Numbers · Chapter 14

[ edit] Therfore rerynge crye al þe puple, wepte þat nyȝt, and grucchiden aȝens Moyſes and Aaron, þat is alle þe ſones of Yrael, ſeiynge, Wolde God we weren deed in Egipte, and not in þis waſt wildernes; wolde God we periſſhen, and þat þe Lord lede vs not into þis loond, leſt we fallen bi ſwerd, and wyues and oure free children ben lad caytyues; wheþir were it not beter to turne aȝen into Egipte? And þei ſeiden oon to þat oþere, Ordeyn we to vs a duke, and turne we aȝen into Egipte. Þe which þing herd, Moyſes and Aaron fellen redy into þe erþe, before al þe multitude of þe ſones of Yrael.

And forſoþe Joſue, þe ſone of Nun, and Caleph, þe ſone of Jephone, þe whiche and þei hadden goon þe loond, renten her cloþes, and to al þe multitude of þe ſones of Yrael ſpeken, Þe loond þat we han enuyrownde is ful good; if þe Lord were mercyful, he ſhal lede vs into it, and take þe loonde flowynge mylk and hony. Wole ȝe not be rebel aȝens þe Lord, ne drede ȝe þe puple of þis loond, for as breed ſo we may deuowre hem; þere is goo from hem al helpe, þe Lord is wiþ vs, wole ȝe not drede. And whanne al þe multitude cryede, and wiþ ſtonus wolden þrowe hem down, þe glorye of þe Lord aperide vpon þe roof of þe boond of pees, ſeynge alle þe ſones of Yrael.

And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes, How longe ſhal þis puple bacbite to me? How longe ſhulen þei not leue to me, in alle þe ſignes þat Y haue doon before hem? Y ſhal þerfor ſmyte hem wiþ peſtilence, and waaſt; þee forſoþe Y ſhal make a prince vpon a greet folk of kynde, and a ſtrenger þan þis is.

And Moyſes ſeyde to þe Lord, Þat þe Egipcyens heren, of whos myddil þow haſt ladde out þis puple, and þe dwellers of þis loond, þe whiche han herde, for þow, Lord, in þis puple be, and wiþ face to face þow be ſeen, and þi clowde defende hem, and in a pyler of a clowde þow goo before hem bi day, and in a pyler of fier bi nyȝt, þat þow ſlee ſo myche a multitude as o man, and ſeyn, þow myȝtiſt not brynge yn þis puple in þe loond for þe whiche he ſwore, and þerfor he ſlew hem in wildernes.

Þanne þe ſtrengþe of þe Lord be magnyfied, as þow haſt ſworne, ſeiynge, þe Lord pacient, and of myche mercy, doynge aweye wickedneſſe and hidows treſpaſſis, and no man giltles forſakynge, þe which viſitiſt þe ſynnes of fadres into ſones into þe þridde and þe ferþe generacioun. Forȝyue, Y preye, þe ſynne of þis þi puple, aftir þe greetnes of þi mercy, as þow were merciable to hem goynge out fro Egipte into þis place. And þe Lord ſeide, Y haue forȝyue to hem, after þi word.

Y lyue; and fulfillid ſhal be þe glorye of þe Lord, in al þe loond; neþeles al men þat han ſeen my maieſte, and my ſignes, and þat Y haue do in Egipte and in wildernes, and han temptid me now bi ten ſiþes, ne han obeſhid to my voys, ſhulen not ſeen þe loond for þe which Y haue ſwore to þe fadris of hem, ne eny of hem þat han bacbytide to me, ſhal ſe it. My ſeruaunt Caleph, þat ful of anoþer ſpyryt haþ folwid me, I ſhal lede into þis loond, þat he haþ goon about, and þe ſeed of hym ſhal welde it. For þe Amelechites and Chanane dwellen in þe valeys, to morwe meue ȝe þe tentis, and ȝe ſhulen torne aȝen into wildirnes, bi þe weie of þe rede ſee.

And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes and Aaron, ſeiynge, How longe þis mooſt ſhrewid multitude grucchyþ aȝens me? Þe pleyntes of þe ſones of Yrael Y haue herde.

Sey þanne to hem, Y lyue, ſeiþ þe Lord; as ȝe han ſpokun, herynge me, ſo Y ſhal do to ȝow; in þis wildirnes ſhulen ligge ȝoure careyns. Ȝee alle þat ben noumbrid, fro twenti ȝeer and aboue, and han grucchid aȝens me, ȝe ſhulen not goon into þe loond, vpon þe which Y haue reryde myn hoond, þat Y make ȝow to dwelle, out take Caleph, þe ſone of Jephone, and Joſue, þe ſone of Nun. Ȝoure litil children forſoþe, of which ȝe han ſeyde, þat þei ſhulen be to preye to þe enemyes, Y ſhal lede yn, þat þei ſeen þe loond, þe which diſpleſid to ȝow. Ȝoure forſoþe careyn ſhal ligge in wildirnes; ȝoure ſones ſhulen be vagaunt in deſeert fourti ȝeer, and þei ſhulen bere ȝoure fornycacioun, to þe tyme þat þe careyns of ȝoure faders ben waſtid in deſeert, after þe noumbre of fourti days, in þe whiche ȝe han biholdun þe loond; a ȝeer for a day ſhal be in noumbrid, and fourti ȝeer ȝe ſhulen reſſeyue ȝoure wickidneſſes, and ȝe ſhulen knowe my veniaunce.

For as I haue ſpoke, ſo I ſhal doo to al þis multitude mooſt ſhrewid, þat haþ togidir ryſun aȝens me in þis wildernes; it ſhal fayle, and dye. Þerfor alle þe men þat Moyſes ſente to beholde þe loond, and þe whiche turned aȝen, maden al þe multitude grucchen aȝens hym, myſſeiynge of þe loond, þat it was yuel, ben deed, and ſmytun in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord. Joſue forſoþe, þe ſone of Nun, and Caleph, þe ſone of Jephone, lyueden, of alle þat wenten to beholde þe loond. And Moyſes ſpake alle þes wordes to alle þe ſones of Yrael, and þe puple weilide ful myche.

And, loo! eerly firſte aryſynge, þei ſteiden vp þe cop of þe hil, and ſeiden, We ben redi to ſtye vp to þe place, of þe which þe Lord haþ ſpokun, for we han ſynned. To whom Moyſes, Whi, he ſeiþ, ouerpaſſen ȝe þe word of þe Lord, þe which þing ſhal not falle to ȝow into good ſpede? Wole ȝe not ſtye vp, forſoþe God is not wiþ ȝow, leſt ȝe fallen before ȝoure enemyes. Amalechitees and Chanane ben before ȝow, bi whos ſwerd ȝe ſhulen falle, for þi þat ȝe wolden not aſſent to þe Lord, ne þe Lord ſhal be wiþ ȝow. And þei blyndid togidere ſtyeden vp into þe cop of þe hil; þe arke forſoþe of þe teſtament of þe Lord and Moyſes wenten not fro þe tentis.

And Amalecchite deſcendide, and Chanane, þat dwelten in þe hil, and ſmytynge hem, and hewynge togidere, purſueden hem vnto Horma.