God renews his
promise by his
name Adonai,
God q_u_að, "ic ſal hem leſen fro,
And here fon weren wið wo;
Abraham, yſac, and hiſe ſunen
Woren to min ðhun_er_g wunen, 2900
ðog ne tagte ic hem nogt for-ði
Min mig[t]ful name adonay;
which was unknown
to Abraham,
Isaac, and
Jacob.
Min milche witt_er_ name eley
He knewen wel, and ely; 2904
ðat ic ðe haue hoten wel,
Ic it ſal leſten eu_er_ilc del."
Moses told the
Hebrews these
tidings, and yet
were they in
great anguish.
Moyſes told hem ðiſ tidding;
ðog woren he get in ſtrong murni[n]g. 2908
Siðen ſpac god to moyſen,
and tagte him hu it ſulde ben.
Moses was now
fourscore years
old.
fowre ſcore ger he waſ hold,
And aaron ðre more told,[266] 2912
[Fol. 57.]
Q_u_anne he ðat[267] bodewurd ſpoken,
And deden ðe firme token.
Aaron cast down
his rod before
Pharaoh.
AAron ðor warp vt of hiſ hond
Moyſeses migtful wond, 2916
And it wurð bi-foren pharaon
It became an
ugly snake.
An Iglic ſnake ſone on-on;
ðe king ſente after wiches kire,
The sorcerers, by
the devil's help,
did the like.
Wapmen ðe weren in ſowles lire, 2920
ðe ferden al bi fendes red,
fendeſ hem gouen ſinful ſped;
And worpen he ðor wondes dun,
Each of their rods
became a dragon.
fro euerilc ðor crep a dragun; 2924
Oc moyſes wirm hem alle ſmot,
Moses's serpent
bit off their
heads.
And here aldre heuedes he of bot;
ðog deden wicheſ ðo men to ſen
On oðere wiſe or ſoðe ben; 2928
for ðo fendes or he[m] bi-foren
Hadden ðo neddres ðider boren;
[266] At the bottom of this page is the catchword—"Qua_n_ne he ðat
bodewurd."
[267] MS. dat; see the catchword.