Deuteronomy · Chapter 23

[ edit] A geldynge, þe ballokis briſid, or kyt of, and þe ȝerde kyt awey, ſhal not goon into þe chirche of þe Lord. Þe born of an hore ſhal not goon into þe chirche of þe Lord, vnto þe tenþe generacioun. Amonytis and Moabites alſo aftir þe tenþe generacioun ſhulen not goon into þe chirche of þe Lord, wiþ outen eende; for þei wolden not aȝen come to ȝow wiþ breed and water in þe weie, whenne ȝe wenten out of Egipt; and for þei hiryd aȝens þee Balaam, þe ſone of Beor, fro Meſopotany of Syrye, for to curſe to þee; and þe Lord þi God wolde not here Balaam, and turnede þe curſynge of hym into þi bleſſynge, forþi þat he louede þee.

Þou ſhalt not make wiþ hem pees, ne ſeche þow to hem goodis, alle þe days of þi lijf vnto wiþ outen eende. Þow ſhalt not wlaat Ydome, for he is þi broþer, ne Egipcian, for comlynge þow were in þe loond of hem. Þo þat weren born of hem, þe þridde generacioun ſhulen go into þe chirche of þe Lord. Whanne þow goſt out aȝens þin enemyes into fiȝt, þow ſhalt keep þee fro al yuel þing. If þere were among ȝow a man þat wiþ nyȝt ſleep is polut, he ſhal goo out of þe tentis; and he ſhal not turn aȝen before þat at euen he were waſſhe wiþ watyr; and after þe ſunne goynge down he ſhal turn aȝen into þe tentis.

Þow ſhalt haue a place out of þe tentis, to þe which þow ſhalt goon out to þe needful þingis of kynde, berynge a ſtake in a girdel; and whanne þow ſittiſt, þow ſhalt delue bi enuyrown, and þe defied out þou ſhalt couer wiþ erþe, in þe whych þow art releued. Forſoþe þe Lord þi God goþ in þe myddil of tentis, þat he delyuer þee, and taak to þee þin enemyes, þat þi tentis ben hooli, and no þing in hem apere of filþed, leſt he forſake þee. Þow ſhalt not take a ſeruaunt to his lord, þat to þee haþ flowen; he ſhal dwelle wiþ þee in þe place þat to hym pleſiþ, and in oon of þi citees ſhal reſt; and make þow not hym ſory.

Þere ſhal be no ſtrumpet of þe douȝtres of Yrael, ne horlyng of þe ſones of Yrael. Þow ſhalt not offre þe mede of þe hoorhows, ne þe prijs of an hounde, in þe hows of þe Lord þi God, what euere þing it be þat þow auowiſt; for abomynacioun is eiþer anentis þe Lord þi God. Þow ſhalt not leene to þi broþer at vſure money, ne fruytis, ne eny oþer þing, but to an alien. Forſoþe to þi broþer wiþ outen vſure þat þat to hym nediþ þow ſhalt lene, þat þe Lord þi God bliſſe to þee in al þi werke, in þe loond to þe which to be weeldid þow ſhalt goon yn.

Whanne þow auowiſt auowe to þe Lord þi God, þow ſhalt not tary to ȝeelde, for þe Lord þi God ſhal requyre it; and if þow taryeſt, it ſhal be rettid to þee into ſynne. And if þow wolt not bihoot, þow ſhalt be wiþ outen ſynne. Forſoþe þat þat is onus goon out of þi lippis, þow ſhalt kepe wel, and do as þow haſt bihoot to þe Lord þi God, and þurȝ propre wil and þi mouþ haſt ſpokun. Þow goon vnto þe vyn of þi neiȝbour, þow ſhalt eete grapis, as myche as it likiþ to þee; out forſoþe ne beer þou wiþ þee. If þow goo into þe corn of þi freend, þow ſhalt breek eeris, and wiþ þe hoond briſſe; forſoþe wiþ kuttynge yren þow ſhalt not reep.