< 2 Kings 1 >

1 Forsothe Moab trespasside ayens Israel, after that Achab was deed.
After the death of Ahab, Moab made itself free from the authority of Israel.
2 And Ocozie felde thorou the aleris of his soler, which he hadde in Samarie, and was sijk; and he sente messangeris, and seide to hem, Go ye, and councele Belzebub, god of Acharon, whether Y may lyue after this sijknesse of me.
Now Ahaziah had a fall from the window of his room in Samaria, and was ill. And he sent men, and said to them, Put a question to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, about the outcome of my disease, to see if I will get well or not.
3 Forsothe the aungel of the Lord spak to Elye of Thesbi, and seide, Rise thou, and go doun into the metynge of the messangeris of the kyng of Samarie; and thou schalt seie to hem, Whether God is not in Israel, that ye go to counsel Belzebub, god of Acharon?
But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Go now, and, meeting the men sent by the king of Samaria, say to them, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you are going to get directions from Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?
4 For which thing the Lord seith these thingis, Thou schalt not go doun of the bed, on which thou stiedist.
Give ear then to the words of the Lord: You will never again get down from the bed on to which you have gone up, but death will certainly come to you. Then Elijah went away.
5 And Elie yede. And the messangeris turneden ayen to Ocozie. And he seide to hem, Whi turneden ye ayen?
And the men he had sent came back to the king; and he said to them, Why have you come back?
6 And thei answeriden to hym, A man mette vs, and seide to vs, Go ye, turne ye ayen to the kyng, that sente you; and ye schulen seie to him, The Lord seith these thingis, Whether for God was not in Israel, thou sendist, that Belzebub, god of Acharon, be counselid? Therfor thou schalt not go doun of the bed, on which thou stiedist, but thou schalt die bi deeth.
And they said to him, On our way we had a meeting with a man who said, Go back to the king who sent you and say to him, The Lord says, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to put a question to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? For this reason, you will not come down from the bed on to which you have gone up, but death will certainly come to you.
7 Which Ocozie seide to hem, Of what figure and abite is that man, that mette you, and spak to you these wordis?
And he said to them, What sort of a man was it who came and said these words to you?
8 And thei seiden, An heeri man, and gird with a girdil of skyn in the reynes. Which seide to hem, It is Elie of Thesbi.
And they said in answer, He was a man clothed in a coat of hair, with a leather band about his body. Then he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
9 And he sente to Elie a prince of fifti, and fifti men that weren vndur hym. Which prince stiede to hym, and seide to hym, sittynge in the cop of the hil, Man of God, the kyng comaundith, that thou come doun.
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men; and he went up to him where he was seated on the top of a hill, and said to him, O man of God, the king has said, Come down.
10 And Elie answeride, and seide to the prince of fifti men, If Y am the man of God, fier come doun fro heuene, and deuoure thee and thi fifti men. Therfor fier cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride hym, and the fifti men that weren with hym.
And Elijah in answer said to the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven on you and on your fifty men, and put an end to you. Then fire came down from heaven and put an end to him and his fifty men.
11 Eft he sente to Elie another prince of fifti, and fifti men with hym, which spak to Helye, Man of God, the kyng seith these thingis, Haste thou, come thou doun.
Then the king sent another captain of fifty with his fifty men; and he said to Elijah, O man of God, the king says, Come down quickly.
12 Elie answeride, and seide, If Y am the man of God, fier come doun fro heuene, and deuoure thee and thi fifti men. Therfor the fier of God cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride hym and hise fifti men.
And Elijah in answer said, If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven on you and on your fifty men, and put an end to you. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and put an end to him and his fifty men.
13 Eft he sente the thridde prince of fifti men, and fifti men that weren with hym. And whanne this prynce hadde come, he bowide the knees ayens Elie, and preiede hym, and seide, Man of God, nyle thou dispise my lijf, and the lyues of thi seruauntis that ben with me.
Then he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men; and the third captain of fifty went up, and falling on his knees before Elijah, requesting mercy of him, said, O man of God, let my life and the life of these your fifty servants be of value to you.
14 Lo! fier cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride tweyne, the firste princis of fifti men, and the fifti men that weren with hem; but now, Y biseche, that thou haue mercy on my lijf.
For fire came down from heaven and put an end to the first two captains of fifty and their fifties; but now let my life be of value in your eyes.
15 Forsothe the aungel of the Lord spak to Helie of Thesbi, and seide, Go thou doun with hym; drede thou not. Therfor Elie roos, and cam doun with hym to the kyng;
Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, Go down with him; have no fear of him. So he got up and went down with him to the king.
16 and he spak to the kyng, The Lord seith thes thingis, For thou sentist messangeris to counsele Belzebub, god of Acharon, as if no God were in Israel, of whom thow myytist axe a word; therfor thou schalt not go doun of the bed, on which thou stiedist, but thou schalt die bi deeth.
And he said to him, This is the word of the Lord: Because you sent men to put a question to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, for this reason you will never again get down from the bed on to which you have gone up, but death will certainly come to you.
17 Therfor he was deed bi the word of the Lord, which word Elie spak; and Joram, hys brothir, regnyde for hym, in the secounde yeer of Joram, the sone of Josephat, kyng of Juda; for Ocozie hadde no sone.
So death came to him, as the Lord had said by the mouth of Elijah. And Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of the rule of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; because he had no son.
18 Sotheli the residue of wordis of Ocozie, whiche he wrouyte, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?
Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel?

< 2 Kings 1 >