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

CAP. VII.

[verse 1] Olofernes forsothe that [the AEFH.] tother dai co|maundide to his [Om. AH.] ostus, that thei shulden steȝe vp aȝen Betulie. [verse 2] Ther weren for|sothe footmen of fiȝteres an hundrid and twenti thousend, and horse men twelue thousend, biside the redi cumpanyes of thoo [Om. AH.] men, whom caitifte hadde ocupied, and weren broȝt fro prouyncis and cites, of alle ȝouthe. [verse 3] Alle togidere maden them|self redi to the fiȝt aȝen the sones of Irael; and thei camen bi the brinke of the hil vnto the cop, that beholdeth Dotaym, fro the place that is seid Belena vnto Sel|mon, that is aȝen Esdrelon. [verse 4] The sones forsothe of Irael, as thei seȝen the multi|tude of hem, thei threwen themself doun vpon the erthe, puttende askis vpon ther hedis, togidere of o wil preȝende, that God of Irael his merci shewe vp on his puple. [verse 5] And takende ther armys of ba|taile, seten bi the placis that leden the path of streit weie betwe [bitwix A. betwen E. bitwene H.] the hilli placis, and thei weren kepende them al dai and [verse 6] nyȝt. But Olofernes, whil he goth aboute bi cumpas, fond that a welle, that flowide in to the watir condute of them, fro the south partie out of the cite diuersli reul|ide, and comaundede [he comaundide AH.] to ben hewe doun the water cundute of hem. [verse 7] Ner the latere ther weren not fer from the wallis wellis, of the whiche theefli thei weren seen to drawe water, rathere to refreshen than to drinken. [verse 8] But the sonus of Amon and of Moab wenten to Olofernes, sei|ende, The sones of Irael not in spere and arewe trosten, but the mountaynes de|fenden hem, and strengthen hem the litle

hillis sett in a dich broken beforn. [verse 9] Thanne that with oute going to fiȝt [the fiȝt C.] thou mowe ouercome them, put keperis of wellis, that thei drawe not of hem; and with oute swerd thou shalt slen hem, or certis weried thei shuln take ther cite, the whiche thei weenen in the hillis to moun not ben ouercome. [verse 10] And these woordis pleseden beforn Olofernes, and beforn alle his cruel knyȝtus; and he sette bi enuy|roun hundredis bi alle the wellis. [verse 11] And whan this warde bi twenti daȝis was ful ended, faileden the cisternes and the ge|deringis of watris to alle the dwelleris in Betulie, so that ther was not with inne the cite, wher of thei myȝten han ynowȝ or for o dai, for at mesure watir [the water A.] was ȝiue to the puplis eche dai. [verse 12] Thanne to Osias alle men and wymmen, and ȝunge men, and litle childer, gadered togidere, alle [verse 13] togidere with o vois seiden, The Lord deme betwen [betwixe A. bitwene H.] vs and thee, for thou hast don in to vs euelys, not willende to speken pesibli with the Assiries, and for that God hath sold vs in the hondis of hem. [verse 14] And therfore ther is not that helpeth, whan wee ben throwe doun befor the eȝen of hem in thrist, and in gret perdi|cioun. [verse 15] And now gedereth alle men, that ben in this citee, that wilfulli wee of al the puple taken vs to Olofernes. [verse 16] Betere it is that caitif wee blisse God liuende, than wee die, and be repref to alle flesh, whan wee seen oure wiues and oure chil|der dien [to dien AH.] beforn oure eȝen. [verse 17] Wee taken to witnesse to dai heuene and erthe, and God of oure fadris, that doth veniaunce on vs after oure synnes, that now ȝee take the cite in the hond of the chiualrie of Olofernes, that oure ende be short in the mouth of swerd, that lengere is maad

in droȝte of thrist. [verse 18] And whan these thingis thei hadden seid, weping and gret ȝelling is maad in a gret chirche of alle men, and bi manye houris with o vois thei crieden to the Lord, seiende, [verse 19] Wee han synned with oure fadris, vn|riȝtwisli wee han don, wickednesse wee han maad. [verse 20] For thou art piteuous, haue merci on VS, and in thi scourge venge oure wickednessis; and wile thou not taken men knoulechende thee to the pu|ple [verse 21] that knowith not thee, that thei sei not among Jentilis, Where is the God of hem? [verse 22] And whan, trauailid with these cries and these wepingis, thei weren [verse 23] weri, Osias risende, the teris inshed, seide, Euene inwit beth, brethern, and these fiue daȝes bijde wee of the Lord [verse 24] mercy; parauenture forsothe his indig|nacioun he shal putten awei, and ȝiue glorie to his name. [verse 25] If forsothe, fiue daȝes passid ouer, helpe cometh [coome AEFH.] not, wee shul do these woordis that ȝee han spoken.