17
1 And the Lord spak to Moises, `and seide, Speke thou to the sones of Israel, 2 and take thou yerdis, bi her kynredis, bi ech kynrede o yeerde, take thou of alle the princes of the lynagis twelue yerdis; and thou schalt write the name of each lynage aboue his yerde; 3 forsothe the name of Aaron schal be in the lynage of Leuy, and o yerde schal conteyne alle the meynees of hem. 4 And thou schalt putte tho yerdis in the tabernacle of boond of pees, bifor the witnessyng, where Y schal speke to thee; the yerde of hym schal buriowne, whom Y schal chese of hem; 5 and Y schal refreyne fro me the playnyngis of the sones of Israel, bi whiche thei grutchen ayens you. 6 And Moyses spak to the sones of Israel; and alle princes yauen to hym yerdis, bi alle lynagis; and the yerdis weren twelue, without the yerde of Aaron. 7 And whanne Moises hadde put tho yerdis bifor the Lord, in the tabernacle of witnessyng, he yede ayen in the day suynge, 8 and founde that the yerde of Aaron, `in the hows of Leuy, buriounnede; and whanne knoppis weren greet, the blossoms `hadden broke out, whiche weren alargid in leeuys, and weren fourmed in to alemaundis. 9 Therfor Moyses brouyte forth alle the yerdis fro the siyt of the Lord to al the sones of Israel; and thei sien, and resseyueden ech his yerde. 10 And the Lord seide to Moises, Bere ayen the yerde of Aaron in to the tabernacle of witnessyng, that it be kept there in to `the signe of the rebel sones of Israel, and that her `playntis reste fro me, lest thei dien. 11 And Moises dide, as the Lord comaundide. 12 Forsothe the sones of Israel seiden to Moises, Lo! we ben wastid, alle we perischiden; 13 who euer neiyeth to the tabernacle of the Lord, he dieth; whethir * we schulen be doon awei alle `til to deeth?
* 17:13 wher, etc. thei seiden this, not in grucchinge ayenus God, but in axinge remedy, and therfor thei weren not punischid. This was her sorwful confessioun, desiring merci.