MS. pharaum.

AND FLEES INTO MIDIAN.

And ben ſone hom numen;
And bforen here fader cumen,
And gunen him ðore tellen,
They told their father
2756 Hu a gunge man, at te welle[n],
ðewe and wurſipe hem dede;
 [Fol. 54.]
how a young man at the well had protected them.
And ietro geld it him in eſtdede,
Sente after him, freinede hiſ kin,
2760 Helde him wurðelike iſ huſ wið-in;
Of ali kinde he wiſte him boren,
And bad him ðor wunen him bi-foren,
Jethro sent after him and kept him in his house,
Gaf him iſ dowter ſephoram;
2764 To wife in lage he hire nam,
And bi-gat two ſunes on hire ðer,
firſt gerlon, ſiðen eliezer.
Egipte king to late waſ dead,
2768 ðe ðe childre ſo drinkelen bead.
and gave him his daughter to wife, who bore him two sons.
And moyſes waſ numen an ſel
In ðe deſerd depe ſumdel,
for te loken hirdneſſe fare;
2772 Riche men ðo kepten ſwilc ware.
On a time Moses went into the desert with his flocks, for rich men then kept such ware.
ðo ſag moyſes, at munt ſynay,
An ſwiðe ferli ſigt ðor-bi,
fier brennen on ðe grene leaf,
By Mount Sinai he sees a wondrous sight,
2776 And ðog grene and hol bi-leaf;
forð he nam to ſen witterlike,
Hu ðat fier brende milde-like;
a bush burning, and nevertheless green and whole.
Vt of ðat buſk, ðe brende and ðheg,
2780 God ſente an ſteuene, brigt and heg;
Out of that bush God's voice was heard, clear and high,
"Moyſes, moyſes, do of ðin ſon,
ðu ſtondes ſeli ſtede up-on;
'Moses, Moses, take off thy shoes, for thou standest on holy ground.
Hic am god ðe in min geming nam
2784 Iacob, yſaac, and abraham;
 [Fol. 54b.]
I am the God of Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.
ic haue min folkes pine ſogen,
ðat he nu longe hauen drogen;
I have seen the affliction of my people,
Nu am ic ligt to fren hem ðeðen,
2788 And milche and hunige lond hem queðen;
and have come down to deliver them,

GOD APPEARS TO MOSES AT SINAI.

An .vii. kinge-riches lond
Ic ſal hem bringen al on hond.
and to bring them into the land of seven kingdoms.
Cum, ðu ſalt ben min ſondere man,
2792 Ic ſal ðe techen wel to ðan;
Come, thou shalt be my messenger,
ðu ſalt min folc bringen a-gen,
And her ðu ſalt min migte ſen;
And ðu ſalt ſeien to faraon,
2796 ðat he lete min folc ut-gon;
and bid Pharaoh release my people.
If he it werne and be ðor-gen,
Ic ſal ðe techen hu it ſal ben;
for ic ſal werken ferlike ſtrong,
If he refuse, I shall work great marvels,
2800 And maken min folc frelike ut-gong;
Ge ſulen cumen wið feteles & ſrud,
and cause my people to go out freely.
And reuen egipte ðat iſ nu prud.
Werp nu to token dun ðat wond."
2804 And it warp vt of hiſe hond,
And wurð ſone an uglike ſnake,
And moyſes fleg for dredes ſake;
As a sign, throw down thy wand." The wand then became an ugly snake.
God him bad, bi ðe tail he it nam,
2808 And it a-non a wond it bi-cam,
God bade Moses take it by the tail, and anon it became a wand.
And in hiſe boſum he dede his hond,
Quit and al unfer he it fond;
 [Fol. 55.]
He put his hand into his bosom and it became leprous.
And ſone he dede it eft agen,
2812 Al hol and fer he wiſte it ſen.
He put it in again and it became whole and sound.
"If he for ðiſe tokenes two
Ne liſteðe ne troweð to,
Go, get ðe water of de[[259]] flod
2816 On ðe erðe, and it ſal wurðen blod."
"If they believe not these tokens, pour out the water of the flood on the earth, and it shall become blood."
"Louerd, ic am wanmol, vn-reken
Of wurdes, and may ic Iuel ſpeken.
Nu iſ forð gon ðe ðridde dai,
2820 Sende an oðer; bettre he mai."
"Lord! I am not eloquent, and cannot speak well," said Moses.
"Quo made domme, and quo ſpecande?
Quo made bisne, and quo lockende?
Quo but ic, ðat haue al wrogt?
2824 Of me ſal fultum ben ðe brogt."
Quoth God, "Who made the dumb, the speaking, the blind, and the seeing?"

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ðe?

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.

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