2 Chronicles · Chapter 18

[ edit] Joſaphaþ þanne was ryche and myche glorious, and in affynite ioyned is to Achab. And he wente doun aftir ȝeeris to hym in to Samarie; at whos commynge Achab ſlewȝ weþers and many oxen, and made to hym a feeſte, and to þe puple þat was commen wiþ hym; and he mouede to hym þat he ſchulde ſteiȝe up in to Ramoþ-galaad. And Achab, kyng of Yrael, ſeid to Joſaphaþ, kyng of Juda, Comme wiþ me in to Ramoþ-galaad. To whome he anſwerde, As I, and þou; as þi puple, ſo and my puple; and wiþ þee we ſchul ben in bataile. And Joſaphaþ ſeide to þe kyng of Yrael, Counſeile, I beſeche, now þe word of þe Lord.

Þan þe kyng of Yrael gadrede of prophetis four hundriþ men, and ſeide to hem, In Ramoþ-galaad to fiȝten ſchul we gon, or ceſen? And þei, Steiȝiþ up, þei ſeyn, and God ſchal take hem in þe hond of þe kyng. And Joſaphaþ ſeide, Wheþer is þer not heere a prophete of þe Lord, þat of hym alſo we aſken? And þe kyng of Yrael ſeiþ to Joſaphaþ, Þer is oon man, of þe which we mown aſken þe wille of þe Lord, bot and I hatide hym, for he prophecieþ not to me good, bot euyl al tyme; he is forſoþe Mychias, þe ſone of Jemla. And Joſaphaþ ſeide to hym, Ne ſpeke þou, kyng, þis maner. Þanne þe kyng of Yrael clepide oon of his geldyngis, and ſeide to hym, Clepe anoon Mychyam, þe ſone of Jemla.

Bot þe kyng of Yrael and Joſaphaþ, kyng of Juda, eiþer ſeeten in þeir ſee, cloþed wiþ kyngis honournyng; forſoþe þei ſeeten in þe corn flore byſidis þe ȝate of Samarye; and alle þe prophetis prophecieden beforn hem. Sedechias forſoþe, þe ſone of Chanane, made to hym yren hornes, and ſeiþ, Þes þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Wiþ þes þou ſchalt wynewen Cyrie, to þe tyme þat þou to-trede it. And alle þe prophetis prophecieden lijc maner, and ſeiden, Steiȝe up in to Ramoþ-galaad, and þou ſchalt welſumly done; and þe Lord ſchal take hem in to þe hondis of þe kyng.

Þe meſſager forſoþe, þat wente to clepen Mychie, ſeiþ to hym, Lo! þe wordis of alle þe prophetis wiþ oon mouþe good þingus tellen to þe kyng; þanne, I beſeche þee, þat þi word fro hem diſſente not, and ſpeke þou welſum þingis. To whome anſwerd Mychias, Þe Lord liuiþ, for what euer þingis my Lord ſchal ſeyn, þes I ſchal ſpeken. Þanne he came to þe kyng. To whom þe king ſeiþ, Mychie, ſchul we gon into Ramoþgalaad to fiȝten, or reſten? To whom he anſwerde, Steiȝiþ up, alle þingus forſoþe welſum ſchul fallen, and þe enmyes ſchul ben taken into ȝoure hondis. And þe kyng ſeide, Eft and eft I adiure þee, þat þou ſpeke not to me bot þat is ſoþe in þe name of þe Lord.

And he ſeiþ, I ſawe al Yrael ſcatered in hyllis, as ſcheep wiþ oute ſchepherde. And þe Lord ſeid, Þes han not lordis; be turned aȝein ech man in to his houſe in pees. Þe kyng of Yrael ſeiþ to Joſaphaþ, Wheþer I ſeide not to þee, þat þis ſchulde not prophecien to me eny þing of good, bot þo þingis þat ben euyl? And he þerfore ſeiþ, Heriþ þe word of þe Lord. I ſawȝ þe Lord ſyttynge in his ſeete, and al þe hooſt of heuen ſtondynge neeȝ to hym fro þe riȝt and fro þe left. And þe Lord ſeide, Who ſchal deceyuen Achab, kyng of Yrael, þat he ſteiȝe up, and falle in Ramoþ-galaad?

And whanne oon ſeide in þis maner, and anoþer in anoþer, a ſpirite went forþ, and ſtood before þe Lord, and ſeiþ, I ſchal deceyuen hym. To whome þe Lord, In what þanne, he ſeiþ, þou ſchalt deceyuen? And he anſwerd, I ſchal goon out, and I ſchal ben a ſpirite lier in þe mouþ of alle þe prophetis of hym. And þe Lord ſeide, Þou ſchalt deceyuen, and han þe oouer hond; go out, and do ſo. Nowe þanne, lo! þe Lord ȝaue a ſpirite of leſynge in þe mouþe of alle þi prophetis, and þe Lord ſpac of þee euyl þingis. Forſoþe Sedechias, þe ſone of Chanane, wente to, and ſmote þe cheek boon of Mychie, and ſeiþ, Bi what weie paſſede ouer þe Spirite of þe Lord fro me, þat he ſchulde ſpeke to þee?

And Mychias ſeide, Þou þi ſilf ſchal ſeen in þat day, whanne þou ſchalt gon in þe bed fro þe bed, þat þou be hid. Forſoþe þe kyng of Yrael comaundide, ſeyinge, Takiþ Myche, and lediþ hym to Amon, þe prince of þe cyte, and to Joas, þe ſone of Amalech; and ȝe ſchul ſeyn, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe kyng, Puttiþ þis in to priſone, and ȝeuiþ to hym a litill of brede, and a lityll of water, to þe tyme þat I be turned aȝeyn in peſe. And Mychias ſeide, Ȝif þou ſchal be torned aȝein in peeſe, þe Lord haþ not ſpoken in me. And he ſeiþ, Heriþ, alle puplis. Þanne ſteiȝeden up þe kyng of Yrael, and Joſaphaþ, kyng of Juda, in to Ramoþgalaad.

And þe kyng of Yrael ſeide to Joſaphaþ, I ſchal chaungen habite, and ſo I ſchal gone to fiȝten; þou forſoþe be cloþed wiþ þi cloþes. And, þe habite chaungid, þe kyng of Yrael came to bataile. Þe kyng forſoþe of Cyrie hadde comaundid to þe dukis of his chyualrye, ſeyinge, Fiȝtiþ not aȝeyn þe leſt, or aȝein þe moſte; bot aȝeins aloone þe kyng of Yrael. And ſo whanne þe princes of þe chyualrye hadden ſeen Joſaphaþ, þei ſeiden, Kyng of Yrael is þis; and þei enuyrouneden hym, fiȝtynge. And he cried to þe Lord; and he helpide to hym, and he torned hem awei fro hym. And whanne þe duykis of þe chyualrye hadden herd, þat it was not þe kyng of Yrael, þei laften hym.

It felle forſoþe, þat oon of þe puple in to vncerteyn kaſt an arowe, and ſmote þe kyng of Yrael betwen þe hatreel and þe ſchulders. And he to his chariotere ſeiþ, Turne þin hond, and leede out me fro þe ſcheltrun; for I am woundid. And þe fiȝt is eendid in þat day. Bot þe kyng of Yrael ſtode in his chaar aȝeinus Cyries vnto euen, and is deed, þe ſone goynge doun.