Numbers · Chapter 19

[ edit] And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes and Aaron, ſeiynge, Þis þe religioun of ſlayn offrynge, þat þe Lord haþ ordeynde. Comaunde to þe ſones of Yrael, þat þei brengen forþe a reede kowe of hool age, in þe which no ſpot be, ne beriþ ȝok. And ȝe ſhulen take hir to Elyazar, þe preeſt, þe which hir, lad out of þe tentes, ſhal offre in þe ſiȝt of alle; and wetynge þe fyngre in hir blood, ſhal ſpreynge aȝens þe ȝates of þe tabernacle ſeuen ſiþes. And he ſhal bren hir, alle men ſeynge, as wel wiþ ſkynne and fleſh of hir as wiþ þe blood and dryt, to þe flawme ȝe ſhulen take. Cedre forſoþe tree, and yſoop, and fijr reede ſilk twies died, þe preeſt ſhal putte into þe flawme þat vowriþ þe kowe.

And þanne at þe laſt, þe cloþis waſſhid, and his body, he ſhall goo into þe tentes, and he ſhal be defoulid vnto þe euen. But and he þat ſhal brenne hir, ſhal waſſhe his cloþis, and bodi, and vnclene ſhal be vnto þe euen. A clene forſoþe man ſhal gedre þe aſken of þe kowe, and heelde hem out of þe tentes in þe mooſt clene place, þat þei ben to þe multitude of þe ſones of Yrael into kepynge, and into water of ſprengynge; for for ſynne þe kowe is brent. And whanne he haþ waſſhe his cloþes, þat beer þe aſkis of þe kowe, he ſhal be vnclene vnto þe euen. And þe ſones of Yrael, and comlyngis þat dwellen amonge hem, ſhulen han þis holi bi perpetuel rijt.

He þat towchiþ þe careyn of a man, and for þat ſeuen daies were vnclene, he ſhal be ſpreynt of þis water þe þridde day, and þe ſeuenþe, and ſo he ſhal be clenſid. If þe þridde day he were not ſpreynt, þe ſeuenþe day he may not be maad vtterly clene. Al þat towchiþ of mannus ſoul þe faln to deeþ, and wiþ þis mengynge were not ſpreynt, he polutiþ þe tabernacle of þe Lord, and ſhal periſhe fro Yrael; for wiþ þe water of purgynge he is not ſpreynt, he ſhal be vnclene, and his filþe ſhal dwelle vpon hym. Þis is þe lawe of man þat dieþ in þe tabernacle; eche þat goþ into þe tente of hym, and alle þe veſſels þat þere ben, ſhal be polutid ſeuen daies.

Þe veſſel þat haþ not a couerynge, ne byndynge þere aboue, ſhal be vnclene. If eny man towche in þe feelde a careyn of a ſlayn man, or of þe bi hym ſilf deed, oþir þe mouþ of hym, or þe ſepulcre, ſhal be vnclene ſeuen daies. And þei ſhulen take of þe aſkes of brennynge, and of ſynne, and þei ſhulen putte quyk waters vpon hem, into þe veſſel; in þe which whanne a clene man wetiþ yſoop, he ſhal ſprenge of it þe tente, and al þe purtenaunce, and þe polut men wiþ ſiche a maner towchynge. And wiþ þis maner þe clene ſhal goo about þe vnclene, þe þridde and þe ſeuenþe day; and clenſid þe ſeuenþe day, he ſhal waſſhe hym ſilf, and his cloþis, and vnclene he ſhal be vnto þe euen.

If eny man wiþ þis rijt were not purgid, ſhal periſhe þe ſoule of hym fro þe myddil of þe chirche; for þe ſeyntuarie of þe Lord he polutide, and he is not ſpreynt wiþ þe water of enuyrownynge. Þis ſhal be þe heeſt lawful euerlaſtynge. He forſoþe þat ſhal ſprenge þe watrys, ſhal waſſhe his cloþis; eche þat towchiþ þe watris of purgynge, ſhal be vnclene vnto þe euen. What þing þe vnclene towchiþ, he ſhal make vnclene; and þe ſoule þat of þes þingis eny þing towchiþ, ſhal be vnclenem vnto þe euen.