2 Kings 6
1 Forsothe the sones of prophetis seiden to Elisee, Lo! the place in which we dwellen bifor thee, is streiyt to vs;
And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us.
2 go we `til to Jordan, and ech man take of the wode `a mater for hym silf, that we bild to vs here a place to dwelle.
Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
3 Which Elisee seide, Go ye. And oon of hem seide, Therfor `and thou come with thi seruauntis. He answeride, Y schal come. And he yede with hem.
And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
4 And whanne thei `hadden come to Jordan, thei hewiden trees.
So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 Sotheli it bifelde, that whanne `o man hadde kit doun mater, the yrun of the axe felde in to the watir; and he criede, and seide, Alas! alas! alas! my lord, and Y hadde take this same thing bi borewing.
But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was borrowed.
6 Sotheli the man of God seide, Where felde it? And he schewide to hym the place. Therfor he kittide doun a tree, and sente thidur; and the yrun fletide.
And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim.
7 And he seide, Take thou. Which helde forth the hond, and took it.
And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it.
8 Forsothe the kyng of Syrie fauyte ayens Israel; and he took counseil with hise seruauntis, and seide, Sette we buschementis in this place and that.
Now the king of Syria warred against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9 Therfor the man of God sente to the kyng of Israel, and seide, Be war, lest thou passe to that place, for men of Sirie ben there in buschementis.
And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are coming down.
10 Therfor the kyng of Israel sente to the place, which the man of God hadde seid to him, and bifor ocupiede it, and kepte hym silf there not onys, nether twies.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 And the herte of the kyng of Sirie was disturblid for this thing; and whanne hise seruauntis weren clepide togidere, he seide, Whi schewen ye not to me, who is my tretour anentis the kyng of Israel?
And the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12 And oon of hise seruauntis seide, Nay, my lord the kyng, but Elisee, the prophete, which is in Israel, schewith to the kyng of Israel alle thingis, what euer thingis thou spekist in thi closet.
And one of his servants said, Nay, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
13 And the kyng seide to hem, `Go ye, and se, where he is, that Y sende, and take hym. And thei telden to him, and seiden, Lo! he dwellith in Dothaym.
And he said, Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 And the kyng sente thidur horsis, and charis, and the strengthe of the oost; whiche, whanne thei hadden come bi nyyt, cumpassiden the citee.
Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 Sotheli the mynystre of the man of God roos eerli, and yede out, and he siy an oost in the cumpas of the citee, and horsis, and charis. And he telde to the man of God, and seide, Alas! alas! alas! my lord, what schulen we do?
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answeride, Nile thou drede; for mo ben with vs than with hem.
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And whanne Elisee hadde preied, he seide, Lord, opene thou the iyen of this child, that he se. And the Lord openyde the iyen of the child, and he siy. And, lo! the hil ful of horsis, and of charis of fier, in the cumpas of Elisee.
And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 Sotheli the enemyes camen doun to hym; forsothe Elisee preiede to the Lord, and seide, Y biseche, smyte thou this folc with blyndenesse. And the Lord smoot hem, that thei sien not, bi the word of Elisee.
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 Forsothe Elisee seide to hem, This is not the weie, nether this is the citee; sue ye me, and Y schal schewe to you the man, whom ye seken. And he ledde hem into Samarie.
And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria.
20 And whanne thei hadden entrid into Samarie, Elisee seide, Lord, opene thou the iyen of these men, that thei see. And the Lord openyde her iyen, and thei siyen, that thei weren in the myddis of Samarie.
And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 And the kyng of Israel, whanne he hadde seyn hem, seide to Elisee, My fadir, whether Y schal smyte hem?
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father; shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
22 And he seide, Thou schalt not smyte hem, for thou hast not take hem bi thi swerd and bouwe, that thou smyte hem; but sette thou breed and watir bifor hem, that thei ete and drynke, and go to her lord.
And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
23 And `greet makyng redi of metis was set forth to hem; and thei eten, and drunken. And the kyng lefte hem, and thei yeden to her lord; and theues of Sirie camen no more in to the lond of Israel.
And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24 Forsothe it was don after these thingis, Benadab, king of Sirie, gaderide alle his oost, and stiede, and bisegide Samarie.
And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 And greet hungur was maad in Samarie; and so long it was bisegid, til the heed of an asse were seeld for fourescore platis of siluer, and the fourthe part of a mesure clepid cabus of the crawe of culueris was seeld for fyue platis of siluer.
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five [pieces] of silver.
26 And whanne the kyng of Israel passide bi the wal, sum womman criede to hym, and seide, My lord the kyng, saue thou me.
And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27 Which seide, Nai, the Lord saue thee; wherof may Y saue thee? of cornfloor, ethir of pressour? And the kyng seide to hir, What wolt thou to thee?
And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress?
28 And sche answeride, This womman seide to me, Yyue thi sone, that we ete hym to dai, and we schulen ete my sone to morewe.
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.
29 Therfor we setheden my sone, and eten him. And Y seide to hir in the tother day, Yyue thi sone, that we ete hym; and she hidde hir sone.
So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
30 And whanne the kyng hadde herd this, he to-rente hise clothis, and passide bi the wal; and al the puple siy the heire, `with which the kyng was clothid at the fleisch with ynne.
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; (now he was passing by upon the wall; ) and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 And the kyng seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde these thingis, if the heed of Elise, sone of Saphat, schal stonde on hym to dai.
Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
32 Sotheli Elisee sat in his hows, and elde men saten with hym; `therfor he biforsente a man, and bifor that thilke messanger cam, Elisee seide to the elde men, Whether ye witen, that the sone of manquellere sente hidur, that myn heed be gird of? Therfor se ye, whanne the messanger cometh, close ye the dore, and `suffre ye not hym to entre; for, lo! the sown of the feet of his lord is bihynde hym.
But Elisha sat in his house; and the elders sat with him; and [the king] sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold the door fast against him: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?
33 And yit `while he spak to hem, the messanger that cam to hym apperide; and the kyng seide, Lo! so greet yuel is of the Lord; sotheli what more schal Y abide of the Lord?
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?
