Chapter 33

These are the ordinances and laws which ye shall observe to do in the land which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, as long as ye live upon the earth. See that ye destroy all places where the nations which ye conquer serve their gods, upon high mountains and on high {an hye} hills and under every green tree. Overthrow their altars and break their pillars and burn their groves with fire and hew down the images of their gods, and bring the names of them to nought out of that place. See ye do not so unto the LORD your God but ye shall enquire the place which the LORD your God shall have chosen out of all your tribes to put his name there and there to dwell. And thither thou shalt come, and thither ye shall bring your burnt sacrifices and your offerings, your tithes and heave offerings of your hands, your vows and free will offerings and thy first born of your oxen and of your sheep. And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye lay your hands on, both ye and your households, because the LORD thy God hath blessed thee. Ye shall do after nothing that we do here this day, every man what seemeth him good in his own eyes. For ye are not yet come to rest nor unto the inheritance which the LORD your God giveth you. But ye shall go over Iordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and he shall give you rest from all your enemies round about: and ye shall dwell in safety. Therefore when the LORD your God hath chosen a place to make his name dwell there, thither ye shall bring all that I command you, your burntsacrifices and your offerings, your tithes and the heaveofferings of your hands and all your godly vows which ye vow unto the LORD. And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, both ye, your sons and your daughters, your servants and your maids and the Levite that is within your gates for he hath neither part nor inheritance with you. Take heed that thou offer not thy burntofferings in whatsoever place thou seest: but in the place which the LORD shall have chosen among one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings and there thou shalt do all that I command thee. Notwithstanding thou mayst kill and eat flesh in all thy cities, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee both the unclean and the clean mayst thou eat, even as the roe and the hart: only eat not the blood, but pour it upon the earth as water. Thou mayst not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine and of thy oil, either the firstborn of thine oxen or of thy sheep, neither any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewillofferings or heave offerings of thine hands: but thou must eat them before the LORD thy God, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen: both thou thy son and thy daughter, thy servant and thy maid and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, in all that thou puttest thine hand to. And beware that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth. If (when the LORD thy God hath enlarged thy coasts as he hath promised thee) thou say: I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh: then thou shalt eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth. If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou mayst kill of thy oxen and of thy sheep which the LORD hath given thee as I have commanded thee, and thou mayst eat in thine own city whatsoever thy soul lusteth. Neverthelater, as the roe and the hart is eaten, even so thou shalt eat it: the unclean and the clean indifferently thou shalt eat. But be strong that thou eat not the blood. For the blood, that is the life: and thou mayst not eat the life with the flesh: thou mayst not eat it: but must pour it upon the earth as water. See thou eat it not therefore that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt have done that which is right in the sight of the LORD. But thy holy things which thou hast and thy vows, thou shalt take and go unto the place which the LORD hath chosen, and thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, both flesh and blood upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and the blood of thine offerings thou shalt pour out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and shalt eat the flesh. Take heed and hear all these words which I command thee that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God. When the LORD thy God hath destroyed the nations before thee, whither thou goest to conquer them, and when thou hast conquered them, and dwelt in their lands: Beware that thou be not taken in a snare after them, after that they be destroyed before thee, and that thou ask not after their gods saying: how did these nations serve their gods, that I may do so likewise? Nay, thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for all abominations which the LORD hated did they unto their gods. For they burnt both their sons and their daughters with fire unto their gods. But whatsoever I command you that take heed ye do: and put nought thereto, nor take ought there from.

Chapter .xiij.

If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and give thee a sign or a wonder, and that sign or wonder which he hath said come to pass, and then say: let us go after strange gods which thou hast not known, and let us serve them: hearken not unto the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams. For the LORD thy God tempteth you, to wete whether ye love the LORD your God with all your hearts and with all your souls. For ye must walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and hearken unto his voice and serve him and cleave unto him. And that prophet or dreamer of dreams shall die for it, because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt and delivered you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in: and so thou shalt put evil away from thee. If thy brother the son of thy mother or thine own son or thy daughter or the wife that lieth in thy bosom or thy friend which is as thine own soul unto thee, entice thee secretly saying: let us go and serve strange gods which thou hast not known nor yet thy fathers, of the gods of the people which are round about thee, whether they be nye unto thee or far off from thee, from the one end of the land unto the other. See thou consent not unto him nor hearken unto him: no, let not thine eye pity him nor have compassion on him, nor keep him secret, but cause him to be slain: Thine hand shall be first upon him to kill him: and then the hands of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die, because he hath gone about to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God which brought thee out of Egypt the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more and such wickedness as this is, among them. If thou shalt hear say of one of thy cities which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell in, that certain being the children of Belial are gone out from among you and have moved the inhabiters of their city saying: let us go and serve strange gods which ye have not known. Then seek and make search and enquire diligently. If it be true and the thing of a surety that such abomination is wrought among you: then thou shalt smite the dwellers of that city with the edge of the sword, and destroy it merciless and all that is therein, and even the very cattle thereof with the edge of the sword. And gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the streets thereof, and burn with fire: both the city and all the spoil thereof every whit unto the LORD thy God. And it shall be an heap for ever and shall not be built again. And see that there cleave nought of the damned thing in thine hand, that the LORD may turn from his fierce wrath and shew thee mercy and have compassion on thee and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers: when thou hast hearkened unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day so that thou do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.

Chapter .xiiij.

Ye are the children of the LORD your God, cut not your selves nor make you any baldness between the eyes for any man's death. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a several people unto himself, of all the nations that are upon the earth. Ye shall eat no manner of abomination. These are the beasts which ye shall eat of: oxen, sheep and goats, hart, roe and bugle, hart {wild} goat, unicorn, origen and Camelion. And all beasts that cleave the hoof, and slit it into two claws and chew the cud, them ye shall eat. Nevertheless, these ye shall not eat of them that chew cud and of them that divide and cleave the hoof: the camel, the hare and the coney. For they chew cud, but divide not the hoof: and therefore are unclean unto you: and also the swine, for though he divide the hoof, yet he cheweth not cud, and therefore is unclean unto you: Ye shall not eat of the flesh of them nor touch the dead carcasses of them. These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: All that have fins and scales. And whatsoever hath not fins and scales, of that ye may not eat, for that is unclean unto you. Of all clean birds ye shall eat, but these are they of which ye may not eat: the eagle, the goshawk, the cormorant, the ixion, the vultur, the kite and her kind, and all kind of ravens, the Ostrich, the nightcrow, the cuckoo, the sparrowhawk and all her kind, the little owl, the great owl, the back, the bittern, the pye, the stork, the heron, the Iay in his kind, the lapwing, the swallow. And all creeping fowls are unclean unto you and may not be eaten of: but of all clean fowls ye may well eat. Ye shall eat of nothing that dieth alone: But thou mayest give it unto the stranger that is in thy city that he eat it, or mayst sell it unto an Alien. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk. Thou shalt tithe all the increase of thy seed that cometh out of the field year by year. And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God in the place, which he hath chosen to make his name dwell there the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine and of thine oil, and the firstborn of thine oxen and of thy flock that thou mayst learn to fear the LORD thy God alway. If the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from the which the LORD thy God hath chosen to set his name there (for the LORD thy God hath blessed thee) then make it in money and take the money in thine hand, and go unto the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen, and bestow that money on whatsoever thy soul lusteth after: on oxen, sheep, wine and good drink, and on whatsoever thy soul desireth, and eat there before the LORD thy God and be merry: both thou and thine household and the Levite that is in thy city. See thou forsake not the Levite, for he hath neither part nor inheritance with thee. At the end of three years, thou shalt bring forth all the tithes of thine increase the same year and lay it up within thine own city, and the Levite shall come because he hath neither part nor inheritance with thee, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow which are whithin thy city and shall eat and fill them selves: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the works of thine hand which thou doest.

Chapter .xv.

At the end of seven years thou shalt make a free year. And this is the manner of the free year, whosoever lendeth ought with his hand unto his neighbour, may not ask again that which he hath lent, of his neighbour or of his brother: because it is called the LORD's {lordes} free year, yet of a stranger thou mayst call it home again. But that which thou hast with thy brother thine hand shall remit, and that in any wise, that there be no beggar among you. For the LORD shall bless the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, an heritance to possess it: so that thou hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and do all these commandments which I command you this day: yea and then the LORD thy God shall bless thee as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and shalt borrow of no man, and shalt reign over many nations, but none shall reign over thee. When one of thy brethren among you is waxed poor in any of thy cities within thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, see that thou harden not thine heart nor shut to thine hand from thy poor brother: But open thine hand unto him and lend him sufficient for his need which he hath. And beware that there be not a point of Belial in thine heart, that thou wouldest say: The seventh year, the year of freedom is at hand, and therefore it grieve thee to look on thy poor brother and givest him nought and he then cry unto the LORD against thee and it be sin unto thee: But give him, and let it not grieve thine heart to give. Because that for that thing, the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand to. For the land shall never be without poor. Wherefore I command thee saying: open thine hand unto thy brother that is needy and poor in thy land. If thy brother an Hebrew sell himself to thee, or an Hebrewess, he shall serve thee six years and the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: but shalt give him of thy sheep and of thy corn and of thy wine, and give him of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God delivered thee thence: wherefore I command thee this thing today. But and if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee, because he loveth thee and thine house and is well at ease with thee. Then take an awl and nail his ear to the door therewith and let him be thy servant forever, and unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. And let it not grieve thine eyes to let him go out from thee, for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee in his service six years. And the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest. All the firstborn that come of thine oxen and of thy sheep that are males, thou shalt hallow unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt do no service with the firstborn of thy sheep: but shalt eat them before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD hath chosen both thou and thine household. If there be any deformity therein, whether it be lame or blind or whatsoever evil favouredness it hath, thou shalt not offer it unto the LORD thy God: But shalt eat it in thine own city, the unclean and the clean indifferently, as the roe and the hart. Only eat not the blood thereof, but pour it upon the ground as water.

Chapter .xvi.

Observe the month of Abib, and offer passover unto the LORD thy God. For in the month of Abib, the LORD thy God brought thee out of Egypt by night: Thou shalt therefore offer passover unto the LORD thy God, and sheep and oxen in the place which the LORD shall choose to make his name dwell there. Thou shalt eat no leavened bread therewith: but shalt eat therewith the bread of tribulation seven days long. For thou camest out of the land of Egypt in haste, that thou mayst remember the day when thou camest out of the land of Egypt, all days of thy life. And see that there be no leavened bread seen in all thy coasts seven days long, and that there remain nothing of the flesh which thou hast offered the first day at evening, until the morning. Thou mayst not offer passover in any of thy cities which the LORD thy God giveth thee: But in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to make his name dwell in, there thou shalt offer Passover at evening about the going down of the son, even in the season that thou camest out of Egypt. And thou shalt seethe and eat {[it]} in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen, and depart on the morrow and get thee unto thy tent. Six days thou shalt eat sweet bread, and the seventh day is for the people to come together to the LORD thy God, that thou mayst do no work. Then reckon the seven weeks, and begin to reckon the seven weeks when the sicle beginneth in the corn, and keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God, that thou give a freewilloffering of thine hand unto the LORD thy God according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee. And rejoice before the LORD thy God both thou, thy son, thy daughter, thy servant and thy maid, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, the fatherless and the widow that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to make his name dwell there. And remember that thou was a servant in Egypt, that thou observe and do these ordinances. Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days long, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine. And thou shalt rejoice in that thy feast, both thou and thy son, thy daughter, thy servant, thy maid, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow that are in thy cities. Seven days thou shalt keep holy day unto the LORD thy God, in the place which the LORD shall choose: for the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy fruits and in all the works of thine hands, and thou shalt be all together gladness. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose: In the feast of sweet bread, in the feast of weeks and in the booth feast. {feast of the tabernacles.} And they shall not appear before the LORD empty: but every man with the gift of his hand, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God, which he hath given thee. Iudges and officers thou shalt make thee in all thy cities {gates} which the LORD thy God giveth thee thorowout thy tribes: And let them judge the people righteously. Wrest not the law nor know any person neither take any reward: for gifts blind the wise and pervert the words of the righteous. But in all things follow righteousness, that thou mayst live and enjoy the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt plant no grove of whatsoever trees it be, nye unto the altar of the LORD thy God which thou shalt make thee. Thou shalt set thee up no pillar, which the LORD thy God hateth.

Chapter .xvij.

Thou shalt offer unto the LORD thy God no ox or sheep wherein is any deformity, whatsoever evil favouredness it be: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God. If there be found among you in any of thy cities which the LORD thy God giveth thee man or woman that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, that they have gone beyond his appointment, so that they have gone and served strange gods and worshipped them, whether it be the son or moon or anything contained in heaven which I forbade, and it was told thee and thou hast heard of it: Then thou shalt enqui:re diligently. And if it be true and the thing of a surety that such abomination is wrought in Israel, then thou shalt bring forth that man or that woman which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates and shalt stone them with stones and they shall die. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death, die: but at the mouth of one witness he shall not die. And the hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to kill him, and afterward the hands of all the people: so shalt thou put wickedness away from thee. If a matter be too hard for thee in judgement between blood and blood, plea and plea, plage and plage in matters of strife within thy cities: Then arise and get thee up unto the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen, and go unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and ask, and they shall shew thee how to judge. And see that thou do according to that which they of that place(which the LORD hath chosen shew thee, and see that thou observe to do according to all that they inform thee. According to the law which they teach thee and manner of judgement which they tell thee, see that thou do and that thou bow not from that which they shew thee, neither to the right hand nor to the left. And that man that will do presumptuously, so that he will not hearken unto the priest that stondeth there to minister unto the LORD thy God or unto the judge, shall die: and so thou shalt put away evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear and shall fear, and shall do no more presumptuously. When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee and enjoyest it and dwellest therein: If thou shalt say, I will set a king over me, like unto all the nations that are about me: Then thou shalt make him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose. One of thy brethren must thou make king over thee, and mayst not set a stranger over thee which is not of thy brethren. But in any wise let him not hold too many horses, that he bring not the people again to Egypt thorow the multitude of horses, forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you: ye shall henceforth go no more again that way. Also he shall not have too many wives, lest his heart turn away, neither shall he gather him silver and gold too much. And when he is sitten upon the seat of his kingdom, he shall write him out this second law in a book taking a copy of the priests' the Levites'. And it shall be with him and he shall read there in all days of his life that he may learn to fear the LORD his God for to keep all the words of this law and these ordinances for to do them: that his heart arise not above his brethren and that he turn not from the commandment: either to the right hand or to the left: that both he and his children may prolong their days in his kingdom in Israel.

Chapter .xviij.