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

CAP. XXI.

Sotheli Sathan roos aȝens Israel, and [verse 1] stiride Dauid for to noumbre Israel. [verse 2] And Dauid seide to Joab, and to the princes of the puple, Go ȝe, and noumbre Israel [al Israel A.] fro Bersabe til to Dan, and brynge ȝe the noumbre to me, that Y wite [wite what it is I.] . [verse 3] And Joab answeride, The Lord encresse his puple an hundrid fold more than thei ben; my lord the [Om. S.] kyng, whether alle ben not thi seruauntis? Whi sekith my lord this thing, that [whiche IS.] schal be arettid in to synne to Israel? [verse 4] But the word of the kyng hadde more the maistrie; and Joab ȝede out [forth IS.] , and cum|passide al Israel, and turnede [he turnede IS.] aȝen in to Jerusalem. [verse 5] And he ȝaf to Dauid the noumbre of hem, which he hadde cum|passid; and al the noumbre of Israel was foundun a thousynde thousande, and an hundrid thousynde of men, drawynge out swerd; forsothe of Juda [Juda linage S.] weren thre hun|drid thousynde, and seuenti thousynde of [Om. X.] werriouris. [verse 6] For [but IS.] Joab noumbride not Leuy and Beniamyn, for aȝens his wille he dide the comaundement of the kyng. [verse 7] Forsothe that [that thing IS.] that was comaundid displeside the Lord, and [therfor S.] he smoot Israel. [verse 8] And Dauid seide to God, Y synnede [haue synned IS.] greetli that Y wolde do this [this thing IS.] ; Y biseche [biseche the, Lord S.] , do thou awey the wickidnesse of thi seruaunt, for Y dide

folili. [verse 9] And the Lord spak to Gad, the [verse 10] profete of Dauid, and seide, Go thou, and speke to Dauid, and seie to him, The Lord seith these thingis, Y ȝeue to thee the [Om. IS.] chesyng of thre thingis; chese thou oon which thou wolt, that Y do to thee. [verse 11] And whanne Gad was comen to Dauid, he seide to Dauid, The Lord seith these thingis, Chese thou that that thou wolt [wolt of these IS.] , [verse 12] ether pestilence thre ȝeer [ȝeer to be in thi rewme S.] , ether that thre monethis thou fle thin enemyes and mow not ascape her swerd, ether that the swerd of the Lord and deeth regne thre daies in the lond, and that the aungel of the Lord slee [sle the peple S.] in alle the coostis of Israel. Now therfor se thou, what Y schal answere to hym that sente me [me to thee S.] . [verse 13] And Dauid seide to Gad, Angwischis oppresse me on ech part, but it is betere to me, that Y falle in to the hondis of the Lord, for his merciful doynges ben manye, than in to the hondis of men. [verse 14] Therfor the Lord sente pestilence in to Israel, and seuenti thousynde of men felden doun of Israel. [verse 15] Also he [the Lord S.] sente an aungel in to Jerusalem, that he schulde smyte it; and whanne it was smytun, the Lord siȝ, and hadde merci on [upon IS.] the greet|nesse of yuel; and comaundide [he comaundide IS.] to the aungel that smoot [smoot, seiynge I. smote and seide S.] , It suffisith, now thin hond ceesse. Forsothe [And IS.] the aungel of the Lord stood bisidis the cornfloor of Ornam Jebusey. [verse 16] And Dauid reiside [reiside up IS.] hise iȝen, and siȝ [he siȝ IS.] the aungel of the Lord stondynge bitwixe heuene and erthe, and a [Om. S.] drawun swerd in his hond, and [Om. I.] turnede [he was turned S.] aȝens Jerusalem. And bothe he [the king I. king S.] and the grettere men in birthe weren clothid with heiris, and felden [thei fellen IS.] doun lowe [Om. IS.] on [upon IS.] the erthe. [verse 17] And Dauid seide to the Lord, Whether Y am not [not he IS.] that comaundide that the puple schulde be noumbrid? Y it am that synnede, Y it am that dide yuel; what [what of yuel S.] disseruid this floc [hath this floc deserued I. hath this folk dis|seruid S.] ? My Lord God, Y biseche [biseche thee S.] , thin hond be [be it S.] turned `in to [aȝens IS.] me, and `in to [aȝens IS.]

the hows of my fadir; but thi puple be [be it S.] not smytun. [verse 18] Forsothe [And IS.] an [the S.] aungel of the Lord comaundide [comaundide to C.] Gad, that he schulde seie to Dauid, `that he schulde [Om. S.] stie [stie up IS.] , and [Om. S.] bilde an auter to the Lord God in the cornfloor of Ornam Jebusei. [verse 19] Therfor Da|uid stiede [wente up I. stiede vp S.] bi the word of Gad, which [the which IS.] he spak to hym bi the word of the Lord. [verse 20] Forsothe [And IS.] whanne Ornam hadde `biholde, and [Om. S.] hadde [Om. IS.] seyn the aungel, and hise [Om. I. when Ornam S.] foure sones `with hym [Om. S.] `hadde seyn [Om. I. had seien the aungel S.] , thei hid|den hem, for in that tyme he [Ornam S.] threischide whete in the cornfloor. [verse 21] Therfor whanne Dauid cam to Ornam, Ornam bihelde Da|uid, and ȝede [he ȝede IS.] forth fro the cornfloor aȝens hym, and worschipide hym, lowli on [upon IS.] the ground. [verse 22] And Dauid seide to hym, Ȝyue the place of [Om. AELMb.] thi [the S.] cornfloor to me, that Y bilde ther ynne an auter to the Lord; so that thou take [take therfore IS.] as myche siluer as it is worth, and that the veniaunce ceesse fro the puple. [verse 23] Forsothe [And IS.] Ornam seide to Dauid, Take thou [thou it IS.] , and my lord the [Om. I.] kyng do [do he IS.] what euer [Om. C.] thing plesith hym; but also Y ȝyue oxis [oxen IS.] in to brent sacrifice, and instrumentis of tree, wherbi cornes ben throischun, in [I ȝeue hem in S.] to trees [stikkis to be brent I. trees to be brent S.] , and wheete in to sacrifice [sacrifice to be maad S.] ; Y ȝyue [ȝyue gladly I.] alle thingis [these thingis IS.] wil|fully [Om. I.] . [verse 24] And `Dauid the kyng [kyng Dauid I. Dauith S.] seide to hym, It schal not be don so, but Y schal ȝyue [ȝyue to thee IS.] siluer [therfor siluer S.] as myche as it is worth; for Y owe not take [to take CEGILNQ. to take it S.] awei fro thee, and offre so to the Lord brent sacrifices freli [kyndely I.] ȝouun. [verse 25] Therfor Dauid ȝaf to Ornam for the [that IS.] place sixe hundrid siclis of gold of most [ful I.] iust weiȝte. [verse 26] And he [Dauid IS.] bildide there an [the S.] auter to the Lord, and he [Om. I.] offride [offride theron I. offrid therupon S.] brent sacri|fice [sacrifices A sec. m. S.] and pesible sacrifices, and [and there S.] he inwardli clepide God; and God herde hym in fier fro heuene on [upon IS.] the auter of brent sacrifice [sacrifices S.] . [verse 27] And the Lord comaundide to the aungel, and he turnede his swerd [swerd aȝen IS.] in to the

schethe. [verse 28] Therfor [Thanne I.] anoon Dauid siȝ, that the Lord hadde herd hym in the corn floor of Ornam Jebusey, and he offride there slayn sacrifices. [verse 29] Forsothe [And IS.] the taber|nacle of the Lord, that Moyses hadde maad in the [Om. IS.] deseert, and the auter of brent sacrifices, was in that [the S.] tempest [tempest of veniaunce I. tempest of veniaunce takyng S.] in the hiȝ place of Gabaon; and Dauid [verse 30] myȝte not go to the auter, to biseche God there, for he was aferd bi [with IS.] ful greet drede, seynge the swerd of the `aungel of the Lord [Lordis aungel I.] .