Of ðo Reklefates for wurðing,
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Woren mad, and for muning,
Corunes at ðe alter of bras,
ðe at here tabernacle was. | Of the censers were made crowns for the altar of brass. |
For al ðiſ, oðer day ðor waſ neſt,
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Agenes moyſes and iſ prest
Gan al ðiſ folc wið wreðe gon,
And wulden hem werpen ſtones on;
To ðe tabernacle he ben flogen,
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ðor [h]aueth a ſkie hem wel bi-togen; | On the morrow the people murmured against Moses and Aaron, who fled to the Tabernacle. |
A fier magti ðat folc feſt on,
And haueð manige ðor for-don.
ðan bad moyſes aaron,
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wið hiſe Rekelefat, to ðat fir gon;
And he it dede alſ he him b[e]ad, | [Fol. 74.]
A fire slew many of the people. |
Ran and ſtod tuen liues and dead,
And ðiſ fier bleſſede and wið-drog,
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It [h]adde or ſlagen manige ynog; | Aaron stays the plague. |
.xiiii. ðhusent it haueð ſlagen,
And.iiii. ſcore of liue dragen.
Ðog ðiſ folc miðe a ſtund for-dred, | Fourteen thousand and eighty were thus slain. |
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ðog he ben get in ſunder red,
Get he aglen on here red(.) and wen
ðat it mai loked betre ben;
ðog ðiſe brende ben for-ſaken,
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ðog he wenen ðat god ſal taken | The Israelites do not recognise Aaron’s authority, |
Of ðo.xii. tribuz ſumme mo,
To ben ðor he for-hu-gede ðo,
Or ynog raðe of euerilc kin,
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He wile ðat ſumme ſerue ðor-in.
“Childre,” quat moyſes, “gure ſtrif | but think that others are fitted for the service of God. |
dereð ðe ſowle and greueð ðe lif;
Do we uſ alle in godes red, | Moses addresses the people, |
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Vs ſal timen ðe betre ſped;
Ilc prince me take hiſe wond,
And do we us here in godes hond; | and directs each prince of the tribes to take a rod, and to write every man his name upon it. |
MS. ðede.
MS. tiren.