Judges · Chapter 12

[ edit] Loo! forſoþe in Effraym is ſprongun a debate; forſoþe þe goers aȝen þe norþ ſeiden to Jeptee, Whi goynge to þe fiȝt aȝens þe ſones of Amon þou woldiſt not clepe vs, þat we wenten wiþ þee? Þerfor we ſhulen brenne þin hows. To whom he anſwerde, An hydows debate was to me and my puple aȝen þe ſones of Amon, and ȝow Y clepyde, for ȝe ſhulden ȝyue help to me, and ȝe wolden not doon. Þe which biholdynge Y putte in myn hondis my lijf; and Y paſſide to þe ſones of Amon, and þe Lord took hem into myn hoondis; what haue Y diſſerued, þat aȝens me ȝe ryſen into batayl?

And ſo clepid to him alle þe men of Galaad, he fauȝt aȝens Effraym; and þe men of Galaad ſmyten Effraym; for he ſeide, Fugitiue is Galaad fro Effraym, and dwelliþ in mydil of Effraym and Manaſſe. And Galadites men occupiden þe forþis of Jordan, bi whiche Effraym was for to turne aȝen. And whanne a man of þe noumbre of Effraym fleynge was comyn to þo fordis, and hadde ſeyde, Y preye, þat ȝe leten me paſſe; Galaaditis ſeiden to hym, Wheþer art þou an Effrate? Þe which ſeiynge, Y am not, þei aſkiden hym, Seye þanne Sebolech, þat is to mene, an eere. Þe which anſwerde, Shebolech, bi þe ſame lettre an eere not myȝti to bryngen out.

And anoon takyn þei kyttiden his þroot in þat goynge ouer Jordan; and þere fellen in þat tyme of Effraym two and fourti þowſandis. And ſo Jeptee demyde Galaadites of Yrael ſexe ȝeer; and he is deed, and biryed in his citee of Galaad. After þis demyde Yrael Abeþſan of Beþleem, þat hadde þretti ſones, and ſo feele douȝtris, þe whiche ſendynge out to houſbondis he ȝaf, and of þe ſame noumbre to his ſones he took wyues, bryngynge yn to his hows; þe which ſeuen ȝeer demyde Yrael, deed, and byryed in Beþlem. To whom cam aftir Degelon Zabulonyt, and demyde Yrael ten ȝeer, and is deed, and byried in Zabulon.

After hym demyde Yrael Abdom, þe ſone of Elel, Pharatonyt; þe which hadde fourty ſones, and þretti of hem ſones ſones, ſtiynge vp vpon ſeuenti coltis of aſſis, and he demyde Yrael eiȝt ȝeer; and he is deed, and biried in Pharaton, þe loond of Effraym, in þe hil of Amalech.