They Worship a Golden Calf
| Swilc wod-hed ðiſ folc329 cam on, 3540 ðat he ſeiden to aaraon, | The people, in the absence of Moses, said unto Aaron, |
| “Mac vs godes foren us to gon, of moyſes haue we helpe non.” Aaron and vr ſtoden a-gen, 3544 And boden hem ſwilc ðhowtes leten; ðat wod folc ðor ur of dage | “Make us gods to go before us,” |
| Brogten, and deden aaron in age; Here faigere ringes he boden taken, 3548 And don in fier, and geten, and maken An calf of gold, and [an] alter Made ðat folc, and lutten it ðer, | and compelled him to make a molten calf, |
| And ðat calf ofrendes deden, 3552 And made gret feſt in ðat ſtede[n]. Ðo ſeide god to moyſen, | which they worshipped. |
| “Go ðu nu dun ðin folc to ſen, He hauen ſineged and miſdon, 3556 Let me taken wreche ðer-on.” | God is angered thereby. |
| “LOruerd, merci!” quad moyſes, “get ne let hem nogt helpe-les; If he nu her wurðen ſlagen, 3560 Egipte folc ſal ðor-of ben fagen, And ſeyen ðat he ben bi-ſwiken, In ðe deſert wel liðerlike; | Moses intreateth for them. |
| And ðenk, louerd, quat ben bi-foren 3564 Abram, and yſaac, and iacob ſworen.” | [Fol. 69b.] |
| God liſtnede wel332 al ðis anſwere; ðat he ðis folc al ðer ne dere. And moyſes gan neðer-ten, | God listeneth to Moses, and is appeased. |
| 3568 And Ioſu cam him a-gen, Alſ he was ilc dai wune to don, quil moyſes ðat munt was on. Quat Ioſue to moyſi, 3572 “Ic wene he figten dun her-bi,” | Moses came down with the tables, |
MS. louerð.
MS. liderlike.
MS. alðer.
Notes
329 MS. has “ðiſ folc” twice over.
332 MS. wel and wel.