MOSES AND AARON ARE SENT TO EGYPT.

"Louerd, ſent him ðat iſ to cumen,
Vgging and dred me haueð[[260]] numen."
"Aaron ðin broðer can wel ſpeken,
2828 ðu ſalt him meten and vnſteken
Him bodeword min, and ic ſal red
Gunc boðen bringen read and ſped."
"Aaron, thy brother can speak well, thou shalt meet him, and make known to him my words."
Moyſes, frigti, ðo funden gan
2832 to ſpeken wið ietro ðat riche man,
And aſkede him leue to faren and ſen,
If hiſe breðere of liues ben;
Moses asks leave of Jethro to visit his brethren.
ðog drechede he til god ef[t] bad,
2836 And brogte him bode ðe made him glad,
ðat pharaun, ðe wulde him ſ[l]en,
Waſ dead and hadde iſ werkes len.
 [Fol. 55b.]
Moses delayed until God's message again came to him.
MOyſes and hiſe wif ſephoram,
2840 And hiſe childre wið him nam;
And ðat on waſ vncircumciſ.
Then he departed with his wife and children.
He nam ſo forð, ſoð it is;
An angel, wið an dragen ſwerd,
2844 In ðe weie made him offerd,
for ðat he ledden feren ſwike,
ðe ſulden him deren witterlike;
One child was uncircumcised, and the angel in the way sought to slay him.
Sephora toc ðiſ gunge knaue,
2848 And dede circumciſe haue,
And gret, and wente frigti a-gen,
Zipporah circumcised her son.
And let moyſes forð one ten.
He bar hiſe gerde forð in iſ hond,
2852 And nam a weie[[261]] bi deſerd lond;
Moses pursued his way alone.
To mount ſynai forð he nam,
Aaron hiſe broðer a-gen him cam;
Eyðer [h]ere was of oðer fagen;
2856 Moyſes him haueð iſ herte[[262]] vt-dragen,
At Mount Sinai he meets with Aaron.
And he ben in-to egypte numen,
And a-mong folc ebriſſe ben cumen;
Moyſes tolde hem ðat bliðe bode,
They come into Egypt.
2860 And let hem ſen tockenes fro gode;
The people believe them.

[260]

MS. haued.

[261]

MS. aweie.

[262]

MS. herðe.