Numbers 21:1-17

¹And whanne Chananei, the kyng of Arad, that dwellide at the south, hadde herd this, that is, that Israel cam bi the weye of aspieris, he fauyt ayens hem; and Chananei was ouercomere and ledde pray of Israel.

²And Israel bounde hym sylf bi avow to the Lord, and seide, If thou schalt bitake this puple in myn hond, Y schal do awei `the citees therof.

³And the Lord herde the preieris of Israel, and bitook the Chananey; and Israel killid hym, and distruyede hise citees; and clepide the name of that place Horma, that is, cursyng, `ethir hangyng up.

⁴`Forsothe thei yeden forth also fro the hil of Hor, bi the weie that ledith to the reed see, that thei schulden cumpasse the lond of Edom; and it bigan to anoye the puple, of the weie and trauel.

⁵And the puple spak ayens the Lord and Moises, and seide, Whi leddist thou vs out of Egipt, that we schulden die in wildirnesse? breed failith, watris ben not; oure soule wlatith now on this `meete moost liyt.

⁶Wherfor the Lord sente `firid serpentis in to the puple; at the woundis of whiche serpentis, and the dethis of ful many men,

⁷thei camen to Moyses, and seiden, We synneden, for we spaken ayens the Lord and thee; preie thou, that he take awey fro vs the serpentis.

⁸And Moises preiede for the puple; and the Lord seide to hym, Make thou a serpent of bras, and sette thou it for a signe ; he that is smytun and biholdith it, schal lyue.

⁹Therfor Moyses made a serpent of bras, and settide for a signe; and men smytun and biholdynge it, weren heelid.

¹⁰And the sones of Israel yeden forth,

¹¹and settiden tentis in Oboth; fro whennus thei yeden forth, and settiden tentis in Neabarym, in the wildirnesse, that biholdith Moab, ayens the eest coost.

¹²And thei moueden fro thennus, and camen to the stronde of Zareth;

¹³which thei leften, and settiden tentis ayens Arnon, which is in the deseert, and apperith in the coostis of Amorrei. Forsothe Arnon is the terme of Moab, and departith Moabitis and Ammoreis.

¹⁴Wherfor it is seid in the book of batels of the Lord, As he dide in the reed see, so he schal do in the strondis of Arnon;

¹⁵the harde rochis of the strondis weren bowid, that tho schulen reste in Arnon, and schulden ligge in the coostis of Moabitis.

¹⁶Fro that place the pit apperide, of which the Lord spak to Moyses, Gadere thou the puple, and Y schal yyue watir to it.

¹⁷Thanne Israel soong this song, The pit stie;