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1 And so Moises yede, and spak alle these wordis to al Israel, 2 and seide to hem, Y am to dai of an hundrid and twenti yeer, Y may no ferthere go out and go yn, moost sithen also the Lord seide to me, Thou schalt not passe this Jordan. 3 Therfor thi Lord God schal passe bifore thee; he schal do awei these folkis in thi siyt, and thou schalt welde hem; and this Josue schal go bifor thee, as the Lord spak. 4 And the Lord schal do to hem as he dide to Seon, and Og kyng of Ammorreis, and to `the lond of hem; and he schal do hem awey. 5 Therfor whanne the Lord hath bitake to you also hem, ye schulen do in lijk maner to hem, as Y comaundide to you. 6 Do ye manli, and be ye coumfortid; nyle ye drede in herte, nethir drede ye at the siyt of hem, for thi Lord God hym silf is thi ledere, and he schal not leeue, nether schal forsake thee. 7 And Moyses clepid Josue, and seide to hym bifor al the multitude of the sones of Israel, Be thou coumfortid, and be thou strong; for thou schalt lede this puple in to the lond which the Lord swoor that he schal yyue to `the fadris of hem; and thou schalt departe it bi lot. 8 And the Lord hym silf whiche is youre ledere, schal be with thee, he schal not leeue, nether schal forsake thee; nyle thou drede, nether drede thou in herte. 9 Therfor Moyses wroot this lawe, and bitook it to the preestis, sones of Leuy, that baren the arke of the bond of pees of the Lord, and to alle the eldere men of Israel. 10 And Moyses comaundide to hem, and seide, Aftir seuen yeer, in the yeer of remyssioun, in the solempnete of tabernaclis, 11 whanne alle men of Israel schulen come togidere, that thei appere in the siyt of her Lord God, in the place `which the Lord chees, thou schalt rede the wordis of this lawe bifor al Israel, 12 while thei heren, and while al the puple is gaderid to gidere, as wel to men, as to wymmen, to litle children, and comelyngis that ben with ynne thi yatis; that thei here, and lerne, and drede youre Lord God, and kepe and fille alle the wordis of this lawe; 13 also that the sones of hem, that now knowen not, moun here, and that thei drede her Lord God in alle daies in whiche thei lyuen in the lond to whiche ye schulen go to gete, whanne Jordan is passid. 14 And the Lord seide to Moises, Lo! the daies of thi deeth ben nyy; clepe thou Josue, and stonde ye in the tabernacle of witnessyng, that Y comaunde to hym. Therfor Moises and Josue yeden, and stooden in the tabernacle of witnessyng; 15 and the Lord apperide there in a pilere of cloude, that stood in the entryng of the tabernacle. 16 And the Lord seide to Moises, Lo! thou schalt slepe with thi fadris, and this puple schal rise, and schal do fornycacioun aftir alien goddis in the lond, to which lond it schal entre, that it dwelle ther ynne; there it schal forsake me, and schal make void the boond of pees, which Y couenauntide with it. 17 And my strong veniaunce schal be wrooth ayens that puple in that dai, and Y schal forsake it, and Y schal hide my face fro it, and it schal be in to deuouryng; alle yuels and turmentyngis schulen fynde it, so that it seie in that dai, Verili for the Lord is not with me, these yuelis han founde me. 18 Forsothe Y schal hide, and schal hile `my face in that dai, for alle the yuels `whiche it dide, for it suede alien goddis. 19 Now therfor write ye to you this song, and `teche ye the sones of Israel, that thei holde it in mynde, and synge bi mouth; and that this song be to me for a witnessyng among the sones of Israel. 20 For Y schal lede hym in to the lond, for which Y swoor to hise fadris, flowynge with mylk and hony; and whanne thei han ete, and ben fillid, and ben maad fat, thei schulen turne to alien goddis, and thei schulen serue hem; and thei schulen bacbite me, and schulen make voide my couenaunt. 21 Aftir that many yuels and turmentyngis han founde hym, this song schal answere hym for witnessing, which song no foryetyng schal do awey fro the mouth of thi seed. For Y knowe the thouytis therof to day, what thingis it schal do, bifore that Y bringe it in to the lond which Y bihiyte to it. 22 Therfor Moises wroot the song, and tauyte the sones of Israel. 23 And the Lord comaundide to Josue, the sone of Nun, and seide, Be thou coumfortid, and be thou strong; for thou schalt lede the sones of Israel in to the lond which Y bihiyte, and Y schal be with thee. 24 Therfor aftir that Moises wroot the wordis of this lawe in a book, and fillide, 25 he comaundide to Leuytis * that baren the ark of boond of pees of the Lord, 26 and seide, Take ye this book, and putte ye it in the side of the arke of boond of pees of youre Lord God, that it be there ayens thee in to witnessyng. 27 For Y knowe thi stryuyng, and thin hardest nol; yit while Y lyuede and entride with you, ye diden euere stryuyngli ayens the Lord; hou myche more whanne Y schal be deed. 28 Gadere ye to me all the grettere men in birthe, and techeris, bi youre lynagis, and Y schal speke to hem, herynge these wordis, and Y schal clepe ayens hem heuene and erthe. 29 For Y knowe, that aftir my deeth ye schulen do wickidli, and schulen bowe awei soone fro the weie which Y comaundide to you; and yuels schulen come to you in the laste tyme, whanne ye `han do yuel in the siyt of the Lord, that ye terre hym to ire bi the werkis of youre hondis. 30 Therfor while al the cumpeny of the sones of Israel herde, Moises spak the wordis of this song, and fillide `til to the ende.
* 31:25 to Leuylis, that is, to prestis of the lynage of Leuy.