Deuteronomy · Chapter 28

[ edit] If forſoþe þow heriſt þe voyce of þe Lord þi God, þat þow doo and kepe alle þe heeſtis of hym, þat Y comaunde to þee to day, þe Lord þi God ſhal make þee hiȝer þan alle þe folkis of kynde, þat dwellen in erþe. And þere ſhulen come vpon þee alle þes bliſſyngis, and ſhulen taak þee; if neuerþelater þe heeſtis of hym þow heriſt. Bleſſid þow in þe citee, and bleſſid in þe feeld; bleſſid þe fruyt of þi wombe, and þe fruyt of þin erþe, and þe fruyt of þi beeſtis, þe flockis of þi droues, and þe fooldis of þi ſheep; bliſſid þi beernes, and bleſſyd þi relikis; bleſſid þow ſhalt be ingoynge, and out goynge.

Þe Lord ſhal ȝyue þin enemyes, þat ryſen aȝens þee, fallynge in þin ſiȝt; bi o weye þei ſhulen come aȝens þee, and bi ſeuen þei ſhulen flee fro þi face. Þe Lord ſhal ſeend out bleſſynge vpon þi celers, and vpon alle þe werkis of þin hoondis; and he ſhal bleſſe to þee in þe loond þat þow ſhalt taak. Þe Lord ſhal rere þee to hym into an hooli puple, as he haþ ſwore to þee, if þou kepyſt þe heeſtis of þe Lord þi God, and goſt in þe weies of hym. And alle þe puples of erþes ſhulen ſeeyȝen, þat þe name of þe Lord be inwardly clepid vpon þee, and þei ſhulen drede þee.

To be plenteuous in alle goodis þe Lord ſhal make þee, in fruytis of þi wombe, and fruyt of þi beeſtys, fruyt of þi loond, þat þe Lord haþ ſwore to þi fadres, for to ȝyue to þee. Þe Lord ſhal opne his beſt treſour, heuene, þat he ȝyue reyn to þi loond in his tyme; he ſhal bleſſe to alle þe werkys of þin hoondis; and þow ſhalt okyr to many folkis, and þi ſelf ſhal not borwe to oker of eny man.

Þe Lord þi God ſhal ſett þee into heed, and not into tayl, and þow ſhalt be euere more aboue, and not vndur; if neuerþelater þow here þe maundementis of þe Lord þi God, þat Y comaunde to þee to day, and kepiſt, and doſt, and bowiſt not aſide fro hem, ne to þe riȝt, ne to þe left, ne haſt not folwid alien goddis, ne heried hem. And if þou wolt not here þe vois of þe Lord þi God, þat þow keep and doo alle þe maundementis of hym, and cerymoyns, þat Y comaunde to þee to day, ſhulen come vpon þee alle þes malyſouns, and holde þee.

Curſid þow ſhalt be in citee, curſed in feeld; curſid þi bern, and curſid þi relikis; curſid þe fruyt of þi wombe, and þe fruyt of þin erþe, þe droues of þin oxen, and þe flockis of þi ſheep. Curſid þow ſhalt be ingoynge, and curſid out goynge. Þe Lord ſhal ſende vpon þee hungre inward, and hungre outward, and blamyng into alle þi werkis þat þow ſhalt do, to þe tyme þat he trede þee doun, and leſe ſwiftly, for þi mooſt yuel fyndyngis, in þe whiche þow haſt forſakun me. Joyn to þee þe Lord peſtilence, to þe tyme þat he waaſt þee fro þe erþe, to þe which þow ſhalt goon in to be weeldyd.

Smyit þee þe Lord wiþ nede, feuer, and coold, and brennynge, and heet, and corrupt eyre, and ruſt; and purſue he to þe tyme þat þou peryſhe. Be heuene þat is aboue þee braaſny; and þe lond þat þou trediſt yrony. Ȝyue þe Lord þe wedre of þin erþe powdre, and fro heuene come down vpon þee aſkis, to þe tyme þat þow be al to-powned. Tak þee þe Lord fallynge down before þin enemyes; bi o weye go þow out aȝens hem, and bi ſeuen fle þow, and be þou ſcatered þurȝ out alle þe rewmes of þe erþe; and be þi careyn into meete to alle þe foulis of heuene, and beeſtis of þe erþe, and be þere noon þat driue aweye.

Smyit þee þe Lord wiþ þe byil of Egipt, and þe paart of þe bodi bi þe which toordis ben ſheten out, wiþ ſcab forſoþe and itchynge, ſo þat þow may not be helid. Smyit þee þe Lord wiþ madnes, and blyndnes, and wiþ woodnes of þouȝt; and þow ſhalt graaſp in mydday, as is woned a blynd man to graaſp in derkniſſis; and make he not redi þi weyes; and alle tymes wrong chalenge ſuffre þou, and be þow born down wiþ vyolence, ne haue þow þat delyuer þee. A wijf tak þow, and anoþer man ſleep wiþ hyr; an hows bild þow, and dwel þow not in yt; plaunt þow a vyn, and kut þow not þe grapis of it.

Þin ox be ſlayn before þee, and eete þow not of it; þin aſſe be cauȝt in þi ſiȝt, and be it not ȝoldun to þee; þi ſheep be þei ȝouen to þin enemyes, and be þere noon þat þee help. Þi ſones and þi douȝtren be þei takun to anoþer puple, ſeynge þin eyen, and defaylynge at þe ſiȝt of hem al day; and be þere not ſtrengþ in þin hoond. Þe fruyt of þin erþe, and alle þi traueyls eete þe puple þat þow knowiſt not; and be þow euer more wronge chalengis ſuſteininge, and born doun alle days, and ſtonyed at þe drede of þo þingis þat þin eyen ſhulen ſeen. Smyit þee þe Lord wiþ þe mooſt yuel biel in knees, and in ſparlyuers; and mow þow not be helid fro þe ſool of þe foot vnto þe nol.

And þe Lord ſhal leede þee, and þi kyng, whom þow haſt ordeynd vpon þee, into a folk þat knowiſt not, þow, and þi fadris; and þow ſhalt ſerue þere to alien goddys, tree, and ſtone. And þow ſhalt be loſt into proueerb, and fable to alle puplis, to þe whiche þe Lord ſhal inleede þee. Myche ſeed þow ſhalt þrow in to þe loond, and litil þou ſhalt gedre; for locuſtis ſhulen deuowre alle þingis. A vyn þow ſhalt plaunt, and delue, and wyn þow ſhalt not drynke, ne gedre of it eny þing; for it ſhal be waſtyd wiþ wormes. Olyues þow ſhalt haue in alle þi teermes, and þow ſhalt not be anoynt wiþ oyle; for þei ſhulen falle awey, and periſhen.

Sones and douȝtres þow ſhalt geete, and þow ſhalt not vſe hem; for þei ſhulen be lad into chaytifte. Alle þi trees and fruytis of þi loond ruſt ſhal waaſt. A comlynge, þat dwelliþ wiþ þee in þe loond, ſhal ſtey up vpon þee, and ſhal be hiȝer; forſoþe þow ſhalt goo doun, and be lower. He ſhal oker to þee, and þow ſhalt not oker to hym; he ſhal be into heed, and þow ſhalt be into tayl. And þere ſhulen come vpon þee alle þes maliſouns, and purſuynge ſhulen holde þee, to þe tyme þat þow dye; for þow haſt not herd þe voyce of þe Lord þi God, ne haſt kept þe maundementis of hym, and cerymoyns, þat he haþ comaundid to þee.

And þere ſhulen be in þee ſygnes, and wondres, and in þi ſeed, vnto wiþ outen ende; forþi þat þow haſt not ſerued to þe Lord þi God in ioy of herte and gladnes, for plenteuowſnes of alle þingis. Þou ſhalt ſerue to þin enemye, þat God ſhal ſend into þee, in hungre, and þreſt, and nakidnes, and ſcaarſnes of alle þingis; and he ſhal put on an yren ȝok vpon þi ſcol, to þe tyme þat he haue al to-treede þee. Þe Lord ſhal brynge vpon þee a folk fro aferre, and fro þe vttermooſt cooſtis of þe erþe, into liknes of a fleynge egle wiþ feerſnes, whos tonge þow mayſt not vnderſtond; mooſt gredi folk, þat ſhal not ſpaar to þe old, ne haue mercy of þe litil child.

And he ſhal deuowr þe fruyt of þi beeſtis, and fruytis of þin erþe, to þe tyme þat þow dye, and leeue he not to þee corn, wyn, and oyle, droues of oxen, and flockis of ſheep, to þe tyme þat he ſcatre þee, and al to-treede þee in alle þi citees; and þi faſt wallis and hiȝe ſhulen be deſtruyed, in þe whiche þow haddiſt truſt in al þi loond. Þow ſhalt be enſegid, wiþ ynne þi ȝatis in al þi loond, þat þe Lord þi God ſhal ȝyue to þee. And þow ſhalt ete þe fruyt of þi woombe, and þe fleſh of þi ſones, and of þi douȝtren, þat þe Lord þi God haþ ȝeue to þee, in angwiſh and waſtete, wiþ þe which þin enemye ſhal oppreſſe þee.

A man delicate of lijf, and leccherous myche, ſhal enuye to his broþer, and to þe wijf þat ſittiþ in his boſum, þat he ȝyue not to hem of þe fleſh of his ſones, þe whiche he ſhal eete; forþi þat no þing oþer he haue in þe ſegynge and ſcaarſenes, þat þin enemyes han waſtid þee wiþ ynne alle þi ȝatis. A tendre womman and a delicate, þe which vpon þe erþe myȝte not go, ne fitch þe ſtap of þe foot, for ſoftnes and mooſt tendrenes, ſhal enuye to hir man þat reſtiþ in þe boſum of hir, vpon þe ſone and douȝtres fleſh, and þe filþ of þe lityl fellis, þat goon out fro þe myddil of þe hippis of hyr, and vpon þe free children þat ben born in þe ſame our.

Þei ſhulen ete hem priuely, for þe ſcaarſneſſe of alle þingis in þe ſeege and waaſtete, bi þe which þin enemy ſhal oppreſſe þee wiþ ynne þi ȝatis. But if þow keep and doo alle þe wordis of þis lawe, þat ben wryten in þis volym, and drede þe name of him gloriows and feerful, þat is þe Lord þi God, þe Lord ſhal encrees þi veniaunces, and veniauncis of þi ſeed; greet veniaunces and ſtedfaſt, infirmytees mooſt yuel and euerelaſtynge. And he ſhal turn into þee alle þe turmentyngis of Egipt, þat þow haſt dredde, and þei ſhulen cleue to þee.

Forþermore and alle þe langouris and veniauncis, þe whiche ben not wryten in þe volym of þis lawe, þe Lord ſhal brynge vpon þee, to þe tyme þat he haue al totrode þee. And ȝe ſhulen leeue fewe in noumbre, þat weren before as ſterrys of heuene for multitude; for þow herdiſt not þe voice of þe Lord þi God. And as before þee þe Lord gladdide vpon ȝow, wel doynge to ȝow, and ȝow multipliynge; ſo he ſhal be glad, ȝow ſcaterynge and vndurturnynge, þat ȝe ben doon awey fro þe loond, to þe which þow ſhalt go in to be weeldid.

Þe Lord ſhal ſcater þee into alle puplis, fro þe hiȝte of þe erþe vnto þe teermes of it; and þou ſhalt ſerue þere to alien goddis, þe whiche þow knowiſt not, and þi fadris, to trees and ſtonus. In þo folkis forſoþe þow ſhalt not reſt, ne ſhal be reſt to þe ſtap of þi foot. Forſoþe þe Lord ſhal ȝyue to þee þere a dreedful herte, and faylynge eyen, and a ſowle waſtid wiþ priue ſorwe. And þi lijf ſhal be as hongynge before þee; þow ſhalt drede nyȝt and day, and þow ſhalt not trowe to þi lijf. Eerli þow ſhalt ſeye, Who ȝyueþ to me euen? and at euen, Who ȝyueþ to me eerlich? for þe drede of þin herte, bi þe which þow ſhalt be agaſt, and for þo þingis þat þow ſhalt ſe wiþ þin eyen.

And þe Lord ſhal brynge þee aȝen wiþ multitude of ſhippis into Egipt, bi þe weye of þe which he ſeide to þee, þat yt þow ſhuldiſt ſe no more. Þere þow ſhalt be ſold to þin enemyes, into þrallis and þralleſſis; and þere ſhal not be þat bigge.