Numbers 14
1 Therfor al the cumpeny criede, and wepte in that nyyt,
All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2 and alle the sones of Israel grutchiden ayens Moises and Aaron, and seiden,
All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!
3 We wolden that we hadden be deed in Egipt, and not in this waast wildirnesse; 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?
Why does the LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Would not it be better for us to return into Egypt?”
4 And thei seiden oon to another, Ordeyne we a duyk to vs, and turne we ayen in to Egipt.
They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”
5 And whanne this was herd, Moises and Aaron felden lowe to erthe, bifor al the multitude of the sones of Israel.
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6 And sotheli Josue, the sone of Nun, and Caleph, the sone of Jephone, whiche also cumpassiden the lond, to renten her clothis,
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.
7 and spaken to al the multitude of the sones of Israel, The lond which we cumpassiden is ful good;
They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.
8 if 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.
If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey.
9 Nyle 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.
Only do not rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.”
10 And 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.
But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. The LORD’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.
11 And 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?
The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? How long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them?
12 Therfor Y schal smyte hem with pestilence, and Y schal waste hem; forsothe Y schal make thee prince on a greet folk, and strongere than is this.
I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13 And Moises seide to the Lord, Egipcians `here not, fro whos myddil thou leddist out this puple,
Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them.
14 and 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,
They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you LORD are among this people; for you LORD are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 and in a piler of fier bi nyyt, that thou hast slayn so greet a multitude as o man,
Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,
16 and seie thei, He myyte not brynge this puple in to the lond for whiche he swoor, therfor he killide hem in wildirnesse;
‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’
17 therfor the strengthe of the Lord be magnified, as thou hast swore. And Moises seide,
Now please let the power of the Lord be great, according as you have spoken, saying,
18 Lord 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,
‘The LORD is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’
19 foryyue 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.
Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
20 And the Lord seide, Y haue foryouun to hem, bi thi word.
The LORD said, “I have pardoned according to your word;
21 Y lyue; and the glorie of the Lord schal be fillid in al erthe;
but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the LORD’s glory—
22 netheles 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,
because all those men who have seen my glory and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice;
23 schulen not se the lond for which Y swore to her fadris, nethir ony of hem that bacbitide me, schal se it.
surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.
24 Y 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.
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.
25 For 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.
Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”
26 And the Lord spak to Moises and to Aaron, and seide,
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27 Hou long grutchith this werste multitude ayens me? Y haue herd the pleyntis of the sones of Israel.
“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation that complain against me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel, which they complain against me.
28 Therfor seie thou to hem, Y lyue, seith the Lord; as ye spaken while Y herde, so Y schal do to you;
Tell them, ‘As I live, says the LORD, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you.
29 youre careyns schulen ligge in this wildirnesse. Alle ye that ben noumbrid, fro twenti yeer and aboue, and grutchiden ayens me,
Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have complained against me,
30 schulen 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.
surely you shall not come into the land concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31 Forsothe 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.
But I will bring in your little ones that you said should be captured or killed, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.
32 Forsothe youre careyns schulen ligge in the wildirnesse;
But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.
33 youre 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,
Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.
34 by 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.
After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’
35 For 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.
I, the LORD, have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”
36 Therfor 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,
The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up an evil report against the land,
37 weren deed, and smytun in the siyt of the Lord.
even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
38 Sotheli Josue, the sone of Nun, and Caleph, the sone of Jephone, lyueden, of alle men that yeden to se the lond.
But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.
39 And Moises spak alle these wordis to alle the sones of Israel, and the puple mourenyde gretli.
Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.
40 And, 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.
They rose up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which the LORD has promised; for we have sinned.”
41 To whiche Moises seide, Whi passen ye the word of the Lord, that schal not bifalle to you in to prosperite?
Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of the LORD, since it shall not prosper?
42 Nyle ye stie, for the Lord is not with you, lest ye fallen bifor youre enemyes.
Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you; that way you will not be struck down before your enemies.
43 Amalech 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.
For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you will fall by the sword because you turned back from following the LORD; therefore the LORD will not be with you.”
44 And 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.
But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of the LORD’s covenant and Moses did not depart out of the camp.
45 And Amalech cam doun, and Chananei, that dwelliden in the hil, and he smoot hem, and kittide doun, and pursuede hem til Horma.
Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.
