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

CAP. VI.

[verse 1] Forsothe [And IS.] it was doon, whanne thei hadden ceessid to speke, Holofernes hadde [verse 2] dedeyn gretli, and seide [he seide IS.] to Achior, For thou propheciedist [hast prophecied IS.] to vs, and seidist, that the folk of Israel is defendid of her God, that [and that IS.] Y schewe to thee, that no god is [verse 3] no [Om. I.] but Nabugodonosor; whanne we [we as oo man IS.] han slayn `hem alle as o man [alle the sones of Israel IS.] , thanne also thou schalt perische with hem bi [with I.] the swerd of Assiriens [men of Assirie IS.] , and al Israel schal perische dyuerseli with thee in perdi|cioun; [verse 4] and thou schalt preue, that Nabu|godonosor is lord of al erthe; and thanne the swerd of my chyualrie schal passe thorouȝ thi sidis, and thou schalt be persid [perischid A.] , and schalt [thou schalt IS.] falle among the woundid men of Israel, and thou schalt

no more brethe aȝen [Om. S.] , til thou be distried with hem. [verse 5] But certis if thou gessist thi profecie sothe, thi cheer falle [falle it IS.] not doun; and the palenesse that hath gete thi face, go [go it IS.] awey fro thee, if thou gessist that these my wordis moun not `be fillid [ben fulfillid IS.] . But that thou knowe, that thou schalt [verse 6] feele this thing togidere with hem [the children of Israel IS.] , lo [lo! now IS.] ! fro this our thou schalt be felouschipid to the puple of hem, that whanne thei han take [takin or suffrid S.] worthi peynes of my swerd, thou be suget to lijk veniaunce. [verse 7] Thanne Olofernes comaundide hise [to hise S.] seruauntis to take Achior, and to lede hym in to Be|thulia, and to bitake hym in to the hondis of the sones of Israel. [verse 8] And the seruauntis of Olofernes token him, and ȝeden [thei ȝeden IS.] forth bi the feeldi places, but whanne thei had|den neiȝid to the hilli places, slingeris [men throwynge stones with slyngis IS.] ȝeden out aȝens hem. [verse 9] Sotheli [And IS.] thei turn|eden awei [aȝen A.] fro the side of the hil, and bounden [thei bounden IS.] Achior to a tre bi hondis [hise hondis S.] and feet, and so thei leften hym boundun with withthis [ropis I.] , and turneden [thei turneden IS.] aȝen to her lord. [verse 10] Certis [And I. And thanne S.] the sones of Israel ȝeden doun fro Bethulia, and camen [thei camen IS.] to hym [Achior IS.] , whom thei vnbounden, and ledden [ledden him IS.] to Bethulia, and thei settiden [setten I. settiden or brouȝt S.] hym [Om. S.] in to [Om. IX.] the [Om. S.] myddis of the puple, and axiden [thei axiden I. axiden him S.] , what manere [Om. BCHLPUVX.] of [Om. I.] thinges bifel [was BCEHLPUVX.] , that Assiriens [the men of Assirie IS.] hadden left hym boundun. [verse 11] In tho daies princes [thes princes I. these princis of Jewis S.] weren there, Ozias [that is, Ozias S.] , the sone of Mycha, of the lynage of Symeon, and Charmy [Charmy, the prince S.] , which is also [also clepid IS.] Gothonyel. [verse 12] Therfor in the [Om. IS.] myddis of eldere men, and in the siȝt of alle men, Achior seide alle [thes X.] thingis [the thingis IS.] , whiche he was axid of Holofernes, and hadde [which thingis he had S.] spoke [told to Holo|fernes IS.] , and hou the puple of Holo|fernes [verse 13] wolde sle hym for this word [word that he had seid IS.] , and hou Holofernes hym silf was wrooth, and comaundide hym to be bitakun for this

cause to men [the men IS.] of Israel, that the while he [Holofernes IS.] ouercam the sones of Israel, thanne he comaundide that also thilk Achior pe|rische [to perishe S.] bi [with IS.] dyuerse turmentis, for [and for S.] this [this thing IS.] that he hadde seid, God of heuene is the defendere of hem [his peple IS.] . [verse 14] And whanne Achior hadde expowned alle thingis [thes thingis IS.] , al the pu|ple felde doun on [vpon S.] the [her IS.] face, and wor|schipide the Lord; and with comyn weil|yng and wepyng thei schedden out to the [verse 15] Lord her preyeris of [and of S.] o wille, seiynge [thei seiden IS.] , Lord God of heuene and of erthe, biholde the pride of hem [thin enmyes IS.] , and biholde thou to oure mekenesse, and perseyue [take thou hede to IS.] the face of thi seyntis, and schewe [schewe thou B. schewe we C pr. m. DFHIMORX pr. m. ab. shewe we bi verre bileue, and good werkus S.] that thou for|sakist [forsokist W.] not men tristynge of [in IS.] thee, and thou [that thou IS.] makist low men tristynge of hem silf, and `men hauynge [hem that han IS.] glorie of her [her owne IS.] vertu [vertu or strengthe S.] . [verse 16] Therfor whanne the wepyng [weping of the men of Israel S.] was endid, and the preier of the puple bi al the dai [verse 17] was fillid [fulfillid IS.] , thei coumfortiden Achior, and seiden, God of oure fadris, whos vertu [power IS.] thou prechidist [hast prechid IS.] , he is rewardere [rewarder of al goodnesse S.] , and schal [he schal IS.] ȝyue to [Om. IS.] thee this [grace for this IS.] while, that thou se more the perischyng of hem. [verse 18] Forsothe [And IS.] whanne `oure Lord God [the Lord oure God IS.] hath ȝoue this fredom to hise seruauntis [seruauntis, that we han ouercome our enemyes S.] , also the Lord be [be thanne IS.] with thee in the myddis [myddle IS.] of vs, that as it plesith [schal plese I. thanne plese S.] thee, so thou lyue with `alle thi thingis [al thi thing I. al thi thing among vs S.] . [verse 19] Thanne after that the [this IS.] coun|sel was endid, Ozias [Ozias, the cheef preest IS.] resseyuede hym [Achior IS.] in to his hows, and made a greet soper to hym. [verse 20] And whanne alle the prestis weren clepid togidere, aftir [and after S.] that the fastyng was fillid [fulfillid IS.] , thei refreischiden Achior `and hem silf [Om. I. and hemsilf bi some recreacioun S.] . [verse 21] Forsothe [And IS.] aftirward al the puple was clepid togidere, and thei preieden bi al the niȝt with ynne the chirche, and axiden [thei axiden IS.] help of God of Israel.