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1 Preestis and dekenes, and alle men that ben of the same lynage, schulen `not haue part and eritage with the tother puple of Israel, for thei schulen ete the sacrifices of the Lord, and the offryngis of hym; 2 and thei schulen not take ony othir thing of the possessioun of her britheren; for the Lord hym silf is the `eritage of hem, as he spak to hem. 3 This schal be the doom * of preestis of the puple, and of hem that offren sacrifices; whether `thei offren an oxe, ether a scheep, thei schulen yyue to the preest the schuldre, and the paunche, the firste fruytis of wheete, 4 and of wyn, and of oile, and a part of wollis of the scheryng of scheep. 5 For thi Lord God chees hym of alle thi lynagis, that he stonde and mynystre to `the name of the Lord, he and hise sones, with outen ende. 6 If a dekene goith out of oon of thi citees of al Israel, in which he dwellith, `and wole come and desirith the place which the Lord chees, 7 he schal mynystre in the name of his Lord God as alle hise britheren dekenes, that schulen stonde in that tyme byfore the Lord. 8 He schal take the same part of meetis, `which and othere dekenes schulen take; outakun that that is due to hym in his citee, bi `successioun ethir eritage `of fadir. 9 Whanne thou hast entrid in to the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee, be thou war lest thou wole sue abhomynaciouns of tho folkis; 10 noon be foundun in thee that clensith his sone, ether his douytir, `and ledith bi the fier, ethir that axith questiouns of dyuynouris `that dyuynen aboute the auteris, and that taketh hede to dremes and chiteryng of bryddis; nethir ony wicche be, 11 nethir an enchauntere, `that is, that disseyueth mennus iyen that a thing seme that is not; nether a man take counsel at hem that han a feend spekynge `in the wombe, nether take counsel at false dyuynouris nethir seke of deed men the treuthe. 12 For the Lord hath abhomynacioun of alle these thingis, and for siche wickidnessis he schal do awei hem in thin entryng. 13 Thou schalt be perfit and without filthe, with thi Lord God. 14 These hethen men, `the lond of whiche thou schalt welde, heren hem that worchen bi chiteryng of briddis, and false dyuynouris; forsothe thou art tauyt in other maner of thi Lord God. 15 Thi Lord God schal reise a prophete of thi folk and of thi britheren as me, thou schalt here hym; 16 as thou axidist of thi Lord God in Oreb, whanne the cumpany was gaderid, and thou seidist, Y schal no more here the vois of my Lord God, and Y schal no more se `this grettiste fier, lest Y die. 17 And the Lord seide to me, Thei spaken wel alle thingis. 18 Y schal reise to hem a prophete, lijk thee, of the myddis of her britheren, and Y schal putte my wordis in his mouth, and he schal speke to hem alle thingis, whiche I schal comaunde to him. 19 Forsothe Y schal be vengere of `that man, that nyle here the wordis `of hym, whiche he schal speke in my name. 20 `Sotheli a prophete `schal be slayn, which is bischrewid with pride, and wole speke in my name tho thingis, whiche Y comaundide not to hym, that he schulde seie, ethir bi the name of alien goddis. 21 That if thou answerist bi pryuy thouyt, Hou may Y vndirstonde the word, which the Lord spak not? thou schalt haue this signe,† 22 `The Lord spak not this thing which thilke prophete biforseid in the name of the Lord, `and it bifallith not, but `the prophete feynede bi the pride of his soule, and therfor thou schalt not drede hym.
* 18:3 that is, the thing iustly youun ether grauntid. † 18:21 to knowe a false prophete fro a trewe prophete.