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NUMERI.
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[DEPARTURE FROM SINAI (10:11–13) AND THE FIRST CENSUS OF ISRAEL (1:1–54)]
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169.
When Moyses thus had ordand all,
full cunnandly os he well can,
Unto Goddes servyce what suld fall,
and what to werres that wyrschyp wan,
Then remevyd thei both grett and small
to a forest that heght Faran.
Ther Tabernakyll ther can thei stall;
with the Arke of God thus thei begane.
God bad Moyses, Hys Jew,
suld fayre on the feld
And nowmer his men all new,
all that myght weppyns weld.
170.
Then Moyses dyd os God commaund:
he toke all that past twenty yere
Sex hunderth and thre milia
acowntyd of knyghtes in armys clere,
And fyghand folke on fote he fand
sex hunderth and fyve milia in fere,
Withoutyn clerkes that were ordand
to serve God on sydes sere.
And thei wer told be tale,
of the lynage of Levy,
To thryty milia hale.
That was a fayr cumpany.
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ordained; (see note); (t-note)
very cunningly as well he can
what should relate to God's service
what [should relate] to wars; win honor; (t-note)
they went off
was called Paran; (t-note)
Their; build (install)
began
(t-note)
go into the field
count
those past twenty years [in age]
603,000; (see note)
[were] accounted as knights in good arms
fighting footmen he found; (see note); (t-note)
605,000 together
Without the priests; (see note)
in other ways
those [who were not counted]; (t-note)
30,000 altogether; (t-note)
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[AARON AND MIRIAM DISPUTE MOSES’ AUTHORITY (12:1–16)]
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171.
Sone aftur then begane debate:
Aron and his systur Mary
Moyses, ther brother, can thei hate
and had to hym full grett envy.
Thei say it falys not for his astate,
and als that he was not worthy
To goverand them and gyd all gatte
or forto make over them maystry.
Thei sayd he was to bold
at bryng them from ther blyse
To suffer hungur and cald,
and all ther myrth to mysse.
172.
For this defawt gret venjance fell,
os God Hymself vowched save to send:
Mary all sone was fowl mesell,
and that endured aght days to ende.
When Aron saw this and herd tell,
hys awn defawt well he kend;
To Moyses fette fast down he fell
and prayd to God his myse to amend.
Then Moyses for hym prayd
And for his systur also.
Lepur that on hyr was layde
full tytt was tane hyr fro.
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Miriam
[To]; their; did they become hostile
(see note)
it is not proper to his estate
guide [them] in every way
exercise; mastery
too; (see note)
bliss [in Egypt]
lose
trespass
(t-note)
[made] foully leprous
eight; (t-note)
knew; (t-note)
feet; (t-note)
wrongs
The leprosy
taken from her
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[SPIES SENT INTO CANAAN (13:1–24)]
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173.
Then made thei myrth everylka man
and toke ther tentes in that tyde
And flytted furth fro Faran
unto a forest fast besyde.
And fude enogh ther fand thei than;
thei beld them thor a whyle to abyde.
Ther myght thei se to Canan,
qwylke God had heyght them not to hyde.
Bot thei fand fandyng
or tyme that thei come thore.
Then Moyses mad gedderyng
of all folke hym before.
174.
And sayd, “Sers, ye sall understand
how God hath sent yow solace sere,
That led yow owt of Egypt land
fro Pharo and his folke in fere
And broyght yow soundly over the sand,
when all drowned that your enmys were.
And for your hele He hath ordand,
and for your fode, this fawrté yere.
And thynk als on this thyng:
how your elders and ye
Hath groned and made gruchyng
both unto God and me.
175.
“Therfor all myse forto amend
honers Hym ever with all your myght
And kepe His law ose I hath kend
in word and dede both day and nyght.
And certan men I rede we send
to serche the land that He hath heyght,
And se how the folke may them dyffend
and aftur ther rede rewle us ryght.”1
Josue toke he then,
and Calafe, to wende ydder.
The folke toke other ten
and send furth all togeydder.
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each and every
took [down] their; place
journeyed; Paran
food
dwelled; there
Canaan
which; promised; (i.e., to reveal)
had hardships
before the time; came there [to Canaan]
made a gathering
(see note)
great solace
together
safely; (t-note)
enemies
comfort
these forty years
also
(t-note)
misdeeds
honor
advise
promised [to us]
defend themselves
Joshua
Caleb, to go there
(see note)
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[THE SPIES RETURN FROM CANAAN AND REPORT (13:25–14:10)]
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176.
In Canan ther cowrse thei cast
and soyght the land in lengh and brede.
By fawrty days war fully past,
had thei notyd all that was nede.
The ten com fyrst, that went furth last,
and to Moyses thei spake gud spede.
The folke then floked abowt them fast
All forto herkyn and take hede;
And frayned how thei had faryn
owt in the uncuth land,
And yf thei suld yt tharne,
or have yt in ther hand.
177.
The ten then can ther tales tell,
that stound them gretly in ther stevyn.
Thei sayd ther was not into dwell
a bettur land under Hevyn,
For thor was wyn and watur of well,
whett and oyle all ordand evyn,
Bot at the folke ware ferse and fell,
and nowmer of them myght no man nevyn.
“Thei ar wytty of were
and well of armys kend;
Hors, scheld, and spere
have thei redy at hend.
178.
“Thei ar so grett on grone to gang:
we seme bot barns to ther bodes.
And ther cetes ar sett so strong
thei cownt no cumyng of enmys.
Yt is no tyme to tary lang
to loke wher no releve lyse.”
Then wax thor murmur them amang,
as rebels thei began to ryse.
And to Moyses thei sayd,
“How durst thou do this thyng,
Thus traturly betrayde
us all and our ofspryng?
179.
“We myght have lyved in Egypt land
and governd us in gud degré.
Now hath thou stald us heyr to stand
to dye in payn and poverté.”
To kyll hym have thei made connande.
So come Calafe and Josue.
Thei toke unto them new tythand
and bade abayst thei suld not be:
“Yf ye in trewth be ryght
and to God call and crave,
The land that He hath heyght,
that hette we yow to have.
180.
“For all the ways os we can wend,
we fand fell folke full of envy
And grett. Bot God is not ther frend,
for thei lyfe all in mawmentry.
Ther cetys sone we sall do schend
and stroye ther borows by and by.
For thei ar folke full of the Fende,
and in God sall we fast afy.
Sen that He fayled us never
in stowre when we war stede,
He wyll be with us ever.”
Then war the rebels rade.
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reconnoitered
necessary
(t-note)
productively
asked; fared
unknown
lose
stunned; their assembly
there was wine
grain
But that; fierce and cruel
the numbering; know; (t-note)
clever at war
accomplished in arms
shield
hand
large on the ground to walk; (see note)
seem mere children to their bodies; (t-note)
their cities; (t-note)
fear no onset of enemies
relief lies; (t-note)
grew there; (t-note)
(t-note)
dared you
(t-note)
placed; (t-note)
made a pact
tidings; (t-note)
said [that] fearful
righteous
promised
assure; (t-note)
(t-note)
idolatry
cities soon; ruin; (t-note)
destroy their towns
Fiend (the Devil)
soon trust
Since; failed
battle; were troubled
were; afraid
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[GOD CONDEMNS ISRAEL TO WANDER FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS (14:10–45)]
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181.
To Moyses fette thei fell in hye
and mad grett sorow in Goddes syght.
Then Moyses prayd God Allmyghty
forto have pety of ther plyght.
God answerd to hym opynly
and sayd, “For that thou trawd not ryght,
Ther sall none of that cumpany
cume in the land, qwylk I have heyght.
Thoo ten that told tythand
my folke so to greve,
Thei sall lend in this land
with mornyng and myscheve.
182.
“And all that trowde unto ther tale
to tene Moyses, my servant dere,
Here sall thei abyd and be in bale:
all that ar past over thryty yere.
Ther chylder and ther heyrys all,
sall fyll that land both ferr and nere.
Josue and Calafe thei tway sall
be soverans in all sydes sere;
For thei went wysly thore
and told yow trew thythand;
Thei and ther heyrys ever more
sall be lordes of that land.”
183.
Then all tho rebels them repent
and prayd to God for bettur bone.
Bot to ther tales toke He no tent;
als He had demed, so most yt be done.
And neverthelesse lyght he them lent
abowt mydnyght withowtyn moyne,
And fresche watur wherso thei went,
and fode, yf that thei wer fele or fone,
Evyn at ther awn likyng
aftur ther tonges wold tast,
And keped ay ther cloghyng
withowtyn wem or wast.
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feet; in haste
made
pity on their plight
believed not rightly
which; promised
Those; tidings
grieve (affright)
remain
mourning and mischief
believed
harm
sadness
thirty years [of age]; (see note); (t-note)
Their; heirs
far and near
they shall together
heirs
(see note)
boon
no heed
must; (t-note)
moon; (t-note)
(t-note)
many or few
ever their clothing
stain or waste
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[REBELLION OF KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM (16:1–50)]
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184.
For this debate began to be
grett murmur all thos men amang.
A crewell man that heyght Core
agayn Moyses moved mekyll wrang.
Full rych he was of gold and fee;
therfor he toyght hymself more strang
And mekyll more worthy then hee
to govarn folke and for them gang.
He gatte of hys assent
Datan and Abyron,
And told them his entent,
and gart them fondly fon.
185.
Tway hunderth rebels gart he ryse
and fyfty at ther stevyn to stand.
To the Tabernakyll, as wreches unwyse,
went thei furth to make offerand.
Thei senssed thor and dyd servyce,
as byschoppes had before ordand,
And sayd Aron was not of price
swylk werkkes to take on hand,
Bot Core suld be then
ther hed, os hym well aw,
And Abyron and Datan
byschoppes to led ther law.
186.
God was not of that purpasse payd;
therfor yt turned them unto tene.
Moyses and Aron to them sayd,
“Sers, ye wot well withowtyn wene
Thrugh grace of God we two war grayd
to be in state as we have bene.
Yf any other be bettur arayd,
to morn then sall the soth be sene.”
To come then have thei hyght
on the morn, both lest and mast.
Bot God ordand that nyght
that all that werke was wast.
187.
God send His venjance sone certan
wher Datan and Abyron can dwell.
The erth opynd, yt is not to layn,
And sodanly thei sanke to Hell
And all that of ther fayr ware fayn,
wyf and chyld, down with them fell.
The erthe sone was closed agayn;
ther was no tokyn of to tell.
Bot Core come on the morne
with fele folke on fotte,
As connand was beforne,
agayns Moyses to mote.
188.
Moyses spake then unto Core
and to two hunderth and fyfty,
“Go se, both my brother Aron and ye,
and gyfe sense unto God Allmighty,
And by sume seyn then sall we se
qwylke man of all this cumpany
Ys best worthy byschop to be!”
To this asent thei sayd in hy.
Unto the Tabernakyll
full tytt thei toke the way.
God send full sone merakyll
thos fals folke to afflay.
189.
As Core to the auter went
forto gyfe sense as sufferan syre,
A sodan fyre from Hevyn was sent
and brent them up both bone and lyre.
Two hunderth and fyfty war schent
with other that dyd ther desyre.
Yet ware thei mo that malyce ment
agayns Moyses with grett yre.
To be soveran, thei sayd,
he had over grett gylt,
For he had thor betrayd
ther folke and fowle spylt.
190.
Her for full hyddos herme thei have:
thonour and lefnyng down dyscend
And stroyd them up, both knyght and knave.
Then Moyses, all mys to amend,
Gart kepe the sensurs, whoso wold crave,
in the Arke of God to be kene
How God wyll ever His servant save
and fro ther face ay them dyffend.
And thus this story twyns
that is cald Numeri,
And a new boke begynnys
that is named Dewtronomij.
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(t-note)
cruel; was called Korah
against; did much wrong
tribute
thought; strong
than he (i.e., Moses)
govern; go before them; (t-note)
got
Dathan and Abiram
made; foolishly behave; (t-note)
Two hundred; did he raise up
place
spread incense there; (see note)
worth
such works
their head [priest]
lead their; (t-note)
pleased
it turned into misery for them
know; doubt
were groomed
in the estate; been
prepared
shall truth be seen
promised; (see note)
both small and great
that work (of Korah) was wrong
soon
earth opened up; [be] denied
their behavior were glad
sign of [them]
(see note)
many; foot; (t-note)
cunning [as he]; (t-note)
argue
to [Korah’s]
incense
sign
which
haste
very quickly; (t-note)
miracle
terrify
altar
to give incense as a sovereign leader; (t-note)
sudden
burned; flesh
destroyed
more whom malice brought
surpassing fault
shamefully destroyed [them]
Here; hideous harm
thunder; lightning; (see note); (t-note)
[their] misdeeds; (t-note)
Made the censers be lit, [by] whomever; pray
shown
from their foes ever defend them
ends; (see note)
Numbers
(t-note)
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