2 Kings 4

1 Forsothe sum womman of the wyues of prophetys criede to Elisee, and seide, Thi seruaunt, myn hosebonde, is deed, and thou knowist that thi seruaunt dredde God; and lo! the creaunser, `that is, he to whom the dette is owid, cometh to take my two sones to serue hym.

Now a certain woman of the wives of the prophets cried to Eliseus, saying: Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant was one that feared God, and behold the creditor is come to take away my two sons to serve him.

2 To whom Elisee seide, What wolt thou that Y do to thee? seie thou to me, what hast thou in thin hows? And she answeride, Y thin handmayde haue not ony thing in myn hows, no but a litil of oile, bi which Y schal be anoyntid.

And Eliseus said to her: What wilt thou have me to do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in thy house? And she answered: I thy handmaid have nothing in my house but a little oil, to anoint me.

3 To whom he seide, Go thou, and axe bi borewyng of alle thi neiyboris voide vessels not fewe.

And he said to her: Go, borrow of all thy neighbours empty vessels not a few.

4 And entre, and close thi dore, whanne thou art with ynne, thou and thi sones; and putte ye therof in to alle these vessels; and whanne tho schulen be ful, thou schalt take awei.

And go in, and shut thy door, when thou art within, and thy sons: and pour out thereof into all those vessels: and when they are full take them away.

5 Therfor the womman yede, and closide the dore on hir silf and on hir sones, thei brouyten vessels, and sche `heldide in.

So the woman went, and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons: they brought her the vessels, and she poured in.

6 And whanne the vessels weren fulle, sche seide to hir sone, Brynge thou yit a vessel to me. And he answeride, Y haue not. And the oyle stood.

And when the vessels were full, she said to her son: Bring me yet a vessel. And he answered: I have no more. And the oil stood.

7 Forsothe sche cam, and schewide to the man of God; and he seide, Go thou, sil thou the oile, and yelde to thi creauncer; forsothe thou and thi children lyue of the residue.

And she came, and told the man of God. And he said: Go, sell the oil, and pay thy creditor: and thou and thy sons live of the rest.

8 Forsothe sum day was maad, and Elisee passide bi a citee, Sunam; sotheli a greet womman was there, which helde hym, that he schulde ete breed. And whanne he passide ofte therbi, `he turnede to hir, that he schulde ete breed.

And there was a day when Eliseus passed by Sunam: now there was a great woman there, who detained him to eat bread; and as he passed often that way, he turned into her house to eat bread.

9 `Which womman seide to hir hosebonde, Y perseyue that this is an hooli man of God, that passith ofte bi vs;

And she said to her husband: I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who often passeth by us.

10 therfor make we a litil soler to hym, and putte we therynne a litil bed to hym, and a boord, and a chaier, and a candilstike; that whanne he cometh to vs, he dwelle there.

Let us therefore make him a little chamber, and put a little bed in it for him, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick, that when he cometh to us, he may abide there.

11 Therfor sum dai was maad, and he cam, and turnede in to the soler, and restide there.

Now there was a certain day when he came and turned in to the chamber, and rested there.

12 And he seide to Giezi, his child, Clepe thou this Sunamyte. And whanne he hadde clepid hir, and sche hadde stonde

And he said to Giezi his servant Call this Sunamitess. And when he had called her, and she stood before him,

13 bifor hym, he seide to his child, Speke thou to hir, Lo! thou hast mynystride to vs bisili in alle thingis; what wolt thou that Y do to thee? Whether thou hast a cause, and wolt that Y speke to the kyng, ether to the prince of the chyualrye? And sche answeride, I dwelle in the myddis of my puple.

He said to his servant: Say to her Behold thou hast diligently served us in all things, what wilt thou have me to do for thee? hast thou any business, and wilt thou that I speak to the king, or to the general of the army? And she answered: I dwell in the midst of my own people.

14 And he seide, What therfor wole sche that Y do to hir? Giezi seide to hym, Axe thou not, for she hath no sone, and hir hosebonde is eeld.

And he said: What will she then that I do for her? And Giezi said: Do not ask, for she hath no son, and her husband is old.

15 Therfor Elisee comaundide, that he schulde clepe hir. And whanne sche was clepid, and stood bifor the dore,

Then he bid him call her: And when she was called, and stood before the door.

16 he seide to hir, In this tyme and in this same our, if lijf schal be felow, thou schalt haue a sone in the wombe. And sche answeride, Nyle thou, my lord, the man of God, Y biseche, nyle thou lye to thin hondmaide.

He said to her: At this time, and this same hour, if life accompany, thou shalt have a son in thy womb. But she answered: Do not, I beseech thee, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.

17 And the womman conseyuede, and childide a sone in the tyme, and in the same our, in which Elisee hadde seid.

And the woman conceived, and brought forth a son in the time, and at the same hour, that Eliseus had said.

18 Sotheli the child encreeside; and whanne sum day was, and the child was goon out, and yede to his fadir,

And the child grew. And on a certain day, when he went out to his father to the reapers,

19 and to the repers, he seide to his fadir, Myn heed akith, myn heed akith. And he seide to a child, Take, and lede hym to his modir.

He said to his father: My head acheth, my head acheth. But he said to his servant: Take him, and carry him to his mother.

20 And whanne he hadde take, and hadde brouyt hym to his modir, sche settide hym on hir knees `til to myddai, and he was deed.

And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, she set him on her knees until noon, and then he died.

21 Sotheli she stiede, and leide hym on the litil bed of the man of God, and closide the dore.

And she went up and laid him upon the bed of the man of God, and shut the door: and going out,

22 And sche yede out, and clepide hir hosebonde, and seide, Y biseche, sende thou with me oon of the children, and an asse, and Y schal renne out `til to the man of God, and Y schal turne ayen.

She called her husband, and said: Send with me, I beseech thee, one of thy servants, and an ass that I may run to the man of God, and come again.

23 And he seide to hir, For what cause goist thou to hym? to dai ben not calendis, nether sabat. And she answeride, Y schal go.

And he said to her: Why dost thou go to him? today is neither new moon nor sabbath. She answered: I will go.

24 And sche sadlide the asse, and comaundide to the child, Dryue thou, and haaste; make thou not tariyng to me in goyng, and do thou this thing which Y comaunde to thee.

And she saddled an ass, and commanded her servant: Drive, and make haste, make no stay in going. And do that which I bid thee.

25 Therfor sche yede forth, and cam to the man of God, in to the hil of Carmele. And whanne the man of God hadde seyn hir euene ayen, he seide to Giezi, his child, Lo! thilke Sunamyte; go thou therfor in to the metyng of hir,

So she went forward, and came to the man of God to mount Carmel: and when the mall of God saw her coming towards, he said to Giezi his servant: Behold that Sunamitess.

26 and seie thou to hir, Whether it is doon riytfuli aboute thee, and aboute thin hosebonde, and aboute thi sone? And sche answeride, Riytfuli.

Go therefore to meet her, and say to her: Is all well with thee, and with thy husband, and with thy son? and she answered: Well.

27 And whanne sche hadde come to the man of God, in to the hil, sche took his feet; and Giezi neiyede, that he schulde remoue hir. And the man of God seide, Suffre thou hir; for hir soule is in bitternesse, and the Lord helde priuy fro me, and schewide not to me.

And when she came to the man of God to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi came to remove her. And the man of God said: Let her alone for her soul is in anguish, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

28 And sche seide to hym, Whether I axide my sone of my lord? Whether Y seide not to thee, Scorne thou not me?

And she said to him: Did I ask a son of my lord? did I not say to thee: Do not deceive me?

29 And he seide to Giezi, Girde thi leendis, and take my staf in thin hond, and go; if a man metith thee, grete thou not hym; and if ony man gretith thee, answere thou not hym; and putte thou my staf on the face of the child.

Then he said to Giezi: Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go. If any man meet thee, salute him not: and if any man salute thee, answer him not: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

30 Forsothe the `modir of the child seide, The Lord lyueth and thi soule lyueth, Y schal not leeue, `ether forsake, thee. Therfor he roos, and suede hir.

But the mother of the child said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. He arose, therefore, and followed her.

31 Sotheli Giezi yede bifor hem, and puttide the staaf on the face of the child; and `vois was not, nether wit. And Giezi turnede ayen to the meetyng of hym; and telde to him, and seyde, The child `roos not.

But Giezi was gone before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, and there was no voice nor sense: and he returned to meet him, and told him, saying: The child is not risen.

32 Therfor Elisee entride in to the hows, and, lo! the deed child lai in his bed.

Eliseus therefore went into the house, and behold the child lay dead on his bed.

33 And he entride, and closide the dore on hym silf, and on the child; and preiede to the Lord.

And going in he shut the door upon him, and upon the child, and prayed to the Lord.

34 And he stiede, and lay on the child; and he puttide his mouth on the mouth of the child, and hise iyen on the iyen of the child, and hise hondis on the hondis of the child. And he bouwide hym silf on the child; and the fleisch of the child was maad hoot.

And he went up, and lay upon the child: and he put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he bowed himself upon him, and the child’s flesh grew warm.

35 And he turnede ayen, and walkide in the hows onys hidur and thidur; and Elisee stiede, and lai on the child, and the child yoxide seuene sithis, and openyde the iyen.

Then he returned and walked in the house, once to and fro: and he went up, and lay upon him: and the child gaped seven times, and opened his eyes.

36 And he clepide Giezi, and seide to hym, Clepe thou this Sunamyte. And sche was clepid, and entride to hym. And he seide, Take thi sone.

And he called Giezi, and said to him: Call this Sunamitess. And she being called, went in to him: and he said: Take up thy son.

37 She cam, and felde doun to his feet, and worschipide on erthe; and sche took hir sone, and yede out.

She came and fell at his feet, and worshipped upon the ground: and took up her son, and went out.

38 And Elisee turnede ayen in to Galgala. Forsothe hungur was in the lond, and the sones of prophetis dwelliden bifor hym. And Elisee seide to oon of his children, Set thou a greet pot, and sethe thou potage to the sones of prophetis.

And Eliseus returned to Galgal, and there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets dwelt before him. And he said to one of his servants: Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.

39 And oon yede out in to the feeld to gadere eerbis of the feeld; and he foond as a wilde vyne, and he gaderide therof gourdis of the feeld. And he fillide his mentil, and he turnede ayen, and schredde in to the pot of potage; for he wiste not what it was.

And one went out into the field to gather wild herbs: and he found something like a wild vine, and gathered of it wild gourds of the field, and filled his mantle, and coming back he shred them into the pot of pottage, for he knew not what it was.

40 Therfor thei helden yn to felowis to ete; and whanne thei hadden taastid of the sething, thei crieden out, and seiden, Deth in the pot! deeth in the pot! thou man of God. And thei miyten not ete. And he seide, Brynge ye meele.

And they poured it out for their companions to eat: and when they had tasted of the pottage, they cried out, saying: Death is in the pot, O man of God. And they could not eat thereof.

41 And whanne thei hadden brouyt, he puttide in to the pot, and seide, Helde ye to the cumpany, that thei ete; and ony thing of bitternesse was nomore in the pot.

But he said: Bring some meal. And when they had brought it, he cast it into the pot, and said: Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was now no bitterness in the pot.

42 Forsothe sum man cam fro the pleyn of Salisa, and bar to the man of God looues of the firste fruytis, ten looues of barli, and newe wheete, in his scrippe. And the man of God seide, Yyue thou to the puple, that it ete.

And a certain man came from Baalsalisa bringing to the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty leaves of barley, and new corn in his scrip. And he said: Give to the people, that they may eat.

43 And his mynystre answeride to hym, `Hou myche is this, that Y sette bifor an hundrid men? Eft Elisee seide, Yyue thou to the puple, that it ete; for the Lord seith these thingis, Thei schulen ete, and it shal leeue.

And his servant answered him: How much is this, that I should set it before a hundred men? He said again: Give to the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord: They shall eat, and there shall be left.

44 Therfor he puttide bifor hem, whiche eeten; and it lefte, bi the word of the Lord.

So he set it before them: and they ate, and there was left according to the word of the Lord.