[1]And it was don in the fourtenthe yeer of kyng Ezechie, Sennacherib, the kyng of Assiriens, stiede on alle the stronge citees of Juda, and took tho.
[2]And the kyng of Assiriens sente Rapsases fro Lachis to Jerusalem, to kyng Ezechie, with greet power; and he stood at the watir cundit of the hiyere sisterne, in the weie of the feeld of a fullere.
[3]And Eliachym, the sone of Elchie, that was on the hous, yede out to hym, and Sobna, the scryuen, and Joae, the sone of Asaph, the chaunceler.
[4]And Rapsases seide to hem, Seie ye to Ezechie, The greet king, the king of Assiriens, seith these thingis, What is the trist, in which thou tristist?
[5]ethir bi what councele ether strengthe disposist thou for to rebelle? on whom hast thou trist, for thou hast go awei fro me?
[6]Lo! thou tristist on this brokun staf of rehed, on Egipt, on which if a man restith, it schal entre in to his hoond, and schal perse it; so doith Farao, the kyng of Egipt, to alle men that tristen in hym.
[7]That if thou answerist to me, We tristen in oure Lord God; whether it is not he, whose hiye places and auteris Esechie dide awei, and he seide to Juda and to Jerusalem, Ye schulen worschipe bifore this auter?
[8]And now bitake thee to my lord, the kyng of Assiriens, and Y schal yyue to thee twei thousynde of horsis, and thou maist not yyue of thee stieris of tho horsis.
[9]And hou schalt thou abide the face of the iuge of o place of the lesse seruauntis of my lord? That if thou tristist in Egipt, and in cartis, and in knyytis;
[10]and now whethir Y stiede to this lond with out the Lord, that Y schulde distrie it? The Lord seide to me, Stie thou on this lond, and distrie thou it.
[11]And Eliachym, and Sobna, and Joae, seiden to Rapsaces, Speke thou to thi seruauntis bi the langage of Sirie, for we vndurstonden; speke thou not to vs bi the langage of Jewis in the eeris of the puple, which is on the wal.
[12]And Rapsaces seide to hem, Whether mi lord sente me to thi lord, and to thee, that Y schulde speke alle these wordis, and not rathere to the men that sitten on the wal, that thei ete her toordis, and drynke the pisse of her feet with you?
[13]And Rapsaces stood, and criede with greet vois in the langage of Jewis, and seide, Here ye the wordis of the greet kyng, the kyng of Assiriens.
[14]The kyng seith these thingis, Esechie disseyue not you, for he may not delyuere you;
[15]and Ezechie yyue not to you trist on the Lord, and seie, The Lord delyuerynge schal delyuere vs; this citee schal not be youun in to the hoond of the kyng of Assiriens.
[16]Nyle ye here Ezechie. For whi the kyng of Assiriens seith these thingis, Make ye blessyng with me, and go ye out to me; and ete ye ech man his vyner, and ech man his fige tre, and drynke ye ech man the water of his cisterne,
[17]til Y come, and take awei you to a lond which is as youre lond; to a lond of whete and of wyn, to a lond of looues and of vyneris.
[18]Ezechie disturble not you, and seie, The Lord schal delyuere vs. Whether the goddis of folkis delyuereden ech his lond fro the hond of the kyng of Assiriens?
[19]Where is the god of Emath, and of Arphat? Where is the god of Sepharuaym? Whethir thei delyueriden Samarie fro myn hond?
[20]Who is of alle goddis of these londis, that delyueride his lond fro myn hond, that the Lord delyuere Jerusalem fro myn hond?
[21]And thei weren stille, and answeriden not to hym a word. For whi the kyng comaundide to hem, and seide, Answere ye not to him.
[22]And Eliachym, the sone of Elchie, that was on the hous, and Sobna, the scryueyn, and Joae, the sone of Asaph, chaunceler, entriden with to-rent clothis to Ezechie, and telde to hym the wordis of Rapsaces.
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