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

CAP. XXIV.

[verse 1] And the strong veniaunce of the Lord addide to be wrooth aȝens Israel [and the strong ven|iaunce of the Lord addide to be wrooth aȝenus Israel; of this that the Lord wolde punysche the puple, he suf|fride Dauyth to be reisid bi pride to the noumbring of the puple; wherfor the gloss of Gregre on this place seith thus, The dedis of go|uernours ben disposid for the maneris of su|getis, that ofte for the yuel of the floc, the liyf ȝhe of a good schep|parde tres|passith, for Dauyth was preisid bi God witnesse, and he was blowun with the bol|nyng of sudeyn pride, and synnede in noumbringe puple, and the puple resseyu|ede peyne; for the hertis of gouernours ben disposid, vp the meritis of the puplis. The synne of the puple for which it was punysch|id, is not ex|pressid in the text, but in the book of Ebreu questiouns it is seid, that this was herfor, for the puple aȝen stood not Da|uyth as it ouȝte, in the dede of Vrie, but for this dede was priuy til it was al doon; the puple myȝte not withstonde Da|uyth in the synne to be lettid, and aftir that this synne cam in to the knowing of the puple, the pu|ple ouȝte not to punysche it, for the peyne was determynd thanne of God, as it is opin in xii. c^o. bi the] , and he stiride in [aȝens I.] hem Dauid, seiynge to Joab, Go thou, and noumbre thou Israel and Juda. [verse 2] And the kyng seide to Joab, the prince of his oost, Go thou bi alle lynagis [the lynagis I.] of Israel fro Dan `til to [vnto I.] Bersabee, and noumbre thou the puple, that Y wite the noumbre therof. [verse 3] And Joab seide to the kyng, Thi Lord God encresse to this [thi I.] pu|ple, `hou greet [as myche as I.] it is now, and eft multiplie he [ȝe A. he it I.] an hundrid fold in the siȝt of my lord the kyng; but what wole my lord the [Om. I.] kyng to hym silf in sich a thing? [verse 4] Sotheli [But I.] the word of the kyng ouer cam the wordis of Joab, and of the princes of the oost;

and Joab ȝede out, and the princes of the [Om. plures.] [wordis of Na|than, therfor it is seid betere, that the synne of the puple, was the rebelte therof aȝenus Dauyth in suynge Siba, sone of Bothry, that was the worste man and ful of dis|sencioun, and Siba aloone was punyschid for this rebelte. Lire here. C.] knyȝtis, fro the face of the kyng, that thei schulden noumbre the puple of Israel. [verse 5] And whanne thei hadden passid Jordan, thei camen in to Aroer, to the riȝt side of the [verse 6] citee which [that I.] is in the valei of Gad; and thei passiden [passiden forth I.] bi Jazer in to Galaad, and in to the lowere lond of Odsi, and camen [thei camen I.] in to the wodi places of Dan; and thei [verse 7] cumpassiden [ȝeden aboute I.] bisidis Sidon, and passiden nyȝ the wallis of Tire, and nyȝ al the lond of Euei, and of Chananei; and thei camen to [in to K.] the south of Juda, in Bersabee. [verse 8] And whanne al the lond was cumpassid, thei camen aftir nyne monethis and twenti daies in to Jerusalem. [verse 9] Therfor [And so I.] Joab ȝaf the noumbre of discriuyng of the puple to the kyng. And of Israel weren foundun nyne hundryd thousynd [ix. hundrid thousynde, in I. book of Pa|ralip. xxi. c^o. is a thousinde thousinde, and an hundrid thousinde; here is set the lesse noumbre, and there the gret|ter noumbre, and of Juda is set there the lesse noumbre, and here the gretter. Lire here. C.] of stronge men, that drewen out swerd; and of Juda fyue hundrid thousynde of fiȝteris. [verse 10] Forsothe [And I.] the herte of Dauid smoot hym, `that is, his concience repreuyde hym [Om. I.] , aftir that the puple was noumbrid; and Dauid seide to the Lord, Y synnede [haue synned I.] greetli [Y synnede greetly; in pride, and in breking of Goddis heest, for in xxxi. c<sup>o</sup>. of Exody, whanne the sones of Israel weren noum|brid, ech man schulde [offre] to the Lord half a sicle, and this was not doon here. C.] in this dede; but, Lord, Y preye that thou turne awei the wickidnesse of thi seruaunt, for Y dide [haue do I.] ful folili. [verse 11] Therfor Dauid roos eerli, and the word of the Lord was maad to Gad, the prophete and seere, and seide, [verse 12] Go thou, and speke to Dauid, The Lord seith these thingis, The chesyng [chois I.] of thre thingis is ȝouun to thee; chese thou oon, which thou wolt of these, that Y do to thee. [verse 13] And whanne Gad hadde come to Dauid, he telde to Dauid [him I.] , and seide, Ether hungur schal come to thee in thi lond se|uene ȝeer; ethir thre monethis thou schalt fle thin aduersaries, and thei schulen pur|sue thee; ether certis thre daies pestilence schal be in thi lond; now therfor de|lyuere thou, `ether auyse thou [ether examyne thou B marg. Om. I.] , and se, what word Y schal answere to hym that sente me. [verse 14] Forsothe [And I.] Dauid seide to Gad,

Y am constreyned on ech side greetli; but it is betere that Y falle in to the hondis of the Lord [in to the hondis of the Lord; if Da|uyth hadde chose huugur of vii. ȝeer, he and riche men wolden haue purueyed to hem silf of liyflode, and pore men schulden haue be turmentid gretly; and if he hadde chose fliȝt bifor ene|myes, he and myȝty men schulden haue be defendid and pore men slayn, therfor he chees pesti|lence, comyn peyne to alle, for he tristide in Goddis mersi. Lire here. C.] , for his emercies ben manye, than in [into IKb.] the [Om. K.] hondis of men. [verse 15] And the Lord sente pestilence in to Israel fro the morewtid `til to [vnto I.] the tyme ordeyned [to the tyme ordeyned; that is, til to the oure of sacrifice of euentid; the ii. laste dayes of pestilence, weren seid bi manassing, and weren releessid for the pe|naunce of Dauyth. Lire here. C.] ; and seuenti thousynde of men weren deed of the puple fro Dan `til to [vnto I.] Bersabee. [verse 16] And whanne the aungel of the Lord hadde holde [helde I.] forth his hond ouer Jerusalem, that he schulde distrie it, the Lord hadde mercy on the turmentyng; and seide [he seide I.] to the aun|gel smytynge the puple, It sufficith now; withholde thin hond. Forsothe [And I.] the aun|gel of the Lord was bisidis the corn floor of Areuna Jebusey. [verse 17] And Dauid seide to the Lord, whanne he hadde seyn the aun|gel sleynge the puple, Y am [it am I.] he [Om. plures.] that `haue synned [synnede I.] , and Y dide [haue do I.] wickidli; what han these do, that ben scheep? Y biseche, thin hond be turned aȝens me, and aȝens the hows of my fadir. [verse 18] Forsothe [Certis I.] Gad, the pro|phete, cam to Dauid in that dai, and seide to hym, Stie thou [thou up I.] , and ordeyne an auter to the Lord in the corn floor of Areuna Jebusei. [verse 19] And Dauid stiede, vpe [up, aftir I.] the word of Gad, which the Lord hadde comaundid to hym. [verse 20] And Areuna bihelde, and per|seyuede [vndirstode I.] , that the kyng and hise seruauntis [verse 21] passiden [passiden ouer I.] to hym; and he ȝede out, and worschipide the kyng bi [with I.] low cheer to the erthe; and seide, What `cause is [is the cause I.] , that my lord the [Om. I.] kyng cometh to his seruaunt? To whom Dauid seide, That Y bie of thee the corn floor, and bilde an auter to the Lord, and the sleynge ceesse, which [that I.] is cruel in the puple. [verse 22] And Areuna seide to Dauid, My lord the [Om. I.] kyng take, and offre, as it plesith hym [to hym I.] ; thou hast oxis [oxen IG.] in to brent sacrifice, and a wayn and ȝockis of oxis [oxun AMb.] in to vss [the vss I.] of wode. [verse 23] Areuna ȝaf alle thingis [Areuna ȝaf alle thingis, etc.; that is, wolde ȝyue. Lire here. C.] to the king. And Areuna seide to the king, Thi Lord God reseyue thi vow. [verse 24] To whom the king answeride, and

seide, Not as thou wolt, but Y schal bie [bie it I.] of thee for prijs, and Y schal not offre to `my Lord [the Lord my I.] God brent sacrifices ȝouun freli. Therfor Dauid bouȝte the corn floor [bouȝte the corn floor; for vi. hundrid siclis of gold, in the firste book of Paralip. xxi. c<sup>o</sup>. Lire here. C.] , and `he bouȝte [Om. I.] oxis [the oxen I.] for fifti siclis of siluer. [verse 25] And Dauid bildide there an auter to the Lord, and offride brent sacrifices and pe|sible sacrifices; and the Lord dide merci to the lond, and the veniaunce was re|freyned fro Israel.