Numbers · Chapter 31

[ edit] And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Venge firſt þe ſones of Yrael of þe Madianytis, and ſo þow ſhalt be gedryd to þi puple. And anoon Moyſes, Arme ȝe, he ſeiþ, of ȝow men to þe fiȝt, þat mowen þe veniaunce of þe Lord out take of þe Madianytis. A þowſand men of ech lynagis ben choſun of Yrael, þat ben ſent to batayl. And þei ȝeuen þowſandis of eche lynagis, þat is, twelue þowſandis of men, redy to þe fiȝt; whom Moyſes ſente wiþ Fynees, þe ſone of Eleazar, þe preeſt. Forſoþe þe hooli veſſels, and þe trumpes to crye, he took to hem.

And whanne þei hadden fouȝt aȝens Madianytes, and hadden ouercomen, alle þe maalis þei ſlewen, and þe kyngis of hem, Euy, and Reem, and Sur, and Hur, and Rebe, fyue princes of þe folk of hem. Balaam forſoþe, þe ſone of Beor, þei ſlewen wiþ ſwerd. And þei token þe wymmen of hem, and children, and alle þe beeſtis, and al purtenaunce; what þing euer þei myȝten haue, þei deſtruyden; as wel cytees as litil towns and caſtels bi flawme he brent. And þei token praye, and alle þat þei token, as wel of men as of beeſtis, and brouȝten to Moiſes, and Eleazar, þe preeſt, and to al þe multitude of þe ſones of Yrael.

Forſoþe oþer vſable þingis þei beren to þe tentis, in þe wijld feeldis of Moab, biſide Jordan, aȝen Jericho. And Moyſes and Eleazar, þe preeſt, wenten out, and alle þe prynces of þe ſynagoge, into aȝencomynge of hem, out of þe tentis. And Moyſes wrooþ to þe prynces of þe ooſt, leders of þouſandis, and gouernours of hundredis, þat camen fro þe batayl, ſeiþ, Whi han ȝe kept þe wymmen? ben not þes þat han deſeyued þe ſones of Yrael, at þe ſuggeſtioun of Balaam, and han maad ȝow treſpaſſe in þe Lord, vpon þe ſynne of Phegor, wherfor and þe puple was ſmytun?

Þerfor al ſlee ȝe what euer þing is of maal kynde, and litil children; and wymmen þat han knowun men in goynge togidre, kytte ȝe þe þrootis; mayde children, and alle wymmen maydens kepe ȝe to ȝow, and dwelliþ out of þe tentes ſeuen days. Who ſleeþ a man, or a man ſleyn touchiþ, ſhal be paſſid about þe þridde day, and þe ſeuenþe; and of al þe praye, wheþer cloþing it were, oþer veſſel, and eny þing into vſable þingis maad redi, of þe ſkynnes of gootis, and heerys, and tree, it ſhal be purgid.

Eleazar forſoþe, þe preeſt, to þe men of þe ooſt þat hadden fowȝt, þus ſpak, Þis is þe maundement of þe lawe, þat þe Lord comaundide to Moyſes, Gold, and ſiluer, and braſſe, and yren, and tynne, and leed, and al þat may paſſe bi flawmes, ſhal be purgid þurȝ fier; forſoþe what euer þing fier ſhal not mowe ſuſteyn, wiþ water of clenſynge ſhal be halowid. And ȝe ſhulen waſſhe ȝoure cloþis þe ſeuenþe day; and puryfied afterward ȝe ſhulen goo into þe tentes. And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes, Take þe ſumme of hem þat ben takun, fro man vnto beeſt, þow, and Eleazar, þe preeſt, and alle þe prynces of þe comoun.

And þow ſhalt dyuyde euen þe praye among hem þat fauȝten and wenten out to þe batayl, and among al þe laft multitude. And þow ſhalt ſeuer a part to þe Lord, of hem þat han fouȝten, and weren in þe batayl, o ſoule of fyue hundrid, as wel of men, as of oxen, and aſſis, and ſheep. And þow ſhalt ȝyue it to Eleazar, þe preeſt, for þe cheef fruytis of þe Lord þei ben. Of þe half forſoþe part of þe ſones of Irael, þow ſhalt taak þe fiftiþ heed of men, and of oxen, and of aſſes, and of ſheep, and of al hauynge ſoule; and þow ſhalt ȝyue hem to þe Leuytes, þat waken in þe waardis of þe tabernacle of þe Lord. And Moyſes and Eleazar diden as þe Lord comaundide.

Forſoþe þe pray was þat þe ooſt took, of ſheep ſix hundrid fyue and ſeuenti þowſand, of oxen two and ſeuenti þowſand, of aſſis ſexti þowſand and o þowſand; þe ſoules of men of wymmen kynde, þat knowen no men, two and þretti þowſand. And þe half part is ȝeuen to hem þat weren in þe batayl, of ſheep þre hundrid ſeuen and þretti þowſand and fyue hundrid; of þe whiche into þe part of þe Lord ben noumbred ſheep ſix hundryd and ſeuenti and fyue; and of oxen ſix and þretti þowſand, oxen ſeuenti and two, of aſſis þretti þowſand and fyue hundrid, aſſis ſexti and oon; of þe ſoules of men ſixtene þowſand, fellen into þe part of þe Lord, two and þretti ſoulis.

And Moyſes took þe noumbre of þe chefe fruytis of þe Lord to Eleazar, þe preeſt, as it was comaundid, of þe half part of þe ſones of Irael, þat he ſeuerde to hem þat in þe batayl weren. Of þe half part forſoþe þat felle to þat oþer multitude, þat is, of ſheep þre hundryd ſeuen and þretti þouſand and fyue hundrid, and of oxen ſix and þretti þouſand, and of þretti þowſand aſſis and fyue hundrid, and of ſixtene þowſand men, Moyſes took þe fiftiþ heed, and ȝaf to þe Leuytis, þat wakiden in þe tabernacle of þe Lord, as þe Lord comaundide.

And whanne þe prynces of þe ooſt weren goon to Moyſes, and þe leders of þowſandis, and rewlers of hundredis, ſeiden, We þi ſeruauntis han tolde þe noumbre of fiȝters, þe which we hadden vndre oure hoond, and not oon forſoþe faylid; for what cauſe we offren in þe places of þe free ȝiftis of þe Lord, eche, þat in þe praye of gold we myȝten fynde, wymmens ournementis about her reynes, and ournementis about her ſhuldres, and rynges, and ournementis about her armes, and ournementis about her neckis, þat þow preye þe Lord for vs.

And Moyſes and Eleazar þe preeſt, token al þe gold in dyuers ſpices, bi peyſe of þe ſeyntuarye, ſixtene þouſand ſeuen hundrid and fifti ſiclis, of þe leders of þowſandis, and rewlers of hundredis. Forſoþe echon þat he cauȝte in þe praye, was his; and þe taken þei brouȝten into þe tabernacle of witneſſynge, into mynde of þe ſones of Irael, before þe Lord.