Numbers 25

1 Forsothe in that tyme Israel dwellide in Sechym; and the puple dide fornycacioun with the douytris of Moab;

2 whiche douytris clepiden hem to her sacrifices, and thei eten, and worschipiden the goddis of tho douytris;

3 and Israel made sacrifice to Belphegor. And the Lord was wrooth,

4 and seide to Moises, Take thou alle the princes of the puple, and hange hem ayens the sunne in iebatis, that my wodnesse, `that is stronge veniaunce, be turned awai fro Israel.

5 And Moises seide to the iugis of Israel, Ech man sle his neiyboris, that maden sacrifice to Belphagor.

6 And, lo! oon of the sones of Israel entride bifor his britheren to `an hoore of Madian, in the siyt of Moises, and al the cumpeny of the sones of Israel, whiche wepten bifor the yatis of the tabernacle.

7 And whanne Phynees, the sone of Eleazar, sone of Aaron, preest, hadde seyn this, he roos fro the myddis of the multitude; and whanne he hadde take a swerd,

8 he entride aftir the man of Israel in to the `hoore hows, and stikide thorou both togidere, that is, the man and the womman, in the places of gendryng. And the veniaunce ceesside fro the sones of Israel,

9 and foure and twenti thousand of men weren slayn.

10 And the Lord seide to Moises,

11 Fynees, the sone of Eleazar, sone of Aaron, preest, turnede away myn yre fro the sones of Israel; for he was stirid ayens hem bi my feruent loue, that Y my silf schulde not do awai the sones of Israel in my greet hete, `ether strong veniaunce.

12 Therfor speke thou to hym, Lo! Y yyue to hym the pees of my couenaunt,

13 and it schal be an euerlastynge couenaunt of preesthod, as wel to hym silf as to his seed; for he louyde feruentli for his God, and he clenside the greet trespas of the sones of Israel.

14 Forsothe the name of the man of Israel, that was slayn with the womman of Madian, was Zambri, the sone of Salu, duyk of the kynrede and lynage of Symeon.

15 Forsothe the womman of Madian that was slayn togidere, was clepid Cobri, the douyter of Sur, the nobleste prince of Madianytis.

16 And the Lord spak to Moises and seide,

17 `Madianytis feele you enemyes, and smyte ye hem;

18 for also thei diden enemyliche ayens you, and disseyueden thorow tresouns, bi the idol of Phegor, and bi `the douyter of Corbri, duyk of Madian, her sister, which douyter was sleyn in the dai of veniaunce, for the sacrilege of Phegor.