Deuteronomy · Chapter 17

[ edit] Thow ſhalt not offre to þe Lord þi God ox, and ſheep, in whom is wemme, or eny þing of vice, for abhomynacioun it is to þe Lord þi God.

And whanne weren founden anentis þee, wiþ ynne oon of þi ȝatis, þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee, man or womman, þat doþ yuel in ſiȝt of þe Lord þi God, and ouerpaſſe þe couenaunt of hym, þat þei goon, and ſeruen to alien goddis, and honoure hem, þe ſunne, and þe mone, and al þe knyȝþod of heuen, þe whiche þingis I comaunde not; and þis were told to þee, and herynge þou enſerchiſt biſilich, and fyndiſt it to be ſooþ, and abhomynacioun is doon in Yrael; þou ſhalt lede out þe man and womman, þat þe mooſt yuel þing han doon, to þe ȝatis of þi cytee, and wiþ ſtonus þei ſhulen be þrowen doun.

In mouþe of two or þree witneſſis, ſhal periſh he, þat ſhal be ſlayn; no man be ſlayn, oon aȝens hym ſeiynge witneſſe. Þe hoond of þe witneſſis firſt ſhal ſlee hym, and þe hoond of þat oþer puple laſt ſhal be put to, þat þou doo a wey yuel fro þe myddil of þee. If hard and dowtous anentis þee doom to be þow biholdiſt, bitwix blood and blood, cauſe and cauſe, lepre and not lepre, and of þe domes men wiþ ynne þi ȝatis þou ſeeſt þe wordis to be varied; aryſe, and ſty vp to þe place, þat þe Lord þi God haþ choſun; and þow ſhalt come to þe preeſtis of Leuyte kynde, and to þe domyſman þat were þat tyme; and þow ſhalt aſke of hem, þe whiche ſhulen ſhewe to þee þe trewþ of þe dom.

And þow ſhalt doo what euere þing þei ſeyn, þat ben before to þe place þat þe Lord haþ choſun, and teche þee after þe lawe of hym; þou ſhalt folowe þe ſentence of hem; þou ſhalt not bowe aſide, to þe riȝt or to þe left. Who forſoþe wexiþ prowd, not wilnynge to obeiſhe to þe maundement of þe preeſt, þat þat tyme ſerueþ to þe Lord þi God, and to þe doom of þe domyſman, ſhal die þat man; and þow ſhalt doo a wey yuel fro þe myddil of Irael; and al þe puple herynge ſhal drede, þat no man þerafter inwardli boln wiþ prijd.

And whanne þow ſhalt goo ynto þe loond, þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee, and weeldiſt it, and dwelliſt yn it, and ſeiſt, Y ſhal ſet vp on me a kyng, as han alle naciouns bi enuyroun; hym þow ſhalt ſet, whom þe Lord þi God cheſiþ of þe noumbre of þi breþeren. Þow ſhalt not mowe of oþer folk a man kyng make, þat be not þi broþer. And whanne he were ordeyned, he ſhal not multiplye to hym horſes, ne lede aȝen puple into Egipt, bi noumbre of horſynge arered, namelich ſiþ þe Lord haþ comaundid to ȝow, þat no more bi þe ſame weie ȝe turnen aȝen. He ſhal not haue many wyues, þat myſdrawen þe ſoule of hym, ne of ſiluer ne of gold greet birþens.

And after þat he ſittiþ in þe dygnyte of his rewme, he ſhal diſcriue to hym a declaracioun of þis lawe in a volym, takynge a ſaumpler of þe preeſtis of Leuyte lynage; and he ſhal haue it wiþ hym, and he ſhal rede it alle þe dais of his lijf, þat he knowe to drede þe Lord his God, and to kepe þe wordis and cerymoyns of hym, þat in þe lawe ben comaundid; ne be areryd þe herte of hym into prijd vpon his breþeren, ne bowe he aſide in to þe riȝt paart or left, þat long tyme regne he, and his ſones vpon Yrael.