Deuteronomy · Chapter 18

[ edit] Preeſtis and Leuytes, and alle þat ben of þe ſame lynage, ſhulen not haue part and herytage wiþ þat oþer puple of Yrael, for þe ſacrifices of þe Lord, and offryngis of hym þei ſhulen eete; and noon oþer þing þei ſhulen take of þe poſſeſſioun of her breþeren; forſoþe þe Lord he is þe herytage of hem, as he haþ ſpoke to hem. Þis ſhal be þe doom of preeſtis of þe puple, and of hem þat offren ſlayn offryngis; wheþer oxe, or ſheep þei offren, þei ſhulen ȝyue to þe preeſt þe ſhuldre, and þe litil woombe, þe firſt fruytis of whete, of wyn, and of oile, and a paart of wollis of ſherynge of ſheep.

Forſoþe hym þe Lord þi God haþ choſun, of alle þi lynages, þat he ſtoonde and ſerue to þe name of þe Lord, he and his ſones, into wiþ outen ende. If a Leuyte goo out fro oon of his citees of al Yrael, in þe which he dwelliþ, and deſyrynge a place þat þe Lord cheſiþ, wol come he ſhal ſerue in þe name of þe Lord his God, as alle his briþeren Leuytis, þat ſhulen ſtoonde þat tyme before þe Lord. Þat ſame paart of meetis he ſhal take, þe which and oþer; out take þat, þat in his cytee of þe fadre ſucceſſyoun is owed to hym.

Whanne þow gooſt into þe loond þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee, be war þat leſt þow wol folowe þe abhomynaciouns of þilk gentils; ne be foundun in þee þat go aboute his ſone, or his douȝter, ledynge bi þe fier, oþer þat aſkiþ dyuynours, þat he kepe ſweuens and dyuynyngis; ne be þer cleper of deuels, ne enchaunter, ne counſeil rerers of deed men, ne dyuynours, and ſeche of þe deed þe treuþ. Forſoþe alle þes þingis þe Lord wlatiþ, and for þes maner hidows ſynnes he ſhal doo hem awey in þin entre. Þow ſhal be parfite and wiþ outen wemme, wiþ þe Lord þi God. Þes gentils, whos loond ȝe ſhulen weeld, brydd coniurers and dyuynours heren; forſoþe þow of þe Lord þi God oþerweys art enfourmyd.

A prophete of þi folk and of þi briþeren as me, þe Lord þi God ſhal arere to þee, hym þow ſhalt here; as þow haſt aſkid of þe Lord þi God, in Oreb, whanne þe company was gedryd, and þow ſeydeſt, I ſhal here namore þe voyce of þe Lord my God, and þis mooſt fier Y ſhal ſe namore, leſt Y dye. And þe Lord ſeide to me, Wel alle þingis þei han ſpoken. A prophet Y ſhal rere to hem, fro þe myddil of her briþeren, lijk þee; and I ſhal put my wordis in þe mouþ of hym, and he ſhal ſpeek to hem alle þingis þat Y comaunde to hym. Forſoþe who þe wordis of hym þat ſpekiþ in my name, wol not here, Y venieſour ſhal be.

Forſoþe a prophete þat þurȝ prijd bi ſhrewid, wil ſpeke in my name þingis þat Y comaundid not hym for to ſeye, oþer of name of alyen goddis, he ſhal be ſlayn. And if bi ſtille þouȝt þow anſwerſt, What maner may I vndurſtonde þe word, þat þe Lord haþ not ſpokun? þis tokne þow ſhalt haue, Þat in þe name of þe Lord þilk prophete ſeiþ bifore, and comeþ not, þat þe Lord haþ not ſpokun, but bi bolnynge of his inwit þe prophet haþ feyned, and þerfor þow ſhalt not drede hym.