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, “See now, the place where we live and meet with you is too small 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.
Please let us go to the Jordan, and each man take a beam from there, and let’s make us a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go!”
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 said, “Please be pleased to go with your servants.” He answered, “I will go.”
4 And whanne thei `hadden come to Jordan, thei hewiden trees.
So he went with them. When they came to the 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 cutting down a tree, the axe head fell into the water. Then he cried out 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.
The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.
7 And he seide, Take thou. Which helde forth the hond, and took it.
He said, “Take it.” 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 was at war against Israel; and he took counsel 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.
The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming 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 to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once or 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?
The king of Syria’s heart was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you show 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.
One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your 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.
He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” He was told, “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 he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. 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 out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 And he answeride, Nile thou drede; for mo ben with vs than with hem.
He answered, “Don’t be afraid, 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, “LORD, please open his eyes, that he may see.” the LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw; and 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 they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elisha’s word.
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.
Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” 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.
When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle 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, shall I strike them? Shall I strike 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.
He answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, then 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.
He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding 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.
After this, Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, 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.
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 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?
He said, “If the LORD doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”
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.
Then the king asked her, “What is your problem?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your 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 ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him;’ and 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.
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 behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.
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 stays 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. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t 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. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
