Numbers · Chapter 32

[ edit] The ſones forſoþe of Ruben and Gad hadden many beeſtis, and þer was to hem in beſtis ſubſtaunce wiþ outen noumbre. And whanne þei hadden ſeen Jaſer and Galaad, able loondis to beeſtis to be fedd, þei camen to Moyſes and Eleazar, þe preeſt, and prynces of þe multitude, and ſeyden, Aſtaroþ, and Dibbon, and Jaſer, and Nemra, Eſebon, and Eleale, and Sabam, and Nebo, and Beon, þe loond þat þe Lord ſmoot in þe ſiȝt of þe ſones of Yrael, is of a regioun mooſt plenteuous to þe food of beeſtis; and we þi ſeruauntis han many beeſtis; and we preyen, if we han foundun grace before þee, þat þow ȝyue to vs þi ſeruauntis it into poſſeſſioun, ne maak þow vs paſſe ouer Jordan.

To whom anſwerde Moyſes, Wheþer ȝoure briþeren ſhulen go to þe fiȝt, and ȝe here ſhulen ſitte? Whi myſturnen ȝe þe þouȝtes of þe ſones of Irael, þat þei doren not paſſe into þe place þat þe Lord is to ȝyuynge to hem? Wheþer diden not ſo ȝoure fadres, whanne Y ſente fro Cades Barne to aſpie þe loond, and whanne þei camen to þe valey of Cluſter, al þe regioun about paſſid, þei myſturneden þe herte of þe ſones of Yrael, þat þei wenten not in to þe cooſtis, þat þe Lord ȝaf to hem.

Þe which wrooþ, ſwaar, ſeiynge, Þes men ſhulen not ſeen, þat ſtieden vp fro Egipte, fro twenti ȝeer and aboue, þe loond þat under ooþ Y bihiȝte to Abraham, Yſaac, and Jacob, and þei wolden not ſue me, ſaue Caleph, þe ſone of Jephone, Ceneze, and Joſue, þe ſone of Nun; þes fulfilden my wille. And þe Lord wrooþ aȝens Yrael, ladde hym about by deſeert fourti ȝeer, to þe tyme þat were endyd al þe generacioun þat dide þe yuel in þe ſiȝt of hym. And, Loo! he ſeiþ, ȝe han ryſen for ȝoure fadres þe waxyngis and þe norſhid of ſynful men, þat ȝe encreſen þe woodnes of þe Lord aȝens Yrael.

And if ȝe wolen not folwe hym, in wildirnes þe puple he ſhal forſaak, and ȝe þe encheſoun ſhulen be of þe deeþ of alle. And þei nyȝ comynge to, ſeiden, We ſhulen make vs fooldis of ſheep, and ſtablis of beeſtis, to oure litil children forſoþe waardid cytees. Forſoþe we oure ſilf armed and gyrd, we ſhulen goo to batayl before þe ſones of Irael, to þe tyme þat we leden hem into her places; oure children, and what euer þing we mowen han, ſhulen be in þe waardid citees, for þe aſpies of þe dwellers. We ſhulen not turnen aȝen into oure howſis, into þe tyme þat þe ſones of Yrael welden her herytage; ne eny þing we ſhulen ſeche biȝonde Jordan, for nowe we han oure poſſeſſioun in þe eeſt cooſt of it.

To whom ſeiþ Moiſes, If ȝe doon þat ȝe bihooten, fulſpede goo ȝe before þe Lord into fiȝt; and eche fiȝtynge man armed paſſe he ouer Jordan, to þe tyme þat þe Lord turne doun his enemyes, and al þe loond be ſuget to hym; þanne ȝe ſhulen be vnculpable anentis God, and anentis Irael, and ȝe ſhulen weeld þe regiouns, þe whiche ȝe wolen, before þe Lord. If forſoþe þat ȝe ſeyn, ȝe doon not, to no man dowt is, þat ne ȝe ſynnen aȝens God; and wite ȝe, þat ȝour ſynne ſhal catche ȝow. Bilde ȝe þanne cytees to ȝoure children, and fooldis and ſtablis to ſheep and beeſtis; and þat ȝe han bihoot, fulfilliþ.

And þe ſones of Gad and Ruben ſeiden to Moyſes, Þi ſeruauntis we ben; we ſhulen doo þat þe Lord comaundiþ. Oure litil children, and wymmen, and feeldbeeſtis, and howſbeeſtis we ſhulen leeue in þe cytees of Galaad; forſoþe we þi ſeruauntis alle fulſpede ſhulen goo to batayl, as þow, lord, ſhalt ſpeek.

Þanne Moyſes comaundide to Eleazar, þe preeſt, and to Joſue, þe ſone of Nun, and to þe prynces of þe meynees, bi þe lynagis of Irael, and he ſeide to hem, If þe ſones of Gad and þe ſones of Ruben wiþ ȝow paſſen ouer Jordan alle armed, to bateil before þe Lord, and to ȝow were þe loond ſuget, ȝyue ȝe to hem Galaad into poſſeſſioun; if forſoþe þei wolen not paſſe wiþ ȝow into þe loond of Chanaan, among ȝow take þei places of dwellynge. And þe ſones of Gad and þe ſones of Ruben anſwerden, As þe Lord haþ ſpoken to his ſeruauntis, ſo we ſhulen doon; we armed ſhulen goo before þe Lord, into þe loond of Chanaan, and we knowlechen, þat we han take now poſſeſſioun biȝonde Jordan.

And ſo Moyſes ȝaf to þe ſones of Gad and of Ruben, and to þe half lynage of Manaſſe, þe ſone of Joſeph, þe kyngdam of Seon, kyng of Amorrei, and þe kyngdam of Og, kyng of Baſan, and þe loond of hem, wiþ her cytees, bi enuyroun. Þanne þe ſones of Gad maden out Dibon, and Aſtaroþ, and Aroer, and Roþ-Sophan, and Jazer, and Jeebaa, and Beþ-Neura, and Beþaran, waardid citees; and fooldis to her beeſtis. Þe ſones forſoþe of Ruben edifieden Eſebon, and Eleale, and Cariaþiarym, and Nabo, and Balmyon, turned þe names, Sabama forſoþe; puttynge names to þe cytes þat þei maden out. Forſoþe þe ſones of Machir, ſone of Manaſſe, wenten forþ into Galaad, and waſtiden it, Amorre ſlayn, þe dweller of it.

Þan Moyſes ȝaf þe loond of Galaad to Machir, ſone of Manaſſe, þat dwellide in it. Forſoþe Jair, þe ſone of Manaſſe, wente, and ocupiede þe ſtretis of it, þe whiche he clepide Anochiair, þat is, þe townes of Jayr. Forſoþe Nobe wente, and cauȝte Canaþ, wiþ his litil townes, and he clepide it, of his name, Nobe.