Numbers · Chapter 16

[ edit] Loo! forſoþe Chore, þe ſone of Yſuar, þe ſone of Caaþ, þe ſone of Leuy, and Datan and Abyron, þe ſones of Heliab, and Hon, þe ſone of Pheleph, of þe ſones of Ruben, aryſen aȝens Moyſes, and oþer of þe ſones of Yrael, two hundryd and fifty noble men of þe ſynagoge, and þe whiche in tyme of counſeil bi names weren clepid. And whanne þei ſtoden aȝens Moyſes and Aaron, þei ſeiden, It ſufficiþ to vs, for al þe multitude of halowis is, and in hem is þe Lord; whi ben ȝe arered vpon þe puple of þe Lord?

Þe whiche þing whanne Moyſes hadde herde, he felle redy into þe face; and he ſpak to Chore, and to al þe multitude; Eerly, he ſeiþ, þe Lord ſhal make knowun whiche perteynen to hym, and þe halowis he ſhal ſett to hym; and whom he cheſiþ, ſhal neiȝ to hym. Þis þerfor doo ȝe; tak echon his cenſere, þow Chore, and al þi counſeil; and to morwe þe fier drawun vp, put ȝe þere aboue þe maad encenſe before þe Lord, and whom euer he cheſiþ, he ſhal be holy. Myche ȝe ſones of Leuy ben areryd. And eft he ſeide to Chory, Heriþ, ȝe ſones of Leuy.

Wheþer litil it is to ȝow, þat God of Yrael haþ ſeuerde ȝow fro al þe puple, and ioynede to hym ſilf, þat ȝe ſeruen to hym in heriynge of þe tabernacle, and ſtoonden before þe myche comynge of þe puple, and mynyſtre to hem? Þerfor to hym ſilf he haþ maad þee to come nyȝ, and alle þi briþeren þe ſones of Leuy, þat to ȝow alſo preeſþood ȝe chalengen, and al þi glubbe ſtoonde aȝens þe Lord? What is forſoþe Aaron, þat ȝe grucchen aȝens hym? Þanne Moyſes ſente for to clepe Datan and Abyron, þe ſones of Helyab; whiche anſwerden, We comen not. Wheþer litil it is to þee, þat þow haſt ladde vs fro þe loond þat flowide mylk and hony, þat þow ſlee in deſeert, but and þow haue lordſhip on vs?

Forſoþe þow haſt lad vs into þe loond þat flowiþ ryuers of mylk and hony, and þow haſt ȝyue to vs poſſeſſiouns of feeldes, and of vynes; wheþer and oure eyen þow wolt drawe out? We comen not. And Moiſes ful wrooþ ſeiþ to þe Lord, Bihold þow not þe ſacrifices of hem; þow woſt þat and a litil aſſe forſoþe Y neuer took of hem, ne wrongfully traueylde eny of hem. And he ſeide to Chore, Þow and al þi congrygacioun ſtondiþ aſijd before þe Lord, and Aaron to morwe atwynne. Take ȝe eche ȝoure ſenſerys, and puttiþ vpon hem encenſe, offrynge to þe Lord, two hundrid and fifti cenſerys; Aaron forſoþe holde he his cenſer.

Þe which þing whanne þei hadden doo, ſtoondynge Moyſes and Aaron, and þei hadden gederyde on an heepe aȝens hem al þe multitude at þe dore of þe tabernacle, to alle aperyd þe glorye of þe Lord. And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes and Aaron, and ſeiþ, Be ȝe ſeuerd fro þe myddil of þis congregacioun, þat hem grijſlich Y make loſt. Þe whiche fellen redi into þe face, and ſeiden, Mooſt ſtroong God of þe ſpirytis of al fleſh, wheþer oon ſynnynge, aȝens alle þi wraþ ſhal waxe cruel? And þe Lord ſeiþ to Moyſes, Comaund to al þe puple, þat it be ſeuerd fro þe tabernaclis of Chore, and Datan, and Abiron.

And Moyſes aroos, and wente to Datan and Abiron; and folwynge hym þe aldren of Yrael, he ſeide to þe puple, Goþ awey fro tabernaclis of vnpitows men, and wole ȝe not touche þat to hem parteynen, leſt ȝe be wrapped in þe ſynnes of hem. And whanne þei weren goon fro þe tentes of hem bi enuyroun, Daþan and Abiron goon out, ſtoden in þe entre of her tentes, wiþ wyues, and free children, and al þe felowſhipe. And Moyſes ſeiþ, Yn þis ȝe knowen þat þe Lord ſente me, þat I doo alle þe þingis þat ȝe ſeen, and not of propre herte hem I brynge forþe.

If þurȝ vſid deeþ of men þei dien, and viſyte hem a veniaunce, wiþ þe which and oþer ben woned to be viſytid, þe Lord haþ not ſente me; if forſoþe a newe þing þe Lord doo, þat þe erþe opnynge his mouþ ſwelowe hem, and alle þingis þat to hem perteynen, and goon down lyuynge into helle, ȝe ſhulen wyte þat þei han blasfemyd þe Lord. Anoon þanne as he ceſyde to ſpeke, þe erþe is brokun vndur þe feet of hem, and openynge his mouþ deuowride hem, wiþ her tabernaclis, and al þe ſubſtaunce of hem; and þei deſſendiden quyk into helle, couerd wiþ þe erþe, and þei perſhyden fro þe myddil of þe multitude.

And forſoþe al Irael þat ſtood bi enuyroun, fleeȝ fro þe crie of hem periſhynge, ſeiynge, Leſt perauenture and vs þe erþe ſwelow. But and fier goon out fro þe Lord, ſlewȝ two hundrid and fifti men þat offerden encenſe. And þe Lord ſpaak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Comaund to Eleazar, þe ſone of Aaron, preeſt, þat he take þe encenſers þat liggen in þe brennynge, and þe fier hidir and þidir ſcater he; for þei ben halwid in þe deþis of ſynful men; and beet he hem forþe into platis, and fitche he to þe auter, forþi þat þere is offerd in hem encenſe to þe Lord, and be halwid, þat þe ſones of Yrael biholden hem for tookne and mynde.

Þanne Eleazar, þe preeſt, took þe braſen cenſerys, in þe whiche offerden þes whom þe tendynge deuowride, and he bette hem forþe into plates, fitchynge to þe auter; þat aftirward þe ſones of Yrael myȝten haue, bi þe whiche þei ſhulden take mynde, leſt eny of oþer kynrede, and þat is not of þe ſeed of Aaron, come niȝ to offre encenſe to þe Lord, leſt he ſuffre as Chore ſuffrede, and al þe multitude of hym, ſpekynge þe Lord to Moyſes. Forſoþe al þe multitude of þe ſones of Irael grutchide þe day folwynge aȝens Moyſes and Aaron, ſeiynge, Ȝe han ſlayn þe puple of þe Lord.

And whanne þere was ſprongun diſſencioun, and noyſe wiþ ynne waxed, Moyſes and Aaron flowen to þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; þe whiche aftir þei ben goon ynne, couerde a clowde þe tabernacle, and aperyde þe glorie of þe Lord. And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes and Aaron, Goþ a wey fro þe myddil of þis multitude, alſo nowe I ſhal doo hem awey. And whanne þei lyen in þe erþe, Moyſes ſeide to Aaron, Take a cenſer, and fier drawun vp fro þe auter, put incenſe þere aboue, goynge anoon to þe puple, þat þow preye for hem; now forſoþe is goon out wraþ fro þe Lord, and a veniaunce waxiþ wood.

Þe whiche þing whanne Aaron hadde do, and hadde runne to þe myddil multitude, þat nowe waſtid þe brynnynge, he offrede þe maad encenſe; and ſtondynge betwix þe deed and þe lyuynge, for þe puple preyde, and þe veniaunce ceſide. Þere weren forſoþe þat weren ſmyttun fourtene þowſynd of men and ſeuen hundrid, wiþ outen hem þat perſhiden in þe diſſencioun of Chore. And Aaron turnede aȝen to Moyſes, at þe dore of þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees, aftir þat reſtide þe deeþ.