2 Kings 3

1 And Jehoram the son of Achab became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.

Forsothe Joram, sone of Achab, regnede on Israel, in Samarie, in the eiytenthe yeer of Josephat, kyng of Juda. And he regnede twelue yeer,

2 And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother; and he removed the statue of Ba'al which his father had made.

and he dide yuel bifor the Lord, but not as his fader and modir;

3 Nevertheless unto the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, who had induced Israel to sin, did he cleave: he departed not therefrom.

for he took awei the ymagis of Baal, whiche his fadir hadde maad, netheles in the synnes of Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne, `he cleuyde, and yede not awei fro tho.

4 And Mesha' the king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered as tribute unto the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

Forsothe Mesa, kyng of Moab, nurschide many beestis, and paiede to the kyng of Israel an hundrid thousynde of lambren, and an hundrid thousynde of wetheris, with her fleesis.

5 And it came to pass, when Achab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

And whanne Achab was deed, he brak the boond of pees, which he hadde with the kyng of Israel.

6 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and numbered all Israel.

Therfor kyng Joram yede out of Samarie in that dai, and noumbride al Israel.

7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up, I as thyself, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

And he sente to Josephat, kyng of Juda, and seide, The kyng of Moab yede awei fro me; come thou with me ayens him to batel. Which Josephat answeride, Y schal stie; he that is myn, is thin; my puple is thi puple; and myn horsis ben thin horsis.

8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he said, The way through the wilderness of Edom.

And he seide, Bi what weie schulen we stie? And he answeride, Bi the deseert of Ydumee.

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they took a circuitous route, a seven days' journey; and there was no water for the camp, and for the cattle that followed in their train.

Therfor the kyng of Israel, and the kyng of Juda, and the kyng of Edom, yeden forth, and cumpassiden bi the weie of seuene daies; and `watir was not to the oost, and to the beestis, that sueden hem.

10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

And the kyng of Israel seide, Alas! alas! alas! the Lord hath gaderide vs thre kyngis to bitake vs in the hond of Moab.

11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord from him? And there answered one of the king of Israel's servants and said, Here is Elisha' the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.

And Josephat seide, Whether ony prophete of the Lord is here, that we biseche the Lord bi hym? And oon of the seruauntis of the kyng of Israel answeride, Elisee, the sone of Saphat, is here, that schedde watir on the hondis of Elie.

12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. And there went down to him the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom.

And Josephat seide, Is the word of the Lord at hym? Whiche seiden, `It is. And the kyng of Israel, and Josephat, kyng of Juda, and the kyng of Edom, yeden doun to hym.

13 And Elisha' said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? go to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Not so; for the Lord hath called these three kings, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

Forsothe Elise seide to the kyng of Israel, What is to me and to thee? Go thou to the prophetis of thi fadir and of thi modir. And the kyng of Israel seide to hym, Whi hath the Lord gaderid these thre kyngis, to bitake hem into the hondis of Moab?

14 And Elisha' said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I have stood, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

And Elisee seide to hym, The Lord of oostis lyueth, in whos siyt Y stonde, if Y were not aschamed of the cheer of Josephat, king of Juda, treuli Y hadde not perseyued, nethir Y hadde biholde thee.

15 But now bring me a musician. And it came to pass, when the musician played, that the inspiration of the Lord came upon him.

Now forsothe brynge ye to me a sautrere. And whanne the sautrere song, the hond of the Lord was maad on hym, and he seide, The Lord seith these thingis,

16 And he said, Thus hath said the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.

Make ye the wombe, ether depthe, of this stronde dichis and dichis.

17 For thus hath said the Lord, Ye shall not perceive wind, nor shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, yourselves, and your flocks, and your cattle.

For the Lord seith these thingis, Ye schulen not se wynd, nethir reyn, and this depthe schal be fillid with watris, and ye schulen drynke, and youre meynees, and youre beestis.

18 And this is yet too light a thing in the eyes of the Lord; and he will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.

And this is litil in the siyt of the Lord. Ferthermore also he schal bitake Moab in to youre hondis;

19 And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and every good tree shall ye fell, and all springs of water shall ye stop, and every good piece of land shall ye spoil with stones.

and ye schulen smyte ech strengthid citee, and ech chosun citee, and ye schulen kitte doun ech tre berynge fruyt, and ye schulen stoppe alle the wellis of watris, and ye schulen hile with stonys ech noble feeld.

20 And it came to pass in the morning, at the time when the meat-offering is offered, that, behold, there came water by the way from Edom, and the country was filled with the water.

Therfor it was doon eerli, whanne sacrifice is wont to be offrid, and, lo! watris camen bi the weie of Edom, and the lond was fillid with watris.

21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they were called together from every one who was girded with a sword, and upward, and they posted themselves on the border.

Sotheli alle men of Moab herden, that kyngis hadden stied to fiyte ayens hem; `and men of Moab clepiden togidere alle men, that weren gird with girdil aboue, and thei stoden in the termes.

22 And when they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, the Moabites saw the water at a distance as red as blood.

And men of Moab risiden ful eerli, and whanne the sunne was risun thanne euen ayens the watris, thei sien the watris reed as blood euene ayens.

23 And they said, This is blood; the kings have certainly had a contest among themselves, and they have smitten one another: and now, up to the spoil, Moab.

And thei seiden, It is the blood of swerd, `that is, sched out bi swerd; kyngis fouyten ayens hem silf, and thei ben slayn togider; now go thou, Moab, to the prey.

24 But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they smote the Moabites completely, even in their own country.

And thei yeden in to the castels of Israel; forsothe Israel roos, and smoot Moab, and thei fledden bifor men of Israel. Therfor thei that hadden ouercome, camen, and smytiden Moab, and destrieden cytees;

25 And the cities they pulled down, and into every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it up, and every spring of water they stopped, and every good tree they felled, until they left only its stones in Kir-chareseth, and this the slingers encompassed and smote it.

and alle men sendynge stoonys filliden ech beste feeld, and stoppiden alle the wellis of watris, and kittiden doun alle trees berynge fruyt, so that oneli `wallis maad of erthe weren left; and the citee was cumpassid of men settinge engynes, and was smytun bi greet part.

26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew the sword, to break through unto the king of Edom; but they could not.

And whanne the kyng of Moab hadde seyn this, that is, that the enemyes hadden the maistrie, he took with hym seuene hundrid men drawynge swerdis, that thei shulden breke in to the kyng of Edom; and thei myyten not.

27 Then took he his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their land.

And he took his firste gendrid sone, that schulde regne for hym, and offride brent sacrifice on the wal; and greet indignacioun was maad in Israel; and anoon thei yeden awei fro hym, and turneden ayen in to her lond.