29
1 These ben the wordis of boond of pees, which the Lord comaundide to Moyses, that he schulde smyte with the sones of Israel in the lond of Moab, outakun that bond of pees, which he couenauntide with hem in Oreb. 2 And Moises clepid al Israel, and seide to hem, Ye sien alle thingis whiche the Lord dide bifor you in the lond of Egipt, to Farao and alle hise seruauntis, and to al his lond; 3 the greet temptaciouns whiche thin iyen sien, `tho signes, and grete wondris. 4 And the Lord yaf not to you an herte vndurstondynge, and iyen seynge, and eeris that moun here, til in to present dai. 5 He ledde you bi fourti yeer thoruy deseert; youre clothis weren not brokun, nether the schoon of youre feet weren waastid bi eldnesse; 6 ye eetun not breed, ye drunken not wyn and sidur, that ye schulden wite that he is youre Lord God. 7 And ye camen to this place; and Seon, the kyng of Esebon yede out, and Og, the kyng of Basan, and camen to us to batel. And we han smyte hem, 8 and we token awey the lond `of hem, and we yauen `the lond to possessioun, to Ruben, and to Gad, and to the half lynage of Manasses. 9 Therfor kepe ye the wordis of this couenaunt, and fille ye tho, that ye vndirstonde all thingis whiche ye schulen do. 10 Alle ye stonden to day bifor youre Lord God, youre princes, and lynagis, and the grettere men in birthe, and techeris, al the puple of Israel, 11 fre children, and youre wyues, and comelyngis that dwellen with thee in castels, outakun the heweris of stonus, and outakun hem that beren watris; 12 that thou go in the boond of pees of thi Lord God, and in the ooth which thi Lord God smytith with thee, 13 that he reise thee in to a puple to hym silf, and that he be thi Lord God, as he spak to thee, and as he swoor to thi fadris, to Abraham, Ysaac, and Jacob. 14 And not to you aloone Y smyte this loond of pees, and conferme these othis, 15 but to alle men, present and absent. 16 For ye witen hou we dwelliden in the lond of Egipt, and how we passiden bi the myddis of naciouns; whiche ye passiden, 17 and siyen abhomynaciouns and filthis, that is, idols `of hem, tre and stoon, siluer and gold, whiche thei worschipiden. 18 Lest perauenture among you be man ether womman, meyne ether lynage, whos herte is turned away to dai fro youre Lord God, that he go, and serue the goddis of tho folkis; and a roote * buriounnynge galle and bitternesse be among you; 19 and whanne he hath herd the wordis of this ooth, he blesse hym silf † in his herte, and seie, Pees schal be to me, and Y schal go in the schrewidnesse of myn herte; and lest the drunkun take the thirsti, 20 and the Lord forgyue not to hym, but thanne ful greetli his strong veniaunce be feers, and the feruour ayens that man, and alle the cursis that ben writun in this book `sitte on hym; and `the Lord do away his name vndur heuene, 21 and waaste hym in to perdicioun fro alle the lynagis of Israel, bi the cursis that ben conteyned in the book of this lawe and of boond of pees. 22 And the generacioun suynge schal seie, and the sones that schulen be borun aftirward, and pilgrimys that schulen come fro fer, seynge the veniauncis of that lond, and the sikenessis bi whiche the Lord turmentide that lond, 23 brennynge `that lond with brymston and heete of the sunne, so that it be no more sowun, nether bringe forth ony grene thing, in to ensaumple of destriyng of Sodom and of Gommorre, of Adama and of Seboym, whiche the Lord destriede in his ire and stronge veniaunce. 24 And alle folkis schulen seie, Whi dide the Lord so to this lond? What is the greet ire of his stronge veniaunce? 25 and thei schulen answere, For thei forsoken the couenaunt of the Lord, whiche he couenauntide with her fadris, whanne he ledde hem out of the lond of Egipt, 26 and thei serueden alien goddis, and worschipiden hem, whiche thei knewen not, and to whiche thei weren not youun; 27 therfor the strong veniaunce of the Lord was wrooth ayens this lond, that he brouyte yn on it alle the cursis that ben writun in this book; 28 and he castide hem out of her lond, in ire and strong veniaunce, and in gretteste indignacioun; and he castide forth in to an alien lond, as it is preued to dai. 29 Thingis ben hid ‡ of oure Lord God, `that is, in his biforknowing, whiche thingis ben schewid to us, and to oure sones with outen ende, that we do alle the wordis of this lawe.
* 29:18 a roote, etc. that is, ony man corrupt bi idolatrie that corrumpe othere men bi his wickid tising. † 29:19 he blesse him silf; that is, biheete foryyuenesse to him silf, and so breke more tristily Goddis lawe. ‡ 29:29 thingis ben hid, etc. Ebrews expownen thus, synnes hid fro God ben reserued to dampnacioun; whiche ben schewid to vs, that is, ben punyschid by mannus doom.