Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/409

 and his  royal  lord;    and  kill  him  afterwards.'

Then the  chief  men  did  even  as  the  hateful  woman

had bidden  them  in  the  writ,  and  summoned  him  to  a  meeting,

and found  the  false  witnesses  who  belied  Naboth,  [saying]

that he  had  impiously  cursed  God

and his  royal  lord;  and  killed  him  with  stones,

and then  told  Jezebel  that  Naboth  was  not  alive.

Lo! then Jezebel  went  joyously

to the  unrighteous  king,  and  said  thus  to  him :

'Arise now  and  take  to  thee  Naboth's  vineyard,

though he  granted  it  not  to  thee;  he  is  now  lifeless.'

Then the  impious  man  arose,  and  sent

to Naboth's  vineyard,  desiring  to  take  it.

Then came,  meeting  him,  God's  prophet  Elijah,

sent from  God,  and  said  to  him  these  words,

' Thus  spake  the  Almighty  God,  "  thou  hast  slain  and  taken  possession;

even as  dogs  lapped  Naboth's  blood,

so shall  they  lap  and  lick  thy  blood;

I will  consume  thy  family,  and  destroy  thy  offspring,

because thou  hast  wearied  me,  and  misled  my  people;

and greedy  dogs  shall  eat  Jezebel." '

So then  after  some  time  Ahab  the  king  marched

against the  king  of  Syria  with  a  very  great  army,

desiring by  conquest  to  diminish  his  kingdom.

Then the  king  of  Syria  straightway  bade  his  men  take  heed

that he  [Ahab]  alone  should  fall  of  all  his  people.

Then an  archer  presently  bent  his  bow

and shot  an  arrow  as  if  uncertainly,

and smote  the  king  between  the  lungs,

that he  died,  being  the  first  that  fell  in  the  fight.

Then his  army  turned  away  very  speedily,

and brought  the  king  in  his  chariot,  thus  dead,