The Israelites Cross the Red Sea

Alle he ledde hem vt forði

3220

ðat folc ebru to werchen wi.

Ðiſ godes folc waſ under-numen,
Quan he ſegen ðiſ hird al cumen,
Sore he gunen for-dredde ben,

3224

for ne cuðen ne gate flen,
When the Israelites saw the Egyptian host they became sore afraid.

And if he ðore ben bi-ſet,
[Fol. 63.]

Ille he ſulen ben hunger gret;
He ne mogen figten a-gen,
for they were without weapons.

3228

for [he] wið-vten wopen ben;
ðanne he ðuſ woren alle in dred,
On moyſen he ſetten a gred.
"Beð nu ſtille," quað moyſes,
They chided Moses.

3232

"ðor god wile(.) iſ non helpeles;
Ge ſulen ſen ðiſ ilke dai
Quat godes migt for gu mai."
He bad ðiſ folc dregen wið ſkil,

3236

And he bi-ſogte godes wil.
Moses promises them God's assistance.

Qvað god, "quor-at calles ðu me?
Hold up ðin gerde to ðe ſe
And del it ſo on ſundri del,

3240

ðat gu ben garknede weigeſ wel."
God instructs Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea.

ðo moyſes helde up hiſ hond,
Moses did so.

A wind blew ðe ſe fro ðe ſond;
On twel[fe] doles delt iſt ðe ſe,
A wind blew the sea from the sand,

3244

xii. weiges ðer-in ben faiger and fre,
ðat euerilc kinde of iſrael
Mai ðor hiſ weige finden wel.
and twelve thoroughfares were made for the people.

ðe water up-ſtod, ðurg godes migt,

3248

On twinne half, alſo a wal up-rigt;
Moyſes bad hem, alſo he ben boren,
ðe eldeſt kindes gon bi-foren;
The water stood up as a wall on both sides.

Oc moyſes gede in bi-foren,

3252

And ðo ðe kinde of iuda boren;
On and on kin, alſ herte hem cam,
ðat folc ilc in his weige nam;
[Fol. 63b.]
Moses went first, and then the men of Judah.

? he no-gate