THE WATERS ARE TURNED INTO BLOOD.

And pharaon ſtirte up a-non,
2932 And for-bed ðiſ folc to gon.
ÐO ſeide moyſes to araon,
"Quat redeſ tu, broder, ſule wit don?
ðiſ king him his[[268]] wel wiðer-ward
2936 Agen ðis folc, and herte hard;
Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go.
Go we and ſpeken wið hem get,
And fonden wið ðiſ token bet."
Moses and Aaron again came before Pharaoh.
And ſo deden [he] ſone a-non,
2940 And comen bi-foren pharaon,
Quad aaron, "nu ſaltu ſen
Quilc godes migtful ſtrengðes ben."
 [Fol. 57b.]
He ſmot on ðat flod wið ðat wond,
Aaron smote on the flood with his wand;
2944 Sone anon blod men al it fond;
soon anon it became blood,
And ðe fiſſes, in al ðat blod read,
floten a-buuen and wurðeden dead;
and the fish in it died.
In euerilc welle, in euerilc trike,
2948 men funden blod al witterlike,
In every well and pool blood was found,
But-if it were in ðe lond gerſen,
ðor-inne woree[[269]] ðe ebriſſe men.
ðis wreche, in al egypte rigt,
except in Goshen.
2952 Leſtede fulle ſeuene nigt;
ðo waſ ðiſ king ſumdel for-dred,
This plague lasted seven nights.
And het hem he ſulden vt ben led;
And moyſes ðiſ pine vn-dede,
2956 And water wurð on blodeſ ſtede.
Pharaoh then promised that the Hebrews should depart.
ðan pharaon wurð war ðis bot,
ðiſ folc of londe funden ne mot;
Iannes and mambres, wicheſ wod,
2960 Him ðhugte he maden water blod;
When the plague was removed he would not release them.
It waſ on fendes wiſe wrogt,
for to bi-tournen[[270]] ðe kingeſ ðogt.
Moyſes lerede god, ſpac him mide,
2964 Al ðat iſ broðer aaron dede.
Mad sorcerers misled the king.
Eft he comen to pharaon,
And he wernede ðiſ folc ut-gon.
 [Fol. 58.]

[268]

read is.

[269]

woren?

[270]

MS. bitoueren.