The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXIII.

[verse 1] Forsothe in the seuenthe ȝeer Joiada [Joiada the bischop INS.] was coumfortid, and took [he took to him INS.] centuriouns, that is [is to wite I.] , Azarie, sone [the sone INS.] of Jeroboam, and Ismael, the sone of Johannam, and Aza|rie, the sone of Obeth, and Maasie, the sone of Adaie, and Elisaphat, the sone of Zechri; and he made with hem a [Om. INS.] counsel and a boond of pees. [verse 2] Which [The which I.] cumpassiden Juda, and gaderiden [thei gaderiden INS.] togidere dekenes of alle the citees of Juda, and [and thei gaderiden togidere IS.] the princes of the meynees of Israel, and camen [thei camen INS.] in to Jerusalem. [verse 3] Therfor [And INS.] al the multitude made [maade togidre S.] couenaunt in the hows of the Lord with the kyng. And Joiada [Joiada the bishope S.] seide to hem, Lo [Lo! Joas INS.] ! the [Om. NS.] sone of the kyng schal regne, as the Lord spak on the sones of Dauid. [verse 4] Therfor this is the word [word either heest S.] , which [that INS.] ȝe schu|len do. [verse 5] The thridde part of ȝou that [whiche NS.] ben comun to the sabat, of preestis, and of dekenes, and of porterys, schal be in the ȝatis [ȝatis kepyng S.] ; sotheli [and INS.] the [a N.] thridde part schal be [be wacchyng S.] at the hows of the kyng; and the thridde [oother thridde IS.] part schal be at the ȝate, which [that INS.] is clepid of the foundement. Forsothe [And INS.] al the tother [oother IS.] comyn puple be [be it S.] in the large places [place S.] of [verse 6] the hows of the Lord; and noon other man entre in to the hows of the Lord, no but preestis, and thei that mynystren [seruen INS.] of [or S.] the [Om. I.] dekenes [dekenes in the temple IS.] ; oneli entre thei, that ben halewid [halewid in to the temple IS.] , and al the tother [oother IS.] comyn puple kepe [kepe thei INS.] the kepyngis of the Lord. [verse 7] For|sothe [And INS.] the dekenes cumpasse [cumpasse thei INS.] the kyng, and ech man haue [haue he INS.] hise armuris; and if ony othere man [Om. N.] entrith [entre INS.] in to the temple,

be he slayn; and be thei [the dekens INS.] with the kyng entrynge [entrynge ynne INS.] and goynge out. [verse 8] Therfor the dekenes and al Juda diden bi alle thingis, which Joiada, the bischop, hadde co|maundid [comaundid to hem S.] ; and alle [alle thei IS.] token the men, that weren with hem, and camen [thei camen to Jerusalem IS.] bi the ordre of sabat [the sabat INS.] with hem, that hadden `fillid now [now fulfillid INS.] the sabat, and schulen go [haue go IS. han go N.] out [out thenns IS.] . [verse 9] For Joiada, the bischop, suffride not the cum|penyes to go awei [awei fro the temple INS.] , that [whiche INS.] weren wont [woned I.] to come [come thidur N.] oon after `the tother [an oother INS.] bi ech wouke. And Joiada, the preest, ȝaf to the centu|riouns speris, and scheeldis, and bokeleris of kyng Dauid, whiche [the whiche weepyns I. which weepens S.] he [Dauid IN. king Dauith S.] hadde halewid in to [Om. N.] the hows of the Lord. [verse 10] And he [Joiada INS.] or|deynede al the puple, of hem `that helden [whiche hadden NS. that holden O.] swerdis, at [to be at NS.] the riȝt side of the temple `til to [vnto I. lastinge vnto NS. to X.] the left side of the temple, bifor the auter and [of AS.] the temple, bi cumpas [the enuyroun INS. the cumpas plures.] of the king. [verse 11] And thei ledden out [out Joas INS.] the sone of the kyng, and [and thei INS.] settiden [setten IS.] a diademe on [upon IS.] hym [his heed INS.] ; and thei ȝauen to hym in his hond the lawe [lawe of God NS.] to be holdun, and thei maden hym kyng. And Joiada, the bischop, and his sones anoyntiden hym; and thei pre|iden [preieden to God S.] hertli, and seiden, The kyng lyue [liue he welsumli S.] ! [verse 12] And whanne Athalia hadde herd this thing, that is, the vois of men rennynge and preisynge the [a NS.] kyng, sche entride to [into S.] the puple, in to the temple of the Lord. [verse 13] And whanne sche hadde seyn the kyng stondynge on [at INS.] the grees in the entryng [entryng of the temple I. entryng of the temple of God S.] , and the [Om. INS.] princes and cumpenyes [the cumpenyes ç.] of knyȝtis aboute hym, and al the puple of the lond ioiynge, and sownynge [sownyng to gidre S.] with trumpis, and syngynge togidere with orguns of dyuerse kynde, and the vois of men preisynge [preisynge a kyng IS.] , sche to-rente hir clothis, and seide, Tre|souns! tresouns! [verse 14] Sotheli [And IS.] Joiada, the bi|schop, ȝede out to the centuriouns, and

princes [to princes IN. to the princis S.] of the oost, and seide [he seide IN.] to hem, Lede ȝe hir with out the `purseyntis, ethir [Om. INS.] closyngis, of the temple, and be sche slayn with outforth bi swerd; and the preest comaundide, that sche schulde not be slayn in the hows of the Lord. [verse 15] And thei [men INS.] set|tiden hondis on [upon IS.] hir nol; and whanne she hadde entrid in to the ȝate of the horsis, of the kyngis hows, thei killiden hir there. [verse 16] Forsothe Joiada couenauntide a boond of pees bitwixe him silf and al the puple and the kyng, that it schulde be the puple of the Lord. [verse 17] Therfor al the puple entride in to the hows of Baal, and distrieden [thei distrieden INS.] it, and braken [thei braken INS.] the auteris and symylacris [the symulacris INS.] therof; but thei killiden bifor the auteris Mathan, the preest of Baal. [verse 18] Forsothe [And INS.] Joiada ordeynede souereyns in the hows of the Lord, that vndur the hondis of preestis, and of dekenes, whiche [the whiche I.] Dauid departide in [into S.] the hows of the Lord, thei [men INS.] schulden offre brent sacrifices to the Lord, as it is writun in the book of Moises, in ioie and songis [in songis INS.] , by the ordynaunce of Dauid. [verse 19] Also he [Joiada INS.] ordeynede porteris in the ȝatis of the hows of the Lord, that an vnclene man in ony thing schulde not entre in to it. [verse 20] And he [Joiada INS.] took the [Om. IN. to him S.] centu|riouns, and strongeste [the strongeste I.] men, and princes of the puple, and al the comyn puple of the lond. And thei maden the kyng to go doun fro [of S.] the hows of the Lord, and to entre bi the myddis of the hiȝere ȝate in to the hows of the kyng; and thei set|tiden [setten I.] hym in the kyngis trone. [verse 21] And al the puple of the lond was glad, and the citee restide [restide fro werris IS.] ; forsothe [and NS.] Athalia was slayn bi swerd.