.xiiii. ðhusent it haueð ſlagen, And .iiii. ſcore of liue dragen. Ðog ðiſ folc miðe a ſtund for-dred, The Israelites do not recognise Aaron's authority, ðog he ben get i_n_ ſunder red, 3808 Get he aglen on here red(.) and wen ðat it mai loked betre ben; ðog ðiſe brende ben for-ſaken, ðog he wenen ðat god ſal taken 3812 but think that others are fitted for the service of God. Of ðo .xii. tribuz ſu_m_me mo, To ben ðor he for-hu-gede ðo, Or ynog raðe of eu_er_ilc kin, He wile ðat ſu_m_me ſerue ðor-in. 3816 "Childre," q_u_at moyſes, "gure ſtrif Moses addresses the people, dereð ðe ſowle and greueð ðe lif; Do we uſ alle in godes red, and directs each prince of the tribes to take a rod, and to write every man his name upon it. Vs ſal timen ðe betre ſped; 3820 Ilc prince me take hiſe wond, And do we us here i_n_ godes hond; [360] MS. ðede. [361] MS. tiren. THE PRIESTHOOD OF AARON CONFIRMED. [Fol. 74b.] And on [ilc] wond writen ſal ben ðe kindes name ðe ðor to tgen; 3824 God ſal to-morgen token don, Q_u_ilc kinde he wile ðiſ meſt_er_ on. The rods were written upon, ðuſ it was don, and on a wond Wið-uten[362] ðo wrot he wið hond 3828 ðe twelfte names of ðat kin; and laid before the Lord in the Tabernacle. ðe tabernacle he dedis in, And ðor he iſ haued god bi-tagt, And let iſ ben ðor al ðat nagt. 3832 On the morrow the rods were examined, O morgen q_u_an he com a-gen, Q_u_at was bitid he let hem ſen; Ilc wond he fond of eu_er_ilc kin Alſ ſwilc alſ he iſ dede ðor-in; 3836 and Aaron's rod, of the house of Levi, had budded, blossomed, and brought forth almonds, Oc on, ðe was of aaron, (Writen was name leui ðor-on), It was grene and leaued bi-cumen, And nutes amigdeles ðor-onne numen; 3840 ðo wiſten he ðat[363] aaron