Exodus · Chapter 4

[ edit] Moyſes anſwerde, and ſeiþ, Þei ſhulen not leue me, ne here my voyce; but ſeyn, Þe Lord apeeryde not to þee. Þanne he ſeide vnto hym, What is þat þat þow holdiſt in þin hoond? He anſwerde, A ȝerde. And þe Lord ſeide, Þrow it into þe erþe; he þrewe it, and it was turned into a boſke eddre, ſo þat Moyſes fleiȝ. And þe Lord ſeide, Strecch out þin hoond, and tak his tayle; he ſtrauȝte out, and helde, and it was turned into a ȝerde. Þat þei bileuen, he ſeiþ, þat God of þi fadres aperide to þee God of Abraham, and God of Yſaac, and God of Jacob.

And þe Lord ſeide eftſones, Putte þin hoond into þi boſum; þe which whanne he hadde putt into his boſum, he brouȝte it forþ leprows, at liknes of ſnow. Drawe aȝen, he ſeiþ, þe hoond into þi boſum: he aȝen drewȝ, and brouȝte it forþ eftſones, and it was lijk vnto þe toþer fleſhe. If þei leuen not, he ſeiþ, to þee, ne here þe word of þe former ſigne, þei ſhulen leue to þe word of þe ſigne þat folweþ; and if forſoþe þey leuen not to þes twey ſignes, ne heren þi voys, tak water of þe floode, and heeld it out vpon þe drye loond, and what euere þow drawiſt of þe floode, it ſhal be turned into bloode.

Moyſes ſeiþ, Lord, Y biſeche, I am not wel ſpekynge fro ȝiſterday and fro þe þridde dai hens; and ſiþ þow ſpak to þi ſeruaunt, Y am of more latſum and of more ſlow tonge. Þe Lorde ſeide to hym, Who made þe mouþ of man, or who forgide þe dowmbe and þe deef, þe ſeer and þe blynde? wheþer not Y? Goo þanne, I ſhal be in þi mouþ, and Y ſhal teche þee what þow ſhalt ſpek. And he, Y biſeche, he ſeiþ, Lord, ſende whom þow art to ſende. Þe Lord wrooþ aȝens Moyſes, ſeiþ, Aaron, þi broþer, Leuyte, I wote þat he is a fayr ſpeker; loo! he ſhal goo out into þin aȝen goynge, and ſeynge þee he ſhal be glad in herte.

Spek to him, and put my wordis in his mouþ, and Y ſhal be in þi mouþ and in his mouþ; and Y ſhal ſhewe to ȝou what ȝe ſhulen do. He ſhal ſpeke for þee to þe puple, and he ſhal be þi mouþ; þow forſoþe ſhal be to hym in þes þinges, þat pertenen to God. And þis ȝerde tak in þin hoond, in þe which þow art to doon ſignes. Moyſes ȝede, and turned aȝen to Jetro, his wyues fader, and he ſeide to hym, Y ſhal goo, and turn aȝen to my breþeren in to Egipte, þat Y ſe if þei ȝit lyuen. To whom ſeide Jetro, Goo in pees. Þanne þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes in Madian, Goo, and turn aȝen into Egipte; forſoþe alle þei ben deede, þat ſouȝten þi lyf.

Moyſes tok his wyf, and his ſones, and putte hem upon an aſſe, and he is turned aȝen into Egipte, berynge þe ȝerde of God in his hoond. And þe Lord ſeide to hym turnynge aȝen into Egipte, Looke, þat alle þe ſignes worþi to be ſhewid þow do, þe whiche Y haue putte in þin hoond, before Pharao; Y ſhal hardun his herte, and he ſhal not leeue þe puple; and þow ſhalt ſeye to hym, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord, My ſone firſt getun Yrael; Y ſeide to þee, leeue my ſone, þat he ſerue to me; and þow woldiſt not leeue hym; loo! Y ſhal ſlee þi firſt gotun ſone. And whanne he was in þe weie, in þe ſyde turnyng place to reſte, þe Lorde ȝede aȝens hym, and wold ſlee hym.

Anoon Sephora tok a ful ſharp ſtoon, and kitte al aboute þe vttermore ſkynne of þe ȝerde of hir ſone, and it touchide his feet; and ſhe ſeiþ, A ſpouſe of blodis þow art to me. And ſhe lafte hym, for þe circumſicioun, aftir þat ſhe hadde ſeid, A ſpouſe of blodes þou art to me. Þe Lord forſoþe ſeide to Aaron, Goo into þe aȝen comyng to Moiſes, into deſert; þe which ȝede to mete wiþ hym into þe hil of God, and he kyſſide hym. And Moyſes tolde Aaron alle þe wordis of þe Lord, for þe whiche he ſente hym, and þe toknes þat he comaundyde. And þei comen togidere, and þei gadereden togidere alle þe alder men of þe ſones of Yrael.

And Aaron ſpak alle þe wordis, þat þe Lord hadde ſeyde to Moyſes; and he dide þe ſignes beforn þe puple; and þe puple bileuede; and þei herden þat þe Lord hadde viſitid þe ſones of Yrael, and þat he hadde biholdun þe affliccioun of hem; and redi þei anourden.