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

CAP. XXI.

[verse 1] Aftir thes wordis forsothe, in that tyme, there was a vyn to [in ABFH.] Naboth Jez|raelite, that was in Jezrael, biside the paleys of Achab, kyng of Samarye. [verse 2] Thanne spak Achab to Naboth, seiynge, Ȝif to me thi vyn ȝerd, that I make to me a wort ȝerd, for it is niȝ, and [Om. A.] biside myn hows; and I shal ȝyue to thee for it a betere vyn ȝerd; or if more profitable thow wenyst to thee, of siluer the prijs as myche as it is worth, I shal ȝeue. [verse 3] To whom answerde Naboth, Merciful be to me the Lord, that I ȝyue not the heri|tage of my fadres to thee. [verse 4] Thanne Achab cam into his hows, endeynynge, and [the A.] grutchynge vpon the word that Naboth Jezraelite hadde spoken to hym, seiynge, I shal not ȝyue to thee the heri|tage of my faders; and throwynge hym self into his bed turnede a weye his face to the wal, and eete not breed. [verse 5] Forsothe Jezabel, his wijf, wente into hym, and seide to hym, What is that, wherof thi soule is drery? and whi etist thou not breed? [verse 6] The which answerde to hire, I spak to Naboth Jezraelite, and seide to

hym, Ȝif to me thi vyn ȝerd, the monee takyn, or if to thee it plese, I shal ȝyue to thee a betere vyn ȝerd for it. And he seith, I shal not ȝyue to thee my vyn ȝerd. [verse 7] Thanne Jesabel, his wijf, seide to hym, Of greet autoryte thou art, and wel thou gouernyst the rewme of Yrael; rijs, and eet breed, and in [Om. E pr. m.] euen ynwit be thow; I shal ȝyue to thee the vyn ȝerd of Naboth Jezraelite. [verse 8] And so she wroot lettris of the name of Achab, and signede hem with his rynge; and sente to the more thurȝ birth, and to the best, that weren in his cytee, that dwelliden with Naboth. [verse 9] Of the lettris forsothe this was the sentence; Preche ȝe fastynge, and makith Naboth to sitte among the first [verse 10] of the puple; and vndirleye ȝee two men, sonys of Belial, aȝens hym, and fals wit|nes seye thei, Naboth hath blessid God and the kyng; and ledith hym out, and stonith, and so dye he. [verse 11] Thanne his cite|seens more thurȝ birth, and the best that dwelliden with hym in the citee, diden as Jesabel hadde comaundid to hem, and as it was writen in the lettris, that she sente to hem. [verse 12] Thei prechiden fastynge, and maden Naboth to sitte among the [verse 13] first of the puple; and two men brouȝten forth, sonys of the deuel, thei maden hem to sitte aȝens hym, and thei, that is, as deuels men, seiden aȝens hym witnes be|fore al the multitude, Naboth blesside God and the kyng; for what thing thei ledden hym out of the citee, and with stonus slowen [slowen hym A.] . [verse 14] And thei senten to Je|sabel, seiynge, Naboth is stoned, and is deed. [verse 15] It is doo forsothe, whanne Jesabel hadde herd Naboth stoned and deed, she spak to Achab, Rijs, weeld the vyn ȝerd of Naboth Jezraelite, that wold not to thee assente, and ȝyue it, the monee taken; forsothe Naboth lyueth not, but he is deed. [verse 16] The which thing whanne

Achab hadde herd, that Naboth [Naboth Jezraelite E pr. m.] is deed, he roos, and cam doun into the vyn ȝerd of Naboth Jezraelite, that he weelde it. [verse 17] Thanne the word of the Lord is doon to [verse 18] Helias Thesbites, seiynge, Rijs, and come down into aȝen comynge to Achab, kyng of Irael, that is in Samarye; loo! to the vyn ȝerd of Naboth he dessendide, that he weelde it. [verse 19] And thou shalt speke to hym, seiynge, Thes thingis seith the Lord God, Thow hast slayn, and furthermore [therfor ABFH.] thou hast weeldid; and after thes thingis thow shalt adde, Thes thingis seith the Lord, In this place, in the which houndis lick|iden the blood of Naboth, shulen lick and thi blood. [verse 20] And Achab seith to Helyas, Whether thow hast foundun me thin enemy? The which seide, I haue found|en, forthi that thou be solde that thou doo yuel in the siȝt of the Lord. [verse 21] Ther|for thes thingis seith the Lord, Loo! I shal brynge yn yuel vpon thee, and I shal hewe of thin hyndirmoris, and slee fro Achab a pisser to the wal, and the [verse 22] closid, and the last in Irael; and I shal ȝyue thin hows as the hows of Jeroboam, the sone of Nabath, and as the hows of Baasa, the sone of Achia; for thou hast doon that thou terre me to wrath, and thou hast maad Irael to synne. [verse 23] But and of Jesabel the Lord hath spokyn, seiynge, Houndis shulen eete Jezabel in the feelde [verse 24] of Jezrael; if Achab were deed in the citee, houndis shulen ete hym; forsothe if he were deed in the feelde, foulis of heuene shulen ete hym. [verse 25] Therfor there was non other siche as Achab, that is sold that he do yuel in the siȝt of the Lord; forsothe Jezabel, his wijf, stiryde [verse 26] hym; and abomynable is maad, inso|miche that he folwide the mawmettis that Amorreis maden, whom the Lord destruyde fro the face of the sonis of

Yrael. [verse 27] And so whanne Achab hadde herd thes wordis, he kitte his clooth, and couerde his flesh with an heire, and he fastide, and slepte in a sak, and wente, the heed leyd doun. [verse 28] And the word of the Lord is maad to Helye Thesbite, [verse 29] seiynge, Whether hast thou not seen Achab mekyd before me? Thanne for he is mekid bi chesoun of me, I shal not brynge yn the yuel in the days of hym, but in the dais of his sone I shal brynge yn the yuel to the hows of hym.