Deuteronomy · Chapter 15

[ edit] The ſeuenþe ȝeer þow ſhalt doo remyſſyoun, þat in þis ordre ſhal be halowid. To whom is owed eny þing, of freend, or neiȝbore, and his broþer, he ſhal not mowe aȝen aſke it, for ȝeer of remyſſioun of þe Lord it is. Of pilgrime and comlyng þow ſhalt aſke; þow ſhalt not haue power of aȝen aſkynge þe citeſeyn and nyȝ kyn; and algatis nedi and begger þere ſhal not be among ȝow, þat þe Lord þi God bleſſe to þee, in þe loond þat þe Lord is to take to þee in to poſſeſſioun. If neuerþelater þou here þe voyce of þe Lord þi God, and kepiſt alle þingis þat he comaundiþ, and þat I to day comaunde to þee, he ſhal bleſſe to þee, as he haþ bihoot.

Þow ſhalt leen vndur wed to many folk of kynde, and þi ſilf ſhalt borowe of no man; þow ſhalt haue lordſhip vpon manye naciouns, and no man ſhal haue lordſhip vpon þee. If oon of þi breþeren, þat dwelliþ wiþ ynne þe ȝatis of þi citee, in þe loond þat þe Lord þi God is to ȝyue to þee, to pouerte come, þow ſhalt not aȝen hard þin herte, ne wiþdrawe þe hoond, but opyn it to þe pore, and þow ſhalt ȝyue loon þat þow ſeeſt hym to nede.

Be war leſt perauenture vndur crepe to þee a wickid þouȝt, and ſeye in þin herte, Þe ſeuenþe ȝeer of remyſſioun neiȝeþ; and þow turne awey þin eyen fro þi pore broþer, not wilnynge to leene hym, þat he aſkiþ to borwe; leſt he crye aȝens þee to þe Lord, and it be maad to þee into ſynne. But þow ſhalt ȝyue to hym, and þow ſhalt not doo eny þing fellich in his nedis to be releued, þat þe Lord þi God bleſſe to þee in al tyme, and in alle þingis to whiche þow puttiſt hoond. Þere ſhulen not faile pore men in þe loond of þi dwellynge; þerfor I comaunde to þee þat þow opyn þe hoond to þi nedi broþer, and pore, þat in þe loond dwelliþ wiþ þee.

Whanne to þee were ſold þin Ebrewe broþer, or Ebrewe womman, and ſixe ȝeer ſerue to þee, in þe ſeuenþe ȝeer þou ſhalt leeue hym free. And whom wiþ freedam þow ȝyueſt, þou ſhalt not ſuffre to goon awey voyd; but þow ſhalt ȝyue weyfode of þe flockis, and of þe flore, and of þi preſſe, in þe which þe Lord þi God haþ bleſſid to þee. And haue mynde þat þi ſelf ſeruediſt in þe loond of Egipte, and þe Lord þi God haþ delyuered þee, and þerfor I now comaunde to þee.

Forſoþe if he ſeiþ, Y wole not goo out, for þi þat he loueþ þee, and þin hows, and wel feliþ hym ſilf to be anentis þee, þow ſhalt take a nal, and þril his eer in þe ȝate of þin hows, and ſerue he to þee into wiþ outen eende; and to þe þral womman lijk maner þou ſhalt doo. Þow ſhalt not take awey fro hem þin eyen, whanne þow leeueſt hem fre, for after þe mede of þe hired man bi ſixe ȝeer he ſeruede to þee; þat þe Lord þi God bleſſe to þee, in alle þe werkis þat þow dooſt. Of þi firſt goten, þat ben born in droues, and þi ſheep, and what euere þing is of maal kynde, þow ſhalt halwe to þe Lord þi God. Þou ſhalt not worche in þe firſt goten of oxe, ne þou ſhalt ſhere þe firſt goten of ſheep.

In þe ſiȝt of þe Lord þi God þow ſhalt eete hem bi eche ȝeer, in þe place þat þe Lord haþ choſen, þou, and þin hows. Forſoþe if it haue wemme, or were crokid, or blynde, or in eny part defourme, or feble, it ſhalt not be offerd to þe Lord þi God; but wiþ ynne þe ȝatis of þi cytee þow ſhalt eete it, as wel clene as vnclene, lijk maner þei ſhulen eete hem, as capret and hert. Þis onely þow ſhalt kepe wel, þat þe blood of hem þou eete not, but held þou out into þe erþe as water.