the Israelites departed
from Sinai,
And ðiſ folc ðor after teg. 3644
ðre dages and nigtes faren it gan
and came into the
wilderness of
Paran.
And wið-ſtod i_n_ ðe deſerd pharan;
ðiſ folc iſ after ſofte togen,
For their complaining,
And hauen ſwinc in weige drogen; 3648
for ðat ſwinc he grucheden ðor,
ðor-fore hem cam on more ſor.
the fire of the
Lord consumed
them,
fier iſ on hem bi-ſiden ligt,
fele it brende and made o-frigt, 3652
but is quenched
by the prayers of
Moses.
Moyſes it bleſſ[ed]e wið his bede,
And brenni_n_ge he calde ðat ſtede.
Here hine-folc ðe waſ hem mide,
And ſu_m_me of hem ðor ille dede, 3656
The people lust
for flesh and
loathe manna.
He gerneden after oðer mete[n],
Of manna he ben for-hirked to eten;
He greten up-on moyſen,
And he to god made his bi-men. 3660
Moses complains
of his charge.
"Loru_er_d!" q_u_ad he, "ðiſ folc iſ ðin,
And al ðis ſorge nu iſ min;
But ic haue an oðer[343] read,
Ðu ſalt me raðe don[344] ðolen dead." 3664
God commands
him to choose
seventy wise
men to help him
in the government
of the
people.
Q_u_að god, "ches ðe nu her ſeuenti
Wiſe men to ſtonden ðe bi,
[Fol. 71b.]
And ic ſal hem geuen witt_er_-hed,
And he ðe ſulen don helpe at ned; 3668
And ðin folc ſal to-morgen bi-geten
ynog fles(.) into a moneð[345] for to eten."
Moyſes was bliðe an glad[346] of ðis,
The appointment
of seventy elders.
And ches ðo men [ðe] god made wiſ; 3672
waſ here non of herte dim,
p_ro_phetis he weren and holpen him.
Fro lond ortigie cam a wind,
Quails are sent in
wrath at Kibroth-Hattaavah.
And brogte turles michel mind; 3676
It flogen longe, and ðikke, and wel
Abuten ðe folc of yſrael;
For two days the
fowls came.
Two daiges hem ben fugeles cumen,
[343] MS. oder.
[344] MS. ðon.
[345] MS. moned.
[346] MS. glað.