1   Naaman, the prince of chyualrye of the kyng of Cyrye, was a grete man anentis

his lord, and a wirschipide; by hym forsothe the Lord &yogh;aue helth to Cyrye; forsothe he was a stronge man and riche, but mesell. 2   Forsothe fro Cyrye wenten out lytyll theeues, and thei haden brou&yogh;t fro the lond of Yrael a lytill chyld womman caytife, that was in the seruyce of the wiyf of Naaman. 3   The whiche seith to hir lady, Wolde God, my lord were at a prophete that is in Samarye; forsothe he schulde han helyde hym fro the lepre that he hath. 4   And so Naaman wente in to his lord, and tolde to hym, seyinge, Thus and thus spake the chyld womman of the lond of Yrael. 5   And so the kyng of Cyrye seyde to hym, Go, and I schal sende letters to the kyng of Yrael. The whiche whann was gon, and hade take with hym tenn talentis of syluer, and sexe thousand platis of gold, and tenn chaungynge maner of clothis, 6   he tooke to the kyng of Yrael lettris in to these wordis; Whanne thou takist this lettre, wyte thou, that I haue sente to thee Naaman my seruaunt, that thou hele hym fro his lepre. 7   And whanne the kyng of Yrael hade red the letters, he kutte his clothis, and seith, Whethir a god I am, that I mow slen and quycken, for he hath sente to me, that I hele a man fro his lepre? Takith heed and seeth, that occasiouns he sechith a&yogh;eyns me. 8   The whiche whanne Helisee, the man of God, hadde herde, that is, the kyng of Yrael to han kutte his clothis, he sente to hym, seyinge, Why hast thou kutte thy clothis? come he to me, and wyte a prophete to be in Yrael. 9   Thanne Naaman came with hors and chaaris, and stood at the dore of the hous of Helisee. 10   And Helisee sente to hym a messanger, seyinge, Goo, and be waschen seuen sithis in Jordan; and thi flesche schal receyuen helth, and thou schalt be clensed. 11   Naaman wroth wente aweye,

seyinge, I wende that he schulde goon oute to me, and stondynge schulde inwardly clepen the name of his God, and touche with his hond the place of the lepre, and helen me. 12   Whethir not beter ben Abana and Pharphar, the floodis of Damask, thanne alle the waters of Yrael, that I be waschen in hem, and be clensede? 13   Whann thann he hadde turnyde hymsilf, and goon aweye endeynynge, wenten to hym his seruauntis, and speken to hym, Fader, and &yogh;if a grete thinge the prophete hadde seide to thee, certis thou owedist to done; myche more for nowe he seyde to thee, Be wasched, and thou schalt be clansede. 14   He wente doun, and wasche in Jordane seuen sithis, aftir the worde of the man of God; and the flesche of hym is restorid as the flesche of a litil chyld, and he is clensed. 15   And turned a&yogh;ein to the man of God with alle his felawschip came, and stood before hym; and seith, Vereyly I woot, that ther is noon other God in all erth, bot oonly the God of Yrael; also, I beseche, that thou take a blissynge of thi seruaunt. 16   And he answerde, The Lord lyueth before whom I stonde, for I schal not taken. And whanne forsynge he made, vtturly he assentyde not. 17   And so Naaman seide, As thou wilt; bot, I beseche, graunte to me, thi seruaunt, that I take two burdowns charge fro the lond; forsothe thi seruaunt schal no more make brent sacrifice, or slayn sacrifice, to alyen goddis, bot to the Lord. 18   This forsothe oonly is, of the whiche thou preye the Lord for thi seruaunt, whanne my lord goth in to the temple of Remmon, that he honoure, and hym lenynge vpon myn hond, &yogh;if I honoure in the temple of Remmon, he honouryng in the same place, that the Lord for&yogh;eue to me, thi seruaunt, for this thing.

19   The whiche seide to hym, Goo in pese. Thann he &yogh;eede fro hym the chosen tyme of the lond. 20   And Giazi, the childe of the man of God, seide, My lord hath sparede to this Naaman Cyro, that he take not of hym that he brou&yogh;te; the Lord liueth, for I schal rennen aftir hym, and I schal taken of hym sumwhate. 21   And Giazi folowede aftir the bac of Naaman; whom whan he hade seen rennynge to hym, he `leep doun of the chaar in to a&yogh;ein commynge of hym; and seith, Whether ri&yogh;t ben alle thingis? 22   And he seith, Ri&yogh;t; my lord sente me to thee, seyinge, Nowe ben commen to me two yonge men fro the hyll of Effraym, of the sonys of prophetes; &yogh;eue to hem a talent of syluer, and double chaungynge clothis. 23   And Naaman seyde, Beter it is that thou take two talentis. And he constreyned hym; and he boond two talentis of syluer in two baggis, and double clothis, and putte to his two chylder, the whiche and bern before hym. 24   And whanne he was commyn nowe at euen, he tooke fro the hond of hem, and leyde up in the house; and he laft the men, and they wenten aweye. 25   He forsothe goon in stode bifore his lord. And Helisee seyde, Whenns comyst thou, Giezi? The whiche answerde, Thi seruaunt &yogh;eede not o whydre. 26   And he seith, Whether myn hert was not in present, whanne the man turnede a&yogh;ein fro his chaar in to a&yogh;ein commynge of thee? Nowe thanne thou hast taken syluer, and taken clothes, that thou bye olyuis, and vinis, and scheep, and oxen, and seruauntis, and hond wymmen; 27   bot and the leepre of Naaman schal cleue to thee, and to thi seede in to euermore. And he wente out from hym mesell as snowe.

Previous section

Next section