Exodus · Chapter 19

[ edit] The þridde moneþ of þe goyng of Yrael out of þe loond of Egipte, in þis day þei camen into þe wildernes of Synai; for þei goon forþ fro Raphidym, and comynge vnto deſerte of Synay, ſetten tentis in þe ſame place; and þere Yrael ficchid tentis, forn aȝens þe hil. Moyſes forſoþe ſteyde vp into þe hil to God; and þe Lord clepide hym fro þe hil, and ſeiþ, Þes þingis þow ſhalt ſeye to þe hows of Jacob, and þow ſhal telle to þe ſones of Yrael, Ȝoure ſelf han ſeen what I haue doon to þe Egipciens, what maner wiſe Y haue born ȝou vpon þe weenges of eglis, and haue takun to me.

If þanne ȝe heren my voys, and kepen my couenaunt, ȝe ſhulen be to me into my propre treſour of alle puples; myn forſoþe is al þe erþe; and ȝe ſhulen be to me into a preeſtis kyngdom, and an holi folk; þes ben þe wordis þat þou ſhalt ſpek to þe ſones of Yrael. Moyſes cam, and clepide togidere þe more men þurȝ birþe of þe puple, he expownede alle þe wordes þat þe Lord hadde comaundid. And al þe puple anſwerde togidere, We ſhulen doon alle þe þingis þat þe Lord haþ ſpokun. And whanne Moyſes hadde told þe wordis of þe puple to þe Lord, þe Lord ſeyde to hym, Now riȝt Y ſhal com to þee in derknes of a clowde, þat þe puple here me ſpekynge to þee, and leue to þee, into wiþ outen eende.

Þanne Moyſes tolde þe wordes of þe puple to þe Lord, þat ſeide to hym, Goo to þe puple, and halwe hem to day and to morwen, and waſſhe þei her cloþis, and be þei redi into þe þridde day; in þe þridde day forſoþe þe Lord ſhal deſſende before al þe folk vpon þe hil of Synay. And þow ſhalt ordeyn termes to þe puple, bi enuyroun; and þow ſhalt ſeye to hem, Be war þat ȝe ſteyen not into þe hil, ne touche þe endes of it; eche þat touchiþ þe hil, wiþ deþ ſhal dye. Hondes ſhulen not touche hym, but wiþ ſtones he ſhal be preſſid down, or he ſhal be ſtickid wiþ dartis; wheþer he be beeſt, or man, he ſhal not lyue; whanne þe trumpe begynneþ to crie, þanne ſtey þey vp into þe hil.

And Moyſes deſcendide fro þe hil to þe puple, and halowede yt; and whanne þei haddun waſſhun her cloþes, he ſeiþ to hem, Be ȝe redi into þe þridde day, and neiȝe ȝe not to ȝoure wyues. And now þe þridde day was comen, and þe morwetide was ful cleerid; and loo! þundres biganne to be herd, and leytes to ſhynen, and þe mooſt þik clowd to couer þe hil; and þe crye of þe trump more hidouſly made noyſe, and þe puple dredde, þat was in þe tentes. And whanne Moyſes hadde led hem out into þe aȝen comyng of God, fro þe place of þe tentes, þei ſtoden at þe rotes of þe hil.

And al þe hil of Synay ſmokide, forþi þat þe Lord deſcendide vpon it in fier; and þe ſmeek ſteyde vp of it as of a furneys, and al þe hil was ful feerful; and þe ſown of þe trompe litil mele ſpronge into more, and lenger was ſtrecchid. Moyſes ſpak, and þe Lord anſwerde hym, and þe Lord deſcendide vpon þe hil of Synay, in þat cop of þe hil, and he clepide Moyſes in þe heiȝt of it. Whider whanne he hadde ſteied vp, he ſeide to hym, Deſcende, and as wiþ ooþ charge þe puple, leſt perauenture it wole paſſe ouer þe termes to ſe þe Lord, and of hem periſſhe a myche multitude; þe preeſtis forſoþe þat camen nyȝ to þe Lord, be þei halewed, leſt Y ſmyte hem.

And Moyſes ſeide to þe Lord, Þe comounte may not ſtey vp into þe hil of Synay; þow forſoþe haſt witneſſid, and comaundid ſeiynge, Put þe termes about þe hil, and halwe it. To whom ſeiþ þe Lord, Goo, deſcende, and þow ſhalt ſtey vp, and Aaron wiþ þee; þe preeſtis forſoþe and þe puple paſſe þei not þe termes, ne ſteye þei vp to þe Lord, leſt perauenture he ſlee hem. And Moyſes ſteiede vp to þe puple, and alle þingis tolde to hem.