2 Chronicles 18

1 Therfor Josaphat was riche and ful noble, and bi affynyte, `ethir alie, he was ioyned to Achab.

Now Josaphat was rich and very glorious, and was joined by affinity to Achab.

2 And aftir yeeris he cam doun to hym in to Samarie; at whos comyng Achab killide ful many wetheris and oxis, and to the puple that cam with hym; and he counseilide hym to stie in to Ramoth of Galaad.

And he went down to him after some years to Samaria: and Achab at his coming killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people that came with him: and he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth Galaad.

3 And Achab, the kyng of Israel, seide to Josaphat, kyng of Juda, Come thou with me in to Ramoth of Galaad. To whom he answeride, As and Y am, thou art; as thi puple, so and my puple; and we schulen be with thee in batel.

And Achab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda: Come with me to Ramoth Galaad. And he answered him: Thou art as I am, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war.

4 And Josaphat seide to the kyng of Israel, Y biseche, counsele thou in present tyme the word of the Lord.

And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, at present the word of the Lord.

5 Therfor the kyng of Israel gaderide togidere foure hundrid `men of prophetis, and seide to hem, Owen we to go in to Ramath of Galaad for to fiyte, ethir `take reste? And thei seiden, Stie ye, and God schal bitake in the hond of the king.

So the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or shall we forbear? But they said: Go up, and God will deliver it into the king’s hand.

6 And Josaphat seide, Whether no profete of the Lord is here, that we `axe also of hym?

And Josaphat said: Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire also of him?

7 And the kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, O man is, of whom we `moun axe the wille of the Lord, but and Y hate hym, for he prophecieth not good, but yuel to me in al tyme; sothely it is Mychee, the sone of Jebla. And Josaphat seide to hym, Kyng, speke thou not in this maner.

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man, of whom we may ask the will of the Lord: but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: and it is Micheas the son of Jemla. And Josaphat said: Speak not thus, O king.

8 Therfor the kyng of Israel clepide oon of the geldyngis, and seide to hym, Clepe thou soone Mychee, the sone of Jebla.

And the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: Call quickly Micheas the son of Jemla.

9 Forsothe the kyng of Israel and Josaphat, the kyng of Juda, saten euer eithir in his seete, and weren clothid in kyngis aray; forsothe thei saten in the cornfloor, `ether large hows, bisidis the yate of Samarie; and alle the prophetis profesieden bifor hem.

Now the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, both sat on their thrones, clothed in royal robes, and they sat in the open court by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.

10 Forsothe Sedechie, the sone of Cananee, made to hym yrone hornes, and seide, The Lord seith these thingis, With these thou schalt wyndewe Sirie, til thou al to-brake it.

And Sedecias the son of Chanaana made him horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou destroy it.

11 And alle prophetis profesieden in lijk maner, and seiden, Stie thou in to Ramoth of Galaad, and thou schalt haue prosperite; and the Lord schal bitake hem in to the hondis of the kyng.

And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said: Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the king’s hand.

12 Forsothe the messanger, that yede to clepe Mychee, seide to hym, Lo! the wordis of alle prophetis tellen with o mouth goodis to the kyng; therfor, Y preye thee, that thi word disente not fro hem, and that thou speke prosperitees.

And the messenger that went to call Micheas, said to him: Behold the words of all the prophets with one mouth declare good to the king: I beseech thee therefore let not thy word disagree with them, and speak thou also good success.

13 To whom Mychee answeride, The Lord lyueth, for what euer thingis my Lord spekith to me, Y schal speke these thingis. Therfor he cam to the kyng.

And Micheas answered him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God shall say to me, that will I speak.

14 To whom the kyng seide, Mychee, owen we go in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiyte, ether take reste? To whom he answeride, Stie ye, for alle prosperitees schulen come, and enemyes schulen be bitakun in to youre hondis.

So he came to the king: and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or forbear? And he answered him: Go up, for all shall succeed prosperously, and the enemies shall be delivered into your hands.

15 And the kyng seide, Eft and eft Y charge thee, that thou speke not to me no but that that is soth in the name of the Lord.

And the king said: I adjure thee again and again to say nothing but the truth to me, in the name of the Lord.

16 And he seide, Y siy al Israel scaterid in the hillis, as scheep with out scheepherde. And the Lord seide, These men han not lordis; ech man turne ayen in to his hows in pees.

Then he said: I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said: These have no masters: let every man return to his own house in peace.

17 The kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, Whether Y seide not to thee, that he profesiede not ony good to me, but tho thingis that ben yuele?

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee that this man would not prophesy me any good, but evil?

18 And therfor Mychee seide, Here ye the word of the Lord. Y siy the Lord sittynge in his trone, and al the oost of heuene stondynge nyy him at the riytside and `leftside.

Then he said: Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left.

19 And the Lord seide, Who schal disseyue Achab, the kyng of Israel, that he stie, and falle doun in Ramoth of Galaad? And whanne oon seide in this maner, and another seide in another maner, a spirit cam forth,

And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And when one spoke in this manner, and another otherwise:

20 and stood bifor the Lord, and seide, Y schal disseyue hym. To whom the Lord seide, `Wherynne, therfor schalt thou disseyue?

There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means wilt thou deceive him?

21 And he answeride, Y schal go out, and Y schal be a `fals spirit in the mouth of alle hise profetis. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt disseyue, and thou schalt haue the maystri; go thou out, and do so.

And he answered: I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive, and shalt prevail: go out, and do so.

22 Now therfor, lo! the Lord hath youe a spirit of leesyng in the mouth of alle thi prophetis, and the Lord spak yuels of thee.

Now therefore behold the Lord hath put a spirit of lying in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.

23 Forsothe Sedechie, the sone of Chananee, neiyide, and smoot `the cheke of Mychee, and seide, Bi what weye passide the Spirit of the Lord fro me to speke to thee?

And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came, and struck Micheas on the cheek and said: Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me, to speak to thee?

24 And Mychee seide, Thou thi silf schalt se in that dai, whanne thou schalt entre fro closet in to closet, that thou be hid.

And Micheas said: Thou thyself shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go in from chamber to chamber, to hide thyself.

25 Sotheli the kyng of Israel comaundide, seiynge, Take ye Mychee, and lede ye hym to Amon, prince of the citee, and to Joas, the sone of Amalech;

And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Micheas, and carry him to Amen the governor of the city, and to Joas the son of Amelech,

26 and ye schulen seie, The kyng seith these thingis, Sende ye this man in to prisoun, and yyue ye to hym a litil of breed, and a litil of watir, til Y turne ayen in pees.

And say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in prison, and give him bread and water in a small quantity till I return in peace.

27 And Mychee seide, If thou turnest ayen in pees, the Lord spak not in me. And he seide, Alle `puplis here ye.

And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all ye people.

28 Therfor the kyng of Israel, and Josaphat, the kyng of Juda, stieden in to Ramoth of Galaad.

So the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda went up to Ramoth Galaad.

29 And the kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, Y schal chaunge clothing, and so Y schal go to fiyte; but be thou clothid in thi clothis. Therfor whanne the kyng of Israel hadde chaungid clothing, he cam to batel.

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: I will change my dress, and so I will go to the battle, but put thou on thy own garments. And the king of Israel having changed his dress, went to the battle.

30 Forsothe the kyng of Sirie comaundide to the duykis of his multitude of knyytis, and seide, Fiyte ye not ayens the leeste, nether ayens the mooste; no but ayens the kyng aloone of Israel.

Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his cavalry, saying: Fight ye not with small, or great, but with the king of Israel only.

31 Therfor whanne the princes of the multitude of knyytis hadden seyn Josaphat, thei seiden, This is the kyng of Israel; and thei cumpassiden hym, and fouyten. And he criede to the Lord; and the Lord helpide hym, and turnede hem awey fro hym.

So when the captains of the cavalry saw Josaphat, they said: This is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to attack him: but he cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him.

32 Sotheli whanne the duykis of the multitude of knyytis hadden herd, that it was not the kyng of Israel, thei leften hym.

For when the captains of the cavalry saw, that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.

33 Forsothe it bifelde, that oon of the puple schette an arewe in to vncerteyn, and smoot the kyng of Israel bitwixe the necke and the schuldris. And he seide to his charietere, Turne thin hond, and lede me out of the scheltrun; for Y am woundid.

And it happened that one of the people shot an arrow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulders, and he said to his chariot man: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.

34 And the batel was endid in that dai. Certis the kyng of Israel stood in his chare ayens men of Sirye `til to euentid, and he diede, whanne the sunne yede doun.

And the fight was ended that day: but the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and died at the sunset.