Numbers · Chapter 20

[ edit] And þe ſones of Yrael camen, and al þe multitude into þe deſeert of Syn, þe firſte moneþ. And þe puple dwelte in Cades; and Mary is þere deed, and byryed in þe ſame place. And whanne þe puple nedide water, þei camen aȝens Moiſes and Aaron, and, turned into diſſencioun, ſeiden, Wold God we hadden periſſhide amonge oure briþeren, before þe Lord. Whi han ȝe ladde out þe chirche of þe Lord into wilderenes, þat and we and oure beeſtis dyen? Whi han ȝe maad vs to ſtie vp fro Egipt, and ȝe han ladde into þis worſt place, þat may not be ſowid, þe whiche ne fige getiþ, ne vynes, ne powmgarnettis, more ouer and water it haþ not to drynke?

And Moyſes and Aaron, þe multitude laft, goon into þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees, fellen down redi into þe erþe, and cryeden to God, and ſeiden, Lord God, here þe crye of þis puple, and opyn to hem þi treſour, þe welle of quyk water, þat, hem fillid, ceeſe her grutchynge. And þe glorye of þe Lord aperide vpon hem; and þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Tak þe ȝerde, and gedre þe puple, þow, and Aaron þi broþer; and ſpeke ȝe to þe ſtoon before hem, and it ſhal ȝyue watris. And whanne þow haſt ladde out water fro þe ſtoon, ſhal drynke al þe multitude, and þe beeſtis of it.

Þanne Moyſes took þe ȝerde, þat was in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, as he comaundide to hym, þe multitude gedryd before þe ſtoon; and he ſeyde to hem, Here ȝe, rebells and harde to bileue; wheþer of þis ſtoon water to ȝow we mowen caſt out? And whanne Moyſes hadde areryde þe hoond, ſmytynge wiþ þe ȝerde twijs þe flynt, wenten out mooſt large watris, ſo þat þe puple myȝt drynke, and þe beeſtis. And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes and Aaron, For ȝe bileueden not to me, þat ȝe halweden me before þe ſones of Irael, ȝe ſhulen not lede in þes puples into þe loond þat I ſhal ȝyue to hem. Þis is þe water of contradiccioun; þere þe ſones of Yrael iangleden aȝens þe Lord, and he is halwid in hem.

Moyſes þere amonge ſente meſſengers fro Cades to þe kyng of Edom, þe whiche ſhulden ſeie, Þes þingis ſendiþ to þee þi broþer Yrael. Þow haſt knowun al þe traueyl þat haþ cauȝt vs, what maner oure faders deſcendiden into Egipt, and we han dwelte þere myche tyme, and þe Egipciens han tourmentide vs, and oure fadres; and what maner wyſe we han cried to þe Lord, and he haþ herd vs, and he haþ ſent an aungel, þat haþ ladde vs out of Egipte.

And loo! we ſett in þe cytee of Cades, þat is in þin uttermooſt cooſtis, biſechen, þat to vs it be leueful to paſſe bi þi loond; we ſhulen not goo bi feeldis, ne bi vynes, ne we ſhulen drynke watris of þi pittis; but we ſhulen goo þe comoun weye, ne to þe ryȝt ne to þe left bowynge, to þe tyme þat we paſſen þi cooſtis. To whom anſwerde Edom, Ȝe ſhulen not paſſe bi me, ellis armed Y ſhal come aȝens þee. And þe ſones of Yrael ſeyden, Bi þe beryd weye we ſhulen goon, and if we ſhulen drynke þi watris, we and oure beeſtis, we ſhulen ȝyue þat is riȝt; no difficulte ſhal be in þe prijs, oonli ſwiftly paſſe we. And he anſwerde, Ȝe ſhulen not paſſe.

And anoon metynge he wente out, wiþ a multitude wiþ out noumbre, and wiþ a ſtronge hoond, and he wolde not aſſente to hym preiynge, þat he graunte paſſynge bi his cooſtis. Wherfor turnede aſide fro hym Yrael. And whanne þei hadden meuyde tentis fro Cades, þei camen into þe hil of Hor, þat is in þe cooſtis of þe loond of Edom; where þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, Aaron, he ſeiþ, go he to his puplis; forſoþe he ſhal not goo into þe loond þat I haue ȝeue to þe ſones of Yrael, forþi þat he were harde of bileue to my mouþ, at þe watris of contradiccioun.

Tak Aaron, and his ſone wiþ hym, and þow ſhalt lede hem into þe hil of Hor; and whanne þow haſt made nakyd þe fader of his clooþ, þow ſhalt cloþe wiþ it Eleazar, his ſone, and Aaron ſhal be leide togidre, and die þere. And Moyſes dide as þe Lord comaundide; and þei ſtieden vp into þe hil of Hor, before al þe multitude. And whanne Aaron he hadde ſpuylid his cloþis, he cloþide wiþ hem Eleazar, his ſone; and hym deed in þe brenk of þe hil, he deſcendide wiþ Eleazar. Al forſoþe þe multitude ſeynge Aaron to haue died, wept vpon hym þretti dayes, bi alle her meynees.