Aaron and others of his kin were appointed to serve in the tabernacle. Aaron biſſop, oðere of ðat kin, Sette he he_m_ for to ſeruen ðor-in. Bokes he wrot of lore wal, Hu ðiſ folc hem rigt leden ſal, 3636 Bette_n_ miſ-dedes, and clene lif Leden, wið-uten [h]ate and ſtrif. Twelve months passed ere the people departed from Sinai. Twelf moneð forð ben alle cumen, Or he fro ſynay ben forð numen; 3640 [Fol. 71.] On the twentieth day of the second month (in the second year), On ðat oðer twentiðe[340] dai, of ðe oðe[r] moneð[341] tagte he wei; ðat brigte ſkie bi-foren hem fleg,[342] [339] MS. q_u_il. [340] MS. twentide. [341] MS. moned. [342] MS. flegt. THE BURNING AT TABERAH. the Israelites departed from Sinai, And ðiſ folc ðor after teg. 3644 ðre dages and nigtes faren it gan and came into the wilderness of Paran. And wið-ſtod i_n_ ðe deſerd pharan; ðiſ folc iſ after ſofte togen, For their complaining, And hauen ſwinc in weige drogen; 3648 for ðat ſwinc he grucheden ðor, ðor-fore hem cam on more ſor. the fire of the Lord consumed them, fier iſ on hem bi-ſiden ligt, fele it brende and made o-frigt, 3652 but is quenched by the prayers of Moses. Moyſes it bleſſ[ed]e wið his bede, And brenni_n_ge he calde ðat ſtede. Here hine-folc ðe waſ hem mide, And ſu_m_me of hem ðor ille dede, 3656 The people lust for flesh and loathe manna. He gerneden after oðer mete[n], Of manna he ben for-hirked to eten; He greten up-on moyſen, And he to god made his bi-men. 3660 Moses complains of his charge. "Loru_er_d!" q_u_ad he, "ðiſ folc iſ ðin, And al ðis ſorge nu iſ min; But ic haue an oðer[343] read, Ðu ſalt me raðe don[344] ðolen dead." 3664