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1 If a prophete risith in the myddis of thee, ethir he that seith hym silf to haue seyn a dreem, and he biforseith a signe and a wondur to comynge aftir, 2 and this that he spak bifallith, and he seith to thee, Go we, and sue alien goddis, whiche thou knowist not, and serue we hem, 3 thou schalt not here the wordis of that prophete, ether of dremere; for youre Lord God assaieth you,* that he wite † opynli whether ye louen hym ether nay, in al youre herte, and in al youre soule. 4 Sue ye youre Lord, and `drede ye hym; kepe ye his comaundementis, and here ye `the vois of hym; ye schulen serue hym, and ye schulen cleue to hym. 5 Forsothe thilke prophete, ether the feynere of dremes, schal be slayn ‡ ; for he spak that he schulde turne you awei fro youre Lord God, that ladde you out of the lond of Egipt, and ayenbouyte you fro the hous of seruage, that `thilke prophete schulde make thee to erre fro the weie which thi Lord God comaundide to thee; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee. 6 If thi brothir, the sone of thi modir, ether thi sone, ethir thi douyter, ether the wijf which is in thi bosum, ethir thi freend whom thou louest as thi soule, wole counsele thee, and seith priueli, Go we and serue alien goddis, whiche thou knowist not, 7 and thi fadris, of alle the folkis `in cumpas, that ben niy ether fer, fro the bigynnyng `til to the ende of the lond, 8 assente thou not to hym, nether here thou, nether thin iyen spare hym, that thou haue mercy, 9 and hide hym, but anoon thou schalt sle hym.§ Thin hond be fyrst on him and aftir thee al the puple putte to hond. 10 He schal be oppressid with stoonus, and `schal be slayn; for he wolde drawe thee awei fro thi Lord God, that ledde thee out of the lond of Egipt, fro the hous of seruage, 11 that al Israel here and drede, and do no more ony thing lijk this thing. 12 If thou herist ony men seiynge in oon of thi citees, whiche thi Lord God schal yyue to thee to enhabite, 13 The sones of Belial yeden out fro the myddis of thee, and turneden awei the dwelleris of the citee, and seiden, Go we, and serue alien goddis whiche ye knowen not, 14 enquere thou bisili, and whanne the treuthe of the thing is biholdun diligentli, if thou fyndist that this thing is certeyn, which is seid, and that this abhominacioun is doon in werk, 15 anoon thou schalt smyte the dwelleris of that citee bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and thou schalt `do it awey, and alle thingis that ben ther ynne, `til to beestis. 16 Also what euer thing of purtenaunce of houshold is, thou schalt gadere in the myddis of the stretis therof, and thou schalt brenne with that citee, so that thou waste alle thingis to thi Lord God, and it be a biriel euerlastynge; it schal no more be bildid. 17 And no thing of that cursyng schal cleue in thin hond, that the Lord be turned awei fro the yre of his strong veniaunce, and haue mercy on thee, and multiplie thee, as he swoor to thi fadris. 18 Whanne thou hast herd the vois of thi Lord God, thou schalt kepe alle hise heestis whiche Y comaunde to thee to day, that thou do that that is plesaunt in the siyt of thi Lord God.
* 13:3 asaieth you, that is, suffrith siche thingis to be doon, that ye be preued. † 13:3 that he wite, that is, that he make to be knowun of othere men, for he takith not of newe the knowing of ony thing, but he knewe alle thingis fro with out bigynnyng, and in this maner God spekith in xxij. co. of Genesis, Now Y haue knowe that thou dredist the Lord, that is, Y haue made knowun, for bi the offring of Isaac the obedience of Abraham was knowun to men, and was put to hem into ensaumple. ‡ 13:5 schal be slayn without mersy, while he is conuyct bi witnessis ether knoulechith. § 13:9 anoon thou schalt sle him, whanne he is demed bi iugis.