Greater Labours Are Laid Upon the Israelites
| He redden ſamen he ſulden gon wið wiſe men to pharaon. | [Fol. 56.] |
| “God,” he ſeiden, “of iſrael 2864 ðe bode ſente, and greteð wel, | Moses and Aaron come before Pharaoh, |
| ðat, bi ði leue, hiſe folc vt-fare, ðre daiges gon and ben ðor gare, In ðe deſerd an ſtede up-on, 2868 Hiſ leue ſacrifiſe to don.” Quad pharaun, “knowe ic264 him nogt, Bi quaſe read haue ge ðiſ ſowt?” | and deliver their message. |
| Seide moyſes, “ic am ſonder man, 2872 Egipte folc me knowen can, for ic am ðat ilc moyſes, | Moses says that he is well known to the Egyptians, |
| ðe egypte folc of ſorge les, ðan ethiops woren her cumen; 2876 ic warc al ðat ðu was binumen, And ſwanc and michel ſorwe dreg, | having delivered them from the Ethiopians, |
| Get iſt vnſene hu ic it bi-teg? Ic haue ben ſiðen at munt ſyna, 2880 Godes bode-wurd bringe ic ðor-fra.” | and that he brings God’s message from Mount Sinai. |
| Qvað pharaun, “ðu art min ðral, ðat hidel-like min lond vt-ſtal; Sum ſwike-dom doð it nu ben, 2884 ðat ðu beſt cumen nu eft agen; | Pharaoh chides Moses, |
| ðiſ folc, ðat ðu wilt me leden fro, ſal ben luken in more wo.” | and declares that the Israelites shall suffer still greater woe. |
| Ðe king it bad, and [it] wurð don; | [Fol. 56b.] |
| 2888 More ſwinc ðo was hem leid on. Hem-ſeluen he fetchden ðe chaf ðe men ðor hem to gode gaf, And ðog holden ðe tigeles tale, 2892 And elten and eilden,265 grete & ſmale. | More labour is laid upon the Israelites. |
| Ðo fleg ðiſ folc wið moyſen, And [he] to god made hiſe bimen. “Louered, qui waſ ic hider ſent? 2896 ðin folc iſ more in ſorwe went.” | Moses complains to God. |
MS. wid.
Notes
264 MS. ic hic.
265 ? eldren and children?