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

CAP. IV.

[verse 1] Forsothe [Sothely I.] sum [a IM.] womman [sum wom|man; bi Ebreys and Latyn doc|tours, this womman was the wiyf of Abdie, that was in dette, for the feeding of profetis, in the tyme of persecucioun of Jezabel. Lire here. C.] of the wyues of prophetys criede to Elisee, and seide, Thi seruaunt, myn hosebonde, is deed, and thou knowist that thi seruaunt dredde God; and lo! the [a I.] creaunser, `that is, he to whom the [Om. CD FGKLMNOPSXbç.] dette is owid [Gloss omitted in I.] , cometh to take my two [Om. Q.] sones to serue hym. [verse 2] To whom Elisee seide, What wolt thou that Y do to thee? seie thou to me, what hast thou in thin hows? And she answeride, Y thin handmayde haue not ony thing in myn hows, no but a litil of oile, bi [with I.] which Y schal be anoyntid [anoyntid; that is, schal be refreischid a litil to the sauering of potage. Lire here. C.] . [verse 3] To whom he seide, Go thou, and axe bi borewyng of alle thi

neiȝboris voide vessels not fewe [a fewe I.] . [verse 4] And entre, and close thi dore, whanne thou art with ynne, thou and thi sones; and putte ȝe therof in to alle these vessels; and whanne tho schulen be ful, thou schalt take awei [awei thin hoond I.] . [verse 5] Therfor the womman ȝede, and closide the dore on [upon I.] hir silf and on [Om. I.] hir sones, thei brouȝten vessels [the vessels R.] , and sche `heldide in [ȝotte in BC. ȝettide in X. helde in DFGIKMNOQSWbç. helde in tho R. Om. ELPU.] . [verse 6] And whanne the vessels weren fulle, sche seide to hir sone, Brynge thou [Om. EL.] ȝit a vessel to me. And he answeride, Y haue not [noon I.] . And [And thanne I.] the oyle stood [stood, encreesinge no more I.] . [verse 7] For|sothe sche cam, and schewide [schewide it I.] to the man of God; and he seide, Go thou, sil thou [Om. I.] the oile, and ȝelde to thi creauncer; for|sothe [and I.] thou and thi children lyue [lyue ȝe IS.] of the residue [remenaunt I.] . [verse 8] Forsothe sum [a I.] day was maad, and Elisee passide bi a citee, Sunam [that hiȝt Sunam I.] ; sotheli [and I.] a greet womman was there, which helde hym [which helde him; that is, bisily preyede to mete. Lire here. C.] , that he schulde ete breed. And whanne he passide ofte therbi, `he turnede to hir, that he schulde ete breed [that he wolde ete breed with hir I.] . [verse 9] `Which womman [And sche I.] seide to hir hosebonde, Y perseyue that this is an hooli man of [verse 10] God, that passith ofte bi vs; therfor make we a litil soler to hym, and putte we ther|ynne a litil bed to hym, and a boord, and a chaier, and a candilstike; that whanne he cometh to vs, he dwelle there. [verse 11] Ther|for sum [a I.] dai was maad, and he [Helizee I.] cam, and turnede in to the soler, and restide there. [verse 12] And he seide to Giezi, his child, Clepe thou this Sunamyte [womman of Sunam I.] . And whanne he hadde clepid hir, and sche hadde stonde [come up I.] [verse 13] bifor hym, he seide to his child, Speke thou to hir, Lo! thou hast mynystride [seruyd I.] to vs bisili in alle thingis; what wolt thou that Y do to thee? Whether thou hast a cause, and wolt that Y speke to the kyng, ether to the prince of the chyualrye? And sche answeride, I dwelle in the myddis of my puple. [verse 14] And he [Helizee I.] seide [seide to him I.] , What therfor [thanne I.] wole sche that Y do to hir? Giezi seide

to hym, Axe thou not, for [for whi I.] she hath no sone, and hir hosebonde is eeld. [verse 15] Therfor Elisee comaundide, that he [Giezy I.] schulde clepe hir. And whanne sche was clepid, and [verse 16] stood bifor the dore, he [Helizee I.] seide to hir, In this tyme [in this tyme; in Ebreu it is thus, in this tyme as in tyme of liyf, thou schalt biclippe a sone, that is, in the ȝeer turned aboute thou schalt lyue hool as now, and thou schalt biclippe a sone borun thanne, as Rabi Salomon seith. Lire here. C.] and in this same our, if lijf schal [Om. I.] be felow [felow, or if I lyue I.] , thou schalt haue a sone in the [thi I.] wombe. And sche answeride, Nyle thou, my lord, the man of God, Y biseche, nyle thou lye [nyle thou lye; Ebreys seyen, nyle thou faile to thyn hand|maide, for the Ebrew word set here, signe|fieth bothe lye and faile; and this is the sen|tence, as Rabi Salomon seith; if thou axidist of God a sone to me, that schal die soone, it were not matir of ioye to me, but of morenyng, and therfor Y preye, that thi word faile not, so that the sone that schal be ȝouun to me, dye not. Lire here. C.] to thin hondmaide. [verse 17] And the womman conseyuede, and childide a sone in the tyme, and in the same our, in which Elisee hadde seid. [verse 18] Sotheli the child encreeside; and whanne sum [a I.] day was, and the child was goon out, and ȝede to [verse 19] his fadir, and to the repers, he seide to his fadir, Myn heed akith, myn heed akith. And he [his fadir I.] seide to a child [seruaunt I.] , Take, and lede hym to his modir. [verse 20] And whanne he hadde take, and hadde brouȝt hym to his modir, sche settide [sette I.] hym on [upon I.] hir knees `til to [vnto I.] myddai, and he was deed [deed thanne I.] . [verse 21] Sotheli [Certis I.] she stiede [stiede up I.] , and leide hym on [upon I.] the litil bed of the man of God, and closide the dore. [verse 22] And sche ȝede out, and clepide hir hose|bonde, and seide, Y biseche, sende thou with me oon of the children, and an asse, and Y schal renne out `til to [vnto I.] the man of God, and Y schal turne aȝen. [verse 23] And he seide to hir, For what cause goist thou to hym? to dai ben [ther ben I.] not calendis [solempnytees I.] , nether sabat [haly day I.] . And she answeride, Y schal go. [verse 24] And sche sadlide [greythide I.] the [an I.] asse, and comaundide to the child [child or seruaunt I.] , Dryue thou, and haaste [haaste thee I.] ; make thou not [no I.] tariyng to me in goyng, and do thou this thing which [that I.] Y comaunde to thee. [verse 25] Therfor [Thanne I.] sche ȝede forth, and cam to the man of God, in to the hil of Carmele. And whanne the man of God hadde seyn hir euene aȝen [aȝens him I.] , he seide to Giezi, his child, Lo! thilke Sunamyte [womman of Sunam I.] ; [verse 26] go thou therfor in to the metyng of hir, and seie thou to hir, Whether it is doon riȝtfuli aboute thee, and aboute thin hose|bonde,

and aboute thi sone? And sche answeride, Riȝtfuli [it is don riȝtfuli I.] . [verse 27] And whanne sche hadde come to the man of God, in to the hil, sche took his feet; and Giezi neiȝede, that he schulde remoue hir [hir awey I.] . And the man of God seide, Suffre thou hir; for hir soule is in bitternesse, and the Lord helde [hath holde it I.] priuy fro me, and schewide [schewide it I.] not to me. [verse 28] And sche seide to hym, Whether I axide my [womman of Sunam I.] sone of my [thee my I.] lord? Whether Y seide not to thee, Scorne thou not me? [verse 29] And he seide to Giezi, Girde thi leendis, and take my staf in thin hond [hondis L.] , and go; if [and if EL.] a man metith [mete L.] thee, grete thou not hym [greete thou not hym; that is, meddle thou not with hym, wordis lettinge thee fro the weye, and bi sich maner Crist spekith in X. c^o. of Luk to dissi|plis sent to preche, Grete ȝe no man bi the weye. Lire here. C.] ; and if ony man gretith thee, an|swere thou not hym; and putte thou my staf on [upon I.] the face of the child. [verse 30] Forsothe [And I.] the `modir of the child [childs modir I.] seide, The Lord lyueth and thi soule lyueth, Y schal not leeue, `ether forsake [Om. CDGINOQSX sec. m. bç.] , thee. Therfor [Thanne I.] he roos, and suede hir. [verse 31] Sotheli [And I.] Giezi ȝede bifor hem, and puttide the staaf on [upon I.] the face of the child; and `vois was not [ther was not vois in him I.] , ne|ther wit. And Giezi turnede aȝen to [in to I.] the meetyng of hym; and telde to him, and seyde, The child `roos not [hath not risen I.] . [verse 32] Therfor Elisee entride in to the hows, and, lo! the deed child lai in his bed. [verse 33] And he [Helizee I.] entride, and closide the dore [upon I.] on hym silf, and on [upon I.] the child; and preiede to the Lord. [verse 34] And he [Helizee I.] stiede [stiede up I.] , and lay on [upon I.] the child; and he put|tide his mouth on [upon I.] the mouth of the child, and hise iȝen on [upon I.] the iȝen of the child, and hise hondis on [upon I.] the hondis of the child. And he bouwide hym silf on [upon I.] the child; and the fleisch of the child was maad hoot. [verse 35] And he [Helizee I.] turnede aȝen, and walkide in the hows onys hidur and thidur; and [and eft I.] Elisee stiede [ȝede up I.] , and lai on [up I.] the child, and the child ȝoxide seuene sithis, and openyde the iȝen. [verse 36] And he [Helizee I.] clepide Giezi, and seide to hym, Clepe thou this Sunamyte [womman of Sunam I.] . And sche was clepid, and entride to hym. And he seide,

Take thi sone. [verse 37] She cam, and felde doun to his feet, and worschipide on erthe [the erthe I.] ; and sche took hir sone, and ȝede out. [verse 38] And Elisee turnede aȝen in to Galgala. For|sothe hungur was in the lond, and the sones of prophetis dwelliden bifor hym. And Elisee seide to oon of his children, Set thou a greet pot, and sethe thou pot|age to the sones of prophetis [to the sones of profetis; that is, dissi|plis of hem, for they lyu|eden religi|ously. Lire here. C.] . [verse 39] And oon ȝede [wente I.] out in to the feeld to gadere eerbis of the feeld; and he foond as a [it were a I.] wilde vyne, and he gaderide therof gourdis of the feeld. And he fillide his mentil, and he turnede aȝen, and schredde [schredde tho I.] in to the pot of potage; for [forsothe I.] he wiste not what it was. [verse 40] Therfor thei helden yn [yn theroff I.] to felowis to ete; and whanne thei hadden taastid of the sething, thei crieden out, and seiden, Deth [Deth is I.] in the pot! deeth [Deth is I.] in the pot! thou man of God. And thei miȝten not ete [ete it I.] . And he [Helizee I.] seide, Brynge ȝe meele. [verse 41] And whanne thei hadden brouȝt, he puttide [putte it I. putte EL. puttide it K.] in to the pot, and seide, Helde ȝe [ȝe out I.] to the cumpany, that thei ete; and ony thing of bitternesse was [ther was I.] nomore in the pot. [verse 42] For|sothe [Certis I. Therfor KLS.] sum [a IMW.] man cam fro the pleyn of Salisa [Balsalisa A sec. m.] [Salisa; Baal Salisa, is twey wordis in E|breu, and Baal signefieth here pleyn, ether cuntrey, and Salisa is the propir name of a citee in that cuntrey. Lire here. C.] , and bar to the man of God looues of the firste fruytis [looues of the firste fruytis ben not takun here siche, as weren offrid in the temple of the Lord, but tho ben seid looues of the firste fruytis, for tho weren of the firste fruytis of that ȝeer; summe bokis han, and xx. looues of barly, but this word and, is not in Ebreu, nether it is of the text, and newe wheete in Ebreu it is, thing maad of cornes, for the cornes of wheete weren not fully ripe, but tho myȝten be sengid and etun so. Lire here. C.] , ten looues of barli, and newe wheete, in his scrippe. And the man of God seide, Ȝyue thou [thou of tho looues I.] to the puple, that it ete. [verse 43] And his mynystre [seruaunt I.] answeride [seide EL.] to hym, `Hou myche [What I.] is this, that Y sette bifor an hundrid men? Eft Elisee seide, Ȝyue thou to the puple, that it ete; for [forsothe I.] the Lord seith these thingis, Thei schulen ete, and it [ther I.] shal leeue. [verse 44] Ther|for [Thanne I.] he puttide [putte I.] bifor hem, whiche [the whiche I.] eeten; and it [ther I.] lefte [lefte mete I.] , bi [aftir I.] the word of the Lord.