

Þow ſhalt not do lijk maner to þe Lord þi God; forſoþe alle abhomynaciouns þat þe Lord contrarieþ þei han doon to her goddis, offrynge ſones, and dowȝtris, and brennynge wiþ þe fier. What I comaunde to þee, þat þow oonly do to þe Lord, ne adde þow eny þing, ne laſſe.