The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. V.

[verse 1] And the Lord spak to Moyses, seiynge, [verse 2] Comaund to the sones of Yrael, that thei casten out of the tentes alle leprows, and that flowith seed, and is polut vpon the [verse 3] deed; as wel the maal as the femaal casteth out of the tentis, lest thei de|foulen hem, whanne thei dwellen with ȝow. [verse 4] And the sones of Yrael dyden so, and thei casteden hem out of the [Om. DE.] tentes, as the Lord hadde spokun to Moyses. [verse 5] And the Lord spak to Moyses, seiynge, [verse 6] Spek to the sones of Irael, A man or womman, whanne thei doon of alle the synnes that ben wont to falle to men, and bi negligence ouer passid the maunde|ment [verse 7] of the Lord, and trespassen, thei shulen knowleche her synne, and thei [that A.] shulen ȝeelde that heed, and the fifthe part there aboue, to hym in whom thei synneden. [verse 8] If forsothe there weren not that shulde resseyue, thei shulen ȝyue to the Lord, and it shal be of the preest, out take the wether that is offryd for the purgynge, that the oost be plesable. [verse 9] Alle forsothe the first fruytis that offren the sones of Yrael, to the preest perteynen; [verse 10] and what thing in the seyntuarye is of|fred of eche, and is takun to the hondes of the preest, shal be of hym. [verse 11] And the Lord spak to Moyses, seyynge, Spek to the sones of Yrael, and thow shalt seye [verse 12] to hem, A man, whos wijf erreth [erre BDEFH.] , and, [verse 13] the housbonde despisynge, slepe with an|other man, and that the housbonde may not knowe of, but the auowtrye is hidde, and with witnes [wyttnesses BDEFH.] may not be vndurnom, [verse 14] for she is not foundun in the hordom; if the spiryt of gelousnes stire the man aȝens his wijf, the which outher is polut, [verse 15] or with fals suspecioun is coueitid, he shal lede hire to the preest, and he shal offre for hir an offrynge, the tenthe part

of a busshel of barly melowe; and he shal not heelde vpon it oyle, ne putte [thei sholyn putte E pr. m.] ensence, for the sacrifice of gelouste it is, and offrynge enserchynge auowtrye. [verse 16] Therfor the preest shal offre it, and sette [verse 17] before the Lord; and he shal take the [Om. DEFH.] holy watre in a britil vessel, and a litil of the erthe of the pament of the taber|nacle he shall putt into it. [verse 18] And whanne the womman stondith [stonte BEFH. stonde D.] in the siȝt of the Lord, she shal discouere her heed, and putt vpon hir [his A pr. m.] hondis the sacrifice of recordynge, and offryng of gelowste. He forsothe shal holde the most bittir wa|tris, in the whiche with cursid cursyng he cast togidir. [verse 19] And he shal swere to her, and seie, If another man hath not slept with thee, and if thow art not polut [polutid D.] , forsaked the bedde of the housboond, thes moost bittre watris shulen not anoye thee, into the whiche cursid thinges I haue ge|deryd [verse 20] to gydere; if forsothe thow hast bowide a weie fro thin housboond, and art polut [polutid D.] , and hast leyn with anothir man, [verse 21] to thes cursingis thow shalt vndurligge; the Lord ȝyue thee into cursynge, and ensaumple of alle in his puple; mak he thin hippe to stynke, and thi swellynge [verse 22] wombe be al to brostun [borsten BDEFH.] ; goon in thee cursyd watris into thi wombe, and swell|ynge thi wombe stynke thin hippe. And the womman shal answere, Amen! amen! [verse 23] And the preest shal wryte in a libel thes cursid thingis, and he shal do hem out with the moost bittir watris, into the whiche cursid thinges he dide togidris, and he shal ȝyue hir to drynke. [verse 24] The which whanne she hath dronkun vp [vpon D.] , [verse 25] the preest shal take of hir hoond the sa|crifice of gelowste, and he shal arere it vp before the Lord, and he shal putte [verse 26] vpon the auter; so oonli, that before he

take an hondful of sacrifice of it that is offerd, and tynde vpon the auter, and so ȝyue drynke to the womman the moost bitter watres. [verse 27] The whiche whanne she drinkith, if she is polut [polutid D.] , and, despisid the man, she is gilti of auowtrie, the watres of cursynge [acursinge BEFH.] shulen passe thurȝ hir, and the womb blow with ynne, the hippe shal stynke, and the womman shal be into cursynge, and into ensaumple to al the puple. [verse 28] And if she [ȝe D.] were not polut [polutid D.] , she shal be harmles, and make free chil|dren. [verse 29] This is the lawe of gelowsnes, if the womman bowe doun fro hir man, and [verse 30] were polut [polutid D.] , and the housboond, thurȝ spiryt of gelowsnes stired, brynge hir in the siȝt of the Lord, and the preest do to [verse 31] hir after alle thinges that ben writun, the housboond shal be with outen blame, and she shal resseyue hir wickidnes.