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

CAP. XXX.

[verse 1] Ezechie also sente to al Irael and Juda, and he wroote letters to Effraym and Manassen, that thei schulden commen in to the hous of the Lord in Jerusalem, and do pasch to the Lord God of Irael. [verse 2] Thanne gon in the counsele of the kyng, and of the princis, and of al the com|panye of Irael, thei deemedyn that they schulden don pasch the secounde moneth. [verse 3] Forsothe thei camen not to gydre to don in his tyme; for the prestis that myȝten suffisen weren not halowed, and the pu|ple not ȝit was gadered in to Jerusalem. [verse 4] And the word pleside to the kyng, and to al the multitude. [verse 5] And they deemeden for to senden messagers in to al Irael, fro Bersabe vnto Dan, that thei schulden commen, and don pasch to the Lord God of Irael in Jerusalem; manye forsothe hadden not done, as in the lawe it is beforn writen. [verse 6] And curours wenten with letters, of the heste of the kyng and of his princis, in to al Irael and Juda, after the whiche thing the kyng hadde co|maundide prechours, Sonis of Irael, turnith aȝein to the Lord God of Abra|ham, and of Ysaac, and of Irael; and he schal be turned aȝein to the releuys, that scapeden the hondis of the kyng of As|siries. [verse 7] Willith not ben maad as ȝoure fadirs and bretheren, that wenten awey fro the Lord God of their fadirs; and he toke hem in to deth, as ȝe seen. [verse 8] Willith not ful hardne ȝour nollis, as ȝoure fadirs;

takith hondis [hondith B. heede AFH.] to the Lord, and commith to the seyntuarye of hym, that he ha|lowed [halowe B sec. m.] with out eende; seruith to the Lord God of ȝour fadirs, and schal ben turned awey fro ȝou the wrath of his woodnesse. [verse 9] Ȝif forsothe ȝe weren turned aȝein to the Lord, ȝour bretheren and ȝour sonus schul haue mercy, with their lordis that hem laddyn caitijf; and thei schul ben turned aȝein into this lond. For|sothe pytouse and mercyable is the Lord oure God; and he schal not turnen awey his face fro ȝou, ȝif ȝe weren turned aȝein to hym. [verse 10] Thanne currours wente swiftly fro cyte vnto cite thoruȝ the lond of Ef|fraym and Manasse vnto Zabulon, hem scoornynge and vndermowynge hem. [verse 11] Ne|uerthelater sum men of Aser, and of Manasse, and of Zabulon, assentynge to the counseile, camen in to Jerusalem. [verse 12] In Juda forsothe is done the hond of the Lord, that he schulde ȝeuen to hem oon herte, and thei schulden don, after the heste of the kyng and princis, the word of the Lord. [verse 13] And there ben gadered into Jerusalem many puplis, that thei don the solempnyte of therf looues in the se|counde moneth. [verse 14] And rijsyng thei dis|truyden the auters, that weren in Jeru|salem; and alle thingus in the whiche to mawmetis was brend encense, turnynge vpsadoun, thei threwen in to the streme of Cedron. [verse 15] Thei offriden forsothe pasch the fourtenth day of the secound moneth; the prestis also and Leuytis at the last halowed, offreden brent sacrifice in the hous of the Lord. [verse 16] And thei stoden in their ordre, aftir the disposicyoun and the lawe of Moyses, the man of God. The prestis forsothe hadden taken the blood to ben sched of the hondis of Leuytis, [verse 17] forthi that myche puple was not ha|lowed;

and therfore the Leuytis schulden offren pasch to hem, that `came not to gydre [remembredyn not E pr. m.] to ben halowed to the Lord. [verse 18] A grete also part of the puple of Effraym, and Manasse, and Ysachar, and Zabulon, the whiche was not halowed, eetyn pasch not after that it is writen. And Ezechie preyede for hem, seyinge, The good [verse 19] Lord schal haue mercy to alle, that in al herte sechen the Lord God of ther fa|dirs; and it schal not ben wijtid to hem, that thei ben not halowed. [verse 20] Whome the Lord herde, and is plesid to the puple. [verse 21] And the sonus of Irael, that ben founden in Jerusalem, diden the solempnyte of therf looues seuen days in grete ioye, preisynge [preyinge B.] the Lord bi eche dais; the Leuytis also and the prestis by orgnys, that to their office fellen. [verse 22] And Ezechias spac to the herte of alle the Leuytis, that hadden good vndirstondynge vpon the Lord; and thei eeten seuen days of the solempnyte, offrynge slayn sacrifice [sacrifices C.] of pesyble thingus, and preysyng the Lord God of their fadirs. [verse 23] And it pleside to al the multitude, that thei schulden also halowen other seuen days; the whiche and thei diden with ful grete ioy. [verse 24] Eze|chias forsothe, king of Juda, ȝaf to the multitude a thousand boolis, and seuen thousand of scheep; the princis forsothe ȝeuen to the puple a thousand boolis, and scheep tenn thousand. Thanne is halowed a more multitude of prestis; [verse 25] and gladnesse thoruȝ held al the puple of Juda, both of prestis and of Leuytis, and of al the besy commyng, that weren commen of Irael, and of the comlyngis of the lond of Irael, and of the dwellers of Juda. [verse 26] And ther is don a grete so|lempnyte in Jerusalem, whiche [the whiche B.] maner

was not in the same cyte fro the days of Salomon, sone of Dauid, kyng of Irael. [verse 27] Forsothe the prestis and Leuytis risen, blessyng to the puple; and the voyce of hem is herd, and the preyer ful came into the hooly dwellinge place of heuen.