The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. VI.

[verse 1] Therfor the arke of the Lord was in the cuntrei of Filisteis bi [Om. I.] seuene monethis; [verse 2] and aftir these thingis Filisteis [the Filisteis I.] clepiden [clepiden togidere I.] preestis and false dyuynours, and seiden, What schulen we do of the arke of God? Shewe ȝe to vs, hou we schulen sende it [it aȝen I.] in to his place [place of it I.] . [verse 3] Whiche [The whiche I.] seiden, If ȝe senden aȝen the arke of God of Israel, nyle ȝe delyuere it voide, but ȝelde ȝe to hym that [that thing I.] , that ȝe owen for synne; and thanne ȝe schulen be heelid, and [and so I.] ȝe schu|len wite, whi `his hond [the hond of God I.] goith not awei fro ȝou. [verse 4] And thei seiden, What [What thing I.] is it, that we owen to ȝelde to hym [God I.] for trespas [oure trespas I.] ? [verse 5] And thei answeriden to hem, Bi the noumbre of prouynces [the provynces I.] of Filisteis ȝe schulen make fyue goldun ersis, and fyue goldun myis; for o veniaunce was to alle ȝou and to ȝoure `wise men, ether princes [princes C. wise men DGMNOQX.] . And ȝe schulen make the licnesse of ȝoure ersis, and the licnesse of myis that dis|triede ȝoure lond; and ȝe schulen ȝyue glorie to God of Israel, if in hap he with|drawe his hond [wrath I.] fro ȝou, and fro ȝoure goddis, and fro youre lond. [verse 6] Whi maken ȝe heuy ȝoure hertis, as Egipt, and Farao `made heuy [greuyde I.] his [her I.] herte? Whether not after that he was smytun, thanne he delyuerede hem [Goddis peple I.] , and thei ȝeden forth? [verse 7] Now ther|for take ȝe, and make [make ȝe A. maketh I.] o [a IR.] newe wayn, and ioyne ȝe [ȝe theryn I.] twei kien hauynge caluys, on [upon the I.] whiche kyen no ȝok was put; and close ȝe her calues at hoome. [verse 8] And ȝe schulen take the arke of the Lord, and ȝe schulen sette in the wayn; and ȝe schulen put in a panyere [litil coffre I.] at the side therof [of the ark I.] the goldun vessels, whiche ȝe [thei ELPRU.] payeden [han paied DGIKMNOQSXb.] to hym [the Lord I.] for trespas [ȝoure trespas I.] ; and delyuere ȝe the arke, that it go [go forth I.] . [verse 9] And ȝe schulen biholde [biholde it I.] , and so|theli if it stieth [goth up I.] aȝens Bethsames [Bethasames A.] bi the weie of `hise coostis [tho I.] , `he dide [the Lord hath thanne do I.] to ȝou this

greet yuel; but if nay [it go not thider I.] , we schulen wite `for his [that the I.] hond [hond of the Lord I.] touchide not vs, but `if it bifelde [if it fel L. it bifelde D. this thing hath fallen to us I.] bi hap. [verse 10] Therfor [Thanne I.] thei diden in this manere; and thei token twei kien that ȝauen mylk to caluys [her caluys I.] , and ioyneden [thei ioyneden hem I.] to the wayn; and thei closiden her caluys at hoome. [verse 11] And thei puttiden [putten I.] the arke of God on [upon I.] the wayn, and `thei puttiden [Om. I.] the panyere [litil coffre I.] , that hadde the goldun myis, and the licnesse of ersis `on the wayn [Om. I.] . [verse 12] Sotheli [And I.] the kien ȝeden streiȝtli bi the weie that ledith to Bethsames; and tho [thilke kijn I.] ȝeden [wenten I.] in o weie goynge and lowynge, and bowiden [thei bowiden I.] not nether to the riȝt side nether [ne I.] to the left side; but also the wise men of Filis|teis sueden `til to [vnto I.] the termes [coostis I.] of Beth|sames. [verse 13] Forsothe [And I.] men of Bethsames rep|iden whete in the [a I.] valey, and thei reisiden [lifte up I.] the [her I.] iȝen, and sien the arke, and thei weren ioyful, whanne thei hadden sien `the arke [it I.] . [verse 14] And the wayn cam in to the feelde of Josue of Bethsames, and stood [it stood I.] there [there stille I.] . Forsothe [And I.] a greet stoon was there; and thei [men of Bethsames I.] kittiden [hewiden I.] `the trees of [Om. I.] the wayn, and puttiden [upon that wode thei puttiden I.] the [tho I.] kien `on tho trees [Om. I.] , a brent sacrifice to the Lord. [verse 15] Sotheli [And I.] de|kenes [the dekenes I.] token doun the arke of God, and the panyere [litil coffre I.] , that was bisidis it, where ynne the goldun vessels weren; and thei settiden [puttiden tho I.] on [upon I.] the greet stoon. Forsothe [And I.] the men of Bethsames offriden brent sacri|fices, and offriden [Om. I.] slayn sacrifices in that dai `to the Lord [Om. I.] . [verse 16] And fyue [the fyue I.] princes [satrapis I.] of Filisteis sien, and turneden [thei turneden I.] aȝen in to Accoron in that dai. [verse 17] Sotheli [And I.] these ben the goldun [mennus goldun I.] ersis, whiche the Filisteis ȝeldiden to the Lord for trespas [her trespas I.] ; Azotus ȝeldide oon; Gaza ȝeldide [Om. I.] oon; Ascolon ȝeldide [Om. I.] oon; Geth ȝeldide [Om. I.] oon; Acca|ron [verse 18] ȝeldide [Om. I.] oon; and Filisteis [the Filisteis I.] ȝeldiden golden myis bi [aftir I.] the noumbre of `citees of Filisteis [her citees I.] of fyue prouynces, fro a wallid

citee `til to [vnto I.] `a town that was with out wal [an vnwalled town I.] , and `til to [vnto I.] the greet Abel [greet Abel, that is, a stoon, and is inter|pretid mo|renyng. Lire here. C.] [ston that hiȝte Abel I. tabel K sec. m.] , `on which [upon whom I.] thei puttiden the arke of the Lord, that [the which ston I.] was there `til in [vnto I. til into K pr. m. X sec. m. in to E.] that dai in the feeld of Josue of Bethsames. [verse 19] Forsothe the Lord smoot of the men of Bethsames, for thei hadden seyn the arke of the Lord, and he smoot of the puple seuenti men [and he smoot of the peple seuenti men; for foure causis the Lord smoot the peple; for vnresonable gladnesse, that cam of the liȝtnesse of heed, and not of du reue|rence; and for brent sacrifice offrid vnduly of kyn, for femalis schuld|en not be of|frid in to brent sacrifice to the Lord, as it is seid in i. c<sup>o</sup>. of Leuyt.; and for they weren stirid bi curi|ouste to se the nakid arke, whiche thing is forbodun undur the peyne of deth in foure c<sup>o</sup>. of Numeri; and for they suf|friden the arke to dwelle out of hows, and with out liȝt and du reli|gioun. Ebrews undurstonden thus the noum|bre of men slayn here; they seyen that onely seuenti men weren smytun, whiche weren of so greet reputa|cioun, that they weren comparisound to one thou|sinde of the comyn peple; for therfor the principal men of the peple weren smytun, for they ouȝten ordeyne the peple, and bi|fore be war of the forseid of|fensis. Lire here. C.] , and fifty thousynde of the porail. And the puple morenyde, for the Lord hadde smyte `the puple [it I.] with greet veniaunce. [verse 20] And men of Bethsames seiden, Who schal now stonde in the siȝt of the Lord God of this hooli thing, and to whom schal it stie [stie up I.] fro vs? [verse 21] And thei senten messan|geris to the dwelleris of Cariathiarym, and seiden, Filisteis [the Filisteis I.] han brouȝt aȝen the arke of the Lord; come ȝe doun, and lede [ledeth I.] it aȝen to ȝou.