Numbers · Chapter 11

[ edit] Ther amonge was ſprongun a grucchynge of þe puple, as of men ſorwynge for þe traueyl aȝens þe Lord; þe whiche whanne he hadde herde, he was wrooþ; and þe fier of þe Lord, tend into hem, deuowride þe latter part of þe tentes. And whanne þe puple hadde cryede to Moyſes, Moyſes preiede to þe Lord, and þe fier is ſowpyd vp. And he clepide þe name of þat place Tendynge, forþi þat þe fier of þe Lord was tende aȝens hem. Þe comoun forſoþe of eiþir kynde þat hadde ſteyd vp wiþ hem, brent wiþ deſijr of fleſh, ſittynge and wepinge, ioynede to hem togider þe ſones of Yrael, and ſeiþ, Who ſhal ȝyue to vs to eete fleſh?

We recorden of þe fiſſhes þat we eten in Egipte gladly; into mynde come to vs þe goordis, and þe peponys, and þe leeke, and þe vniowns, and þe garlekes; oure ſoule is drye; noon oþir þing byholden our eyen but manna. Manna forſoþe was as þe ſeed coryaundre, of þe colour of bdelli. And þe puple wenten abowt, gederynge it, and breke in a gryndſtoon, or powned in a morter, ſeeþinge in a pot, and makynge of it litil þinne kakis of ſauour, as of oylid breed. And whanne þe dewe deſcendide þe nyȝt vpon þe tentes, deſcendide togider and manna.

Þanne Moyſes herde þe puple wepynge bi meynees, and eche bi þe dores of his tent; and þe woodnes of þe Lord was ful wrooþ, but and to Moyſes it was ſeen a þing vnſuffrable. And he ſeiþ to þe Lord, Whi haſt þow tourmentid þi ſeruaunt? whi fynde I not grace before þee, and whi haſt þow put þe birþen of al þe puple vpon me? wheþer Y haue conceyued al þis multitude, and goten it, þat þow ſey to me, Ber hem in þi boſum, as a noryſhe is woned to bere a litil child, and bere into þe loond for þe which þow haſt ſwore to þe faders of hem? wherof to me fleſh þat Y ȝyue to ſo myche a multitude?

Þei wepen before me, ſeiynge, Ȝif to vs fleſh, þat we eten; Y may not aloone ſuſteyne al þis puple, for it is greuows to me. If oþir weies it is ſeen to þee, Y preye þat þow ſlee me, and Y fynde grace in þin eyen, þat wiþ ſo myche yuels Y be not turmentide. And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes, Geder to me ſeuenti men of þe aldren of Yrael, þe whiche þow haſt knowun, þat þei ben oolde of þe puple, and mayſtris; and þow ſhalt lede hem to þe dore of þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees, and þow ſhalt make þere to ſtoonde wiþ þee, þat Y deſcende, and ſpeke to þee; and Y ſhal take a wey of þi ſpiryte, and ȝyue to hem, þat þei ſuſteynen wiþ þee þe birþen of þe puple, and not þow alone be greued.

To þe puple forſoþe þow ſhalt ſeye, Be ȝe halowid, to morwe ȝe ſhulen eete fleſh; Y forſoþe haue herde ȝow to ſeye, Who ſhal ȝyue to vs metis of fleſh? wel it was to vs in Egipt; þat þe Lord ȝyue to ȝow fleſh, and eete not o day, ne two, ne fyue, or tenne, ne twenti forſoþe, but vnto þe moneþ of days, to þe tyme þat it come out bi ȝoure nooſe þrillis, and be turnyd into fomynge; forþi þat ȝe han putte abak þe Lord, þe which is in þe myddil of ȝow, and han wepte before hym, ſeiynge, Whi wenten we out of Egipte? And Moyſes ſeiþ to þe Lord, Six hundryd þouſandes of foot men ben of þis puple, and þou ſeyſt, Y ſhal ȝyue to hem etynge of fleſh an hool moneþ.

Wheþer a multitude of oxen and of ſheep ſhal be ſlayn, þat it may ſuffice to meete, or alle þe fiſſhes of þe ſee ſhulen be gedryd in oon, þat þei fulfillen hem? To whom anſwerde þe Lord, Wheþer þe hoond of þe Lord be vnmiȝty? now now þou ſhalt ſe, wheþer my word in dede be fulfillid. Þanne Moyſes came, and toolde to þe puple þe wordis of þe Lord, gedrynge ſeuenti men of þe aldren of Yrael, þe whiche he made ſtonde about þe tabernacle. And þe Lord cam down bi þe clowd, and ſpak to hym, takynge of þe ſpiryt þat was in Moyſes, and ȝyuynge to þe ſeuenty men; and whanne þe ſpiryte hadde reſtid in hem, þei profecyden, ne more ouer ceſiden.

Þere dwelten forſoþe in þe tentis two men, of whom oon was clepid Heldad, and þat oþer Medad, vpon whom reſtide þe ſpiryt; for and þei weren diſcryued, and þei wenten not out to þe tabernacle. And whanne þei propheciden in þe tentis, rennede a child, and toolde to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Heldad and Medad prophecien in þe tentes. Anoon Joſue, þe ſone of Nun, þe ſeruaunt of Moyſes, and choſun of many, ſeiþ, My lord, Moyſes, defend hem. And he, What, he ſeiþ, enuyeſt þow for me? who ȝyueþ þat þe puple prophecie, and God ȝyue to hem his ſpiryt? And Moyſes is turned aȝen, and þe more þurȝ birþe of Yrael into þe tentes.

A wynde forſoþe goynge out fro þe Lord, brouȝte cauȝt curlowis ouer ſee fro þe Lord, and he lafte into þe tentis, bi þe weye, as myche as o day myȝte be maad redy, on eche ſide of þe tentis bi enuyroun; and þei flowen in þe eyre two cubitis on heiȝt vpon þe erþe. Þanne þe puple ariſynge al þat day and nyȝt and þat oþer day, gederide a multitude of curluwis; þe which made redi ten chorys; a chore is a meſure of þretti buſſhels; and drieden hem bi enuyroun of þe tentes. Ȝit fleſh was in þe teeþe of hem, ne defautide ſiche a maner meet; and loo! þe wodenes of þe Lord ſtyrid into þe puple, ſmoot hem wiþ a ful greet veniaunce.

And þat place is clepid Þe ſepulcris of couetynge; þere forſoþe þei byrieden þe puple þat deſyride fleſh. And þei goon out fro Þe ſepulcres of Luſt, camen into Aſſeroþ, and dwelten þere.