Deuteronomy · Chapter 31

[ edit] And ſo Moyſes ȝede, and ſpak alle þes wordes to al Yrael, and ſeide to hem, Of an hundrid and twenti ȝeer Y am to day, Y may namore goon out and come yn, namelich whanne and þe Lord haþ ſeide to me, Þow ſhalt not paſſe þis Jordan. Þerfor þe Lord þi God ſhall paſſe before þee; he ſhal doo a wey alle þes gentils in þi ſiȝt, and þow ſhalt weeld hem; and þis Joſue ſhal paſſe before þee, as þe Lord haþ ſpoken. And þe Lord ſhal doo to hem as he dide to Seon, and to Og, þe kyng of Amorreis, and to þe loond of hem; and he ſhal do hem a wey. Whanne þanne and þes he ſhal taak to ȝow, lijk maner ȝe ſhulen doo to hem, as I haue comaundid to ȝow.

Manlich do ȝe, and be ȝe coumfortid; wole ȝe not be feerd, ne dred at þe ſiȝt of hem, for þe Lord þi God he ys þi leder, and he ſhal not leeue, ne forſaak þee. And Moiſes clepide Joſue, and ſeide to hym before al þe multitude of þe ſones of Yrael, Tak coumfort, and be þow ſtrong; forſoþe þow ſhal lede in þis puple into þe loond þat þe Lord haþ ſworn hym to ȝeuynge to þe faders of hem; and þow ſhalt it dyuyde bi lot. And þe Lord þat is ȝour leder, he ſhal be wiþ þee, ne ſhal leeue ne forſaak þee; wole þow not drede, ne be feerd. And ſo Moyſes wroot þis lawe, and took it to þe preeſtis, þe ſones of Leuy, þat beren þe ark of þe boond of pees of þe Lord, and to alle þe aldren of Yrael.

And he comaundide to hem, ſeiynge, After ſeuen ȝeer þe ȝeer of remyſſioun, in þe ſolempnytees of þe tabernaclis, alle men of Yrael comynge togidre, þat þei aperen in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord her God, in þe place þat þe Lord haþ choſun, þow ſhalt rede þe wordis of þis lawe before al Yrael, hem herynge, and in oon al þi puple gedrid, as wel men as wymmen, litil children, and comlyngis þat ben wiþ ynne þi ȝaatis; þat herynge þei lernen, and dreden þe Lord oure God, and keep and fulfille alle þe wordis of þis lawe; forſoþe þe ſones of hem þat now vnknowen, þat þei mowen here, and þei dredden þe Lord her God alle days in þe whiche þei dwellen in erþe to þe which, Jordan ouer put, ȝe ſhulen goon þat it be had.

And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes, Loo! nyȝ ben þe days of þi deeþ; cleep Joſue, and ſtoond ȝe in þe tabernacle of witneſſynge, þat Y comaunde to hym. Þerfor Moyſes and Joſue ȝeden, and ſtoden in þe tabernacle of witneſſynge; and þe Lord aperide þere in a pelere of a clowde, þat ſtood in þe entre of þe tabernacle. And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes, Loo! þow ſhalt ſleepe wiþ þi fadris, and þis puple aryſynge ſhall doo fornycacioun after alien goddis, in þe loond to þe which he ſhal goon yn, and dwelle in it; þere he ſhal forſaak me and make at nouȝt þe couenaunt of pees, þat Y couenauntid wiþ hym.

And my woodnes ſhal wraþþe aȝens hym in þat day, and Y ſhal forſaak hym, and hiyde my face fro hym, and he ſhal be into deuowrynge; and alle yuels and turmentyngis ſhulen fynde hym, ſo þat he ſeie in þat day, Forſoþe for God is not wiþ me, þes yuels han foundun me. Forſoþe Y ſhal hide, and hile my face in þat day, for alle þe yuels þat he haþ doo, for he haþ folwid alien goddis. And ſo now wryte ȝe to ȝow þis ſonge, and teche ȝe þe ſones of Yrael, þat myndfulli þei hoolden, and wiþ mouþ ſynge; and þis dyte be to me for witneſſinge among þe ſones of Yrael.

Forſoþe I ſhal leede hym into þe loond, for þe which I haue ſworn to þe fadris of hym, mylk and hony flowynge; and whanne þei hadden eete, and weren fillid, and fat, þei ſhulen turn to alien goddis, and ſerue to hem; and myſſey to me, and þei ſhulen make at nouȝt my couenaunt. After þat many yuels and tourmentyngis han founden hym, þis ſonge ſhal anſwere to hym for witneſſynge, þat no forȝetynge ſhal doo awey fro þe mouþ of þi ſeed. I knowe forſoþe þe þowȝtis of hym, what þingis he be to doo, to day or Y lede hym into þe loond þat I haue bihoot to hym. Þanne Moyſes wroot a ſonge, and tauȝte þe ſones of Yrael.

And þe Lord comaundide to Joſue, þe ſone of Nun, and ſeiþ, Tak coumfort, and be ſtronge; forſoþe þou ſhal brynge yn þe ſones of Yrael into þe loond þat I haue bihoot, and I ſhal be wiþ þee. After þanne þat Moiſes wroot þe wordes of þis lawe in a volym, and fulfillide, he comaundide to þe Leuytis þat beren þe arke of þe boond of pees of þe Lord, ſeiynge, Take ȝe þis book, and puttiþ it in þe ſide of þe arke of þe boond of pees of þe Lord ȝoure God, þat it be þere aȝens þee into witneſſynge. Forſoþe Y knowe þi ſtryuynge, and þi mooſt hard nol; ȝit lyuynge me, and goynge yn wiþ ȝowe, euermore ſtryuyngly ȝe diden aȝens þe Lord; myche more whanne I ſhal be deed.

Gedre ȝe to me alle þe more þurȝ birþ, bi ȝoure lynages, and doctours, and I ſhal ſpeke hem, herynge þes wordes, and I ſhal inwardly clepe aȝens hem heuene and erþe. Forſoþe I haue knowun, þat after my deeþ wickidlich ȝe ſhulen doo, and ȝe ſhulen bowe aſide ſoon fro þe wey þat I haue comaundide to ȝow; and þere ſhulen come aȝens to ȝou yuels in þe laſt tyme, whanne ȝe han doon yuel in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, þat ȝe terren hym bi þe werkys of ȝoure hoondis. Þanne Moyſes ſpak, herynge al þe company of Yrael, þe wordis of þis dite, and vnto þe eende fulfillid.