God commands
the chief men to
be hanged.
ðe fendes folgen and me flen,
ðe bidde ic hangen ðat he ben;
Ben ðeſe hangen ðe ſunne agen,
ðise oðer[387] folc ſal meðe ſen." 4076
Twenty-three
thousand were
slain.
Godes wreche ðor haueð of-ſlagen
xx.iii. ðuſent of dagen.[388]
Phinehas kills
Zimri and Cozbi
finees waſ a ſeli man,
ðe godes wreche forðen gan; 4080
He ſlug Zabri for godeſ luuen,
Hiſe hore bi-neðe and hi_m_ abuuen;
[Fol. 79b.]
with his long and
sharp pike.
ðurg and ðurg boðen he ſtong
wið hiſe giſarme ſarp & long. 4084
God moysen nemnen bead
God commands
Moses to take the
sum of the people
above twenty.
Hiſ folc ðe was firmeſt fro dead,
Or .xx. winter or more hold,
ðe in egypte or ne weren told; 4088
It was found to
be 601,720.
On and .vi. hundred ðuſent ðor,
And .vii. hundred and .xx. mor
Moyſes fond and eliazar;
Was non of he_m_ told in tale or, 4092
Of those who
were numbered
at Sinai, all died
except Joshua
and Caleb.
ðo moyſes tolde he_m_ and aaron,
ðan [h]e gunnen fro egipte gon.
Vten ioſue and caleph,
Alle elles he driuen i_n_ deades weph; 4096
Alle ðiſe wapmen ðor[389] god let liwen,
ðe lond hoten ſal hem ben giuen.
God moyſes clepede and q_u_ad to him,
Moses being told
of his death,
"ſtig hege up to munt Abarim, 4100
And ic ſal don ðe ðeðen[390] ſen
ðe lond ðe ſal ðiſ folc[e]s ben;
ðer ðu ſalt ben of werlde numen.
In to ðat lond ſalt ðu nogt cumen." 4104
"Lou_er_d, m_er_ci!" q_u_ad moyſes,
intreats God not
to let the people
be "helpless."
"Let ðu ðin folc nogt helpe-les,
And good let oc ðu he_m_ bi-ſe,
Alſwilc alſ hem bi-hu[f]lik bee." 4108
[387] MS. oder.
[388] MS. ðagen.
[389] MS. dor.
[390] MS. ðeden.