Exodus · Chapter 23

[ edit] Thow ſhalt not tak þe voys of leeſynge, ne ligge to þin hoond, þat for þe vnpyteuows þow ſeye fals witnes. Þow ſhalt not folwe þe puple to doon yuel, ne in dome of many þow ſhalt aſſente to þe ſentence, þat þow goo out of þe weye of trewþe. Of þe pore forſoþe þou ſhalt not haue merci in cauſe of ſtrijf. If þou aȝen come to þe ox of þin enemy, or to þe errynge aſſe, lede aȝen to hym. If þow ſe an aſſe of hym þat hatiþ þee lye vnder þe charge, þow ſhalt not ouerpaſſe, but þow ſhalt vnderheue wiþ hym. Þow ſhalt not bowe awey in þe dome of þe pore. Leſyng þow ſhalt flee. Þe innocent and þe ryȝtwis þow ſhalt not ſlee, for Y am aduerſarye aȝens þe unpiteuows.

Ne tak þou ȝiftes, þat alſo blynden wiſe men, and turnen vpſedoun þe wordis of riȝtwys men. To þe pilgrime þow ſhalt not be greuous; ȝe knowen forſoþe þe lyues of comlyngis, for and ȝe ȝoure ſilf weren pylgrimys in þe loond of Egipte. Sixe ȝeer þow ſhalt ſowe þi loond, and þow ſhalt gedere togidere þe fruytis of it; þe ſeuenþe forſoþe ȝeer þow ſhalt leeue it, and þow ſhalt mak reſte, þat pore men of þi puple eeten, and what euer ſhal be relif, eete þe beeſtis of þe feeld; ſo þow ſhalt doon in þi vyne ȝeerd, and in þin oliue ȝeerd. Sixe dayes þow ſhalt worche, þe ſeuenþe day þow ſhalt ceeſe, þat þe oxe reſte, and þin aſſe, and þe ſone of þin handmayden be refreſhid, and þe comlyng.

Alle þingis þat Y haue ſeyd to ȝow, kepiþ; and bi þe name of ſtraunge goddis þow ſhalt not ſweer, ne ſhal not be herd of ȝoure mouþ. Þre ſiþes þurȝ eche ȝeer feeſte dayes þow ſhalt halowe to me. Þe ſolempne of þerf looues þow ſhalt kepe; ſeuen dayes þow ſhalt eete þerf looues, as Y haue comaundid to þee, in þe tyme of þe moneþ of new fruytis, whanne þow ȝediſt out of Egipte; þow ſhalt not apere in my ſiȝt voyde; and þe ſolempnete of þe moneþ of þe cheef fruytes of þi werk, what euer þingis þow ſhalt ſowe in þi feelde; and þe ſolempnete in þe goyng out of þe ȝeer, when þow haſt gedered togidere alle þi fruytis fro þe feeld. Þries aȝeer ſhal apere al þi maal child before þe Lord þi God.

Þow ſhalt not offer vpon ſour dowȝ þe blood of þi ſacrifice; ne þere ſhal not leeue þe talowȝ of my ſolempnete vnto þe morwen. Þe cheef fruytis of þe tilþe of þin erþe þow ſhalt bere into þe hows of þe Lord þi God. Þow ſhalt not ſeeþe a kydde in þe mylk of his moder. Loo! Y ſhal ſeende myn aungel, þat he goo before þee, and kepe in þe weye, and lede into þe place þat Y haue greiþid. Wayt hym, and here his voys, ne wene þow hym to be diſpiſid, for he ſhal not forȝyue, whanne þou ſynneſt, and my name is in hym.

Þat if þow here hys vois, and doſt alle þingis þat Y ſpeke, Y ſhal be enemy to þin enemyes, and Y ſhal turmente hem þat turmenten þee; and myn aungel ſhal goo before þee, and he ſhal lede þee into Amorre, and Eþe, and Phereze, Chanane, and Eue, and Jebuze, whom Y ſhal totreede. Þou ſhalt not anowre þe goddis of hem, ne þou ſhalt not herye hem; þow ſhalt not do þe werkis of hem, but deſtrye hem, and al to breek þe ymagis of hem. And ȝe ſhulen ſerue to þe Lord ȝoure God, þat Y bleſſe to þi looues, and watris, and Y ſhal take awey wickidnes fro þe myddil of þee; ne þi loond ſhal be vnfructuous, ne bareyn; þe noumbre of þi dayes Y ſhal fulfille.

My feerde Y ſhal ſeende into þi before comyng, and Y ſhal ſlee al þe puple, to whom þow ſhalt goon yn, and of alle þin enemyes before þee Y ſhal turne þe backis; ſendynge out before ſtynggynge flies, þat ben ſprungun of deed bodies, hauynge þe ſtonges enuenymd, þe which ſhulen make flee Eue, and Chanane, and Eþe, er þow goon yn. Y ſhal not þrowe hem out fro þi face o ȝeer, leſt þe loond be turned into wildernes, and beeſtis growen aȝens þee; litil meele Y ſhal putte hem out fro þi ſiȝt, to þe tyme þow be encreeſid, and weelde þe loond. Forſoþe Y ſhal ſette þi termes fro þe reed ſee vnto þe ſee of Paleſtynes, and fro þe deſert vnto þe flood.

Y ſhal take to ȝoure hoondes þe dwellers of þe loond, and Y ſhal þrowe hem out fro ȝoure ſiȝt; þow ſhalt not goon wiþ hem into couenaunt of pees, ne wiþ þe goddis of hem. Dwelle þei not in þi loond, leſt perauentur þei maken þee ſynne aȝens me, if þow ſerueſt to þe goddis of hem, þat certis ſhal be to þee into ſclaundre.