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

[The fourthe of Kingus [Here bigynneth the fourthe book of Kyngis E. No initial rubric in ACFH. From the commencement of IV. Kings to the end of II. Chronicles the text is taken from B.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] MOAB forsothe trespasside in Yrael, aftir that Acab was deed. [verse 2] And Ochosias felle thoruȝ the wyndowes of his soup|ynge place, that he hade in Samarye, and he wexe seeke; and he sente mes|sangers, seiynge to hem, Gooth, and counselith Belzabub, the god of Accha|ron, whether I may lyue fro this myn infirmyte. [verse 3] The aungel forsothe of the Lord spak to Helias Thesbytes, seyinge, Riys, and go doun in to the aȝein com|mynge of the messagers of the kynge of Samarie; and thou schalt seye to hem, Whether God is not in Yrael, that ȝe goon to counseylen Belzabub, the god of Accharon? [verse 4] Wherfore these thingis seith the Lord, Fro the bed, upon the whiche thou steyȝidist up, thou schalt not goo doun, bot bi deth thou schalt dyen. And Helias went. [verse 5] And the messagers ben turned aȝeyn to Ochosias. `The whiche [that E pr. m.] seyde to hem, Why ben ȝe turned aȝeyn? [verse 6] And thei answerden to hym, A man

aȝein came to us, and seyde to us, Gooth, and turneth aȝein to the kynge, that sente ȝou; and ȝe schuln to hym seyn, These thingis seith the Lord, Whether for there was not God in Yrael, thou sentist, that Belzabub be counseyled, the god of Aacharon [Nacharon BFH.] ? Therfore fro the bed upon the whiche thou steiȝedist up, thou schalt not goo doun, bot by deth thou schalt dye. [verse 7] The whiche seyde to hem, Of what fygure and habyte is that man, that aȝeyn came to ȝou, and spake to ȝou these wordis? [verse 8] And thei seyden, A rowȝ man, and with an hery gyrdyl gyrd to the reenys. The whiche seith, Helyas Thesbytes it is. [verse 9] And he sente to hym the prince of fyftye, and the fyfty men that with hym weren. The whiche steiȝ|iden up to hym, and to hym syttynge in the cop of the hill seith, Man of God, the kynge comaundid, that thou come doun. [verse 10] And Helyas answerynge seith to the quynquagenarye, Ȝif the man of God I am, come doun fijr fro heuen, and de|uoure thee and thi fyfty men. Than fijr came doun fro heuen, and deuouride hym, and the fyfty that weren with hym. [verse 11] Eft he sente to hym another prynce of fyfty, and fyfty with hym, the whiche spac to hym, Man of God, these thinges seth the kynge, Hyȝe, come doun. [verse 12] An|swerynge Helyas seith, Ȝif the man of God I am, come doun fijr fro heuen, and deuoure thee and thi fyfty. Than the fijr of God came doun fro heuen, and de|uouride hym and his fyfty. [verse 13] Eft soonys he sente the thridd prynce of fyfty, and the fyfty that weren with hym. The whiche whan was commen, bowed the kneeȝis aȝeins Hely, and preyede him, and seith, Man of God, wylle thou not dispijse my lijf, and the lijues of thi seruauntis that ben with me. [verse 14] Loo! fijre came doun fro heuen, and deuourede the two first princis of fyfty, and the fyftees that weren with hem; and now, I beseche, that thou haue mercye to my lijf. [verse 15] The aungel forsothe

of the Lord spak to Helyas Thesbytes, seyinge, Comme doun with hym; ne drede thou. Thanne he roose and came [verse 16] doun with hym to the kynge; and spac to hym, These thingis seith the Lord, For thou sentist messagers to counseylen Belzabub, god of Accharon, as ther were not God in Yrael, of the whiche thou miȝtist not asken a worde; therfore fro thi bed, upon the whiche thou steyȝidist up, thou schalt not goo doun, bot by deth thou schalt dye. [verse 17] Thanne he is deed aftir the word of the Lord, that Helye spac; and Joram, his brothir, regnede for hym, the seconde ȝeer of Joram, the sone of Josaphath, kyng of Jude; forsothe he hade not a sone. [verse 18] The remnaunt forsothe of the wordis of Ochosie, `the whiche [that C pr. m.] he wrouȝt, whethir thei [these CE.] ben not writen in the boke of the wordis of the days of the kyngis of Yrael?