2 Kings 3

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

And Jehoram son of Ahab hath reigned over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigneth twelve years,

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

and doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, only not like his father, and like his mother, and he turneth aside the standing-pillar of Baal that his father made;

3 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.

only to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat that he caused Israel to sin he hath cleaved, he hath not turned aside from it.

4 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.

And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master, and he rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, [with] wool,

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

and it cometh to pass at the death of Ahab, that the king of Moab transgresseth against the king of Israel.

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

And king Jehoram goeth out in that day from Samaria, and inspecteth all Israel,

7 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.

and goeth and sendeth unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, 'The king of Moab hath transgressed against me; dost thou go with me unto Moab for battle?' and he saith, 'I go up, as I, so thou; as my people, so thy people; as my horses, so thy horses.

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

And he saith, 'Where [is] this — the way we go up?' and he saith, 'The way of the wilderness of Edom.'

9 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.

And the king of Israel goeth, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, and they turn round the way seven days, and there hath been no water for the camp, and for the cattle that [are] at their feet,

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

and the king of Israel saith, 'Alas, for Jehovah hath called for these three kings, to give them into the hand of Moab.'

11 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.

And Jehoshaphat saith, 'Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah, and we seek Jehovah by him?' And one of the servants of the king of Israel answereth and saith, 'Here [is] Elisha son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.'

12 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.

And Jehoshaphat saith, 'The word of Jehovah is with him;' and go down unto him do the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom.

13 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?

And Elisha saith unto the king of Israel, 'What — to me and to thee? go unto the prophets of thy father, and unto the prophets of thy mother;' and the king of Israel saith to him, 'Nay, for Jehovah hath called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.'

14 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.

And Elisha saith, 'Jehovah of Hosts liveth, before whom I have stood; for unless the face of Jehoshaphat king of Judah I am lifting up, I do not look unto thee, nor see thee;

15 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,

and now, bring to me a minstrel; and it hath been, at the playing of the minstrel, that the hand of Jehovah is on him,

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

and he saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, Make this valley ditches — ditches;

17 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.

for thus said Jehovah, Ye do not see wind, nor do ye see rain, and that valley is full of water, and ye have drunk — ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

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

'And this hath been light in the eyes of Jehovah, and he hath given Moab into your hand,

19 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.

and ye have smitten every fenced city, and every choice city, and every good tree ye cause to fall, and all fountains of waters ye stop, and every good portion ye mar with stones.'

20 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.

And it cometh to pass in the morning, at the ascending of the [morning] -present, that lo, waters are coming in from the way of Edom, and the land is filled with the waters,

21 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.

and all Moab have heard that the kings have come up to fight against them, and they are called together, from every one girding on a girdle and upward, and they stand by the border.

22 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.

And they rise early in the morning, and the sun hath shone on the waters, and the Moabites see, from over-against, the waters red as blood,

23 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.

and say, 'Blood this [is]; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they smite each his neighbour; and now for spoil, Moab!'

24 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;

And they come in unto the camp of Israel, and the Israelites rise, and smite the Moabites, and they flee from their face; and they enter into Moab, so as to smite Moab,

25 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.

and the cities they break down, and [on] every good portion they cast each his stone, and have filled it, and every fountain of water they stop, and every good tree they cause to fall — till one had left its stones in Kir-Haraseth, and the slingers go round and smite it.

26 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.

And the king of Moab seeth that the battle has been too strong for him, and he taketh with him seven hundred men, drawing sword, to cleave through unto the king of Edom, and they have not been able,

27 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.

and he taketh his son, the first-born who reigneth in his stead, and causeth him to ascend — a burnt-offering on the wall, and there is great wrath against Israel, and they journey from off him, and turn back to the land.