1 Kings 21

¹ Which answeride to hir, Y spak to Naboth of Jezrael, and Y seide to hym, Yyue thi vyner to me for money takun, ethir if it plesith thee, Y schal yyue to thee a betere vyner for it. And he seide, Y schal not yyue to thee my vyner. ² Therfor Jezabel, his wijf, seide to hym, Thou art of greet auctorite, and thou gouernest wel Israel; rise thou, and ete breed, and be thou pacient, ethir coumfortid; Y schal yyue to thee the vyner of Naboth of Jezrael. 3 Therfor sche wroot lettris in the name of Achab, and seelide tho with the ryng of hym; and sche sente to the grettere men in birthe, and to the beste men, that weren in the citee of hym, and dwelliden with Naboth. 4 Sotheli this was the sentence of the lettre; Preche ye fastyng, and make ye Naboth to sitte among the firste men of the puple; 5 and sende ye priueli twei men, the sones of Belial, ayens hym, and sey thei fals witnessyng, Naboth blesside God and the kyng; and lede ye out hym, and stoon ye him, and die he so. 6 Therfor hise citeseyns, the grettere men in birthe, and the beste men that dwelliden with hym in the citee, diden as Jezabel hadde comaundid, and as it was writun in the lettris, whiche sche hadde sent to hem. 7 Thei prechiden fastyng, and maden Naboth to sitte among the firste men of the puple; 8 and whanne twey men, sones of the deuel, weren brouyt, thei maden hem to sitte ayens hym, and thei, that is, as men of the deuel, seiden witnessyng ayens him bifor al the multitude, Naboth blesside God and the kyng; for which thing thei ledden hym with out the citee, and killiden him with stoonys. 9 And thei senten to Jezabel, and seiden, Naboth is stoonyd, and is deed. 10 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Jezabel hadde herd Naboth stonyd and deed, sche spak to Achab, Rise thou, take thou in possessioun the vyner of Naboth of Jezrael, which nolde assente to thee, and yyue it for money takun; for Naboth lyueth not, but is deed. 11 And whanne Achab hadde herd this, that is, Naboth deed, he roos, and yede doun in to the vyner of Naboth of Jezrael, to haue it in possessioun. 12 Therfor the word of the Lord was maad to Elie of Thesbi, 13 and seide, Rise thou, go doun in to the comyng of Achab, kyng of Israel, which is in Samarie; lo! he goith doun to the vyner of Naboth, that he haue it in possessioun. 14 And thou schalt speke to hym, and thou schalt seie, The Lord God seith these thingis, Thou hast slayn, ferthermore and thou hast take in possessioun; and aftir these thingis thou schalt adde, In this place, wherynne doggis lickiden the blood of Naboth, thei schulen licke also thi blood. ¹⁵ And Achab seyde to Elie, Whether thou hast founde me thin enemy? Which Elie seide, Y haue founde, for thou art seeld that thou schuldist do yuel in the siyt of the Lord. ¹⁶ Therfor the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal brynge yn on thee yuel, and Y schal kitte awey thin hyndrere thingis, and Y schal sle of Achab a pissere to the wal, and prisoned, and the laste in Israel; ¹⁷ and Y schal yyue thin hows as the hows of Jeroboam, sone of Naboth, and as the hows of Baasa, sone of Ahia; for thou didist to excite me to wrathfulnesse, and madist Israel to do synne. ¹⁸ But also the Lord spak of Jezabel, and seide, Doggis schulen ete Jezabel in the feeld of Jesrael; ¹⁹ if Achab schal die in the citee, doggis schulen ete hym; sotheli if he schal die in the feeld, briddis of the eyr schulen ete hym. ²⁰ Therfor noon other was sich as Achab, that was seeld to do yuel in the siyt of the Lord; for Jezabel his wijf excitide hym; ²¹ and he was maad abhomynable, in so myche that he suede the ydols that Ammorreis maden, which Ammorreis the Lord wastide fro the face of the sones of Israel. ²² Therfor whanne Achab hadde herd these wordis, he to-rente his cloth, and hilide his fleisch with an hayre, and he fastide, and slepte in a sak, and yede with the heed cast doun. ²³ The word of the Lord was maad to Elie of Thesbi, and seide, Whethir thou hast not seyn Achab maad low bifor me? Therfor for he is maad low for the cause of me, Y schal not brynge yn yuel in hise daies, but in the daies of his sone Y schal bryng yn yuel to his hows. ²⁶ Therfor thre yeeris passiden with out batel bitwixe Sirie and Israel. ²⁷ Forsothe in the thridde yeer Josephat, king of Juda, yede doun to the kyng of Israel. ²⁸ 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? ²⁹ And he seide to Josaphat, Whether thou schalt come with me to fiyte in to Ramoth of Galaad?