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

CAP. IX.

Amasie dide good in party, but not in a [Om. βζ.] parfit herte, and he killide hem that hadden slayn the king his fadir, but he killide not her sones, as God bad in the lawe. This Amasie foond in al Juda and Beniamyn fro xx. ȝeer [Om. α. of δεηι.] and aboue, xxx. thousind of ȝunge men that ȝeden out to bateile, and heelden spere and scheeld; and he hyride of Israel an c. thousind of ful stronge men for an c. talentis of syluer, to fiȝte aȝens the sones of Edom. And a man of God seide to Amasie, "A! thou king, the oost of Israel go not out with thee, for the Lord is not with Ysrael, and with alle the sones of Effraym; that if thou gessist that bateilis stonden in the strengthe of oost [the oost β.] , the Lord schal make thee to be ouercomen of thin enemyes; for it is propir to God for to helpe, and `for to [Om. ζ.] turne into fliȝt." Therfore Amasie departyde awey the oost of Israel, and tristily ledde forth his puple to bataile; and he hadde the victorie, and killide xl. thousind of his enemyes in this [his ζ.] bataile. And aftir this victorie Amasie worschipide the goddis of Edom, and brente encense to hem;

wherfor God was wrooth aȝens [to β.] Amasie, and sente to him a prophete, that schulde seie to him, "Whi hast thou worschipid goddis that delyueriden [delyueren ζ.] not her puple fro thin hond?" Whanne the prophete spac these thingis to him, he answeride to the prophete, "Wher thou art a counceler of the king? ceese thou, lest perauenture I slee thee." Therfore the prophete ȝede awey, and seide, "I woot that the Lord thouȝte to [for to ι.] slee thee, for thou hast doo this yuel, and ferthermore [for ζ.] thou assentidist not to my counceil:" and so it bifelde in deede, for bi [Om. β.] pride he terride the king of Israel to werre, and nolde ceese for heleful coun|ceil of the king of Israel. Therfore the king of Israel ouercam the puple of Juda, and took Amasie, and distroiede the wal of Jerusalem bi iiij. c. cubitis, and took awey [Om. ζ.] al the tresour and vessels whiche he foond in Goddis hous, and in the kingis hous. And [Om. δεηι.] aftir this doing Amasie fledde out of Jerusalem into Lachis, for tresoun doon to him of his men; and thei senten [smiten δ.] , and killiden him in Lachis. And Osias his sone regnede for him lij. ȝeer in Jerusalem, and souȝte [he souȝte ζ.] God in the daies of Sacarie, vndirstondinge and seeinge God, and whanne he souȝte God, he [and δ.] louyde [bileuede to ζ.] him in alle thingis; and God helpide him aȝens Filisteys, and aȝens [Om. δει.] Arabeys, and aȝens Ammonytis. And [Om. ζ.] Ammonitis payeden ȝiftis to Osias, and his name was puplischid til to the entring [entre δε.] of Egipt, for ofte victories. He [and he ζ.] bildide manye touris in Jerusalem, and also in wildirnesse, for he hadde many beestis, and vynes, and vyntilieris, for he was a man ȝouen to erthe tilthe. He [and he ζ.] hadde in his oost ij. thousynd and vj. c. princes of stronge men, and iij. c. thousind `and vij. thousind [Om. βδει.] and v. c. that weren able to bateil, and fouȝten for the king aȝens aduersaries; and his name ȝede out fer, for God `helpide him [clepid ζ.] , and made him stronge. But whanne he was maad stronge, his herte was reisid into his deth, and he dispiside his Lord God, for he ȝede into the temple of God, and wolde brenne encense on the auter of encense, aȝens the lawe. And whanne the bischop and many noble [othere ι.] prestis aȝenstodyn him, and teldyn the lawe that was aȝens him, hee [and he ζ.] was wrooth, and helde the censer, and manaside hem; and anoon lepre roos in his forheed bifore the prestis in Goddis hous. Thanne the [Om. ζ.] prestis puttiden him out, and he hastide to go out, for drede, and for he feelide anon the veniaunce of God. Therfore king [the kyng δεηι.] Osias was leprouse til to the day of his deth, and dwellide [he dwellid ζ.] in an hous de|partid. And Joathan his [the kynges β.] sone gouernede the kingis hous, and deemyde the puple of the lond. And Joathan rengnyde xvj. ȝeer [Om. α.] in Jerusalem, and dide riȝtfulnesse bifore God, bi alle thingis whiche Osias his fadir hadde do, outaken this, that he entride not into the temple of God; and ȝit the puple trespasside. He [and he ζ.] byldide manye thingis, and fauȝt aȝens the king of the sones of Amon, and ouercam him; and the sones of Amon ȝauen to hym an c. talentis of syluer, and x. thousind corus of barly, and as manye of whete; and a [Om. βδεζη pr. m. ι.] corus conteyneth xxx. buschellis. And Joathan was maad strong, for he hadde dressid his weyes bifore his Lord God, and he was deed, and Achas his sone regnede for hym xvj. ȝeer in Jerusalem. This Acas dide not riȝtfulnesse in Goddis siȝt, but ȝede in the weies [weie ζη pr. m.] of the kingis of Israel, and made ymagis to Baal, and dide manyfold ydolatrie; and God bitook him in to the hond of the king of Sirie, which king smoot Acas, and took a gret prey of his rewme into [and broute into βζη sec. m.] Damask; and Acas was bitaken to [in to ζ.] the hondis of the king of Israel, and was smyten with a greet wounde. And Facee, the sone of Romelye, killide of Juda vj. score thousind in oo day, alle the werriouris; for thei hadden forsake the Lord God of her fadris; and the sones of Israel tooken of hire britheren of Juda ij. c. thousind of wymmen, and of children [litle childeren βζ.] , and of damyselis, and prey withouten ende, and baren it in to Samarie. And Obed, the prophete of God, seide to the men of Israel, that thei hadden do greet cruelte, and synned aȝens God, and bad hem [Om. β.] lede aȝen the prisoneris of Juda, "for whi

greet veniaunce of the Lord neiȝeth to ȝou." Therfore the princes of Israel maden the werriouris to forsake the prey, and alle thingis whiche thei hadden take; and the princis clothiden hem that weren nakid, and refreschiden hem with mete, and drinke, and anoyntyng of oile, for traueile, and senten hem hoom benyngly. Thanne king Acas sente to the king of Assiriens, and axide help; and Ydumeys camen, and killiden manye men of Juda, and tooken greet prey; and Filisteys tooken many citees of Juda, and dwelliden in tho. And God made low the puple of Juda for Acas the king of Israel, for he hadde maad `him nakid of help [naked the help of hym β.] , and for he hadde dispisid God. And God brouȝte aȝens him [Om. α.] Teglath Falasar, the king of Assiriens, that turmentide [tur|mende β.] him, and distroiede, for noon aȝenstood. Therfore Acas spoilide Goddis hous, and the hous of kingis [the kingis ζ.] and of [Om. ι.] princis, and ȝaf ȝiftis to the king of Assiriens; and natheles it profitide [profite ι.] no thing to him; and Acas, in the tyme of his anguysch, encreside dispising aȝens God, and offride sacrifices [sacrifice ζ.] to the [Om. ι.] goddis of Damask, and he seide, "The goddis of Sirie `helpen hem [help me ζ.] , whiche goddis I schal plese [worshipe δ.] with sacri|fices, and thei schulen helpe me," whanne aȝenward thei weren fallyng [into fallyng δει.] to him, and to al Israel. Therfor Acas rauyschide and brak alle the vessels of Goddis hous, and closide the ȝatis of Goddis temple, and made to him auteris in alle corners [the corneris βδεζι.] of Jerusalem, and in alle the citees of Juda, to brenne encense, and terride God to wraththe. And he diȝede, and Esechiee his sone rengnide for him xxix. ȝeer in Jerusalem; he [and he ζ.] dide that that [Om. β.] was ple|saunt in [to ζ.] Goddis siȝt, bi alle thingis which [that β.] Dauith his fadir hadde do. And he opynede the ȝatis of Goddis hous, in [Om. ζ.] the firste ȝeer of his rewme, and made prestis and dekenes to clense and halewe the [his ζ.] temple and auter [the auteer δεζι.] of God, with al the vessels and purtenaunsis of the temple; and he gaderide togidere alle the princis of the citee, and stiȝide into [in α.] Goddis hous; and thei offriden vij. boolis and [Om. ι.] vij. rammes, vij. lambren, and [Om. β.] vij. buckis of geet, for synne, for the rewme, for the [Om. βζ.] sentuarie, and for Juda. And he seide to the prestis, the [of the β.] sones of Aaron, that thei schulden offre on the auter of God, and thei diden so. And he ordeynede dekenys in the hous of God, with symbals and sautrees and harpis, bi [and bi ζ.] the ordynaunce of Dauith, and of Gad, the prophete of the king, and of Nathan the prophete; for it was the comaundement of God bi the hond of hise prophetis. And dekenys [the dekenes ζ.] stooden and heelden the orgenys of Dauith, and prestis heldyn trumpis. And Esechie comaundide that thei schulden offre brent sacrifices [a sacrifice ζ.] on the auter, and whanne brent [the brent η.] sacrifices weren offrid, thei bigunnen `to singe [Om. β.] heryingis [heriyng ζ.] to God, and to [so ζ.] sounne with trumpis and diuerse orgenys, whiche Dauith the king of Israel hadde maad redy for to sounne. And Esechie and the princis comaundiden to the dekenys that thei schulden herie God with the wordis of Dauith, and of Asaph the prophete. And Esechie sente to al Israel and Juda, and wroot epistlis to Effraym and Manasses, that thei schulden come to Goddis hous in Jeru|salem, and make pask to the Lord God of Israel. And it pleside the [to the β.] king and al the multitude, and thei demeden to sende messangeris into al Israel, fro [and fro ζ.] Bersabee til to Dan, that thei schulden come and make pask to the Lord God `of Israel [Om. ι.] in Jerusalem. And cur|rowris ȝeden out with epistlis, bi comaundement [co|maundementis ζ.] of the king and of hise princes, `in to [to ε pr. m.] al Israel and Juda, as the king hadde comaundid, and precheden, "Sones of Israel, turne ȝe [Om. δει.] aȝeen to the Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of [Om. βζ.] Israel, and he schal turne aȝen to the remenauntis that ascapiden the hondis of the king of Assiriens; serue ȝe to [Om. βζ.] the [youre β.] Lord God of youre fadris, and the wraththe of his strong veniaunce schal be turned awey [aȝen δει.] fro ȝou; for if ȝe turnen aȝen to the Lord, ȝoure britheren and ȝoure sones schulen haue mersy bifore hire lordis, that ledden hem prisoners, and thei schulen turne aȝen into

this lond." Therfore currouris ȝeden swiftly [switly α.] fro citee `in to [to δει.] citee, by the lond of Effraym and of Manasses `til to [and of δει.] Sabulon, and thei scorneden and bymowiden the messengeris; natheles summe of Aser and of [Om. δεζι.] Manasses and of [Om. ζ.] Sabulon assentiden to the counceil, and camen in to Jerusalem. Goddis hond was maad in Juda, that he ȝaf to hem oon herte, and thei diden the word of God bi comaundement of the king and of princis, and many puplis weren gaderid in Jerusalem, to make the [Om. δεζι.] solempnite of pask in the ij. monthe; and thei distroieden the auteris that weren in [maad in ζ.] Jerusalem, and thei distroieden alle thingis in which encense was offrid to ydolis, and castiden forth [hem forth ζ.] in to the stronde of Cedron. Whanne these thingis weren halewid riȝtly, al Israel ȝede out, that was founden in the citees of Juda, and thei braken symylacris, either [or ζ.] ymagis, and hewiden [heew ζ.] doun [Om. β.] wodis, and distroieden hiȝe placis and auteris, and [Om. βζ.] not oonly of al Juda and Beniamyn, but also of Effraym and Manasses, til thei distroieden thoo outtirly. And Esechie ordeynede cumpanyes of prestis and of dekenis, bi her departingis, ech man in his owne offis, as wel of prestis as of dekenis, to brent sacrifices [sacrifice ζ.] and peesible [to peesible δει.] sacrifices, that thei schulden mynystre and knouleche and singe in the ȝatis of the castels, eithir [or ζ.] oostis, of the Lord. And Esechie comaundide to the puple to ȝeue to prestis and deknes her partys, that is, the firste fruytis and tithis, that thei myȝten ȝeue tent to the lawe of God. And there is teld myche of the paying and deel|ing of tithis and other [Om. ζ.] hooly thingis. Thanne it sueth hou Sennagerib blasfemede God of Israel, and hou Esechie counfortide the puple aȝens his blasfemye and pride. And [Om. δεηι.] Esechie and Ysaie the prophete preieden aȝens the blasfemye, and crieden til [Om. β.] in to heuene; and God sente his aungel, and he [Om. β.] killide ech strong man, and werriour, and prince of the oost of `the king of [Om. ζ.] Assiriens, and he [the king ζ.] turnide aȝen with schenschipe into his lond, and hise owne sones killiden him bi swerd. And God sauide Esechie and the dwelleris of Jerusa|lem fro the hond of Senacherib, king of Assiriens, and fro the hond of alle men, and ȝaf to hem reste bi cumpas. Aftir these thingis Esechie was syk to the deeth, and he preiede to God, and God herde him. And the herte of Esechie was reisid to pride, and wraththe was maad aȝens him, and aȝens Juda, and aȝens Jerusalem. And aftir he was meekid, for his herte was reysid, bothe he and the dwelleris of Jerusalem weren mekid, and therfore the veniaunce of God cam not in the daies of Esechie. And Esechie was ful riche and noble, and in alle hise werkis he dide welsumly, what euer thing he wolde. Natheles in the message of princes [the princis ζ.] of Babilone, that weren sente to him to axe of the grete wondir that bifel on erthe, God forsook him, that he was temptid, and alle thingis weren knowen that weren in his herte. Thanne [And β.] diȝede Esechie, and Manasses his sone rengnide in Jerusalem lv. ȝeer. And Manasses dide yuele bifore God, bi abomynacioun of hethen men, which God distroiede bifore the sones of Israel, and he byldide hiȝe placis, and made auteris to [on ζ.] Baalym, and dide manyfold ydolatrie, and seruede to wicche craftis, and sette [settide δεζι.] ydolis in the temple of God; and he disseyuede the puple of Juda and the dwelleris of Jerusalem, that thei diden yuel more than hethene men, which the Lord hadde distroied fro the face of the sones of Israel. And God spac to him and to his puple, and thei nolden take heede; therfore he brouȝte on hem the princis [prynce δει.] of the oost of the king of Assiriens; and thei tooken Manasses, and bounden him with chaynes and gyues, and ledde him into Babilone; and aftir that he was angwischid, he preiede his Lord God, and he dide penaunce gretly bifore the God [Lord God ζ.] of his fadris, and he preiede hertily, and bisouȝte God, and God herde his preier, and brouȝte [God brouȝte ζ.] him aȝen in to Jerusalem, into his rewme. And Manasses knew that the Lord himself is God, and he dide awey alien goddis, and symylacris, either [or ζ.] idolis fro Goddis hous, and distroiede auteris whiche he hadde maad in the hil of Goddis hous [Om. δει.] and

in Jerusalem, and castide alle out of the citee, and he restoride the auteer of God, and offride on it sacrificis [sacrifice ζ.] and herying [heriyngis ι.] , and comaundide [comandynge β.] the puple of Juda to serue the Lord God of Israel; and natheles the puple offride ȝit [Om. δει.] in hiȝe placis to her Lord God. Manasses diȝede, and Amon his sone regnide for him ij. ȝer in Jerusalem, and he dide yuel in Goddis siȝt, as Manasses his fadir hadde do, and offride and seruede to alle idolis, which Manasses hadde maad; and he reuerenside not the face of God, as Manasses reuerenside, and he dide many greetere trespasis; and whanne his seruauntis hadden conspirid aȝens him, thei kil|liden him; and the puple killide hem that hadden slayn Amon, and made Josie his sone king for him, and he regnide xxxj. ȝeer in Jerusalem. Josie [And Josie ζ.] dide that that was riȝtful in Goddis siȝt, and ȝede in the weies of Dauith, his fadir, and [he δ.] bowide neither to the riȝt side neither to the lift side. In the viij. ȝeer of his rewme, whanne he was ȝit a chijld, he bigan to seke the God of Dauith, his fadir, and in the xij. ȝeer, aftir that he bigan, he clenside Juda and Jerusalem fro hiȝe placis, and ymagis and ydolis. Thei distroieden bifore him the auters of Baalym, and the symylacris that weren put aboue; he kittide doun, and alto|brak wodis and grauen ymagis, and scateride the relijfis on the biriels of hem that weren wont to offre. Ferthermore he brente the boonys of prestis in the auteris of idolis, and he [Om. β.] clenside Juda and Jerusalem, and distroiede alle ydolis [the ydolis δ.] in the citees of Manasses and of [Om. ι.] Effrahym and of [Om. ι.] Symeon til to Neptalym. In the xviij. ȝeer of his rewme, whanne the lond and the temple of God was clensid, he sente worthi men to reparaile Goddis hous, and so thei diden in deede. And Elchie, the gret prest, ȝaf to Saphan, the scriueyn and solempne messenger [messangers ζ.] , the book of Goddis lawe, and he bar it to the king; and whanne the king hadde herd the wordis of the lawe, he to-rente hise clothis, and he comaundede Elchie and othere grete [Om. ζ.] men to goo, and preie the Lord for the king, and for the resydues of Israel and of Juda, on alle the words of the book of Goddis lawe; "for whi greet veniaunce of God hath droppid on vs, for oure fadris kepten not the wordis of God, that thei diden alle thingis that ben writen in this book." Therfore Elchie, and thei that weren sent togidere of the king, ȝeden to Olda, a profetesse, the [Om. β.] wijf of Sellum; and God seide bi hir that he schal bringe in on this place and dwelleris [the dwellers ζ.] therof yuelis, and alle cursinges that ben writen in this book of Goddis lawe; for thei forsoken God and sacrificiden [sacrifieden δει.] to alyen [other β.] goddis, to terre him to wrathfulnesse, in alle the werkis of her hondis; "but for thou, king of Juda, herdist the wordis of the book, and were meekid in Goddis siȝt, and weptist and to-rentist [rentist δεηι.] thi clothis, I haue herd thee," seith God, "and thou schalt be born in to thi sepulcre in pees, and thin iȝen schulen [schal ζ.] not see al the yuel which Y schal bringe in on this place, and on the dwelleris therof." And whanne Josie hadde herd these wordis, he clepide togidere alle the eldre men of Juda and of Jerusalem, and he stiȝide in to Goddis hous, and alle men [the men ι.] of Juda and the dwelleris of Jerusalem stiȝiden togidere, prestis and deknis, and al the puple fro the leeste `til to [in to β.] the moste, and in audiense of hem the king redde in Goddis hous alle the wordis of the book; and he stood in his trone, eithir [or ζ.] seete of doom, and smoot boond of pees bifore God, that he schulde go aftir God, and kepe hise heestis, and witnessingis [wytnessyng β.] , and iustifyingis, in al his herte and al [in al ι.] his soule, and do tho thingis that ben writen in that [the β. this δει.] book whiche he hadde red. And he chargide gretly on this thing alle men that weren founden in Jerusalem and Beniamyn; and the dwelleris of Jerusalem diden bi the [Om. δει.] couenaunt of the [here δει.] Lord God of her fadris. Therfore Josie dide awey alle abomynaciouns fro alle the cuntreys of the sones of Israel, and made alle men, that weren residue in Israel [Jerusalem δ.] , to serue her Lord God; in alle the daies of his lijf thei ȝeden not awey fro the Lord God of her fadris. Aftirward [After β. And afterward ζ.] Josie made pask in Jerusalem, and

ordeynede prestis in hire officis [office δζ.] , and bad hem mynystre in Goddis hous, and bad dekenis serue God and his puple Israel [of Israel ζ.] , and make hem redy bi hire housis and kinredis in the de|parting of ech, as Dauith, king of Israel, comaundide, and bad hem serue in the seyntuarie, bi the meynes and cumpanyes and [of βζ.] dekenis, and that thei be halewid, and offre pask, and make redy her britheren therto. And Josie made such a pask, that noon was lyk in [it in ζ.] Is|rael, fro the daies of Samuel the prophete, neithir eny of the kingis of Israel made pask, as Josie dide, to prestis, and dekenes, and to al Juda and Israel, and to the dwelleris of Jerusa|lem; for he ȝaf to al the puple that was founden in Jerusalem in the solempnite of pask, xxx. thousinde lambrin `and kidis [Om. β.] and othere scheep, and iij. thousind of oxun. Aftir that Josie hadde reparelid the temple, Necao, king of Egipt, stiȝide to fiȝte in Cartamys, and Josie ȝede forth aȝens him, and the king of Egipt seide to Josie, "I come not to day aȝens thee, but I fiȝte aȝens another hous, to whiche God bad and [Om. αη.] made [Om. η.] me go in haste; ther|fore ceese, thou king of Juda, to day aȝens God, which is with me, lest he [I ζ.] sle thee." Josie nolde turne aȝen, but made himself redy to bataile aȝens the king of Egipt, and assentide not to the wordis of the king of Egipt, spoken bi Goddis mouth. Therfore Josie was slayn of the king of Egipt, and the peple of the lond made Joacas his sone king in Jerusalem. He [And he ζ.] regnide iij. moonthis in Jerusalem, and the king of Egipt puttide [putte β.] him doun, and condempnide the lond of Juda in an c. talentis of syluer, and in a [oo δει. o ζ.] talent of gold, and made Eliachym his brothir kyng [Om. αη.] for him on Juda and Jerusalem, and turnide his name Joachym. He regnide xj. ȝeer in Jerusalem, and dide yuel bifore God. Therfore Nabu|godonosor took him, and ledde him boundyn with chaynes into Babilone, and baar thidir the vessels of Goddis temple; and Joakin his sone rengnide for him iij. moonthis and x. daies in Jerusalem, and dide yuel in Goddis siȝt. Thanne Nabugodonosor sente men that ledden hym into Babilone and bare [baren βζ.] out the [not αη.] preciouseste [preciouse ζ.] vessels of Goddis hous; and Na|bugodonosor made Sedechie king on Juda and Jerusalem [on Jerusalem δ.] . He [And ragraph to the beginning of cap. xi. omitted in δι.] rengnide xj. ȝeer in Jeru|salem, and dide yuel in Goddis siȝt, neithir was [he was ζ.] aschamyd of the face of Jeremye, the pro|phete, that spac to him of Goddis mouth. He brak the ooth maad too Nabugodnosor; therfore Nabugodnosor cam and took hym, and ledde him and alle the vessels and the [Om. ζ.] tre|souris of Goddis hous and of the king [kingis ζ.] and princis into Babilone, and killide the puple, and distroiede and brente Jerusalem; and the puple that was left alyue was led into Babilone, and seruede the king and his sones, til the king of Perseys rengnide, and til l. [seuenti ζ.] ȝer weren fillid [fulled β.] , bi Goddis word seid [Om. ι.] bi the mouth of Jeremye. And Cirus, king [the king β.] of Perseys, co|maundide to be prechid, ȝhe bi writinge in al his rewme, that Jewis schulden turne aȝen into Judee.