The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXII.

[verse 1] Therfor thre ȝeeris [ȝeer I. ȝer EL.] passiden with out batel bitwixe Sirie and Israel. [verse 2] Forsothe [And I.] in the thridde ȝeer Josephat, king of Juda, ȝede doun to the kyng of Israel. [verse 3] And the kyng of Israel seide to hise seruauntis, Witen ȝe not, that Ramoth of Galaad is oure, and we ben necgligent to take it fro the hoond of the kyng of Sirie? [verse 4] And he [Achab I.] seide to Josaphat [Johasaphat, king of Juda I.] , Whether thou schalt come with me to fiȝte in to Ramoth of Galaad? [verse 5] And Josophat seide to the kyng of Israel, As Y am, so and thou; my puple and thi puple ben oon; and my knyȝtis and thy knyȝtis `ben oon [Om. I.] . And Josephat seide to the kyng of Israel, Y preie thee, axe thou to dai the word of the Lord. [verse 6] Therfor [And DKMç.] the kyng of Israel gaderide [gaderide to gidre I.] prophetis aboute foure hundrid men, and he seide to hem, Owe Y to go in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiȝte, ethir to [owe I to I.] reste? Whiche [The whiche I.] answeriden, Stie thou [thou up I.] , and the Lord schal ȝyue it in the hond of the kyng [kyng of Israel I.] . [verse 7] Forsothe Jose|phat seide, Is [Is ther I.] not here ony profete of the Lord, that we axe bi hym? [verse 8] And the kyng of Israel seide to Josephat, O man, Mychee [Mychee bi name I.] , sone [the sone I.] of Hiemla, is left, bi whom we moun axe the Lord; but Y hate hym, for he prophesieth not good [good thing I.] to me, but

yuel. To whome Josephat seide, Kyng, spek thou not so. [verse 9] Therfor the kyng of Israel clepide summe [a I.] chaumburleyn [chaumburleyn of his I.] , and seide to hym, Haste thou [thou thee I.] to brynge My|chee, sone [the sone I.] of Hiemla. [verse 10] Forsothe the kyng of Israel, and Josephat, kyng of Juda, saten, ech in his trone, clothid with kyngis ournement [ourment A.] , in the [a I.] large hows bisidis the dore [wikett I.] of the ȝate of Samarie; and alle prophetis [the prophetis CGINO.] prophecieden in the siȝt of hem. [verse 11] Also Sedechie, sone [the sone I.] of Chanaan, made to hym silf hornes of yrun, and seide, The Lord God seith these thingis, With these [these hornes I.] thou schalt scatere [scatere abrood I.] Sirye, til thou do awei it. [verse 12] And alle prophetis prophecieden in lijk maner, and seiden, Stye thou in to Ramoth of Galaad, and go thou with prosperite; and the Lord schal bitake thin enemyes in the hond of the kyng. [verse 13] So|theli the messanger, that ȝede to clepe Mychee, spak to hym, and seide, Lo! the wordis of prophetis [the prophetis EL.] with o mouth prechen goodis to the kyng; therfor thi word be lijk hem, and speke thou goodis. [verse 14] To whom Mychee seide, The Lord lyueth, for what euer thing the Lord schal seie to me, Y schal speke this. [verse 15] Therfor he cam to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, Mychee, owen we go [to go ELbç.] in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiȝte, ether ceesse? To which kyng he answeride, Stie thou, and go in prosperite [go in pros|perite; he seide not this for certeyn, but more bi deny|ing, ether bi de|siring; and the kyng per|seyuede this by signes, ther|for he coniour|ide hym to speke truthe. Lire here. C.] ; and the Lord schal bitake it `in to [in BC sec. m.] the hond of the kyng. [verse 16] Forsothe the kyng seide to hym, Eft and eft Y coniure thee, that thou speke not to me, no but that that is soth in the name of the Lord. [verse 17] And he seide, Y siȝ al Israel scaterid in the hillis, as scheep not hauynge a scheep|herde; and the Lord seide, These han no lord, ech man turne aȝen in to his hows in pees. [verse 18] Therfor the kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, Whethir Y seide not to thee, that he prophecieth not good to me, but euere yuel? [verse 19] Sotheli thilke Mychee addide, and seide, Therefore here thou the word

of the Lord; Y siȝ the Lord sittynge on his trone, and Y siȝ al the oost of heuene stondynge nyȝ hym, on the riȝt side and on the left side. [verse 20] And the Lord seide, Who schal disseyue Achab, kyng of Is|rael, that he stye, and falle in Ramoth of Galaad? And oon seide siche wordis, and another in anothir maner. [verse 21] Sotheli a spi|rit ȝede out, and stood bifor the Lord, and seide, Y schal disseyue hym. To whom the Lord spak, In what thing? [verse 22] And he seide, Y schal go out, and Y schal be a spirit of leesyng in the mouth of alle hise prophetis. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt disseyue [thou schalt disseyue; not that falsnesse is shewid of the Lord, ether of his co|maundemens, but God suf|frith bi iust doom, that yuele men be disseyuede of fendis, that han not power to do ony thing no but as he suffrith. Lire here. C.] , and schalt haue the may|stry; go thou out, and do so. [verse 23] Now ther|for, lo! the Lord ȝaf a spirit of leesyng in the mouth of alle prophetis that ben here; and the Lord spak yuel aȝens thee. [verse 24] For|sothe Sedechie, sone of Canaan, neiȝede, and smoot Mychee on the cheke, and seide, Whether the Spirit of the Lord forsook me, and spak to thee? [verse 25] And Mychee seide, Thou schalt se in that dai, whanne thou schalt go in to closet [a closet CW. the closet K.] with ynne closet, that thou be hid. [verse 26] And the kyng of Israel seide, Take ȝe [Om. S.] Mychee, and dwelle he at Amon, prince of the citee, and at Joas, [verse 27] the [Om. S.] sone of Amalech; and seie ȝe to hem, The kyng seith these thingis, Sende ȝe this man in to prisoun, and susteyne ȝe hym with breed of tribulacioun, and with watir of angwisch, til Y turne aȝen in pees. [verse 28] And Mychee seide, If thou schalt turne aȝen in pees, the Lord spak not in me. And he seide, Here ȝe, alle puplis. [verse 29] Therfor the kyng of Israel stiede, and Josaphat, kyng of Juda, in to Ramoth of Galaad. [verse 30] Therfor the kyng of Israel seide to Josephat, Take thou armeris, and entre thou in to batel, and be thou clothid in thi clothis, that is, noble [in noble plures.] signes of the kyng. Certis the kyng of Israel chaung|ide hise clothing [his clothing; that is, aray of king. Lire here. C.] , and entride in to batel. Sotheli the kyng of Sirie hadde comaundid [verse 31] to two and thritti princes of charis, and seide, Ȝe schulen not fiȝte aȝens ony man

lesse, ethir more, no [Om. C.] but aȝens the kyng of Israel oonli. [verse 32] Therfor whanne the princes of charis hadden seyn Josephat, thei suposiden that he was king of Israel, and bi feersnesse maad thei fouȝten aȝens hym. [verse 33] And Josephat criede [Josephath criede; cleping Goddis help, and declaringe his baner. Lire here. C.] ; and the princis of charis vndurstoden, that it was not the king of Israel, and thei ceessiden fro hym. [verse 34] Sotheli sum man bente a bowe, and dresside an arowe in to vncerteyn, and bi hap he smoot the kyng of Israel bitwixe the lunge and the stomak. And the kyng seide to his charietere, Turne thin hond, and cast me out of the oost [cast me out of the oost; not fully, but he was cast out of that scheltrun in to another. Lire here. C.] , for Y am woundid greuousli. [verse 35] Therfor batel was ioyned in that dai, and the kyng of Israel stood in his chare aȝens men of Sirie, and he was deed at euentid. Forsothe the blood of the wounde fletide doun in to the bothome of the chare. [verse 36] And a criere sownede in al the oost, before that [Om. A.] the sunne ȝede doun, and seide, Ech man turne aȝen in to his citee, and in to his lond. [verse 37] Forsothe the kyng was deed, and was borun in to Samarie; and thei birieden the kyng in Samarie. [verse 38] And thei waisch|iden his chare in the cisterne of Samarie, and doggis lickiden his blood, and thei wayschiden the reynes [and they waischiden the raynes; in Ebreu it is thus, and thei waischiden the armeris, fro the blood of Achab. Bi the word of the Lord, etc.; that is, bisidis the place, wher|ynne Naboth was stonyd, upe this that the Lord seide bi Elie, for Achab hadde the hows of his armer in Jezrael, and therfor hise armeris in whiche he was woundid, weren brouȝt thidur, and waschun there fro blood of Achab, and doggis lickiden it in that same place, where Naboth was slayn. Lire here. C.] , bi the word of the Lord whiche he hadde spoke. [verse 39] Sotheli the residue of wordis of Achab, and alle thingis whiche he dide, and the hows of yuer which he bildide, and of alle citees whiche he bildide, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel? [verse 40] Therfor Achab slepte with hise fadris, and Ocozie, his sone, regnede for hym. [verse 41] Forsothe Jose|phat, sone of Asa, bigan to regne on Juda in the fourthe ȝeer of Achab, kyng of Is|rael. [verse 42] Josephat was of fyue and thretti ȝeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnede fyue and twenti ȝeer in Jerusa|lem; the name of his modir was [Om. S.] Azuba, douȝter of Salai. [verse 43] And he ȝede in al the weye of Asa, his fadir, and bowide not fro it; and he dide that, that was riȝtful in

the siȝt of the Lord. [verse 44] Netheles he dide not awey hiȝ thingis, for ȝit the puple made sacrifice, and brente encense in hiȝ places. [verse 45] And Josephat hadde pees with the king of Israel. [verse 46] Sotheli the residue of wordis of Josephat, and the werkis and batels, whiche he dide, whethir these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Juda? [verse 47] But also he took awey fro the loond the relikis of men turned in to wymmens condiciouns, that leften in the daies of Aza, his fadir. [verse 48] Ne|thir a kyng was ordeyned thanne in Edom. [verse 49] Forsothe [Sotheli FGKLNOPQRSUWç.] king Josephat made schippis in the see, that schulden seile in to Ophir for gold, and tho myȝten not go, for thei weren brokun [tho weren brokun; bi Goddis doom, for he hadde homelynesse and felouschipe with Ocozie, king of Israel, in ij. book of Paral. XX. c^o. Lire here. C.] in Asiongaber. [verse 50] Thanne Ocozie, sone of Achab, seide to Josephat, My seruauntis go with thine in schippis. And Josephat nolde [and Josephat nolde; that is, be assossied with him the ij. tyme in nauey. Lire here. C.] . [verse 51] And Josephat slepte with hise fadris, and was biried with hem in the citee of Dauid, his fadir; and Jo|ram, his sone, regnede for hym. [verse 52] Forsothe Ocozie, sone of Achab, bigan to regne on Israel, in Samarie, in the seuenetenthe ȝeer of Josephat, kyng of Juda; and Ocozie regnede on Israel twei ȝeer. [verse 53] And he dide yuel in the siȝt of the Lord, and ȝede in the wey of his fadir, and of his modir, and in the weie of Jeroboam, sone of Na|bath, that made Israel to do synne. [verse 54] And he seruyde Baal, and worschipide hym, and wraththide the Lord God of Israel, bi alle thingis whiche his fadir hadde do.