Liber Numeri 17

1 Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the Lord spak to Moises, `and seide, Speke thou to the sones of Israel,

2 Loquere ad filios Israel, et accipe ab eis virgas singulas per cognationes suas, a cunctis principibus tribuum, virgas duodecim, et uniuscuiusque nomen superscribes virgae suae.

and take thou yerdis, bi her kynredis, bi ech kynrede o yeerde, take thou of alle the princes of the lynagis twelue yerdis; and thou schalt write the name of each lynage aboue his yerde;

3 nomen autem Aaron erit in tribu Levi, et una virga cunctas eorum familias continebit:

forsothe the name of Aaron schal be in the lynage of Leuy, and o yerde schal conteyne alle the meynees of hem.

4 ponesque eas in tabernaculo foederis coram testimonio, ubi loquar ad te.

And thou schalt putte tho yerdis in the tabernacle of boond of pees, bifor the witnessyng, where Y schal speke to thee; the yerde of hym schal buriowne, whom Y schal chese of hem;

5 quem ex his elegero, germinabit virga eius: et cohibebo a me querimonias filiorum Israel, quibus contra vos murmurant.

and Y schal refreyne fro me the playnyngis of the sones of Israel, bi whiche thei grutchen ayens you.

6 Locutusque est Moyses ad filios Israel: et dederunt ei omnes principes virgas per singulas tribus: fueruntque virgae duodecim absque virga Aaron.

And Moyses spak to the sones of Israel; and alle princes yauen to hym yerdis, bi alle lynagis; and the yerdis weren twelue, without the yerde of Aaron.

7 Quas cum posuisset Moyses coram Domino in tabernaculo testimonii:

And whanne Moises hadde put tho yerdis bifor the Lord, in the tabernacle of witnessyng, he yede ayen in the day suynge,

8 sequenti die regressus invenit germinasse virgam Aaron in domo Levi: et turgentibus gemmis eruperant flores, qui, foliis dilatatis, in amygdalas deformati sunt.

and founde that the yerde of Aaron, `in the hows of Leuy, buriounnede; and whanne knoppis weren greet, the blossoms `hadden broke out, whiche weren alargid in leeuys, and weren fourmed in to alemaundis.

9 Protulit ergo Moyses omnes virgas de conspectu Domini ad cunctos filios Israel: videruntque et receperunt singuli virgas suas.

Therfor Moyses brouyte forth alle the yerdis fro the siyt of the Lord to al the sones of Israel; and thei sien, and resseyueden ech his yerde.

10 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Refer virgam Aaron in tabernaculum testimonii, ut servetur ibi in signum rebellium filiorum Israel, et quiescant querelae eorum a me, ne moriantur.

And the Lord seide to Moises, Bere ayen the yerde of Aaron in to the tabernacle of witnessyng, that it be kept there in to `the signe of the rebel sones of Israel, and that her `playntis reste fro me, lest thei dien.

11 Fecitque Moyses sicut praeceperat Dominus.

And Moises dide, as the Lord comaundide.

12 Dixerunt autem filii Israel ad Moysen: Ecce consumpti sumus, omnes peribimus.

Forsothe the sones of Israel seiden to Moises, Lo! we ben wastid, alle we perischiden;

13 quicumque accedit ad tabernaculum Domini, moritur. num usque ad internecionem cuncti delendi sumus?

who euer neiyeth to the tabernacle of the Lord, he dieth; whethir we schulen be doon awei alle `til to deeth?