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

CAP. XVIII.

[verse 1] Josaphath thanne was ryche and myche glorious [glorious of knyȝtis E pr. m.] , and in affynite ioyned is [Om. E pr. m.] to Achab. [verse 2] And he wente doun aftir ȝeeris to hym in to Samarie; at whos com|mynge Achab slewȝ wethers and many oxen, and made to hym a feeste, and to the puple that was commen with hym; and he mouede to hym that he schulde steiȝe up in to Ramoth-galaad. [verse 3] And Achab, kyng of Yrael, seid to Josaphath, kyng of Juda, Comme with me in to Ra|moth-galaad. To whome he answerde, As I, and thou; as thi puple, so and my puple; and with thee we schul ben in bataile. [verse 4] And Josaphath seide to the kyng of Yrael, Counseile, I beseche, now the word of the Lord. [verse 5] Than the kyng of Yrael gadrede of prophetis four hundrith men, and seide to hem, In Ramoth-galaad to fiȝten schul we gon, or cesen? And thei, Steiȝith up, thei seyn, and God schal take hem in the hond of the kyng. [verse 6] And Josa|phath seide, Whether is ther [Om. ABFH.] not heere a prophete of the Lord, that of hym also we asken? [verse 7] And the kyng of Yrael seith to Josaphath, Ther is oon man, of the which we mown asken the wille of the Lord, bot and I hatide hym, for he pro|phecieth not to me good, bot euyl al tyme; he is forsothe Mychias, the sone of Jemla [Jebla E pr. m.] . And Josaphath seide to hym, Ne speke thou, kyng, this maner. [verse 8] Thanne the kyng of Yrael clepide oon of his geld|yngis, and seide to hym, Clepe [Clepe to me E pr. m.] anoon Mychyam, the sone of Jemla [Jebla E.] . [verse 9] Bot the kyng of Yrael and Josaphath, kyng of

Juda, either seeten in their see, clothed [clad C.] with kyngis honournyng [onourynge H.] ; forsothe thei seeten in the corn flore bysidis the ȝate of Samarye; and alle the prophetis pro|phecieden beforn hem. [verse 10] Sedechias for|sothe, the sone of Chanane, made to hym yren hornes, and seith, Thes thingus seith the Lord, With thes thou schalt wynewen Cyrie, to the tyme that thou `to-trede [trede B.] it. [verse 11] And alle the prophetis pro|phecieden lijc maner, and seiden, Steiȝe up in to Ramoth-galaad, and thou schalt welsumly done; and the Lord schal take hem in to the hondis of the kyng. [verse 12] The messager forsothe, that wente to clepen Mychie, seith to hym, Lo! the wordis of alle the [Om. ABFH.] prophetis with oon mouthe good thingus tellen to the kyng; thanne, I be|seche thee, that thi word fro hem dis|sente not, and speke thou welsum thingis. [verse 13] To whome answerd Mychias, The Lord liuith, for what euer thingis my Lord schal seyn, thes I schal speken. Thanne he came to the kyng. [verse 14] To whom the king seith, Mychie, schul we gon into Ramoth|galaad to fiȝten, or resten? To whom he answerde, Steiȝith up, alle thingus for|sothe welsum schul fallen, and the en|myes schul ben taken into ȝoure hondis. [verse 15] And the kyng seide, Eft and eft I adiure thee, that thou speke not to me bot that [the thing that C.] is sothe in the name of the Lord. [verse 16] And he seith, I sawe al Yrael scatered in hyllis, as scheep with oute schepherde. And the Lord seid, Thes han not lordis; be turned aȝein ech man in to his house in pees. [verse 17] The kyng of Yrael seith to Jo|saphath, Whether I seide not to thee, that this schulde not prophecien to me eny

thing of good, bot tho thingis that ben euyl? [verse 18] And he therfore seith, Herith the word of the Lord. I sawȝ the Lord syt|tynge in his seete, and al the hoost of heuen stondynge neeȝ to hym fro the riȝt and fro the left. [verse 19] And the Lord seide, Who schal deceyuen Achab, kyng of Yrael, that he steiȝe up, and falle in Ra|moth-galaad? And whanne oon seide in [verse 20] this maner, and another in [Om. C.] another, a [o AH. oo B.] spirite went forth, and stood before the Lord, and seith, I schal deceyuen hym. To whome the Lord, In what thanne, he seith, thou schalt deceyuen? [verse 21] And he an|swerd, I schal goon out, and I schal ben a [Om. C.] spirite lier in the mouth of alle the prophetis of hym. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt deceyuen, and han the oouer hond; go out, and do so. [verse 22] Nowe thanne, lo! the Lord ȝaue a spirite of lesynge in the mouthe of alle thi [the ABFH.] prophetis, and the Lord spac of thee euyl thingis. [verse 23] Forsothe Sedechias, the sone of Chanane, wente to, and smote the cheek boon of Mychie, and seith, Bi what weie passede ouer the Spirite of the Lord fro me, that he schulde speke to thee? [verse 24] And Mychias seide, Thou thi silf schal seen in that day, whanne thou schalt gon in the bed fro the bed, that thou be hid. [verse 25] Forsothe the kyng of Yrael comaundide, seyinge, Takith Myche, and ledith hym to Amon, the prince of the cyte, and to Joas, the sone of Ama|lech; [verse 26] and ȝe schul seyn, Thes thingis seith the kyng, Puttith this in to prisone, and ȝeuith to hym a litill of brede, and a lityll of water, to the tyme that I be turned aȝeyn in pese. [verse 27] And Mychias seide, Ȝif thou schal be torned aȝein in peese, the Lord hath not spoken in me. And

he seith, Herith, alle puplis. [verse 28] Thanne steiȝeden up the kyng of Yrael, and Jo|saphath, kyng of Juda, in to Ramoth|galaad. [verse 29] And the kyng of Yrael seide to Josaphath, I schal chaungen habite, and so I schal gone to fiȝten; thou forsothe be clothed [clad C.] with thi clothes. And, the habite chaungid, the kyng of Yrael came to bataile. [verse 30] The kyng forsothe of Cyrie hadde comaundid to the dukis of his chyualrye, seyinge, Fiȝtith not aȝeyn the lest, or aȝein the moste; bot aȝeins aloone the kyng of Yrael. [verse 31] And so whanne the princes of the chyualrye hadden seen Josaphath, thei seiden, Kyng of Yrael is this; and thei enuyrouneden hym, fiȝtynge. And he cried to the Lord; and he `helpide to [halp C.] hym, and he torned hem awei fro hym. [verse 32] And whanne the duykis of the chyualrye hadden herd, that it was not the kyng of Yrael, thei laften hym. [verse 33] It felle forsothe, that oon of the puple in to vncerteyn kast an arowe, and smote the kyng of Yrael betwen the hatreel and the schulders. And he to his chariotere seith, Turne thin hond, and leede out me fro the scheltrun; for I am woundid. [verse 34] And the fiȝt is eendid in that day. Bot the kyng of Yrael stode in his [Om. ABFH.] chaar aȝeinus Cyries vnto euen, and is deed, the sone goynge doun.