MS. dat.

SIHON AND OG ARE OVERCOME.

ðor-fore hem cam wrim-kin among,
3896 ðat hem wel bitterlike ſtong;
Non oðer red ðor don ne waſ,
and are plagued with serpents.
Moyſes ðor made a wirme of bras,
And henget hege up-on a ſaft,
3900 ðurg godes bode and godes craf[t];
They, repenting, are healed by a serpent of brass,
Quat ſtungen man so ſag ðor-on,
ðat werk him ſone al was vn-don;
 [Fol. 76.]
Digere it was al ðat berem-tem,[[367]]
3904 figer ſiðen in-to ierusalem;
oc ſiðen it waſ to duſte don,
for ðat folc miſleuede ðor-on.[[368]]
which long afterwards was worshipped in Jerusalem.
Frigti nam forð ðis folc and bleð,
3908 Til he comen to flum iareth;
ðiſ water him on-ſunder drog,
And let hem ouer, drige ynog;
The people come to Zered.
King ouer(.) amor(.) reos(.) ſeon,
3912 for to figten cam hem ageon;
ðiſ folc him ſlog and hiſ lond tok,
Suð fro arnon, norð to iabok,
And weſten al to flum iordan;
Sihon, king of the Amorites, comes out against Israel and is overcome.
3916 Oc he ſlugen king of baſaan.
To lond moab drugen he ſo,
ðor nu iſ a burg, ierico.
Balaac king was for-dred for-ðan,
3920 And ſente in to lond madian,
To hiſe frend ðe ben him neſt;
The king of Bashan is slain.
And ſente after balaam ðe preſt,
Wið riche men an[d] giftes oc,
3924 for to ſtillen hiſe [vn-]eðe mod,
And bad him cumen for to don
Balak sends after Balaam,
fol[c] of yſrael hiſ curſing on.
to curse the folk of Israel.
Balaam wið-[h]eld him ðor ðat nagt
 [Fol. 76b.]
3928 To witen quat him ſal wurðen tagt;
Al waſ iſ fultum and hiſ ſped
The failure of the first message.

[367]

beren-tem?

[368]

For this see 2 Kings, xviii. 4.

BALAAM SETS OUT TO CURSE ISRAEL.

Bi-luken ille, in fendes red.
On nigt him cam ſonde fro gode,
3932 Agen ðiſ kinges[[369]] red for-bode,
And ðat he ne curſe non del
ðiſ folc ðat god bliſcede wel.
O morgen ſeide he, "fare ic nogt,
3936 for bode iſ me fro gode brogt."
God forbids Balaam to curse the Israelites.
Balaac ſente richere an[d] mo
Medes, and oðer men to ðo.
"Sondes, ſondes," quað balaam,
3940 Or he ðeſe oðere medes nam,
Balak's second message to the prophet.
"Ðog balaac king me goue hold,
Hiſ huſ ful of ſiluer and of gold,
Ne mai ic wenden her bi-neðen;"
3944 Godes wurd iſ cumen alſ it iſ queðen;[[370]]
Oc or or ge wenden agen,
ðiſ nigt ic ſal fonden and ſen."
Quat tiding so it cam on ðe nigt,
3948 On morgen, at ðe daiges ligt,
Balaam's answer to the messengers.
Vp-on hiſe aſſe hiſ ſadel he dede,
To madian lond wente he hiſ ride,
And wente iſ herte on werre ðhogt;
3952 Wicke giſcing it haueð[[371]] al wrogt.
He consents to go with the princes of Moab,
ðuſ rideð forð ðiſ man for-loren,
being influenced by covetousness.
An angel drog an ſwerd him bi-foren,
ðiſ aſſe wurð ſo ſore of-dred,
3956 Vt of ðe weige it haueð him led.
Sellic ðogte balaam for-ði,
And bet and wente it to ðe ſti
Bi-twen two walles of ſton;
 [Fol. 77.]
An angel meets him in the way. The ass is frightened,
3960 Eft ſtod ðiſ angel him a-gon,[[372]]
ðiſ aſſe iſ eft of weige ſtired,[[373]]
So ðat balames fot iſ hird;[[374]]
and turns aside to the wall,
And he wurð ðo for anger wroð,
3964 And ðiſ prikeð and negt ſloð;
so that Balaam's foot is crushed.

[369]