WHOREDOM AND IDOLATRY PUNISHED.

ðe fendes folgen and me flen,
ðe bidde ic hangen ðat he ben;
Ben ðeſe hangen ðe ſunne agen,
4076 ðise oðer[[387]] folc ſal meðe ſen."
God commands the chief men to be hanged.
Godes wreche ðor haueð of-ſlagen
xx.iii. ðuſent of dagen.[[388]]
Twenty-three thousand were slain.
finees waſ a ſeli man,
4080 ðe godes wreche forðen gan;
He ſlug Zabri for godeſ luuen,
Hiſe hore bi-neðe and him abuuen;
Phinehas kills Zimri and Cozbi
ðurg and ðurg boðen he ſtong
4084 wið hiſe giſarme ſarp & long.
God moysen nemnen bead
 [Fol. 79b.]
with his long and sharp pike.
Hiſ folc ðe was firmeſt fro dead,
Or .xx. winter or more hold,
4088 ðe in egypte or ne weren told;
God commands Moses to take the sum of the people above twenty.
On and .vi. hundred ðuſent ðor,
And .vii. hundred and .xx. mor
Moyſes fond and eliazar;
4092 Was non of hem told in tale or,
It was found to be 601,720.
ðo moyſes tolde hem and aaron,
ðan [h]e gunnen fro egipte gon.
Vten ioſue and caleph,
4096 Alle elles he driuen in deades weph;
Alle ðiſe wapmen ðor[[389]] god let liwen,
ðe lond hoten ſal hem ben giuen.
God moyſes clepede and quad to him,
Of those who were numbered at Sinai, all died except Joshua and Caleb.
4100 "ſtig hege up to munt Abarim,
And ic ſal don ðe ðeðen[[390]] ſen
ðe lond ðe ſal ðiſ folc[e]s ben;
ðer ðu ſalt ben of werlde numen.
4104 In to ðat lond ſalt ðu nogt cumen."
"Louerd, merci!" quad moyſes,
Moses being told of his death,
"Let ðu ðin folc nogt helpe-les,
And good let oc ðu hem bi-ſe,
4108 Alſwilc alſ hem bi-hu[f]lik bee."
intreats God not to let the people be "helpless."

[387]

MS. oder.

[388]

MS. ðagen.

[389]

MS. dor.

[390]

MS. ðeden.