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

CAP. XI.

[verse 1] Forsothe kyng Salomon to bren|nyngly louede many hethen wymmen, the douȝter forsothe of Pharao, and Moabitis, and Amonytis, and Ydumees, [verse 2] and Cidonees, and Ethees; of the gentils, on the whiche the Lord seide to the sones of Yrael, Ȝe shulen not goon into hem, ne of hem shulen goon out to ȝou; moost certeynli forsothe thei shulen turne aweie ȝoure hertis, that ȝe folwen the goddis of hem. And so to thes is couplid kyng Salomon, bi moost brennynge loue. [verse 3] And there weren to hym wiues as queens seuen hundrid, and secoundarie wiues thre hundrid; and wymmen turn|eden awey the herte of hym. [verse 4] And whanne now he was oold, the herte of hym is beshrewid bi wymmen, that he folwide alien goddis; and the herte of hym was not parfit with the Lord his God, as the herte of Dauid, his fadre. [verse 5] But Salomon heryede Astertem, the goddesse of Sydo|nyes, and Chamos, the god of Moabitis, and Moloch, the mawmet of Amonytees; [verse 6] and Salomon dide that was not plesynge before [to forn E.] the Lord, and he fulfillide not that he folwe the Lord, as Dauid, his fader. [verse 7] Thanne Salomon beeldide [bilde C.] vp the temple of Chamos to the mawmet of Moab, in the hil that is aȝens Jerusalem, and to Moloch, the mawmet of the sones of Amon. [verse 8] And in this maner he dide to alle his heythen wyues, that brenden en|cense, and offreden to her goddis. [verse 9] Ther|for the Lord wraththid to [Om. B.] Salomon, for|thi that his mynde was turned aweie fro the Lord God of Irael; the which aper|ide [verse 10]

to hym the secounde, and hadde co|maundid of this word, that he shulde not folwe alyen goddis; and he kepte not that, that the Lord comaundyde to hym. [verse 11] And so the Lord seide to Salomon, For thou haddist this anentis thee, and keptist not my couenant, and myn heestis, the whiche I comaundide to thee, brekynge I shal kitte thi [the A.] rewme, and ȝeuen it to thi ser|uant. [verse 12] Neuerthelater in thi days I shal not doon, for Dauid, thi fader; fro the [verse 13] hoond of thi sone I shal kutte it; and al the rewme I shal not doon a wey, but o lynage I shal ȝyue to thi sone, for Dauid, my seruaunt, and Jerusalem, that I haue chosen. [verse 14] The Lord forsothe reride an ad|uersary to Salomon, Adad Ydume, of the kyngis seed, that was in Edom. [verse 15] Forsothe whanne Dauid was in Ydume, and Joab, the prince of chyualrie, hadde styed vp to byrye hem that weren slayn, and [verse 16] hadde slayn al maal in Ydume; forsothe sexe monethis there dwellide Joab, and al Irael, to the tyme that thei hadden [verse 17] slayn al maal in Ydume; he Adad fleeiȝ, and Ydume men, of the seruauntis of his fadir, with hym, that he goo into Egipt; forsothe Adad was a litil child. [verse 18] And whanne thei hadden rysen fro Madian, thei camen into Pharan; and thei token with hem men of Pharan, and wenten into Egipt, to Pharao, the kyng of Egipt; the which ȝaf to hym an hows, and or|deynde meetis, and a loond asignede. [verse 19] And Adad foonde grace before Pharao ful myche, in so myche that he ȝaf to hym a wijf, the sister germayn of his wiif Taphnes, the queen. [verse 20] And the sister of Taphnes gat to hym Jenebath, a sone; and Taphnes norishide hym in the hows of Pharao; and Jenebath was dwellynge before Pharao, with his sones. [verse 21] And whanne Adad hadde herd in Egipt, Da|uid to haue slept with his fadris, and

Joab, prynce of chyualrie, to be deed, he seide to Pharao, Lete me, that I goo into my loond. [verse 22] And Pharao seide to hym, What thing forsothe anentis me nedist thow, that thou seche to goo to thi loond? And he answerde, Noon; but I preye thee, that thou lete me. [verse 23] Forsothe God reryde to hym an aduersarie, Rason, sone of Eliadan, that fleiȝ Adadezer, kyng [verse 24] of Soba, his lord; and he gadride aȝens hym men, and he is maad prince of theues, whanne Dauid shulde haue slayn hem; and thei wenten to Damasch, and dwelliden there; and thei ordeyneden hym a kyng in Damasch. [verse 25] And he was an aduersarie to Irael alle the days of Salomon; and this is the yuel of Adad, and haat aȝen Yrael; and he regnede in Cyrye. [verse 26] Forsothe Jeroboam, the sone of Nabath, Eufrate of Seredera, seruaunt of Salomon, whos moder was a womman widwe, Serua bi name; and he reride the hoond aȝens the kyng. [verse 27] And this the cause of the rebellioun aȝens hym; for Salomon beeldide Mello, and euenede the swelwȝ of the citee of Dauid, his fader. [verse 28] Forsothe Jeroboam was a myȝti man, and a strong; and Salomon seynge the ȝonge waxynge man of good witte, and able to be tauȝt, he made hym a prefect vpon the tributis [lynagis E pr. m.] of al the hows of Joseph. [verse 29] It is doon thanne in that tyme, that Jero|boam shulde goon out fro Jerusalem; and Ahyas Silonyte, prophete, foonde him in the weye, couerde with a newe man|til; forsothe thei two weren alone in the feelde. [verse 30] And Ahyas takynge hys newe mantil, with the which he was couerde, kitte into twelue parties. [verse 31] And he seith to Jeroboam, Tak to thee ten kyttyngis; thes thingis forsothe seith the Lord God of Yrael, Loo! I shal kitte the rewme fro the hoond of Salomon, and I shal [verse 32] ȝyue to thee ten lynagis; but o lynage

shal leeue to hym, for my seruaunt Da|uid, and Jerusalem, the citee that I haue [verse 33] chosen of alle the lynagis of Irael; forthi that he forsook me, and honourde Astar|tem, goddesse of Sydonees, and Chamos, god of Moab, and Moloch, god of the sonys of Amon; and he wente not in my weyes, that he dide riȝtwisnesse before me, and my heestis, and my domys, as Dauid, his fader. [verse 34] Ne I shal not doo aweye al the rewme fro his hoond, but I shal putte hym a duyk alle the days of his lijf, for Dauid, my seruaunt, whom I chees, the which kepte myn heestis, and my maundementis. [verse 35] I shal doo aweye forsothe the rewme fro the hoond of his sone, I shal ȝyue to thee the ten lynagys; [verse 36] to his sone forsothe I shal ȝyue o lynage, that there abyde stille a lantern to Da|uid, my seruaunt, alle dais before me in Jerusalem, citee that I chees, that there were my name. [verse 37] Forsothe thee I shall take, and thou shalt regne vpon alle thingis that thi soule desyrith, and thou shalt be kyng vpon Yrael. [verse 38] If thanne thou herist alle thingis that I shal co|maunde to thee, and gost in my weies, and dost that is riȝt before me, kepynge my maundementis, and myn heestis, as Dauid, my seruaunt, dide, I shal be with thee, and beelde to thee a trewe hows, what maner wise I beeldide to Dauid an hows, and I shal take to thee Yrael; [verse 39] and I shal tourmente the seed of Dauid vpon this, neuerthelater not alle dais. [verse 40] Thanne Salomon wolde slee Jeroboam, the whiche roos, and fleiȝ into Egipt, to Su|saach, the kyng of Egipt; and he was in Egipt vnto the deeth of Salomon. [verse 41] Forsothe the remnaunt of the wordis of Salomon, and alle thingis that he dide, and the wisdom of him, loo! alle thei ben writyn in the boke of the wordis of the dais of Salomon. [verse 42] Forsothe the dais the whyche Salomon regnede in Jerusa|lem

vpon al Yrael, ben fourti ȝeer. [verse 43] And Salomon slept with his faders, and is biried in the citee of Dauid, his fader; and Roboam, his sone, regnede for him.