MS. ut.
JETHRO VISITS MOSES.
| Moyſes made ðor alter on, "Min bliſ" iſ name ðor-one don. | Moses raises an altar. |
| ÐO cam ietro to moysen, 3400 To ſpeken him and ðo kinnes-men, | Jethro visits Moses, |
| And ſephora, moyſes wif, And hire two ſunes of faiger lif; Ietro liſtnede moyſes tale, | bringing with him Zipporah and her two sons. |
|
3404
Of him and pharaon ðe dwale, And ðhankede[[316]] it almigten wel, ðat waſ bi-tid for iſrael; | Moses relates to him the destruction of Pharaoh. |
| And at wið moyſen feſtelike, | [Fol. 66b.] |
|
3408
And tagte him ſiðen witterlike Vnder him helpes oðere don, ðat folc ſtering to ſtreng[t]hen on. | Jethro counsels Moses to appoint rulers of the people, |
| Al bi ðhuſenz ðiſ folc was told, 3412 Ilc ðhuſent adde a meiſter wold; And vnder ðiſ tgen[[317]] ſteres ben, | rulers of thousands, |
| Ilc here on hundred to bi-ſen; Vnder ðis ilc two ſteres wunen, | rulers of hundreds, |
|
3416
And vnder hem fif oðere numen; | rulers of fifties, |
| Ilc of ðe .v. ſteres-men Vnder hem welden in ſtere tgen.[[317]] | and rulers of tens. |
| If ymong .x. wurð ogt miſ-don, 3420 Here ſtere rigten [ſulde] ðor-on, And if he ne mai it rigten wel, | An appeal to be made from the ruler of ten, |
| Taunet iſ meiſter euerilc del; And if he rigten it ne can, | to the ruler of hundreds, |
|
3424
He taune it al hiſ ouer-man, Ai ſo forð fro man to man, Til he it here, ðe rigten can; | and thence to the superior ruler. |
| If it ne mai or rigted ben, 3428 ſo ſal it cumen to moysen. | The final appeal to be made to Moses. |
| He bad him cheſen ſtereſ-men Migti, ðe gode-frigti ben, ðe ſoð-faſtneſſe lef ben, 3432 And ðe niðing [and] giſcing flen. | These rulers were to be able men, god-fearing, lovers of truth, and haters of covetousness. |
MS. ðahankede.
ten?
THE PEOPLE COME TO SINAI.
| ðiſ red ðhugte moyſes ful god, And leuelike it under-ſtod. Ietro wente in-to his lond a-gen; 3436 Al[ſ] he redde, al-ſo gan it ben. | [Fol. 67.] Moses accepts the counsel. |
| Ðe ðridde moneð in iſ
cumen, To ſynay ðiſ folc iſ numen; ðe ſeuene and forwerti dai 3440 ðat he nomen fro egipte awei, | In the third month of the year Exodus, and in the forty-seventh day after they left Egypt, |
| Vnder ðiſ munt he funden ſteden, And here teldes ðor he deden. On oðer daiges morgen quile, 3444 God tauned[[318]] moyſi quat he wile. "Sei ðiſ folc ðat nu ðolen, | the people come to the desert of Sinai. |
| for iſ here ðhogt nogt me for-holen; 'If ye liſten lefful to me, 3448 Ic wile min folc owen be.'" And moyſes tolde ðiſ iſrael, And him heten euerilc del, ðat hem bideð, ſulen he don. 3452 God dede moyſes ðiſ bodeword on, | God's message by Moses unto the people out of the mount. |
| "Clenſe ðiſ folc wel ðiſ to daiges, And bidde hem leden clene lages; Abute ðiſ munt ðu merke make,[[319]] 3456 If erf or man ðor-one take, | The people are to be prepared against the third day. |
| It dead ðolen, wið ſtones ſlagen, Or to dead wið goren dragen; | The mountain must not be touched. |
| ðiſ frig[t]ful [folc] ðus a-biden, 3460 Quiles ðiſ daiges for[ð] ben gliden." | [Fol. 67b.] |
| Ðe ðridde daiges morge
quile, ðunder and leuene made ſpile, On ðiſ munt ſtod, and ſkies caſt, 3464 And dinede an migtful hornes blast; | On the third day there were thunders and lightning and a thick cloud upon the mount. |
| Smoke up-rekeð and munt quakeð, Slep ðor non ðe[[320]] ðane up-wakeð; Ai was moſes one in ðis dine, 3468 ðiſ folc wende hauen for-loren hine;[[321]] | Smoke up reeked and the mount quaked. |