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

CAP. XXIII.

[verse 1] Joiada forsothe the seuenth ȝeer com|fortide, toke the maisters of hundrithes, Azariam, that is, the sone of Jeroboam, and Ismael, the sone of Johannan, also Azariam, the sone of Obed, and Maazi|am, the sone of Adaye, and Elisaphath, the sone of Ysecry; and he wente in with hem counseyl and pese couenaunt. [verse 2] The whiche enuyrounynge Judam, gaderden Leuytis of alle the cytees of Juda, and the princis of the meynes of Irael, and camen `in to [to ABFH.] Jerusalem. [verse 3] Thanne wente in couenaunt al the multitude in the hous of the Lord with the kyng. And Joiada seide to hem, Loo! the sone of the kyng schal regnen, as the Lord spake vpon the sonus of Dauid. [verse 4] This is thanne the word that ȝe schul done. [verse 5] The thridde part of ȝou that ben commen to the saboth, of prestis, and of Leuytis, and of porters, schal ben in the ȝaatis; the thrid for|sothe part at the hous of the kyng; and the thrid part at the ȝaate, that is clepid of the foundement. Al forsothe the tother comoun be in the porches of the hous of [verse 6] the Lord; ne eny other man comme in to the hous of the Lord, bot the prestis, and that mynystren of Leuytis; thei aloonly commen in, that ben halowed, and alle the tother comoun keepe wele the wardis of the Lord. [verse 7] The Leuytis forsothe enuyroun thei the kyng, eche hauynge their armes; ȝif eny other [other man C.] schal commyn in to the temple, be he slayn;

and be thei with the kyng commynge in and goinge out. [verse 8] Thanne the Leuytis diden, and al Juda, after alle thingis that Joiada, the bischop, hadde comaundide; and alle thei token the men, that weren vndir hem, and thei camen by ordre of the saboth with hem, that nowe hadden fulfild the saboth, and weren gon out. [verse 9] Forsothe Joiade, the bischop, hadde not leetyn the cumpanyes to [Om. C.] gon awey, the whiche weren wont by sundre weekis to comme after to hem selue. And Joiada, the prest, ȝaf to the leders of hundrithis speres, and tergetis, and bokelers of kyng Dauid, the whiche he hadde sacride in to the hous of the Lord. [verse 10] And he sette al the puple, of holdyng daggers, fro the riȝt partie of the temple vnto the left part of the temple, before the auter and the temple, by enuyroun of the kyng. [verse 11] And thei ladden out the kingus sone, and putten on to hym a dyademe; and ȝeuen to hym in his hond the lawe to ben holden, and thei setten hym kyng. And Joiada, the byschop, enoyntide hym, and his sonus; and thei inwardly preyden, and seyden, Lyue the kyng! [verse 12] That whanne Athalia hadde herde, that is, the voice of men rennyng and preysyng the kyng, sche wente in to the puple, into the temple of the Lord. [verse 13] And whanne sche had seen the kyng stondynge upon the gree in the entre, and princis and companyes abouten hym, and al the pu|ple of the lond ioyinge, and criynge in trumpis, and orgnys of dyuerse maner, syngynge to gydir, and the voice of men preysynge, sche kutte hir clothis, and seith, Aspyes! aspyes! [verse 14] Forsothe Joiada, the bischop, gon out to the leeders of

hundrithes, and princis of the hoost, seide to hem, Ledith hir out of the purseyntis of the temple, and be sche slayn with out forth with swerd; and the prest co|maundid, that sche shuld not be slayn in the hous of the Lord. [verse 15] And he putte on hondis to the nollis of hyre; and whanne sche had gon in the ȝate of the hors, of the hous of the king, thei slewen hir there. [verse 16] Forsothe Joiada couenauntide co|uenaunt of pese betwene hym and al the puple and the kyng, that ther were a puple of the Lord. [verse 17] And so al the puple wente `in to [in CE.] the hous of Baal, and thei distroyeden it; and auters, and mawmetis of it thei to-breeken; Mathan also, the preste of Baal, thei slewen before the auters. [verse 18] Forsothe Joiada sette prouostis in the hous of the Lord, that vndir the hondis of prestis, and Leuytis, the whiche Dauid delide in the hous of the Lord, that thei schulden offeren brent sacrifices to the Lord, as it is writen in the boke of Moysy, in ioye and songus, after the disposicyoun of Dauid. [verse 19] Also he sette porters in the ȝatis of the hous of the Lord, that ther schulde not gon in to it vnclene in eny thing. [verse 20] And he toke leeders of hundrithes, and most stronge men, and princis of the puple, and al the comoun of the lond. And thei maden the kyng to comme doun fro the hous of the Lord, and gon in by the mydil of the ouerȝate in to the hous of the kyng; and thei setten hym in the kyngus see. [verse 21] And al the puple of the lond gladide, and the cytee restyde; bot Athalia is slayn with swerde.