Plagues of Locusts and Darkness

Quað moyſes, "but alle wapmen,

3076

wið erf, and childre, and wimmen."

"Hu! haue ge wrong," quad pharaon,
"Gu wapmen giue Ic leue to gon;
Of erf and wimmen leue ic nogt,

3080

Ear one of wapmen waſ bi-ſogt."
Ef[t] ðiſ andſwere, ben vt-gon
moyſes forð and aaron;
but would only grant permission to the men.

MOyſes held up hiſ hond,

3084

A ſuðen wind iſ flig[t] up-wond,
And blew ðat day and al ðat nigt
And brogte egipte an newe figt;
Moses held up his hand, and a southern wind uprose,

ðiſ wind hem brogte ðe ſkipperes,

3088

He deden on greſ and coren deres.
which brought the locusts.

ðat lond was ful, and ðiſ king wo,
He ſente after ðe breðere ðo.
Quad pharaon, "ic haue miſ-numen,
Then was the king full of woe,

3092

Wreche iſ on vs wið rigte cumen;
Bi-ſek get god, ðis one ſiðe,
ðat he vs of ðiſ pine friðe."
and besought Moses to turn from them the evil.

And ſo [he] dede, and on wind cam

3096

fro weſten, and ðo opperes nam,
And warpes ouer in-to ðe ſe;
ðo pharaun ſag iſ lond al fre,
[Fol. 60b.]
A western wind took away the locusts.

Hiſ herte ðo wurð ðwert and hard,

3100

And al he brac hem [ðat] forward.
MOyſes ſiðen held up iſ hond,
Pharaoh broke his covenant.

And ðhikke ðherkneſſe cam on ðat lond,
ðat migte non egipcien

3104

Abuten him for mirkneſſe ſen;
Manige ðor ſorge on liue bead,
The plague of thick darkness.

And manige weren rewlike dead;
Quor-ſo ðe folc waſ of yſrael,
Many died from fear.

3108

He adden ligt and ſowen wel.
ðo quad pharaon to moyſen,
The Israelites had light.

"Led vt al ðat iſ boren of man,
The king tells them to go, and