Numbers · Chapter 4

[ edit] And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes and Aaron, ſeyynge, Take þe ſowm of þe ſones of Caaþ, fro þe myddil of Leuytes, bi houſes, and her meyneis, fro þe þrytti ȝeer and aboue vnto þe fifty ȝeer, of alle þat goon in, þat þei ſtonden and mynyſtren in þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees.

Þis is þe heriynge of þe ſones of Caaþ; þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees, and þe holi of halowis ſhulen go yn Aaron and his ſones, whanne þe tentis ben to be moued; and þei ſhulen ſette down þe veile þat hongiþ before þe ȝatis, and þei ſhulen wrap wiþ ynne it þe ark of witneſſynge; and þei ſhulen eftſones couer it wiþ þe couerynge of iacynctyne ſkynnes, and þei ſhulen ſtrecche aboue a mantel al iacynctyne, and þei ſhulen lede in þe berynge ſtaues.

Þe table forſoþe of propoſicioun þei ſhulen wrappe wiþ ynne þe iacynctyne mantil, and þei ſhulen putte wiþ it þe encenſeris, and goldun morters, litil cuppes, and þe eryd chalices to þe ſacrifices of licours to ben heelde; looues euermore ſhulen be in it. And þei ſhulen ſtrecche þere aboue þe reed mantil, þe whiche eft þei ſhulen couer wiþ þe couerynge of iacynctyn ſkynnes, and þei ſhulen lede ynne þe berynge ſtaues.

And þei ſhulen take þe iacynctyn mantil, wiþ þe which þei ſhulen couer þe candelſtik, wiþ þe lanterns, and her toonges, and ſnyters, and wiþ alle þe veſſels of oyle, þe whiche ben neceſſary to þe lanterns to be maad redi; and vpon alle þei ſhulen putte þe couerynge of iacynctyn ſkynnes, and þei ſhulen lede ynne her berynge ſtaues. Alſo and þe goldun auter þei ſhulen wrappe wiþ ynne þe iacynctyn cloþing; and þei ſhulen ſtrecche out þere aboue þe couerynge of iacynctyn ſkynnes, and þei ſhulen lede yn þe beryng ſtaues.

Alle þe veſſels, wiþ þe whiche it is mynyſtryd in þe ſeyntuary, þei ſhulen wrappe wiþ inne þe iacynctyn mantel, and ſtrecch þere aboue a couertour of iacynctyn ſkynnes, and þei ſhulen lede yn þe berynge ſtaues. But and þe auter þei ſhulen clenſe wiþ aſken, and þei ſhulen wrappe it wiþ a purpur cloþinge. And þei ſhulen putt wiþ it alle þe veſſelis, þe whiche þei vſen in þe ſeruyce of it, þat is, þe reſſeyuable þinges of fiers, fleſhokis, and hokys of þre teeþ, and hokes, and fyre pannes; alle þe veſſels of þe auter þei ſhulen couer togyder wiþ a couerynge of iacynctyn ſkynnes, and þei ſhulen lede yn þe berynge ſtaues.

And whanne Aaron and his ſones han inwrappid þe ſeyntuary, and alle þe veſſels of it, in þe meuynge of tentes, þanne ſhulen goon yn þe ſones of Caaþ, þat þei beren wiþ ynne wrappid, and þat þei touchen not þe veſſels of þe ſeyntuary, leſt þei dien. Þes ben þe charges of þe ſones of Caaþ, in þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees, vpon whom ſhal be Eliazar, þe ſone of Aaron preeſt; to whos cure it perteyneþ oyle to þe lanterns to be maad redi, and þe encenſe of compoſicioun, and þe ſacrifice þat euermore is offred, and þe oyle of anoyntinge, and what euer þing to þe heriynge of þe tabernacle perteyneþ, and of alle þe veſſels þat ben in þe ſeyntuarye.

And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes and Aaron, ſeyynge, Wole ȝe not leſe þe puple of Caaþ fro þe myddel of Leuytes; but þis doþ to hem, þat þei lyuen, and dien not, if þei towchen þe holi þingis of halowes. Aaron and his ſones ſhulen go yn, and þei ſhulen dyſpoſe þe werkis of echon, and þei ſhulen dyuyde what eny owiþ to bere. Oþer þurȝ no curiouſte ſeen þat ben in þe ſeyntuarye, before þat þei ben inwrappid, ellis þei ſhulden die. And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Tak alſo þe ſowm of þe ſones of Gerſon, bi howſes, and meyneis, and his kynredes; fro þretti ȝeer and aboue and vnto þe ȝeres of fifti, noumbre alle þat goon yn, and ſeruen in þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees.

Þis is þe office of þe meyne of Gerſonytes, þat þei beren cortyns of þe tabernacle, and þe roof of þe boond of pees, þat oþer couertour, and vpon alle þe iacynctyn couerynge, and þe tente þat hongiþ in þe entre of þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; þe cortyns of þe porche, and þe veil in þe entre þat is before þe tabernacle. Alle þingis þat perteynen to þe auter, litil coordes, and þe veſſels of ſeruyce, comaundynge Aaron and his ſones, þe ſones of Gerſon ſhulen bere; and eche ſhal knowe to what charge þei owen to be takun. Þis is þe heriynge of þe meyneis of Gerſonytes, in þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; and þei ſhulen be vndir þe hoond of Yþamar, þe ſone of Aaron, preeſt.

Þe ſones forſoþe of Merarye, bi meyneis and howſes of her fadris, þou ſhalt noumbre, fro þretti ȝeer and aboue vnto þe ȝeers of fifti, alle þat goon into þe office of his ſeruyce, and heriynge of þe boond of pees of witneſſynge. Þes ben þe charges of hem; þei ſhulen bere þe tablis of þe tabernacle, and his berynge ſtaues, þe pilers, and þe feet of hem; and þe pilers of þe porche bi enuyroun, wiþ her feet, and ſtakys, and her coordes; alle veſſels and purtenaunce at noumbre þei ſhulen take, and ſo þei ſhulen bere. Þis is þe office of þe meyne of Merarytes, and þe ſeruyce in þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; and þei ſhulen be vndir þe hoond of Yþamar, þe ſone of Aaron, preeſt.

Þanne Moyſes and Aaron, and þe princes of þe ſynagoge, noumbreden þe ſones of Caaþ, bi kynredes, and howſes of her fadres, fro þretti ȝeer and aboue vnto fifti ȝeer, alle þat goon into þe ſeruyce of þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; and þere ben foundun two þowſyndes ſeuen hundred and fifti. Þis is þe noumbre of þe ſones of Caaþ, þat goon into þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; þes noumbreden Moyſes and Aaron, aftir þe word of þe Lord, bi þe hoond of Moyſes.

And ſones of Gerſon ben noumbred, bi kynredes, and howſes of her fadris, fro þretti ȝeer and aboue vnto þe fiftiþ ȝeer, alle þat goon yn þat þei mynyſtren in þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; and þere ben foundun two þowſynd ſix hundreþ and þretti. Þis is þe puple of Gerſonytes, þe which noumbreden Moyſes and Aaron, after þe word of þe Lord. Þe ſones of Merarye ben noumbred, bi kynredes, and houſes of her fadres, fro þretti ȝeer and aboue vnto þe fifty ȝeer, alle þat goon yn to fulfille þe rytis of þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; and þer ben foundun þre þowſyndes and two hundriþ.

Þis is þe noumbre of þe ſones of Merarye, þe whiche noumbreden Moyſes and Aaron, aftir þe heeſt of þe Lord, bi þe hoond of Moyſes. Alle þat ben noumbred of þe Leuytes, and þe whiche he dide to be noumbred at þe name, of Moyſes and Aaron, and þe princes of Yrael, bi kynredis, and howſes of her fadres, fro þretti ȝeer and aboue vnto þe fifti ȝeer, goynge into þe ſeruyce of þe tabernacle, and berþens to be bore, and þere weren togidir eiȝt þowſyndes fyue hundrid and eiȝty. After þe word of þe Lord Moiſes noumbred hem, echon aftir his office and his charges, as þe Lord comaundide to hym.