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;
The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we live with you is too small for us all.
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.
Please let us go to the Jordan, and let every man cut down a tree there, and let us build us a place there where we may live.” Elisha answered, “You may go ahead.”
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.
One of them said, “Please go with your servants.” Elisha 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 the Jordan, they began to cut down trees.
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 chopping, the ax head fell into the water; he cried out and said, “Oh no, my master, 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.
So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” The man showed Elisha the place. He then cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the iron float.
7 And he seide, Take thou. Which helde forth the hond, and took it.
Elisha said, “Pick it up.” So the man reached out his hand and grabbed 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 Aram was waging war against Israel. He consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
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.
So the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful not to pass that place, for the Arameans are going down there.”
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.
The king of Israel sent a message to the place about which the man of God had spoken and warned him. More than once or twice, when the king went there, he was on his guard.
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?
The king of Aram was enraged about these warnings, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me who among 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.
So one of his servants said, “No, my master, king, for Elisha the prophet in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your own bedroom!”
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.
The king replied, “Go and see where Elisha is so I may send men and capture him.” It was told him, “See, 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.
So the king sent to Dothan horses, chariots, and a large army. They came by night and surrounded the city.
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?
When the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone outside, behold, a large army with horses and chariots surrounded the city. His servant said to him, “Oh, my master! What will we do?”
16 And he answeride, Nile thou drede; for mo ben with vs than with hem.
Elisha answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are 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.
Elisha prayed and said, “Yahweh, I beg that you will open his eyes that he may see.” Then Yahweh opened the servant's eyes, and he saw. Behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around 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.
When the Arameans came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, “Strike these people blind, I ask you.” So Yahweh made them blind, just as Elisha had asked.
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.
Then Elisha told the Arameans, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you are looking for.” Then 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.
It came about that when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the middle of the city of Samaria.
21 And the kyng of Israel, whanne he hadde seyn hem, seide to Elisee, My fadir, whether Y schal smyte hem?
The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill 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.
Elisha answered, “You must not kill them. Would you kill those whom you had taken captive with your sword and bow? Put 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.
So the king prepared much food for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went back to their master. Those bands of Aramean soldiers did not return for a long time 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.
Later after this Ben Hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and attacked Samaria and besieged it.
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.
So there was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty 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.
As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my master, 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?
He said, “If Yahweh does not help you, how can I help you? Is there anything coming from the threshing floor or 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.
The king continued, “What is troubling you?” She answered, “This woman said to me, 'Give your son so 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 ate him, and I said to her on the next day, “Give your son that we may eat him, but she has hidden 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.
So when the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes (now he was passing by on the wall), and the people looked and saw that he had sackcloth underneath, against his skin.
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, “May God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on him today.”
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 was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man from before him, but when the messenger came to Elisha, he said to the elders, “See how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut 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?
While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. The king had said, “Behold, this trouble comes from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”
