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

CAP. XVIII.

[verse 1] In the thridde ȝeer of Osee, sone [the sone I.] of Hela, kyng of Israel, regnyde Ezechie, sone of Achaz, kyng of Juda. [verse 2] He was of fyue and twenti ȝeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnyde in Jerusalem nyne and twenti ȝeer; the name of his modir was Abisa, douȝter [the douȝter I.] of Zacharie. [verse 3] And he [Ezechie I.] dide that, that was good bifor the Lord, bi alle thingis, which [that I.] Dauid, his fadir, hadde do. [verse 4] And he distriede hiȝe places [places of mawmetrie I.] , and al to-brak ymagis, and kit|tide [kitte I.] doun wodis, and he brak the brasun serpent, whom Moyses hadde maad; for `til to [vnto I.] that tyme the sones of Israel brenten encense to it; and he [Ezechie I.] clepide the

name therof [of it I.] Noestam [Noestam, that is, copir A et plures.] [Noestam; that is, copir, ether of copir; as if he seide, no thing of Godhed was in it, as symple men bileuyden, and weren dis|seyued bi errour, no but copir was there. C.] . [verse 5] And he [Ezechie I.] hopide in the Lord God of Israel; therfor aftir hym [Ezechie I.] noon was lijk hym [noon was liyk him; not that he was hooliere than Dauyth, that was bifor him, ether than Josie, that was aftir him; as also the chirche singith of ech confessour, noon is found|un liyk him, and this for sum preroga|tif ether ex|celence, which is not foundun so in othere men, thouȝ he faile in many prerogatyues that thei han. So it is seid of Ezechie, noon was liyk him, etc. in parti, for he distriede hiȝe places, and the brasun serpent, in parti; for at the preyeris of him, an aungel of the Lord smoot the oost of Senacherib, and the sunne ȝede abak bi ten lynes, and these were ful special thingis. Lire here. C.] of alle the kyngis of Juda, but `and nether [nether also I.] in tho [the I.] kyngis that weren bifor hym. [verse 6] And he cleuyde to the Lord, and ȝede not awei fro hise steppis, and he dide the comaunde|mentis of the Lord, whiche the Lord co|maundide [verse 7] to Moises; wherfor and the Lord was with hym, and he gouernede wiseli hym silf in alle thingis, to whiche [the whiche I.] he ȝede forth. Also he [Ezechie I.] rebellide [he rebellide, etc.; that is, resseyuede not him as lord, as many kingis diden. Lire here. C.] aȝens the kyng of Assiriens, and therfor he seruede [verse 8] not to `that kyng of Asseriens [him I.] ; and he [Ezechie I.] smoot Philisteis [the Philisteis I.] `til to [vnto I.] Gazam, and alle the termes of hem, fro the tour of keperis [the keperis I.] `til to [vnto I.] a citee maad strong. [verse 9] In the fourthe ȝeer of kyng Ezechie, that was the se|uenthe ȝeer of Osee, sone [the sone I.] of Hela, kyng of Israel, Salmanazar, kyng of Assiriens, [verse 10] stiede [stiede up I.] to Samarie, and fauȝt aȝens it, and took it [Om. plures.] . For after thre ȝeer, in the sixte ȝeer of Ezechie, that is, in the nynthe ȝeer of Osee, kyng of Israel, Samarie was [verse 11] takun; and the kyng of Assiriens trans|latide Israel in to Assiriens, and settyde [he sette I.] hem in Haila, and in Habor, ryueris of [verse 12] Gozam, in the citees [citee I.] of Medeis; for thei herden not the vois of her Lord God, but thei braken his couenaunt; thei herden not, nether diden alle thingis, whiche Moises, the seruaunt of the Lord, comaundide. [verse 13] In the fourtenthe ȝeer of kyng Ezechie, Sena|cherub, kyng [the kyng I.] of Assiryens, stiede [stiede up I.] to alle the strengthide citees of Juda, and took tho [hem I.] . [verse 14] Thanne Ezechie, kyng of Juda, sente messangeris to the kyng of Assi|riens in to Lachis, and seide, Y haue syn|ned [Y haue syn|ned; aȝenus the Lord, he aret|tide the synne of his fadir, and of the pu|ple, his synne in this. Lire here. C.] ; go awei fro me, and Y schal bere `al thing [alle thingis I.] , which [that I.] thou schalt putte to me. Therfor the kyng of Asseriens puttide on [upon I.] Ezechie, kyng of Juda, thre hundrid ta|lentis [of talentis S.] of siluer, and thretti talentis of gold. [verse 15] And Ezechie ȝaf al the siluer, that

was foundun in the hows of the Lord, and in the kyngis tresories [tresours EKLMX. tresories to the kyng of Assiriens I.] . [verse 16] In that tyme Ezechie brak the ȝatis [Esechie brak the ȝatis; Ese|chie wiste, the puple suget to him, and A|chaz, his fadir, hadden offend|id God in many maneris, and therfor he dredde skile|fuly, lest for veniaunce of the forseid yuels the king of Assiriens schulde be suffrid to come on his rewme; and therfor to kepe the citee of Jerusalem, where Goddis worschip was, in strengthe, and the puple as myche as he myȝte fro distriyng, he spendide the riches of the temple and of the king, as the text here seith. Brak the ȝatis of the temple; in whiche myche gold was fast|ned bi kingis biforgoinge and bi him, to fair|nesse in wor|schip; and bi nede he was compellid to do this, for he hadde noon other thing, wherof he myȝte paie so greet a summe. Of this is had an argument ether preef, that princes in nede moun take of the tresours of the chirche, for the sauyng of the comyn puple. Lire here. C. Ambrose and Decrees in XII. cause, ii. ques|tioun, c^o. au|rum, and Gre|gorie in his Registre, in VII. book, xiii. c^o. and xxxiiij. c^o., and IX. book, xvi. c^o. witnessen this pleynly. And king Richard dide this in dede, as Sis|trense seith, in VII. book, xxviii. c^o. C.] of the temple of the Lord, and the platis of gold, whiche [that I.] he hadde [Om. I.] fastned, and he ȝaf tho to the kyng of Assiriens. [verse 17] Forsothe the kyng of Assiriens sente Thercha and Rabsaces fro Lachis to kyng Ezechie, with strong hond [with strong hond; for whanne he hadde maad couenaunt, and take gold, to suffre the rewme of Ese|chie in pees, he brak the couenaunt vnfeithfuly, and sente oost to take Jeru|salem, and lede the puple in to Assi|riens. Lire here. C.] to Jerusalem; and whanne thei hadden stied [gon up I.] , thei camen to Jerusalem, and stoden bisidis the water cundijt of the hiȝere cisterne, which [that I.] is in the weie of the [Om. L.] fullere, `ethir toukere [or of toukere ELP.] . [verse 18] And thei clepiden the [Om. I.] kyng [kyng Ezechie I.] ; sotheli Eliachym, sone [the sone I.] of Elchie, the souereyn [souereyn or bischop I.] of the hows [hows of the Lord I.] , and Sobna, scryueyn [the scryueyn I.] , and Joahe, chaunseler, the sone of Asaph, ȝeden out to hem. [verse 19] And Rabsaces seide to hem, Speke ȝe to Ezechie, The grete kyng, the kyng of Assiriens, seith these thingis, What is this trist, in which thou en|forsist [enforsist thee I.] ? [verse 20] In hap thou hast take counsel, that thou woldist make thee redi to batel. In whom tristist thou, that thou be hardi to rebelle [rebelle aȝens Senacherib I.] ? [verse 21] Whethir thou hopist in a `staf of rehed [reedy staf I.] and brokun, Egipt [O! Egypt I.] , on [upon I.] which [the which staff I.] , if a man lenith, it schal be brokun, and schal [the splyndre or speel therof schal I.] entre in to hys hond, and schal peerse it? So is Farao, kyng of Egipt, to alle men that tristen on [in I.] hym. [verse 22] That if thou seist to me, We han trist in `oure Lord God [the Lord oure God I.] ; whether this is not he, whos hiȝe thingis [ymagis S.] and auteris [auteris of offence I.] Ezechie took awei, and comaundide to Juda and to Jerusalem, Ȝe [seiyinge, Ȝe I.] schulen worschipe bifor this auter in Jerusalem? [verse 23] Now therfor passe ȝe [ȝe forth I.] [passe ȝe; in Ebreu it is, ȝyue ȝe weddis, that is, for ij. thousynde of horsis. Lire here. C.] to my lord, the kyng of Assiriens, and Y schal ȝyue to [Om. I.] ȝou twei thousynde [thou|sendis S.] of horsis, and se ȝe, whether ȝe moun haue rideris of `tho horsis [hem I.] ? [verse 24] And hou moun ȝe with|stonde bifor o prince of the leste ser|uauntis of my lord? Whether thou hast trist in Egipt, for charis and knyȝtis [knyȝtis therof I.] ?

[verse 25] Whether Y stiede [stiede up I.] with outen `Goddis wille [the wille of my lord I.] to this place, that Y schulde dis|trie it? `The Lord [My lord I.] seide to me, `Stie thou [Wende thou up I.] to this lond, and distrie thou it. [verse 26] Forsothe Eliachym, sone [the sone I.] of Elchie, and Sobna, and Joahe, seiden to Rabsaces, We preien [preien thee I.] , that thou speke bi the langage of Sirie to vs, thi seruauntis; for we vndirstondun this langage; and that [Om. IS.] thou speke not [and that thou speke not; lest the peple were aferd of the wordis of Rab|saces, and for he medlide wordis of blas|femye in his wordis. Of this place both Ebreys and Cristen doc|tours seyen, that this Rab|saces was a Jew of birthe, but he forsook the lawe, and was peruertid to hethennesse. Lire here. C.] to vs bi the langage of Juwis, while the puple herith, which is on [upon I.] the wal. [verse 27] And Rab|saces answeride, `and seide [seiynge I.] , Whethir my lord sente me to thi lord and to thee, that Y schulde speke these wordis, and not rather to the men `that sitten [sittinge I.] on [upon I.] the wal, that thei ete her toordis, and drynke her pisse with ȝou? [verse 28] Therfor Rabsaces stood, and criede with greet vois bi lan|gage of Jewis, and seide, Here ȝe the wordis of the greet kyng, the kyng of Assiriens. [verse 29] The kyng seith these thingis, Ezechie disceyue not ȝou, for he may not [verse 30] delyuere ȝou fro myn hond; nether ȝyue he [ȝe I.] trist to ȝou on [upon I.] the Lord [Lord God I.] , and seie, The Lord delyuerynge schal delyuere vs, and this citee shal not be bitakun [takun CEIK pr. m. L.] in the [verse 31] hond of the kyng of Assiriens; nyle ȝe here Ezechie. For the kyng of Assiriens seith these thingis, Do ȝe with me that, that is profitable to ȝou, and go ȝe out to me; and eche man schal ete of his vyner, and of his fige tree, and ȝe schulen drynke [verse 32] watris of ȝoure cisternes, til [til that I.] Y come, and translate [bere I.] ȝou [ȝou ouer I.] in to a lond which [that I.] is lijk ȝoure lond, in to a fruytful lond, and plen|teuouse [a plenteuouse I.] of wyn, a lond of breed, and of vineris, a lond of olyue trees, and of [Om. I.] oile, and of hony; and ȝe schulen lyue, and ȝe schulen not die. Nyle ȝe here Ezechie, that disseyueth ȝou, and seith, The Lord schal delyuere ȝow. [verse 33] Whether the goddis of hethene men delyueriden her lond fro the hond of the kyng of Assiriens? [verse 34] Where is god of Emath, and of Arphat? Where is god of Sapharuaym, of Ana, and of

Aua? Whether thei delyueriden Samarie fro myn hond? [verse 35] For [For whi I.] who ben thei in alle goddis of londis, that delyueriden her cun|trey fro myn hond, that the Lord may delyuere Jerusalem fro myn hoond? [verse 36] Therfor the puple was stille, and answer|ide not [and answer|ide not; bi co|maundement of the king, lest Rabsaces were sterid ȝit to seie blas|femyes of God, if he were an|swerid. Lire here. C.] ony thing to hym; for thei hadden take comaundement of the kyng, that thei schulden not answere to hym. [verse 37] And Elia|chym, sone [the sone I.] of Elchie, the souereyn of the hows [Lordus hows I.] , and Sobna, scryuen [the scryuen I.] , and Joahe, chaunceler [the chaunceler I.] , the sone of Asaph, camen with to-rent clothis to Ezechie; and telden to hym the wordis of Rabsaces.