And Flees Into Midian

And ben ſone hom numen;

And b[i]foren here fader cumen,
And gunen him ðore tellen,
They told their father

2756

Hu a gunge man, at te welle[n],
ðewe and wurſipe hem dede;
[Fol. 54.]
how a young man at the well had protected them.

And ietro geld it him in eſtdede,
Sente after him, freinede hiſ kin,

2760

Helde him wurðelike iſ huſ wið-in;
Of ali kinde he wiſte him boren,
And bad him ðor wunen him bi-foren,
Jethro sent after him and kept him in his house,

Gaf him iſ dowter ſephoram;

2764

To wife in lage he hire nam,
And bi-gat two ſunes on hire ðer,
firſt gerlon, ſiðen eliezer.
Egipte king to late waſ dead,

2768

ðe ðe childre ſo drinkelen bead.
and gave him his daughter to wife, who bore him two sons.

And moyſes waſ numen an ſel
In ðe deſerd depe ſumdel,
for te loken hirdneſſe fare;

2772

Riche men ðo kepten ſwilc ware.
On a time Moses went into the desert with his flocks, for rich men then kept such ware.

ðo ſag moyſes, at munt ſynay,
An ſwiðe ferli ſigt ðor-bi,
fier brennen on ðe grene leaf,
By Mount Sinai he sees a wondrous sight,

2776

And ðog grene and hol bi-leaf;
forð he nam to ſen witterlike,
Hu ðat fier brende milde-like;
a bush burning, and nevertheless green and whole.

Vt of ðat buſk, ðe brende and ðheg,

2780

God ſente an ſteuene, brigt and heg;
Out of that bush God's voice was heard, clear and high,

"Moyſes, moyſes, do of ðin ſon,
ðu ſtondes ſeli ſtede up-on;
'Moses, Moses, take off thy shoes, for thou standest on holy ground.

Hic am god ðe in min geming nam

2784

Iacob, yſaac, and abraham;
[Fol. 54b.]
I am the God of Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.

ic haue min folkes pine ſogen,
ðat he nu longe hauen drogen;
I have seen the affliction of my people,

Nu am ic ligt to fren hem ðeðen,

2788

And milche and hunige lond hem queðen;
and have come down to deliver them,