Deuteronomy · Chapter 29

[ edit] Thes ben þe wordis of þe couenaunt of pees, þat þe Lord haþ comaundid to Moyſes, þat he ſhould ſmyte wiþ þe ſones of Yrael in þe loond of Moab, biſide þat boond of pees, þat wiþ hem he couenauntide in Oreb. And Moyſes clepide al Yrael, and ſeide to hem, Ȝe han ſeen alle þingis þat þe Lord haþ doo before ȝow in þe loond of Egipt, to Pharao, and alle þe ſeruauntis of hym, and to al þe loond of hym; greet temptaciouns, þat þin eyen ſeen, þilk ſygnes, and greet wondres. And þe Lord ȝaf not to ȝow an vndurſtondynge herte, and ſeynge eyen, and eeris þat miȝten here, vnto þe day þat is nowe.

He ladde ȝow fourti ȝeer bi deſeert; ȝoure cloþes ben not apeyred, ne þe ſhoon of ȝoure feet for eeld ben not waſtid; breed ȝe eeten not, wyn and ſidre ȝe dronken not, þat ȝe ſhulden knowe for he is þe Lord ȝoure God. And ȝe ben comen to þis place; and Seon, þe kyng of Eſebon, went out, and Og, þe kyng of Baſan, aȝen comynge to ȝow to fiȝt. And we ſmyten hem, and token þe loond of hem, and ȝauen to be weeld to Ruben, and Gad, and to þe half lynage of Manaſſe.

Keep ȝe þerfor þe wordis of þis couenaunt, and fulfil hem, þat ȝe vndurſtonden alle þingis þat ȝe ſhulden doo. Ȝe ſtonden to day alle before þe Lord ȝoure God, ȝoure princes, and lynagis, and þe more þurȝ birþ, and doctours, al þe puple of Irael, free children, ȝour wyues, and comlyngis þat wiþ þee dwellen in tentes, out taak þe hewers of trees, and hem þat beren watris; þat þow paſſe in þe couenaunt of þe Lord þi God, and in þe ooþ þat þe Lord þi God ſmytiþ wiþ þee, þat he arere þee to hym into a puple, and he be þe Lord þi God, as he haþ ſpokun to þee, and as he haþ ſworn to þi fadres Abraham, Yſaac, and Jacob.

Ne to ȝow alone I þis couenaunt ſmyte, and þes ooþes conferme, but to alle preſent and abſent. Forſoþe ȝe han knowe what maner wiſe we dwelten in þe loond of Egipt, and what maner wiſe we paſſiden bi þe myddil of naciouns; þe whiche paſſynge, ȝe ſeen abomynaciouns, and filþis, þat is, mawmettis of hem, tree and ſtoon, ſiluer and gold, þat þei heryeden.

Leſt perauenture þere be among ȝow man or womman, meyne or lynage, whos herte is turned a wey to day fro þe Lord ȝoure God, þat he goo, and ſerue to goddis of oþer gentils; and be among ȝow a rote burionynge gal and bitternes; and whanne he hadde herd þe wordis of þis ooþ, he bleſſe to hym in his herte, ſeiynge, Pees ſhal be to me, and Y ſhal go in þe ſhrewidnes of myn herte; and a dronken take þe þriſti, and þe Lord forȝyue not to hym, but þanne mooſt þe woodnes of hym ſhal wax feers, and gelows aȝens þat man, and ſitten vpon hym alle þe curſid þingis þat ben wryten in þis volym; and he doo awey þe name of hym vnder heuene, and waaſt hym into þe loſt fro alle lynagis of Yrael, after þe maliſouns þat in þe book of þis lawe and couenaunt ben conteyned.

And þe generacioun folowynge ſhal ſeye, and þe ſones þat ſhulen be born þerafter, and pilgrymys, and fro aferre comen, ſeynge þe veniauncis of þat loond, and þe infirmytees, wiþ þe whiche þe Lord tourmentid it, wiþ brimſtoon, and brennynge wiþ heet of þe ſunne, ſo þat forþermore it be not ſowed, ne eny þing green burioun, into enſaumple of þe vndurturnynge of Sodom and Gomor, Adame and Soboym, þe whiche þe Lord vndurturned in wreþ, and in his woodnes. And al folk ſhulen ſeye, Whi þus þe Lord haþ doon to þis loond?

What is þis greet wraþ wiþ outen meſure of his woodnes? and þei ſhulen anſwere, For þei han forſake þe couenaunt of þe Lord, þat he couenauntide wiþ þe faders of hem, whanne he lad hem out of þe loond of Egipt, and ſerueden to alien goddis, and honoureden hem whom þei knewen not, and to whom þei weren not taken to; þerfor wraþþed þe woodnes of þe Lord aȝens þis loond, þat he brouȝt in vpon it alle þe curſid þingis þat in þis volym ben wryten; and he keſte hem out fro his loond in wraþþe, in woodnes, and in mooſt indignacyoun; and he keſte aferre in to an alyen loond, as to day is preued.

Hid þingis of þe Lord oure God ben, þat ben open to vs, and to oure ſones vnto wiþ outen ende, þat we doon alle þingis of þis lawe.