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¹ In the thridde yeer of Osee, sone of Hela, kyng of Israel, regnyde Ezechie, sone of Achaz, kyng of Juda.² He was of fyue and twenti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnyde in Jerusalem nyne and twenti yeer; the name of his modir was Abisa, douyter of Zacharie.³ And he dide that, that was good bifor the Lord, bi alle thingis, which Dauid, his fadir, hadde do.⁴ And he distriede hiye places, and al to-brak ymagis, and kittide doun wodis, and he brak the brasun serpent, whom Moyses hadde maad; for `til to that tyme the sones of Israel brenten encense to it; and he clepide the name therof Noestam.<sup>5</sup> And he hopide in the Lord God of Israel; therfor aftir hym noon was lijk hym of alle the kyngis of Juda, but `and nether in tho kyngis that weren bifor hym.⁶ And he cleuyde to the Lord, and yede not awei fro hise steppis, and he dide the comaundementis of the Lord, whiche the Lord comaundide to Moises;⁷ wherfor and the Lord was with hym, and he gouernede wiseli hym silf in alle thingis, to whiche he yede forth. Also he rebellide ayens the kyng of Assiriens, and therfor he seruede not to `that kyng of Asseriens;<sup>8</sup> and he smoot Philisteis `til to Gazam, and alle the termes of hem, fro the tour of keperis `til to a citee maad strong.

⁹ In the fourthe yeer of kyng Ezechie, that was the seuenthe yeer of Osee, sone of Hela, kyng of Israel, Salmanazar, kyng of Assiriens, stiede to Samarie,¹⁰ and fauyt ayens it, and took it. For after thre yeer, in the sixte yeer of Ezechie, that is, in the nynthe yeer of Osee, kyng of Israel, Samarie was takun;¹¹ and the kyng of Assiriens translatide Israel in to Assiriens, and settyde hem in Haila, and in Habor, ryueris of Gozam, in the citees of Medeis;¹² for thei herden not the vois of her Lord God, but thei braken his couenaunt; thei herden not, nether diden alle thingis, whiche Moises, the seruaunt of the Lord, comaundide.¹³ In the fourtenthe yeer of kyng Ezechie, Senacherub, kyng of Assiryens, stiede to alle the strengthide citees of Juda, and took tho.¹⁴ Thanne Ezechie, kyng of Juda, sente messangeris to the kyng of Assiriens in to Lachis, and seide, Y haue synned; go awei fro me, and Y schal bere `al thing, which thou schalt putte to me. Therfor the kyng of Asseriens puttide on Ezechie, kyng of Juda, thre hundrid talentis of siluer, and thretti talentis of gold.¹⁵ And Ezechie yaf al the siluer, that was foundun in the hows of the Lord, and in the kyngis tresories.¹⁶ In that tyme Ezechie brak the yatis of the temple of the Lord, and the platis of gold, whiche he hadde fastned, and he yaf tho to the kyng of Assiriens.

¹⁷ Forsothe the kyng of Assiriens sente Thercha and Rabsaces fro Lachis to kyng Ezechie, with strong hond to Jerusalem; and whanne thei hadden stied, thei camen to Jerusalem, and stoden bisidis the water cundijt of the hiyere cisterne, which is in the weie of the fullere, `ethir toukere.<sup>18</sup> And thei clepiden the kyng; sotheli Eliachym, sone of Elchie, the souereyn of the hows, and Sobna, scryueyn, and Joahe, chaunseler, the sone of Asaph, yeden out to hem.<sup>19</sup> And Rabsaces seide to hem, Speke ye to Ezechie, The grete kyng, the kyng of Assiriens, seith these thingis, What is this trist, in which thou enforsist?<sup>20</sup> In hap thou hast take counsel, that thou woldist make thee redi to batel. In whom tristist thou, that thou be hardi to rebelle?<sup>21</sup> Whethir thou hopist in a `staf of rehed and brokun, Egipt, on which, if a man lenith, it schal be brokun, and schal entre in to hys hond, and schal peerse it? So is Farao, kyng of Egipt, to alle men that tristen on hym.²² That if thou seist to me, We han trist in `oure Lord God; whether this is not he, whos hiye thingis and auteris Ezechie took awei, and comaundide to Juda and to Jerusalem, Ye schulen worschipe bifor this auter in Jerusalem?<sup>23</sup> Now therfor passe ye to my lord, the kyng of Assiriens, and Y schal yyue to you twei thousynde of horsis, and se ye, whether ye moun haue rideris of `tho horsis?²⁴ And hou moun ye withstonde bifor o prince of the leste seruauntis of my lord? Whether thou hast trist in Egipt, for charis and knyytis?²⁵ Whether Y stiede with outen `Goddis wille to this place, that Y schulde distrie it? `The Lord seide to me, `Stie thou to this lond, and distrie thou it.<sup>26</sup> Forsothe Eliachym, sone of Elchie, and Sobna, and Joahe, seiden to Rabsaces, We preien, that thou speke bi the langage of Sirie to vs, thi seruauntis; for we vndirstondun this langage; and that thou speke not to vs bi the langage of Juwis, while the puple herith, which is on the wal.<sup>27</sup> And Rabsaces answeride, `and seide, Whethir my lord sente me to thi lord and to thee, that Y schulde speke these wordis, and not rather to the men `that sitten on the wal, that thei ete her toordis, and drynke her pisse with you?²⁸ Therfor Rabsaces stood, and criede with greet vois bi langage of Jewis, and seide, Here ye the wordis of the greet kyng, the kyng of Assiriens.²⁹ The kyng seith these thingis, Ezechie disceyue not you, for he may not delyuere you fro myn hond;³⁰ nether yyue he trist to you on the Lord, and seie, The Lord delyuerynge schal delyuere vs, and this citee shal not be bitakun in the hond of the kyng of Assiriens;³¹ nyle ye here Ezechie. For the kyng of Assiriens seith these thingis, Do ye with me that, that is profitable to you, and go ye out to me; and eche man schal ete of his vyner, and of his fige tree, and ye schulen drynke watris of youre cisternes,³² til Y come, and translate you in to a lond which is lijk youre lond, in to a fruytful lond, and plenteuouse of wyn, a lond of breed, and of vineris, a lond of olyue trees, and of oile, and of hony; and ye schulen lyue, and ye schulen not die. Nyle ye here Ezechie, that disseyueth you, and seith, The Lord schal delyuere yow.³³ Whether the goddis of hethene men delyueriden her lond fro the hond of the kyng of Assiriens?³⁴ Where is god of Emath, and of Arphat? Where is god of Sapharuaym, of Ana, and of Aua? Whether thei delyueriden Samarie fro myn hond?³⁵ For who ben thei in alle goddis of londis, that delyueriden her cuntrey fro myn hond, that the Lord may delyuere Jerusalem fro myn hoond?³⁶ Therfor the puple was stille, and answeride not ony thing to hym; for thei hadden take comaundement of the kyng, that thei schulden not answere to hym.³⁷ And Eliachym, sone of Elchie, the souereyn of the hows, and Sobna, scryuen, and Joahe, chaunceler, the sone of Asaph, camen with to-rent clothis to Ezechie; and telden to hym the wordis of Rabsaces.