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

CAP. X.

[verse 1] Forsothe seuenti sones in Samarie weren to Achab. Therfor Hieu wroot lettris, and sente in to Samarie to the beste men of the citee, and to the gretter men in birthe, and to alle the nurschis of Achab [nursis of Achab; that is, of the sones of Achab. Lire here. C.] , and [verse 2] seide, Anoon as ȝe han take these lettris, ȝe that han the sones of ȝoure lord, and the charis, and horsis, and stronge citees, and [verse 3] armeris, chese [chese ȝe I.] the beste, and hym that plesith to ȝou of the sones of ȝoure lord [lord Achab I.] , and sette ȝe [Om. C.] him on [upon I.] the trone of his fadir, and fiȝte ȝe for the hows of ȝoure lord. [verse 4] And thei [the men I.] dredden greetli, and seiden, Lo! twei kyngis myȝten not stonde bifor hym, and how schulen we mowe aȝenstonde hym? [verse 5] Therfor the souereyns of the hows, and the prefect [provoustis or bailies I.] of the citee, and the grettere men in birthe, and the nurschis senten to Hieu, and seiden, We ben thi seruauntis; what euer thingis thou comaundist, we schulen do, and we schulen not make a kyng to vs; do thou what euer thing plesith thee. [verse 6] Forsothe he wroot aȝen to hem lettris the secunde tyme, and seide, If ȝe ben myne, and obeien to me, take ȝe the heedis of the sones of ȝoure lord, and come ȝe to me in this same our to morewe in to Jezrael. Sotheli [And I.] the sones of the kyng, seuenti men, weren nurschid at the beste men of the citee. [verse 7] And whanne the lettris hadden come to hem, thei token the sones of the kyng, and killiden seuenti [tho seuenti I.] men, and put|tiden [thei puttiden I.] the heedis of hem in coffyns; and senten [senten tho I.] to hym [Hieu I.] in to Jezrael. [verse 8] Forsothe [And I.] a messanger cam to hym, and schewide to hym, and seide, Thei [Men I.] han brouȝt the heedis of the sones of the king. Which [The which N.] answeride, Putte ȝe tho [the I.] heedis to tweyne hepis, bisidis the entring [entris A.] of the ȝate, til [vnto I. til to N.] the [Om. N.] morewtid. [verse 9] And whanne it was cleer dai, he [Hieu I.] ȝede out, and stood, and seide to al the puple [puple of Samarie I.] , Ȝe ben iust men; if Y con|spiride aȝens my lord, and killide hym,

who killide alle these? [verse 10] Therfor se ȝe now [therfor se ȝe now; as if he seide, nether Y in comaund|inge, nether ȝe in parform|ynge, ben blameful, but more iust and preisable, for it is doon bi the wille and co|maundement of the Lord, as it was bifor|seid by Elie, and was en|ioyned to me bi his dissiple. Lire here. C.] , that noon of the wordis of the Lord felde [hath falle I.] doun in to the erthe, whiche the Lord spak on the hows of Achab; and the Lord hath do that, that he spak in the hond of his seruaunt, Elie. [verse 11] Therfor Hieu smoot alle that weren residue [left I.] of the hows of Achab in Jezrael, and alle the beste men [men also I.] of hym [Achab I.] , and knowun [his knowun I.] men, and preestis [his preestis I.] , til no relikis of hym leften. [verse 12] And he [Hieu I.] roos [roos up I.] , and cam in to Sa|marie; and whanne he hadde come to the [verse 13] chaumbir of schepherdis [the schepherdis I.] in the weie, he foond [foond there I.] the britheren [britheren; that is, kynnes|men, for they weren hise cosyns; in II. book of Paralip. xxi. C^o. Lire here. C.] of Ocozie, kyng of Juda; and he seide to hem, Who ben ȝe? And thei answeriden, We ben the britheren of Ocozie, and we comen doun to grete the sones of the kyng and the sones of the queen. [verse 14] Which [And I.] Hieu seide, Take ȝe hem quyke. And whanne thei hadden take hem quyke, thei strangliden hem in the [a I.] cisterne, bisidis the chaumbre, two and fourti men; and he lefte not ony of hem. [verse 15] And whanne he [Hieu I.] hadde go fro thennus, he foond Jonadab, the sone of Rechab, in to meetyng of [to DEIKLMPXbç.] hym; and he [Jonadab I.] blesside hym. And Hieu seide to hym, Whether thin herte is riȝtful with myn herte, as myn herte is with thin herte? And Jonadab seide, It is. Hieu [And Hieu IS.] seide, If `it is [thin herte is riȝtful I.] , ȝyue [ȝyue me I.] thin hond. Which [The which I.] ȝaf his hond to hym; and he [Hieu I.] reiside hym [hym up I.] to hym silf [Om. I.] in to the [his I.] chare. [verse 16] And he [Hieu I.] seide to hym, Come thou with me, and se my feruent loue for the Lord. [verse 17] And he ledde hym, put in hys chare, in to Samarie. And he [Hieu I.] killide alle men that weren residue [left I.] of Achab in Sa|marie `til to [vnto I.] oon, bi the word of the Lord, which [that I.] he spak bi Elie. [verse 18] Therfor Hieu gaderide to gidere alle the puple, and seide to hem, Achab worschipide Baal a litil, but Y schal [Om. C.] worschipe hym more. [verse 19] Now therfor clepe ȝe to me alle the prophetis of Baal, and alle hise seruauntis, and alle

hise preestis; `noon be [be ther noon I.] that come not, for [forsothe I.] grete sacrifice is of me to Baal; who euer schal faile [faile to come I.] , he schal not lyue. For|sothe Hieu dide this bi tresoun, that he schulde [wolde I.] distrie alle the worschipers of Baal. [verse 20] And he seide [seide to hem I.] , Halewe ȝe a so|lempne [verse 21] day to Baal. And he [Hieu I.] clepide, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel; and alle the seruauntis of Baal camen [camen thidere I.] , `noon was residue [and noon was left EL. ther was noon left thenns I. noon was left P.] , and sotheli `not oon was [ther was not oon I.] that cam not. And thei entriden in to the temple of Baal; and the hows of Baal was fillid, fro oon [that oon I.] ende `til to [to I.] `the to|thir [that oother I.] . [verse 22] And he [Hieu I.] seide to hem that weren souereyns ouer the clothis [prestis clothis I.] , Bringe ȝe [Om. R.] forth clothis [thi clothis C. vestmentis I.] to alle the seruauntis of Baal; and thei brouȝten forth clothis [vestmentis I.] to hem. [verse 23] And Hieu entride, and Jonadab, the sone of Rechab, in to the temple of Baal. And Hieu seide to the worschiperis of Baal, Enquere ȝe, and se, lest perauen|ture ony of the seruauntis of the Lord be with ȝou; but that the seruauntis be aloone of Baal. [verse 24] Therfor [Thanne I.] thei entriden, to make slayn sacrifices, and brent sacrifices. So|theli [Certis I.] Hieu hadde maad redi to hym with outforth foure scoore men, and hadde seid to hem, Who euer schal fle [fle awey I.] of alle these, whiche Y schal brynge in to ȝoure hondis, the lijf of hym schal be [the liyf of him schal be, etc.; that suf|frith ony ascape. C.] for the lijf of hym that ascapith. [verse 25] Forsothe it was don, whanne the brent sacrifice was fillid [fulfillid I.] , Hieu comaundide to hise knyȝtis and duykis, Entre ȝe, and sle [sleeth I.] hem, that noon ascape. And the knyȝtis and duykis smytiden [smiten EL passim. smyten F passim. smeten I. smetin P passim.] `hem bi the [with I.] scharpnesse of swerd, and castiden [casten FI.] forth. And `thei ȝeden [ȝeid A sup. ras.] into [verse 26] the citee of the temple of Baal, and thei brouȝten forth the ymage [ymage of Baal I.] fro the temple [verse 27] of Baal, and brenten it [Om. EIKLMPSXbç.] , and al to braken it. Also thei destrieden the hows of Baal, and maden priuyes [maden priuyes; for abho|mynacioun of idolatrie, and that thilke place schulde serue the co|mynte in this nede. Lire here. C.] for it `til in to [vnto I.] this dai. [verse 28] Therfor [Thanne I.] Hieu dide awei Baal fro

[verse 29] Israel; netheles he ȝede not awei fro the synnes of Jeroboam, sone [the sone I.] of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne, nether he for|sook the goldun caluys, that weren in Bethel and in Dan. [verse 30] Forsothe the Lord seide to Hieu, For thou didist bisili that that was riȝtful, and pleside [plesidest E. that pleside I.] in myn yȝen, and hast do aȝens the hows of Achab alle thingis that weren in myn herte, thi sones `til to [therfore vnto I.] the fourthe generacioun schulen sitte on [upon I.] the trone of Israel. [verse 31] Forsothe [For A.] Hieu kepte not, that he ȝede in the lawe of the Lord God of Israel in al his herte; for he ȝede [wente I.] not awei fro the synnes of Jeroboam, that made Israel to do synne. [verse 32] In tho daies the Lord bigan to be anoyed [the Lord bigan to be anoied; that is, to haue abhomynacioun of her dedis, for the wor|schiping of idols hadde durid longe thanne, and many othere yuels camen forth with tho, and therfor that rewme was suffrid to be turmentid bi Asael in many maneris. Lire here. C.] on [upon I.] Israel; and Asahel smoot hem [Israel I.] in alle [verse 33] the coostis of Israel [hem I.] , fro Jordan aȝens the eest coost, al the lond of Galaad, and of Gad, and of Ruben, and of Manasses, fro Aroer which [that I.] is on [upon I.] the stronde of Arnon, and Galaad, and Baasan. [verse 34] Forsothe [And I.] the residue of wordis [the wordis I.] of Hieu, and alle thingis whiche [that I.] he dide, and his strengthe, whe|ther these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel? [verse 35] And Hieu slepte with hise fadris; and thei birieden hym in Samarie; and Joa|chaz, his sone, regnyde for hym. [verse 36] For|sothe [Certis I.] the daies, in whiche Hieu regnede on [upon I.] Israel in Samarie, ben eiȝte and twenti ȝeer.