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

CAP. XIX.

[verse 1] A maner man Leuyte was dwellinge in the side of the hil of Effraym, the which took a wijf in [of BEFH.] Bethlem Juda. [verse 2] The which lafte hym, and is turned aȝen into hir fader [fadris C.] hows of Bethlem, and she dwellide anentis hym foure monethis. [verse 3] And hir man folwede hyr, wolnynge [willende C. wilynge E.] to be recounseild to hir, and to softli treten, and to brynge aȝen with hym; hauynge in ledynge a child, and two assis. The which took hym, and brouȝte hym into the hows of hyr fader; that whanne his fader in lawe hadde herd him, and seen, glad he aȝens cam to hym, and clepide the man. [verse 4] And the sone in lawe dwellide in the hows of the fader in lawe thre days, etynge and drynkynge with hym homeli. [verse 5] Forsothe the ferthe day fro nyȝt rysynge wold goo forth; whom with heelde the fader in lawe, and seith to hym, Tast rather a litil of breed, and comfort the stomak, and so thow shalt goo. [verse 6] And thei seten, and eten to gidir, and dronken. And the fader of the wom|man seide to his sone in lawe, Y biseche thee, that this day here thou dwelle, and to gider we gladen. [verse 7] And he rysyn ganne [began CFH.] to wiln to goo forth; and neuerthelater the fader in lawe bisily heelde hym aȝen, and anentis hym he made hym [Om. C.] to dwelle. [verse 8] Forsothe erely bigunne the Leuyte made redi the weye; to whom the fader in lawe eft, I biseche, he seith, that a litil of

meet thou take, and strengthis nomen to the tyme that ful sprynge the day, and after go thow forth. Thei eten thanne to gider. [verse 9] And the ȝonglynge roos for [Om. C.] to goo with his wijf and child; to whom eft spak the fader in lawe, Behoold, that the day is more bowid to the sunne goynge doun, and neiȝeth to the euen; dwel anentis me also this day, and lede a myrye day, and to morwe thou shalt goo forth, that thou goo into thin hows. [verse 10] The sone `in lawe [Om. B.] wolde not assente to his wordis; but anoon wente, and cam aȝens Jebuse, that bi another name is clepid Jerusalem, ledynge with hym two assis chargid, and a secoundarie wijf. [verse 11] And nowe thei camen nyȝ biside Jebus, and the day was turned into nyȝt. And the child seide to his lord, Com, I biseche, and bowe we down to the citee of Jebu|sees, and dwelle we in it. [verse 12] To whom an|swerde the lord, I shal not goo into the burgh toun of an alien folk, that is not of the sones of Yrael, but I shal passe to [verse 13] Gaba; and whanne thider I shal come, we shulen dwelle in it, othir certeyn in the citee of Rama. [verse 14] Thanne thei passiden Jebus, and the bigunnen weie thei wenten. And the sunne wente doun to hem biside Gaba, that is in the lynage of Beniamyn; [verse 15] and thei turneden biside to it, that thei myȝten dwelle there. Whider whanne thei entreden, thei seeten in the strete of the cytee, and no man hem [hym A.] wold resseyue in hows. [verse 16] And, loo! an oold man aperyde to hem turnynge aȝen fro the feeld, and fro his werk at euen, the which and he was of the hil of Effraym, and a pil|grime dwellide in Gaba. Forsothe the men of that regioun weren the sones of Gemyny. [verse 17] And areryd [reryd C.] vp the eyen, the oold man sawȝ a man sittynge with his litil chargis in the strete of the cytee,

and seide to hym, Whens comest thow? and whidre gost thow? [verse 18] The which an|swerde to hym, We ben comen fro Beth|lem Juda, and we goon to oure place, that is in the side of the hil of Effraim, fro whennus [whenne E.] we ȝeden to Bethlem; and nowe we goon to the hows of God, and [verse 19] no man vndur his roof resseyue vs, hau|ynge chaf and hay into the fodre of assis, and breed and wyn into myn, and of thin handmaydenys vsis, and of the child that is with me; no thing we neden, but hows. [verse 20] To whom answerde the oold man, Pees be with thee; I shal make redi alle thingis, that ben necessarye; oonli, I bi|seche, ne bide [abyde BCEFH.] thow in the strete. [verse 21] And he brouȝte hym into his hows, and fodre to assis he ȝaf; and after that thei wesshen her feet, he took hem into met|ship. [verse 22] Hem etynge, and after the traueyl of the weye with meet and drynke fill|inge the bodies, camen men of that cytee, the sones of Belial, that is, with outen ȝok, and enuyrownynge the hows of the oold man thei bigunnen to knoke the ȝatis; criynge to the lord of the hows, and seiynge, Bryng out the man that is goon into thin hows, that we mysvsen hym. [verse 23] And the oold man wente oute to hem, and seith, Wolith not, bretheren, wolith not doon this yuel; for a man is goo into myn hows; and cees ȝe fro this foly. [verse 24] I haue a douȝter mayden, and this man hath a secoundarie wijf; I shal brynge hem out to ȝow, that ȝe lowen hem, and ȝoure lust ȝe fulfil; oonli, I byseche, ne this hidows gilt aȝens kynde ȝe worchen in the man. [verse 25] Thei wolden not assente to his wordis; the which thing biholdynge the man broute out to hem his secoundarie wijf, and to hem he took hir to be scorned. The which whanne al nyȝt thei hadden mysusid, thei laften hir eerly. [verse 26] And the womman,

goynge aweie the derknessis, came to the dore of the hows, where dwellide hir lord, and there she felle down. [verse 27] The morwe tide doon, the man roos, and openede the dore for to fulfil the bigunne weye; and, loo! his secoundarie wijf lay at the dore, spred the hoondis in the threswold [threshold CE. threschwolde F. threschfolde H.] . [verse 28] To whom he wenynge hir to reste [riste A.] spak, Ryse, and goo we. The which no thing answerynge, vndurstond|ynge that she was deed, took hir, and putte on the asse; and he is turnyd aȝen into his hows. [verse 29] The which whanne he was goon yn, he cauȝte a swerd, and the careyn of the wijf with hir bonys in twelue parties and gobetis hewynge, he sente into alle the teermys of Yrael. [verse 30] The which thing whanne alle thei hadden seen, thei crieden to gidre, Neuer siche thing is don in Israel, fro that dai that oure faders stieden vp fro Egipt vnto the tyme that is nowe; ȝyueth sentens, and in comoun deme ȝe, what is nede to the deed.