1   In the foure and twentithe dai forsothe of this monith, the sonus of Irael camen togidere in fasting, and in sackis, and erthe vpon hem. 2   And the sed of the sonus of Irael is seuered fro eche alien sone. And thei stoden befor the Lord, and thei knoulecheden ther synnes, and

the wickednesses of ther fadris. 3   And thei risen togidere to stonden, and thei radden in the volum of the lawe of the Lord ther God foure sithes in the dai, and foure sithes in the ny&yogh;t; thei knoulecheden, and preiseden the Lord ther God. 4   Forsothe ther risen vp on the gree, of Leuitus Jesue, and Baani, and Cediniel, Remni, Abany, Sarabias, Baani. 5   And the Leuitus crieden with a gret vois to the Lord ther God. And Jesue and Sedeniel, Bonni, Assebia, Serebia, Arabia, Odaia, Sebua, Fachaia, seiden, Riseth, and blesseth to the Lord oure God fro withouten ende and vn to with oute ende; and blesse thei to the he&yogh;e name of thi glorie in alle blessing and preising. 6   And Esdras seide, Thou thi self, Lord, alone; thou madist heuene of heuenus, and al the ost of hem, the erthe and alle thingus that in it ben, ses and alle thingus that in hem ben, and thou quikenest alle these thingis; and the ost of heuene honoureth thee. 7   Thou thi self Lord God, that chesedest Abraham, and laddest hym out fro the fijr of Caldeis, and settist his name Abraham; 8   and foundist his herte trewe befor thee, and smite with hym pes couuenaunt, that thou &yogh;eue to hym the lond of Cananee, Ethei, and Euei, and Amorrei, and Feresei, and Jebusei, and Jergesei, that thou &yogh;eue to his sed; and thou hast fulfild thi woordis, for thou art ri&yogh;twis. 9   And thou hast seen the affliccioun of oure fadris in Egipt, and the cri of hem thou hast herd vpon the rede se. 10   And thou &yogh;eue tocnes and wndris in Farao, and in alle his seruauns, and in al the puple of that lond; forsothe thou hast knowen, for proudli thei diden a&yogh;en hem; and thou madest to thee a name as in this dai. 11   And the see thou

deuidedest beforn hem, and thei passeden ouer thur&yogh; the middel of the se in drie; the pursueris forsothe of hem thou threwe aferr in to the depnesse, as a ston in stronge watris. 12   And in a pileer of a cloude ledere of hem thou were bi dai, and in a piler of fijr bi ny&yogh;t, that the weie aperede to them, bi whiche thei wenten in. 13   Also to the hil of Sinai thou came doun, and speke to hem fro heuene, and &yogh;eue to them ri&yogh;te domus, and the lawe of treuthe, cerimoines, and gode hestus. 14   And halewid sabot thou shewedest to them; and maundemens, and cerimoines, and lawe, thou comaundedist to them, in the hond of Moises, thi seruaunt. 15   Bred also fro heuene thou &yogh;eue to them in ther hunger; and water of a ston thou bro&yogh;tist out to hem threstende; and thou seidest to them, that thei shulden gon in, and welde the lond, vp on the whiche thou reredist thin hond, that thou take it to hem. 16   Thei forsothe and ther fadris proudli diden, and inwardli hardeden ther nollis, and thei herden not thi maundemens. 17   And thei wolden not heren; and thei recordeden not of thi merueilis, that thou haddest do to them; and thei inwardli hardeden ther nollis; and thei &yogh;euen hed, that thei were turned togidere to ther thraldam; thou forsothe God merciful, and noble, and benigne, longe abidende, and of myche mercy, and thou forsoke not hem; 18   and forsothe whan thei hadden maad to them a calf, as bi strif &yogh;oten, and seiden, This is thi God that ladde thee out fro Egipt, and thei diden grete blasfemys. 19   Thou forsothe in thi manie mercies lafttist them not in desert; a piler of a cloude wente not awei fro hem bi

dai, that it lede hem in to the weie; and a piler of fijr bi ny&yogh;t, that he shewe to them the weie, bi whiche thei shulden gon in. 20   And thi goode Spirit thou &yogh;eue to hem, that shulde teche them; and thi aungelis mete thou forfendedest not fro the mouth of hem, and watir thou &yogh;eue to hem in thrist. 21   Fourti &yogh;er thou feddist hem in desert, and no thing to hem failede; the clothis of hem eeldeden not, and the feet of hem ben not ouertroden. 22   And thou &yogh;eue to hem reumys, and puplis; and partidist to them lotis, and thei weldiden the lond of Seon, and the lond of the king of Esebon, and the lond of Og, king of Basan. 23   And the sonus of hem thou multepliedest, as the sterris of heuene; and bro&yogh;tist hem to the lond, of the whiche thou haddest seid to ther fadris, that thei shulden gon in, and welden it. 24   And the sonus of Irael camen, and weldeden the lond; and thou mekedest beforn hem the Cananees, dwelleris of the lond; and thou &yogh;eue hem in to ther hondis, and the kingus of hem, and the puplis of the lond, that thei do to hem as it pleside to them. 25   And thei token strengthid cites, and fat erthe; and weldeden housis ful of alle goodis, cisternes of other men forgid, vines, and oliues, and manie appil trees. And thei eeten, and ben fulfild, and ben maad fatte; and thei aboundeden in richessis in thi grete goodnesse. 26   Thei terreden forsothe thee to wrathe, and wenten awei fro thee, and threwen awei thi lawe bihinde ther backes; and thi profetus slowen, that witnesseden to them, that thei shulden turne a&yogh;een to thee; and thei diden grete blasfemys. 27   And thou &yogh;eue them into the hond of ther enemis; and thei tormenteden hem; and in time of ther tribulacioun thei crieden to thee; and thou fro heuene

herdest hem, and aftir thi manie deedis of mercy thou &yogh;eue to hem saueoures, that shulden sauen hem fro the hond of ther enemis. 28   And whan thei hadden restid, thei ben turned a&yogh;en that thei do euel in thi si&yogh;te; and thou forsoke hem in the hond of ther enemys, and thei weldeden hem; and thei ben conuertyd, and thei crieden to thee; thou forsothe fro heuene herdist, and deliueredest hem in thi mercies manie times. 29   And thou witnessedest to them, that thei shulden turnen a&yogh;een to thi lawe; thei forsothe proudli diden, and thei herden not thi maundementus, and in thi domys thei synneden, the whiche what man doth shal liuen in hem; and thei &yogh;euen a going awey shulder, and ther nol thei inwardli hardeden. 30   And thou drowe afer vpon hem manie &yogh;eris, and thou witnessedist hem in thi Spirit bi the hond of thi profetus; and thei herden not; and thou toke them in to the hond of the puplis of londis. 31   Forsothe in thi manie mercies thou madist not hem in to wasting, ne forsoke them; for God of myseraciouns, and benigne thou art. 32   And so now, Lord oure God, grete God, strong, and ferful, kepende couenaunt and merci, ne turne thou awei thi face in al the trauaile that hath founden vs, oure kingis, and oure princis, and oure fadris, and oure prestis, and oure profetis, and al thi puple, fro the da&yogh;is of king Assur vnto this dai. 33   And thou art ri&yogh;twis in alle thingus, that camen vpon vs; for treuthe thou didist to vs; wee forsothe vnpitousli diden. 34   Oure kingus, and oure princis, oure prestis, and oure fadris, diden not thi lawe, and tentiden not to thin hestis, and thy witnessis that thou witnessedist in hem. 35   And thei in their goode reumis, and in thi miche goodnesse that thou

haddest &yogh;iue to hem, and in the most large lond and fat, that thou haddest taken in the si&yogh;te of hem, thei serueden not to thee, ne ben turned a&yogh;een fro ther werste studies. 36   Lo! wee vsself to dai ben thrallis; and the lond that thou &yogh;eue to oure fadris, that thei shulden ete the bred of it, and tho thingus that ben goode of it; and we vsself ben thrallis in it. 37   And the frutus of hem ben multiplied to kingis, that thou hast put vp on vs for oure synnes; and thei lordshipen to oure bodies, and to oure bestis, aftir ther wil, and in gret tribulacioun we ben. 38   Thanne vp on alle these thingus wee vsself smijten pes couenaunt, and wrijten, and oure princis, oure Leuitis, oure prestis sette marke.

Previous section

Next section