1 Kings 22
1 For almost three years there was no war between Syria and Israel.
Therfor thre yeeris passiden with out batel bitwixe Sirie and Israel.
2 Then King Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah, went to [visit] King Ahab, who ruled Israel.
Forsothe in the thridde yeer Josephat, king of Juda, yede doun to the kyng of Israel.
3 [While they were talking, ] Ahab said to his officials, “Do you realize that the Syrians are still occupying our city of Ramoth in [the] Gilead [region]? And we are doing nothing to retake that city!”
And the kyng of Israel seide to hise seruauntis, Witen ye not, that Ramoth of Galaad is oure, and we ben necgligent to take it fro the hoond of the kyng of Sirie?
4 Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will your [army] join my [army] to fight against the people of Ramoth [and retake that city]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “[Certainly] I [will do whatever] you [want], and you may command my troops. You may take my horses into battle, also.”
And he seide to Josaphat, Whether thou schalt come with me to fiyte in to Ramoth of Galaad?
5 Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
And Josophat seide to the kyng of Israel, As Y am, so and thou; my puple and thi puple ben oon; and my knyytis and thy knyytis `ben oon. And Josephat seide to the kyng of Israel, Y preie thee, axe thou to dai the word of the Lord.
6 So Ahab summoned about 400 of his prophets together, and he asked them, “Should my [army] go to fight the people in Ramoth and retake that city, or not?” They answered, “Yes, go [and attack them], because God will enable your [army] to defeat them.”
Therfor the kyng of Israel gaderide prophetis aboute foure hundrid men, and he seide to hem, Owe Y to go in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiyte, ethir to reste? Whiche answeriden, Stie thou, and the Lord schal yyue it in the hond of the kyng.
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
Forsothe Josephat seide, Is not here ony profete of the Lord, that we axe bi hym?
8 The King of Israel replied, “There is one man we can talk to. We can ask him if he can find out what Yahweh wants. His name is Micaiah; he is the son of Imlah. But I hate him, because when he (prophesies/tells what God says to him) he never says [that] anything good [will happen] to me. He always predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
And the kyng of Israel seide to Josephat, O man, Mychee, sone of Hiemla, is left, bi whom we moun axe the Lord; but Y hate hym, for he prophesieth not good to me, but yuel. To whome Josephat seide, Kyng, spek thou not so.
9 So the king of Israel told one of his officers to summon Micaiah immediately.
Therfor the kyng of Israel clepide summe chaumburleyn, and seide to hym, Haste thou to brynge Mychee, sone of Hiemla.
10 The king of Israel and the king of Judah were wearing their (royal robes/robes that showed that they were kings). They were sitting on thrones at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of Ahab’s prophets were standing in front of the kings, (prophesying/predicting what was going to happen).
Forsothe the kyng of Israel, and Josephat, kyng of Juda, saten, ech in his trone, clothid with kyngis ournement, in the large hows bisidis the dore of the yate of Samarie; and alle prophetis prophecieden in the siyt of hem.
11 One of them, whose name was Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron [something that resembled] horns of a bull. Then he proclaimed [to Ahab], “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns like these your [army] will keep attacking the Syrians [like a bull attacks another animal] [MET], until you completely destroy them!’”
Also Sedechie, sone of Chanaan, made to hym silf hornes of yrun, and seide, The Lord God seith these thingis, With these thou schalt scatere Sirye, til thou do awei it.
12 All the [other] prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you go up to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them!”
And alle prophetis prophecieden in lijk maner, and seiden, Stye thou in to Ramoth of Galaad, and go thou with prosperite; and the Lord schal bitake thin enemyes in the hond of the kyng.
13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting that the king’s army will defeat the Syrians. So be sure that you agree with them and say (what will be favorable/that the king’s army will be successful).”
Sotheli the messanger, that yede to clepe Mychee, spak to hym, and seide, Lo! the wordis of prophetis with o mouth prechen goodis to the kyng; therfor thi word be lijk hem, and speke thou goodis.
14 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell him only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
To whom Mychee seide, The Lord lyueth, for what euer thing the Lord schal seie to me, Y schal speke this.
15 When Micaiah came to Ahab, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to fight against [the people of] Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
Therfor he cam to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, Mychee, owen we go in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiyte, ether ceesse? To which kyng he answeride, Stie thou, and go in prosperite; and the Lord schal bitake it `in to the hond of the kyng.
16 But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was (lying/being sarcastic), so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you [RHQ] many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
Forsothe the kyng seide to hym, Eft and eft Y coniure thee, that thou speke not to me, not but that that is soth in the name of the Lord.
17 So Micaiah said to him, “[The truth is that] in a vision I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”
And he seide, Y siy al Israel scaterid in the hillis, as scheep not hauynge a scheepherde; and the Lord seide, These han no lord, ech man turne ayen in to his hows in pees.
18 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you [RHQ] that he never predicts [that] anything good [will happen to me]! He [always] predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].”
Therfor the kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, Whethir Y seide not to thee, that he prophecieth not good to me, but euere yuel?
19 But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven surrounding him, on his right side and on his left side.
Sotheli thilke Mychee addide, and seide, Therefore here thou the word of the Lord; Y siy the Lord sittynge on his trone, and Y siy al the oost of heuene stondynge nyy hym, on the riyt side and on the left side.
20 And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
And the Lord seide, Who schal disseyue Achab, kyng of Israel, that he stye, and falle in Ramoth of Galaad? And oon seide siche wordis, and another in anothir maner.
21 Finally one [evil] spirit came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’
Sotheli a spirit yede out, and stood bifor the Lord, and seide, Y schal disseyue hym. To whom the Lord spak, In what thing?
22 Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’ The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’
And he seide, Y schal go out, and Y schal be a spirit of leesyng in the mouth of alle hise prophetis. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt disseyue, and schalt haue the maystry; go thou out, and do so.
23 So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused all of your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
Now therfor, lo! the Lord yaf a spirit of leesyng in the mouth of alle prophetis that ben here; and the Lord spak yuel ayens thee.
24 Then Zedekiah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?” [RHQ]
Forsothe Sedechie, sone of Canaan, neiyede, and smoot Mychee on the cheke, and seide, Whether the Spirit of the Lord forsook me, and spak to thee?
25 Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken to] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian troops]!”
And Mychee seide, Thou schalt se in that dai, whanne thou schalt go in to closet with ynne closet, that thou be hid.
26 King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
And the kyng of Israel seide, Take ye Mychee, and dwelle he at Amon, prince of the citee, and at Joas, the sone of Amalech;
27 Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely from the battle!”
and seie ye to hem, The kyng seith these thingis, Sende ye this man in to prisoun, and susteyne ye hym with breed of tribulacioun, and with watir of angwisch, til Y turne ayen in pees.
28 Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”
And Mychee seide, If thou schalt turne ayen in pees, the Lord spak not in me. And he seide, Here ye, alle puplis.
29 So the King of Israel and the King of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
Therfor the kyng of Israel stiede, and Josaphat, kyng of Juda, in to Ramoth of Galaad.
30 King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king]. But you should wear your (royal robe/robe that shows that you are a king).” So Ahab disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
Therfor the kyng of Israel seide to Josephat, Take thou armeris, and entre thou in to batel, and be thou clothid in thi clothis, that is, noble signes of the kyng. Certis the kyng of Israel chaungide hise clothing, and entride in to batel.
31 The King of Syria told this to his thirty-two men who were driving the chariots: “Attack only the king of Israel!”
Sotheli the kyng of Sirie hadde comaundid to two and thritti princes of charis, and seide, Ye schulen not fiyte ayens ony man lesse, ethir more, no but ayens the kyng of Israel oonli.
32 So when the men who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing (his royal robes/clothes that showed he was the king)], they pursued him. They shouted, “There is the king of Israel!” But when Jehoshaphat cried out,
Therfor whanne the princes of charis hadden seyn Josephat, thei suposiden that he was king of Israel, and bi feersnesse maad thei fouyten ayens hym.
33 they realized that he was not the king of Israel. So they stopped pursuing him.
And Josephat criede; and the princis of charis vndurstoden, that it was not the king of Israel, and thei ceessiden fro hym.
34 But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been severely wounded!”
Sotheli sum man bente a bowe, and dresside an arowe in to vncerteyn, and bi hap he smoot the kyng of Israel bitwixe the lunge and the stomak. And the kyng seide to his charietere, Turne thin hond, and cast me out of the oost, for Y am woundid greuousli.
35 The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian troops. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of the chariot. And late in the afternoon he died.
Therfor batel was ioyned in that dai, and the kyng of Israel stood in his chare ayens men of Sirie, and he was deed at euentid. Forsothe the blood of the wounde fletide doun in to the bothome of the chare.
36 Just as the sun was going down, someone among the Israeli troops shouted, “[The battle is ended!] Everyone should return home!”
And a criere sownede in al the oost, before that the sunne yede doun, and seide, Ech man turne ayen in to his citee, and in to his lond.
37 So king Ahab died, and they took his body [in the chariot] to Samaria [city] and buried his body there.
Forsothe the kyng was deed, and was borun in to Samarie; and thei birieden the kyng of Samarie.
38 They washed his chariot alongside the pool in Samaria, a pool where the prostitutes bathed. And dogs [came and] licked the king’s blood, just like Yahweh had predicted would happen.
And thei waischiden his chare in the cisterne of Samarie, and doggis lickiden his blood, and thei wayschiden the reynes, bi the word of the Lord whiche he hadde spoke.
39 The account/record of the other things that happened while Ahab was ruling, and about the palace decorated with much ivory [that they built for him], and the cities that were built for him, was written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.
Sotheli the residue of wordis of Achab, and alle thingis whiche he dide, and the hows of yuer which he bildide, and of alle citees whiche he bildide, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?
40 When Ahab died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried. Then his son Ahaziah became king.
Therfor Achab slepte with hise fadris, and Ocozie, his sone, regnede for hym.
41 Before King Ahab died, when he had been ruling in Israel for four years, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat started to rule in Judah.
Forsothe Josephat, sone of Asa, bigan to regne on Juda in the fourthe yeer of Achab, kyng of Israel.
42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
Josephat was of fyue and thretti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnede fyue and twenti yeer in Jerusalem; the name of his modir was Azuba, douyter of Salai.
43 Jehoshaphat was a good king, just like his father Asa had been. He did things that pleased Yahweh. But while he was king, he did not remove all the pagan altars [that the people had built] on the hilltops. So the people continued to offer sacrifices [to idols] on those altars and burned incense there.
And he yede in al the weye of Asa, his fadir, and bowide not fro it; and he dide that, that was riytful in the siyt of the Lord. Netheles he dide not awey hiy thingis, for yit the puple made sacrifice, and brente encense in hiy places.
44 Jehoshaphat also made [a] peace [agreement] with the king of Israel.
And Josephat hadde pees with the king of Israel.
45 All the other things that happened while Jehoshaphat was ruling, and the great things that he did and the victories his [troops] won, are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
Sotheli the residue of wordis of Josephat, and the werkis and batels, whiche he dide, whethir these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Juda?
46 Jehoshaphat’s father Asa [had tried to expel] the male prostitutes that stayed at the pagan shrines, but some of them were still there. Jehoshaphat got rid of them.
But also he took awey fro the loond the relikis of men turned in to wymmens condiciouns, that leften in the daies of Aza, his fadir.
47 At that time, there was no king in Edom; a ruler who had been appointed by Jehoshaphat ruled there.
Nethir a kyng was ordeyned thanne in Edom.
48 Jehoshaphat [ordered some Israeli men to] build a fleet/group of ships to sail [south] to [the] Ophir [region] to get gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber/Elath, so the ships never sailed.
Forsothe king Josephat made schippis in the see, that schulden seile in to Ophir for gold, and tho myyten not go, for thei weren brokun in Asiongaber.
49 Before the ships were wrecked, Ahab’s son Ahaziah suggested to Jehoshaphat, “Allow my sailors to go with your sailors,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
Thanne Ocozie, sone of Achab, seide to Josephat, My seruauntis go with thine in schippis.
50 When Jehoshaphat died, his [body] was buried where his ancestors were buried in [Jerusalem, ] the city where King David [had ruled]. Then Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram became king.
And Josephat nolde. And Josephat slepte with hise fadris, and was biried with hem in the citee of Dauid, his fadir; and Joram, his sone, regnede for hym.
51 Before King Jehoshaphat died, when he had been ruling in Judah for 17 years, Ahab’s son Ahaziah began to rule in Israel. Ahaziah ruled in Samaria for two years.
Forsothe Ocozie, sone of Achab, bigan to regne on Israel, in Samarie, in the seuenetenthe yeer of Josephat, kyng of Juda; and Ocozie regnede on Israel twei yeer.
52 He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil, doing the [evil] things that his father and mother had done and the evil things that Jeroboam had done—the king who had led all the Israeli people to sin [by worshiping idols].
And he dide yuel in the siyt of the Lord, and yede in the wey of his fadir, and of his modir, and in the weie of Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne.
53 Ahaziah bowed in front of Baal’s idol and worshiped it. That caused Yahweh, the God who was the true God of the Israeli people, to become very angry, just as Ahaziah’s father had caused Yahweh to become angry.
And he seruyde Baal, and worschipide hym, and wraththide the Lord God of Israel, bi alle thingis whiche his fadir hadde do.
