1Therfor al the cumpeny criede, and wepte in that nyyt,

2and alle the sones of Israel grutchiden ayens Moises and Aaron, and seiden,

3We wolden that we hadden be deed in Egipt, and not in this waast wildirnesse ³⁴; we wolden that we perischen, and that the Lord lede vs not in to this lond, lest we fallen bi swerd, and oure wyues and fre children ben led prisoneris; whether it is not betere to turne ayen in to Egipt?

4And thei seiden oon to another, Ordeyne we a duyk to vs, and turne we ayen in to Egipt.

5And whanne this was herd, Moises and Aaron felden lowe to erthe, bifor al the multitude of the sones of Israel.

6And sotheli Josue, the sone of Nun, and Caleph, the sone of Jephone, whiche also cumpassiden the lond, to renten her clothis,

7and spaken to al the multitude of the sones of Israel, The lond which we cumpassiden is ful good;

8if the Lord is merciful to vs, he schal lede vs in to it, and schal yyue `to vs the lond flowynge with mylk and hony.

9Nyle ye be rebel ayens the Lord, nether drede ye the puple of this lond, for we moun deuoure hem so as breed; al her help passide awei fro hem, the Lord is with vs, nyle ye drede.

10And whanne al the multitude criede, and wolde oppresse hem with stonys, the glorie of the Lord apperide on the roof of the boond of pees, while alle the sones of Israel sien.

11And the Lord seide to Moises, Hou long schal this puple bacbite me? Hou longe schulen thei not bileue to me in alle `signes, whiche Y haue do bifor hem?

12Therfor Y schal smyte hem with pestilence, and Y schal waste ³⁵hem; forsothe Y schal make ³⁶thee prince on a greet folk, and strongere than is this.

13And Moises seide to the Lord, Egipcians `here not, fro whos myddil thou leddist out this puple,

14and the dwelleris of this loond, whiche herden that thou, Lord, art in this puple, and art seyn face to face, and that thi cloude defendith hem, and that thou goist bifore hem in a pilere of cloude bi dai,

15and in a piler of fier bi nyyt, that thou hast slayn so greet a multitude as o man,

16and seie thei, He myyte not brynge this puple in to the lond for whiche he swoor, therfor he killide hem in wildirnesse;

17therfor the strengthe of the Lord be magnified, as thou hast swore. And Moises seide,

18Lord pacient, and of myche mercy, doynge awei wickidnesse and trespassis, and leeuynge no man vngilti, which visitist the synnes of fadris in to sones in to the thridde and fourthe generacioun, Y biseche,

19foryyue thou the synne of this thi puple, aftir the greetnesse of thi merci, as thou were merciful to men goynge out of Egipt `til to this place.

20And the Lord seide, Y haue foryouun to hem, bi thi word.

21Y lyue; and the glorie of the Lord schal be fillid ³⁷in al erthe;

22netheles alle men that sien my mageste, and my signes, whiche Y dide in Egipt and in the wildirnesse, and temptiden me now bi ten sithis, and obeieden not to my vois,

23schulen not se the lond for which Y swore to her fadris, nethir ony of hem that bacbitide me, schal se it.

24Y schal lede my seruaunt Caleph, that was ful of anothir spirit, and suede me, in to this lond, which he cumpasside, and his seed schal welde it.

25For Amalech and Cananei dwellen in the valeis, to morewe moue ye tentis, and turne ye ayen in to wildirnesse bi the weie of the reed see.

26And the Lord spak to Moises and to Aaron, and seide,

27Hou long grutchith this werste multitude ayens me? Y haue herd the pleyntis of the sones of Israel.

28Therfor seie thou to hem, Y lyue, seith the Lord; as ye spaken while Y herde, so Y schal do to you;

29youre careyns schulen ligge in this wildirnesse. Alle ye that ben noumbrid, fro twenti yeer and aboue, and grutchiden ayens me,

30schulen not entre in to the lond, on which Y reiside myn hond, that Y schulde make you to dwelle outakun Caleph, the sone of Jephone, and Josue, the sone of Nun.

31Forsothe Y schal lede in youre litle children, of whiche ye seiden that thei schulden be preyes `ethir raueyns to enemyes, that thei se the lond which displeside you.

32Forsothe youre careyns schulen ligge in the wildirnesse;

33youre sones schulen be walkeris aboute in the deseert bi fourti yeer, and thei schulen bere youre fornycacioun, til the careyns of the fadris ben wastid in the deseert,

34by the noumbre of fourti daies, in whiche ye bihelden the loond; a yeer schal be arettid for a dai, and bi fourti yeer ye schulen resseyue youre wickidnesse, and ye schulen knowe my veniaunce.

35For as Y spak, so Y schal do to al this werste multitude, that roos to gidere ayens me; it schal faile, and schal die in this wildirnesse.

36Therfor alle the men whyche Moises hadde sent to see the lond, and whiche turniden ayen, and maden al the multitude to grutche ayens hym, and depraueden the lond, that it was yuel,

37weren deed, and smytun ³⁸in the siyt of the Lord.

38Sotheli Josue, the sone of Nun, and Caleph, the sone of Jephone, lyueden, of alle men that yeden to se the lond.

39And Moises spak alle these wordis to alle the sones of Israel, and the puple mourenyde gretli.

40And, lo! thei riseden in the morewtid first, and `stieden in to the cop of the hil, and seiden, We ben redi to stie to the place, of which the Lord spak, for we synneden.

41To whiche Moises seide, Whi passen ye the word of the Lord, that schal not bifalle to you in to prosperite?

42Nyle ye stie, for the Lord is not with you, lest ye fallen bifor youre enemyes.

43Amalech and Cananei ben bifor you, bi the swerd of whiche ye schulen falle, for ye nolden assente to the Lord, nether the Lord schal be with you.

44And thei weren maad derk, and stieden in to the cop of the hil; forsothe the ark of the testament of the Lord and Moises yeden not awey fro the tentis.

45And Amalech cam doun, and Chananei, that dwelliden in the hil, and he smoot hem, and kittide doun, and pursuede hem til Horma.