Numbers · Chapter 21

[ edit] That whanne Arad, þe Chanane kyng, þat dwellide at þe ſouþ, hadde herde, þat Yrael was comen bi þe eſpiours weye, fauȝte aȝens hym, and ouercomer beynge, brouȝte of hym a prey. And Yrael bi vowe hym ſilf to þe Lord obleſchynge, ſeiþ, If þow takiſt þis puple in myn hoond, Y ſhal doo awey his citees. And þe Lord haþ harde þe preyers of Yrael, and haþ take Chanane; þe which he haþ ſlayn, turned vpſedoun þe citees of hym; and he clepide þe name of þat place Horma, þat is, a curſynge. And forſoþe þei wenten forþ fro þe hil of Hor, by þe weie þat lediþ to þe reede ſee, þat þei myȝten goo about þe loond of Edom; and it biganne to greue þe puple, of þe weie and of þe traueyl.

And ſpeken aȝens þe Lord and Moyſes, ſeiþ, Whi haſt þow ladde vs out of Egipte, þat we dien in wildirnes? þere fayliþ to vs breed, watris þere ben not; oure ſoule now wlatiþ vpon þis mooſt liȝt meet. Wherfore þe Lord haþ ſente into þe puple eddres a fier; at whos woundis and deþes of manye, þei comen to Moyſes, and ſeiden, We han ſynned, for we han ſpoken aȝens þe Lord and þee; prey, þat he take fro vs eddres. And Moyſes preiede for þe puple; and þe Lord ſpak to hym, Mak a braſun addre, and put it for a tokne; who ſmytun biholdiþ it, ſhal lyue. Þanne Moyſes maade a braſun eddre, and putte for a ſigne; whom þe ſmytun biholdynge, were maad hool.

And þe ſones of Yrael goon forþe, ſetten tentis in Oboþ; fro whens goon out, þei piȝten tentis in Jeabarym, in þe wildernes, þat biholdiþ Moab, aȝens þe eeſt cooſt. And fro þens meuynge, þei camen to þe rynnynge water of Zareþ; þe whiche leuynge, þei ſetten tentis aȝens Arnon, þat is in deſeert, and fer ſtondiþ ouer in þe cooſtis of Amorrey. Forſoþe Arnon is þe eende of Moab, dyuydynge Moabites and Amorreis. Wherfor it is ſeide in þe book of bateyls of þe Lord, As he haþ doo in þe rede ſee, ſo he ſhal doo in þe rennynge watris of Arnon; þe roches of þe rennynge watris ben bowid, þat þei reſten in Arnon, and þat þei liggen in þe cooſtis of Moabites.

Of þat place aperide a pitt, vpon þe which þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, Geder þe puple, and I ſhal ȝyue to hym watir. Þanne Yrael ſong þis ditee, Sty vp þe pit; þei ſongen togidre, Þe pit þat delueden þe prynces, and greiþeden þe dukis of þe multitude, in þe ȝeuer of þe lawe, and in her ſtaues. And þei wenten fro þe wildrenes of Maþana, fro Maþana to Naaliel, fro Naaliel into Bamoþ; Bamoþ is a valey in þe regioun of Moab, in þe frount of Phaſga, þat biholdiþ aȝens þe deſeert.

And Yrael ſent meſſangers to Seon, þe kyng of Amorreys, ſeiynge, I biſeche þat it be leueful to me to paſſe bi þi loond; we ſhulen not bowe down to þe riȝt ne to þe left; we ſhulen not paſſe bi feelds and vynes, ne we ſhulen not drynke watris of pittis; þe kyngis weye we ſhulen goo, to þe tyme þat we paſſen þi cooſtis. Þe which woold not graunt þat Yrael myȝte paſſe bi his cooſtis, but raþir, þe ooſt gedryd togidre, wente out to mete in deſeert. And he cam into Jaſa, and he fauȝte aȝens hym; of whom he is ſmytun in þe mouþ of þe ſwerd, and his loond is weeldid fro Arnon vnto Jebboþ and to þe ſones of Amon; for wiþ a ſtronge helpe weren holde þe cooſtis of Amonytes.

Þanne Irael took alle þe citees of hym, and dwelte in þe wallid towns of Amorrey, in Eſebon þat is, and in þe litil touns of it. Þe cytee of Eſebon was of Seon, þe kyng of Amorrey, þat fauȝte aȝen þe kyng Moab, and took al þe loond þat was of his comaundynge, vnto Arnon. Þerfor it is ſeyd in prouerbe, Come ȝe into Eſebon, be bilde, and maad vp þe citee of Seon; fier went out of Eſebon, and flawme of þe wallid town of Seon, and deuowryde Arnon of Moabites, and þe dwellers of þe hie þingis of Arnon.

Woo to þee, Moab! þow, puple of Chamos, haſt periſhid; he haþ ȝyue þe ſones of hym into fliȝt, and þe douȝtren into caytiftee to Seon, þe kyng of Amorreis; þe ȝok of hem he ſcatrede, fro Eſebon vnto Dibon; wery þei camen into Ophe, and vnto Medaba. And ſo Yrael dwelt in þe loond of Amorrey. And Moyſes ſente þe whiche ſhulden aſpie Jaſar, whos litil towns þei token, and weeldeden þe dwellers. And þei turneden hem ſilf, and ſtieden vp bi þe weie of Baſan. And aȝen wente to hem Og, þe kyng of Baſan, wiþ al his puple, to fiȝtynge in Edray.

And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes, Ne drede þow hym, for in þin hoond Y haue takun hym, and al þe loond, and þe puple of hym; and þow ſhalt doo to hym as þow haſt doon to Seon, þe kyng of Amorreis, þe dweller of Eſebon. Þow haſt ſmytun þerfore and þis wiþ his ſones, and al his puple, vnto þe deþ; and þei weelden þe loond of hym.