< 1 Kings 22 >

1 Therfor thre yeeris passiden with out batel bitwixe Sirie and Israel.
And there passed three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 Forsothe in the thridde yeer Josephat, king of Juda, yede doun to the kyng of Israel.
And in the third year, Josaphat king of Juda came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the kyng of Israel seide to hise seruauntis, Witen ye not, that Ramoth of Galaad is oure, and we ben necgligent to take it fro the hoond of the kyng of Sirie?
(And the king of Israel said to his servants: Know ye not-that Ramoth Galaad is ours, and we neglect to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?)
4 And he seide to Josaphat, Whether thou schalt come with me to fiyte in to Ramoth of Galaad?
And he said to Josaphat: Wilt thou come with me to battle to Ramoth Galaad?
5 And Josophat seide to the kyng of Israel, As Y am, so and thou; my puple and thi puple ben oon; and my knyytis and thy knyytis `ben oon. And Josephat seide to the kyng of Israel, Y preie thee, axe thou to dai the word of the Lord.
And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: As I am, so art thou: my people and thy people are one: and my horsemen, thy horsemen. And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, this day, the word of the Lord.
6 Therfor the kyng of Israel gaderide prophetis aboute foure hundrid men, and he seide to hem, Owe Y to go in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiyte, ethir to reste? Whiche answeriden, Stie thou, and the Lord schal yyue it in the hond of the kyng.
Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall I go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or shall I forbear? They answered: Go up, and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.
7 Forsothe Josephat seide, Is not here ony profete of the Lord, that we axe bi hym?
And Josaphat said: Is there not here some prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire by him?
8 And the kyng of Israel seide to Josephat, O man, Mychee, sone of Hiemla, is left, bi whom we moun axe the Lord; but Y hate hym, for he prophesieth not good to me, but yuel. To whome Josephat seide, Kyng, spek thou not so.
And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man left, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: Micheas the son of Jemla; but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good to me, but evil. And Josaphat said: Speak not so, O king.
9 Therfor the kyng of Israel clepide summe chaumburleyn, and seide to hym, Haste thou to brynge Mychee, sone of Hiemla.
Then the king of Israel called an eunuch, and said to him: Make haste, and bring hither Micheas the son of Jemla.
10 Forsothe the kyng of Israel, and Josephat, kyng of Juda, saten, ech in his trone, clothid with kyngis ournement, in the large hows bisidis the dore of the yate of Samarie; and alle prophetis prophecieden in the siyt of hem.
Then the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, sat each on his throne clothed with royal robes, in a court by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 Also Sedechie, sone of Chanaan, made to hym silf hornes of yrun, and seide, The Lord God seith these thingis, With these thou schalt scatere Sirye, til thou do awei it.
And Sedecias the son of Chanaana made himself horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou destroy it.
12 And alle prophetis prophecieden in lijk maner, and seiden, Stye thou in to Ramoth of Galaad, and go thou with prosperite; and the Lord schal bitake thin enemyes in the hond of the kyng.
And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, saying: Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hands.
13 Sotheli the messanger, that yede to clepe Mychee, spak to hym, and seide, Lo! the wordis of prophetis with o mouth prechen goodis to the kyng; therfor thi word be lijk hem, and speke thou goodis.
And the messenger, that went to call Micheas, spoke to him, saying: Behold the words of the prophets with one month declare good things to the king: let thy word therefore be like to theirs, and speak that which is good.
14 To whom Mychee seide, The Lord lyueth, for what euer thing the Lord schal seie to me, Y schal speke this.
But Micheas said to him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord shall say to me, that will I speak.
15 Therfor he cam to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, Mychee, owen we go in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiyte, ether ceesse? To which kyng he answeride, Stie thou, and go in prosperite; and the Lord schal bitake it `in to the hond of the kyng.
So he came to the king, and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall we forbear? He answered him: Go up, and prosper, and the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hands.
16 Forsothe the kyng seide to hym, Eft and eft Y coniure thee, that thou speke not to me, not but that that is soth in the name of the Lord.
But the king said to him: I adjure thee again and again, that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord.
17 And he seide, Y siy al Israel scaterid in the hillis, as scheep not hauynge a scheepherde; and the Lord seide, These han no lord, ech man turne ayen in to his hows in pees.
And he said: I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, like sheep that have no shepherd: and the Lord said: These have no master: let every man of them return to his house in peace.
18 Therfor the kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, Whethir Y seide not to thee, that he prophecieth not good to me, but euere yuel?
(Then the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee, that he prophesieth no good to me, but always evil?)
19 Sotheli thilke Mychee addide, and seide, Therefore here thou the word of the Lord; Y siy the Lord sittynge on his trone, and Y siy al the oost of heuene stondynge nyy hym, on the riyt side and on the left side.
And he added and said: Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left:
20 And the Lord seide, Who schal disseyue Achab, kyng of Israel, that he stye, and falle in Ramoth of Galaad? And oon seide siche wordis, and another in anothir maner.
And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab king of Israel, that he may go up, and fall at Ramoth Galaad? And one spoke words of this manner, and another otherwise.
21 Sotheli a spirit yede out, and stood bifor the Lord, and seide, Y schal disseyue hym. To whom the Lord spak, In what thing?
And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means?
22 And he seide, Y schal go out, and Y schal be a spirit of leesyng in the mouth of alle hise prophetis. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt disseyue, and schalt haue the maystry; go thou out, and do so.
And he said: I will go forth, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive him, and shalt prevail: a go forth, and do so.
23 Now therfor, lo! the Lord yaf a spirit of leesyng in the mouth of alle prophetis that ben here; and the Lord spak yuel ayens thee.
Now therefore behold the Lord hath given a lying spirit in the mouth of all thy prophets that are here, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.
24 Forsothe Sedechie, sone of Canaan, neiyede, and smoot Mychee on the cheke, and seide, Whether the Spirit of the Lord forsook me, and spak to thee?
And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came, and struck Micheas on the cheek, and said: Hath then the spirit of the Lord left me, and spoken to thee?
25 And Mychee seide, Thou schalt se in that dai, whanne thou schalt go in to closet with ynne closet, that thou be hid.
And Micheas said: Thou shalt see in the day when thou shalt go into a chamber within a chamber to hide thyself.
26 And the kyng of Israel seide, Take ye Mychee, and dwelle he at Amon, prince of the citee, and at Joas, the sone of Amalech;
And the king of Israel said: Take Micheas, and let him abide with Ammon the governor of the city, and with Joas the son of Amalech.
27 and seie ye to hem, The kyng seith these thingis, Sende ye this man in to prisoun, and susteyne ye hym with breed of tribulacioun, and with watir of angwisch, til Y turne ayen in pees.
And tell them: Thus saith the king: Put this man in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction, and water of distress, till I return in peace.
28 And Mychee seide, If thou schalt turne ayen in pees, the Lord spak not in me. And he seide, Here ye, alle puplis.
And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all ye people.
29 Therfor the kyng of Israel stiede, and Josaphat, kyng of Juda, in to Ramoth of Galaad.
So the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda went up to Ramoth Galaad.
30 Therfor the kyng of Israel seide to Josephat, Take thou armeris, and entre thou in to batel, and be thou clothid in thi clothis, that is, noble signes of the kyng. Certis the kyng of Israel chaungide hise clothing, and entride in to batel.
And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Take armour, and go into the battle, and put on thy own garments. But the king of Israel changed his dress, and went into the battle.
31 Sotheli the kyng of Sirie hadde comaundid to two and thritti princes of charis, and seide, Ye schulen not fiyte ayens ony man lesse, ethir more, no but ayens the kyng of Israel oonli.
And the king of Syria had commanded the two and thirty captains of the chariots, saying: You shall not fight against any, small or great, but against the king of Israel only.
32 Therfor whanne the princes of charis hadden seyn Josephat, thei suposiden that he was king of Israel, and bi feersnesse maad thei fouyten ayens hym.
So when the captains of the chariots saw Josaphat, they suspected that he was the king of Israel, and making a violent assault they fought against him: and Josaphat cried out.
33 And Josephat criede; and the princis of charis vndurstoden, that it was not the king of Israel, and thei ceessiden fro hym.
And the captains of the chariots perceived that he was not the king of and they turned away from him.
34 Sotheli sum man bente a bowe, and dresside an arowe in to vncerteyn, and bi hap he smoot the kyng of Israel bitwixe the lunge and the stomak. And the kyng seide to his charietere, Turne thin hond, and cast me out of the oost, for Y am woundid greuousli.
And a certain man bent his bow, shooting at a venture, and chanced to strike the king of Israel between the lungs and the stomach. But he said to the driver of his chariot: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the army, for I am grievously wounded.
35 Therfor batel was ioyned in that dai, and the kyng of Israel stood in his chare ayens men of Sirie, and he was deed at euentid. Forsothe the blood of the wounde fletide doun in to the bothome of the chare.
And the battle was fought that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians, and he died in the evening: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
36 And a criere sownede in al the oost, before that the sunne yede doun, and seide, Ech man turne ayen in to his citee, and in to his lond.
And the herald proclaimed through all the army before the sun set, saying: Let every man return to his own city, and to his own country.
37 Forsothe the kyng was deed, and was borun in to Samarie; and thei birieden the kyng of Samarie.
And the king died, and was carried into Samaria: and they buried the king in Samaria.
38 And thei waischiden his chare in the cisterne of Samarie, and doggis lickiden his blood, and thei wayschiden the reynes, bi the word of the Lord whiche he hadde spoke.
And they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed the reins, according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken.
39 Sotheli the residue of wordis of Achab, and alle thingis whiche he dide, and the hows of yuer which he bildide, and of alle citees whiche he bildide, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?
But the rest of the acts of Achab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
40 Therfor Achab slepte with hise fadris, and Ocozie, his sone, regnede for hym.
So Achab slept with his fathers, and Ochozias his son reigned in his stead.
41 Forsothe Josephat, sone of Asa, bigan to regne on Juda in the fourthe yeer of Achab, kyng of Israel.
But Josaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Juda in the fourth year of Achab king of Israel.
42 Josephat was of fyue and thretti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnede fyue and twenti yeer in Jerusalem; the name of his modir was Azuba, douyter of Salai.
He was five and thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Azuba the daughter of Salai.
43 And he yede in al the weye of Asa, his fadir, and bowide not fro it; and he dide that, that was riytful in the siyt of the Lord. Netheles he dide not awey hiy thingis, for yit the puple made sacrifice, and brente encense in hiy places.
And he walked in all the way of Asa his father, and he declined not from it: and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Nevertheless he took not away the high places: for as Set the people offered sacrifices and burnt incense in the high places.
44 And Josephat hadde pees with the king of Israel.
And Josaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
45 Sotheli the residue of wordis of Josephat, and the werkis and batels, whiche he dide, whethir these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Juda?
But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, and his works which he did, and his batties, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?
46 But also he took awey fro the loond the relikis of men turned in to wymmens condiciouns, that leften in the daies of Aza, his fadir.
And the remnant also of the effeminate, who remained in the days of Asa his father, he took out of the land.
47 Nethir a kyng was ordeyned thanne in Edom.
And there was then no king appointed in Edom.
48 Forsothe king Josephat made schippis in the see, that schulden seile in to Ophir for gold, and tho myyten not go, for thei weren brokun in Asiongaber.
But king Josaphat made navies on the sea, to sail into Ophir for gold: but they could not go, for the ships were broken in Asiongaber.
49 Thanne Ocozie, sone of Achab, seide to Josephat, My seruauntis go with thine in schippis.
Then Ochozias the ton of Achab said to Josaphat: Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. And Josaphat would not.
50 And Josephat nolde. And Josephat slepte with hise fadris, and was biried with hem in the citee of Dauid, his fadir; and Joram, his sone, regnede for hym.
And Josaphat slept with his fathers. and was buried with them in the city of David his father: and Joram his son reigned in his stead.
51 Forsothe Ocozie, sone of Achab, bigan to regne on Israel, in Samarie, in the seuenetenthe yeer of Josephat, kyng of Juda; and Ocozie regnede on Israel twei yeer.
And Ochozias the son of Achab began to reign over Israel in Samaria, in the seventeenth gear of Josaphat king of Juda, and he reigned over Israel two years,
52 And he dide yuel in the siyt of the Lord, and yede in the wey of his fadir, and of his modir, and in the weie of Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin.
53 And he seruyde Baal, and worschipide hym, and wraththide the Lord God of Israel, bi alle thingis whiche his fadir hadde do.
He served also Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked the Lord the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

< 1 Kings 22 >