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

CAP. V.

[verse 1] Naaman, prince of the chyualrye of the kyng of Syrie, was a greet man, and wor|schipid

anentis his lord; for bi hym the Lord ȝaf helthe to Sirie; sotheli he was a strong man and riche [a riche I.] , but leprouse [he was leprouse I.] . [verse 2] Forsothe theues ȝede out of Sirie, and led|den prisonere [Om. I.] fro the lond of Israel a litil damysele [damysele prisoner I.] , that was in the [Om. I.] seruyce of the wijf of Naaman. [verse 3] `Which damysele [And sche I.] seide to hir ladi, `Y wolde [Wolde God I.] , that my lord hadde be at the prophete which [that I.] is in Samarie; sotheli the prophete schulde [wolde I.] haue curid hym of the [Om. I.] lepre which [that I.] he hath. [verse 4] Ther|for Naaman entride to his lord, and telde to hym, and seide, A damysel of the lond of Israel spak [haath spoke I.] so and so. [verse 5] Therfor the kyng of Syrie seide to hym, Go thou, and Y schal sende lettris to the kyng of Israel. And whanne he [Naaman I.] hadde go forth, and hadde take with hym ten talentis of siluer, and sixe thousynde goldun platis, `ether flo|reyns [Om. DGIK pr. m. MNOQSWbç.] , and ten chaungyngis of clothis, [verse 6] he brouȝte lettris to the kyng of Israel bi these [these same I.] wordis; Whanne thou hast take this pistle, wite thou, that Y haue sent to thee Naaman, my seruaunt, that thou cure hym of his lepre. [verse 7] And whanne the kyng of Israel hadde red the [these I.] lettris, he to-rente his clothis, and seide, Whether Y am God, that may [Y may Cç.] sle and quykene, for this kyng sente to me, that Y cure a man of his lepre? Perseyue ȝe, and se [seeth I.] , that he sekith occasiouns aȝens me. [verse 8] And whanne Elisee, the man of God, hadde herd this, that is, that the kyng of Israel hadde to-rente hise clothis, he sente to the kyng, and seide, Whi to-rentist thou thi clothis? come he [Naaman I.] to me, and wite he, that a [ther is a I.] prophete is [Om. I.] in Israel. [verse 9] Therfor [Thanne I.] Naaman cam with horsis and charis, and stood at the dore of the hows of Elisee. [verse 10] And Elisee sente to hym a messanger, and seide, Go thou [Om. I.] , and be thou waischun [weische I.] seuensithis in Jordan; and thi fleisch shal resseyue helthe, and thou schalt be clensid [clensid so I.] . [verse 11] Naaman was wrooth, and ȝede awei, and seide, Y gesside, that he schulde [wolde I.] go [haue gon IK.] out to me, and that he

schulde [wolde I.] stonde [haue stonde I.] , and clepe [ynwardly haue clepid I. shulde clepe N.] the name of `the Lord [Om. A pr. m. et plures.] his God, and that he schulde touche [haue touchid I.] with his hond the place of lepre [the lepre EI.] , and schulde cure [haue curid I.] me [me so I.] . [verse 12] Whether Abana and Pharphar, floodis [the floodis I.] of Damask, ben not betere than alle the watris of Israel, that Y be waischun in tho [hem I.] , and be clensid? [verse 13] Therfor whanne he [Naaman I.] hadde turned hym silf, and ȝede [wente I.] awei, hauynge indigna|cioun, hise seruauntis neiȝiden to hym, and spaken to hym, Fadir, thouȝ the pro|phete hadde seid to thee a greet thing, certis thou owist [ouȝtist BCDEFGIKLMNOPQRSUWXC.] to do [do it EIL.] ; hou myche more [more rather I.] for now he seide to thee, Be thou waischun, and thou schalt be clensid. [verse 14] He [Thanne Naaman I.] ȝede [wente I.] doun, and waischide hym seuensithis in Jordan, bi [aftir I.] the word of the man of God; and his fleisch was restored as the fleisch of a litil child, and he was clensid. [verse 15] And he turnede aȝen with al his felouschipe to the man of God, and cam, and stood bifor hym; and seide, Verili Y knowe, that noon other God is in al erthe, no but oneli God of Israel; therfor, Y biseche, that thou take blessyng [blessyng, that is, a ȝift I.] [blessing; that is, ȝiftis offrid wilfully and deuoutly. Lire here. C.] of thi seruaunt. [verse 16] And he [Helizee I.] answeride, The Lord lyueth bifor whom Y stonde, for Y schal not take [take it of thee I.] . And whanne he made `strengthe, that is, greet preier [greet foors therto I.] , Elisee assentide not outirli. [verse 17] Ther|for [Thanne I.] Naaman seide, As thou wolt; but, I biseche, graunte thou to me, thi seruaunt, that Y take of `the lond [this eerthe I.] [that Y take of the lond, etc.; this was of special dyuo|cioun of Naa|man, thouȝ he were not boundun ther|to, and myȝte lawfully make an auter to God with out Jerusalem and offre theronne to God, for he was not bound|un to Moises law. Lire here. C.] the birthun [charge I.] of twei burdones [burdones be bestis gendrid of an hors and femal asse, as a mule is gen|drid aȝenward of a mere and a male asse. Lire here. C.] ; for [forsothe I.] thi seruaunt schal no more make brent sacrifice, ether slayn sacrifice, to alien goddis, no but to the Lord. [verse 18] Forsothe [Sothely I.] this thing is [it is I.] oneli, of which thou schalt preie the Lord for thi seruaunt, whanne my lord shal entre into the temple of Remmon, that he wor|schipe [worschipe the ydole I.] , and while [Om. I.] he `schal lene [worschipinge lene I.] on [upon I.] myn hond, if Y worschipe in the temple of Remmon [if Y wor|schepe in the temple of Rem|mon; Elisee declaride, that this was leeue|ful to him, and to worschipe God, may as wel bee doon with out the temple of an ydol, as with ynne. Lire here. C.] , while [Om. I.] he worschipith [wurschipinge I.] in the same place, that the Lord forȝyue to [to me I.]

thi seruaunt for this thing. [verse 19] Which [And I.] Elisee seide to hym, Go thou in pees. `Therfor he [And so Naaman I.] ȝede fro Elisee in a chosun tyme of the lond. [verse 20] And Giezi, the child of the man of God, seide [seide in his herte I.] , My lord sparide [hath sparid I.] this Naaman [man I.] of Syrie, that he took not of hym that, that he brouȝte; the Lord lyueth, for Y schal renne aftir hym, and Y schal take of hym sum thing. [verse 21] And Giezi suede aftir the bak of Naaman; and whanne Naaman hadde seyn Giezi rennynge to hym, he skippide doun [adoun I.] of the chare in to the metyng of Giezi; and seide, Whether alle thingis ben riȝtfuli [riȝt|ful I. doon riȝtfuli X sec. m.] ? [verse 22] And [Om. I.] he seide, Riȝtfuli [Thei ben riȝt riȝtfuli I.] ; my lord sente me to thee, and seide, Twey ȝonge men of the hille of Effraym, of the sones of prophetis, camen now to me; ȝyue thou to hem a talent of siluer, and double chaungyng clothis. [verse 23] And Naaman seide, It is betere that thou take twei talentis [it is betere that thou take twei talentis; in Ebreu it is thus, swere thou, and take thou twey ta|lentis, swere thou, that is, Elisee sente thee, and bi this he dide periurie. Lire here. C.] . And Naa|man constreynede hym; and Naaman boond twei [the two I.] talentis of siluer in twei sackis [baggis I.] , and double [the double I.] clothis, and puttide [he putte I.] on [tho upon I.] his twey children, `that is, ser|uauntis [Om. I.] , whiche [the whiche I.] also baren [baren it I.] bifor Giezi. [verse 24] And whanne he [Giezy I.] hadde come thanne in the euentid, he took [took it I.] fro the hond of hem, and leide [leide it I.] vp in the hows; and he dely|uerede the men, and thei ȝeden [ȝeden forth I.] . [verse 25] For|sothe [And thanne I.] Giezi entride, and stood bifor his lord. And Elise seide, Giezi, fro whennus comest thou? Which [The which I.] answeride, Thi ser|uaunt ȝede not to ony place. [verse 26] And Elise seide, Whether myn herte was not in [Om. I.] pre|sent [present there I. presence ELP.] , whanne the man turnede aȝen fro his chare in to the metyng of thee? Now therfor thou hast take siluer, and thou hast take clothis, that thou bie [bie therwith I.] places of [and I.] olyues, and vyneris, and scheep, and oxis [oxen I.] , [verse 27] and seruauntis, and handmaydis [handmaydens I.] ; but also the lepre of Naaman schal cleue to thee, and to thi seed withouten ende. And Giezi ȝede [ȝede out fro him I.] leprouse as snow, `fro hym [Om. I.] .