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[1]Forsothe in that tyme Israel dwellide in Sechym; and the puple dide fornycacioun with the douytris of Moab;
[2]whiche douytris clepiden hem to her sacrifices, and thei eten, and worschipiden the goddis of tho douytris;
[3]and Israel made sacrifice to Belphegor. And the Lord was wrooth,
[4]and seide to Moises, Take thou alle the princes of the puple, and hange hem ayens the sunne in iebatis, that my wodnesse, `that is stronge veniaunce, be turned awai fro Israel.
[5]And Moises seide to the iugis of Israel, Ech man sle his neiyboris, that maden sacrifice to Belphagor.
[6]And, lo! oon of the sones of Israel entride bifor his britheren to `an hoore of Madian, in the siyt of Moises, and al the cumpeny of the sones of Israel, whiche wepten bifor the yatis of the tabernacle.
[7]And whanne Phynees, the sone of Eleazar, sone of Aaron, preest, hadde seyn this, he roos fro the myddis of the multitude; and whanne he hadde take a swerd,
[8]he entride aftir the man of Israel in to the `hoore hows, and stikide thorou both togidere, that is, the man and the womman, in the places of gendryng. And the veniaunce ceesside fro the sones of Israel,
[9]and foure and twenti thousand of men weren slayn.
[10]And the Lord seide to Moises,
[11]Fynees, the sone of Eleazar, sone of Aaron, preest, turnede away myn yre fro the sones of Israel; for he was stirid ayens hem bi my feruent loue, that Y my silf schulde not do awai the sones of Israel in my greet hete, `ether strong veniaunce.
[12]Therfor speke thou to hym, Lo! Y yyue to hym the pees of my couenaunt,
[13]and it schal be an euerlastynge couenaunt of preesthod, as wel to hym silf as to his seed; for he louyde feruentli for his God, and he clenside the greet trespas of the sones of Israel.
[14]Forsothe the name of the man of Israel, that was slayn with the womman of Madian, was Zambri, the sone of Salu, duyk of the kynrede and lynage of Symeon.
[15]Forsothe the womman of Madian that was slayn togidere, was clepid Cobri, the douyter of Sur, the nobleste prince of Madianytis.
[16]And the Lord spak to Moises and seide,
[17]`Madianytis feele you enemyes, and smyte ye hem;
[18]for also thei diden enemyliche ayens you, and disseyueden thorow tresouns, bi the idol of Phegor, and bi `the douyter of Corbri, duyk of Madian, her sister, which douyter was sleyn in the dai of veniaunce, for the sacrilege of Phegor.
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