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

CAP. VI.

[verse 1] Was thanne the arke of the Lord in the regioun of the Philistiens seuen [verse 2] monethes; and after thes thingis Phi|listiens clepiden the preestis and dyuyn|ours, seiynge, What shal we doon with the arke of God? Shewe ȝe vs, what maner wyse we shulen sende it aȝen `in to [to E.] his place. [verse 3] The whiche seiden, If ȝe senden aȝen the arke of God of Yrael, wole ȝe not leeue it voyde, but that ȝe owen, ȝeldeth to hym for the synne; and thanne ȝe shulen be heelid, and ȝe shulen knowe, whi that his hoond goth not a wey fro ȝow. [verse 4] The whiche seiden, What is that for the trespasse we owen to ȝeeld to it? [verse 5] And thei answerden [answerden to them E pr. v.] , After noumbre of prouyncis of Philistiens fyue golden arsis ȝe shulen make, and fyue golden myis; for o plage was to ȝow alle and to ȝoure maistris. And ȝe shulen make a licnesse of ȝoure arsis, and a licnesse of the myis that han wastid the loond; and ȝe shulen ȝyue to the God of Yrael glorye, if [lest E pr. m.] perauenture he releue his hoond fro ȝou, and fro ȝoure goddis, and fro ȝoure loond. [verse 6] Whi agreggen ȝe ȝoure hertis, as Egipt agreggide, and Pharao his hert? Whether not after he is smyten, thanne he lafte hem, and thei ȝeden a wey? [verse 7] Nowe thanne takith, and makith a newe weyn, and ioyneth two kyen that han calued late, in the weyn, to whom is not put on ȝok; and reclosith her calues at home. [verse 8] And ȝe shulen take the arke of the Lord, and putte in the weyn; and the goldun vessels that ȝe han payed out to it for the trespas, ȝe shulen put in a litle cofre at the side of it; and leeue ȝe it, that it goo. [verse 9] And ȝe shulen biholden, forsothe and if bi the weye of her coostis it stie vp aȝen Bethsames, it

hath doo to ȝou this greet yuel; forsothe if not, we shulen wyte that the hoond of it hath not towchid vs, but by hap it hath fallun. [verse 10] Thanne thei diden this wise; and takynge two kyen that ȝauen calues sowke, thei ioyneden to the wayn; for|sothe the calues of hem thei closiden at home. [verse 11] And thei putten the arke of God vpon the wayn, and the litle coofre that hadde the golden myis, and the licnes of arsis. [verse 12] Forsothe the kyen ȝeden euen ryȝt bi the weye that ledith to Bethsames; and in o weye thei wenten goynge and loowynge, and thei boweden not asyde ne to the ryȝt ne to the left; but and the maystris of Philistyens folweden vnto the teermys of Bethsames. [verse 13] Forsothe Bethsamytis repiden whete in the valey, and rerynge vp the eyen thei seen the arke, and thei ioyeden, whanne thei had|den seen. [verse 14] And the wayn cam into the feeld of Josue Bethsamyte, and stood there. Forsothe a greet stoon was there; and thei heweden [hewyn CE.] the trees of the wayn, and the kien thei putten vpon, the brent sacrifice to the Lord. [verse 15] Forsothe Leuytis putten down the arke of God, and the litil coofre that was biside it, in the which weren the golden vessels; and thei putten vpon the greet stoon. Forsothe Bethsamytis men offreden brent sacrifice, and slewen sacrifices in that day to the Lord. [verse 16] And the fyue maystris of Phi|listiens seen, and ben turned aȝen into Acharon in that day. [verse 17] Forsothe thes ben the golden arsis, the whiche Philistiens for the trespas ȝolden to the Lord; Aȝot oon, Gaza oon, Ashalon oon, Geth oon, [verse 18] Acharon oon; and goldun myis after the noumbre of Philistiens cytees, of the fyue prouyncis, fro wallid cytee vnto toun that was with outen wal, and vnto greet Abel,

vpon the which he putte the ark of the Lord, that was vnto that day in the feeld of Josue Bethsamyte. [verse 19] Forsothe he smoot of the men of Bethsamyte, for that thei hadden seen the arke of the Lord, and he smoot of the puple seuenti men, and fifti thowsandis of the raskeyl. And the puple weyliden, whanne the Lord hadde smyten with a greet veniaunce the comoun puple. [verse 20] And the men of Beth|samyte seiden, Who shal mowe stoond in the siȝt of this holy Lord God, and to whom shal he stye vp fro vs? [verse 21] And thei senten messagerys to the dwellers of Caryathyarym, seiynge, Philistiens han brouȝt aȝen [aȝens A. Om. B.] the arke of the Lord; com|eth doun, and bryngeth it aȝen to ȝow.