And let her hen boden er[f] & ſep,
3112 ic wile ðor-on[[278]] nimen kep."
Quad moyſes, "la! god it wot,
to leave their flocks and herds behind.
ſal ðe[r]-of bi-leuen non fot,
Al we ſulen iſ wið vs hauen;
3116 'Wold,' quad god, 'wile ðor-of crauen.'"
Quað pharaon to moyſen,
Moses will not consent to this arrangement.
"Nu ic rede ðat ge flen;
for ſe ic gu more-ouer nu,
3120 dead ſal be[[279]] wreken ouer gu."
Moses and Aaron are driven out from the presence of Pharaoh.
MOyſes fleg to lond gerſen,
ðor wuneden hiſ kinnes men.
[Fol. 61.]
Quað god, "get ic ſal pharaon,
3124 Or ge gon vt, don an wreche on,
(Nu ſal ic in-to egipte gon,)
Swilc wreche waſ ear neuere non;
God tells Moses of his final vengeance upon the Egyptians.
Deigen ðor ſal ilc firme bigeten
3128 Of men and erf, non forgeten;
Oc among gu, dredeð gu nogt,
to gu ne ſal non iuel ben ſogt,
Ne ſal ic gu nog[t] loten
3132 Of ðat ic haue gu bi-hoten."
Each first-born shall be destroyed.
Siðen quað god to moyſen,
"ðiſ ſal gure firmeſt moneð[[280]] ben,
ðoo gune men ðe mone ſen
The year shall begin,
3136 In april Reke-fille ben."
ðanne he lereden hem newe wunen;
when in April the new moon is seen.
"Euerilc ger, more to munen,
Euerilc huſ-folc ðe mai it ðauen
The institution of the Passover.
3140 On ger ſep oðer on kide hauen;
ðe tende dai it ſulde ben lagt,
And ho[l]den in ðe tende nagt,
And [slagen] on ðe fowrtende dai;
3144 So mikil hird ſo it noten mai,
Ben at euen folc ſum to ſamen,
A lamb or kid of the first year is to be taken and slain by each household on the fourteenth day of the month,
And ilc folc iſ to fode framen,
and to be roasted whole.

[278]

MS. dor-on.

[279]

MS. me.

[280]

MS. moned.

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FIRST-BORN.

And eten it bred, and non bon breken,
[Fol. 61b.]
3148 And nogt ðor-of vt huſe wreken,
Oc ſod and girt, ſtondende, and ſtaf on hond,
None of it is to be taken out of the house.
Ilc man after his owen fond,
It is to be roasted whole,
Heued and fet, and in rew mete[n],
3152 leſen fro ðe bones and eten,
Wið[[281]] wriðel and vn-lif bread;"
and eaten with bitter herbs, and unleavened bread.
ðe bi-leuen brennen he bead.
"ðe dure-tren and ðe uuerſlagen,
3156 wið yſope ðe blod ben dragen;
ðat nigt ſal ben feſt paſche,"
forð-for, on engle tunge, it be.
The remainder is to be burnt, and the blood is to be sprinkled upon the door-posts.
ON midel ſel, ðat[[282]] ilc nigt,
3160 So cam wreche on egipte rigt;
Vengeance came upon the Egyptians.
Ilc firme bigeten, of erf and man,
was ſtoruen on morwen and dead forðan;
ðo waſ non biging of al egipte
3164 lich-leſ, ſo manige dead ðor kipte.[[283]]
The first-born of man and beast were slain.
ðo wurð phara[o]n nede driuen
And haueð[[284]] hem ðane leue giuen;
And egipte folc bad hem faren,
3168 And ſwiðe a-weiward hem garen.
Pharaoh consented to let Israel go.
Quat-ſo he boden, ſrud[[285]] or ſat,
Egipte folc hem lenen ðat;
Waſ hem nogt werned ðat he crauen,
3172 for here ſwinc-hire he nu hauen;
The Egyptians gave the Hebrews whatever they asked.
Gold and ſiluer he hauen vt-brogt,
[Fol. 62.]
ðe tabernacle ðor[[286]]-wið wurð[[287]] wrogt;
He woren ſexe hundred ðhuſent men,
3176 wið-vten childre and wimmen;
Al erf-kin hauen he ut-led,
Egipte folc hem hauen ut-ſped.
The Israelites numbered 600,000 men.
Almost redi waſ here fare,
3180 moyſes bi-ðogt him ful gare
Of ðat ðe iſ kin haueð ſworen,
Moses thought of the oath sworn to Joseph.
Ioſepes bones ſulen ben boren;
Joseph's grave could not be found.

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