2 Chronicles · Chapter 11

[ edit] Roboam forſoþe came into Jeruſalem, and clepide al þe hous of Juda and of Beniamyn, vnto an hundriþ and eiȝty þouſand of choſen fiȝtynge men, þat he fiȝte aȝeynus Yſrael, and turne to hym his rewme. And þe word of þe Lord is maad to Semyam, þe man of God, ſeyinge, Speke to Roboam, þe ſone of Salamon, kyng of Juda, and to al Yrael, þat is in Juda and Beniamyn; Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord, Ȝe ſchul not ſteyȝen up, ne fiȝten aȝeyn ȝoure breþeren; turne aȝein ech oon in to his hous, for þis is doon by my wille. Þe whiche whan hadden herd þe word of þe Lord, ben torned aȝein, ne þei wenten aȝeinus kyng Jeroboam.

Roboam forſoþe dwellide in Jeruſalem, and he bilde up wallid cytees in Juda; and he maad out Beþleem, and Eþan, and Thecue, and Beþſur; alſo and Sochot, and Odollam; alſo and Jeþ, and Mareza, and Ciph; but and Huram, and Lachis, and Arecha; Saraa alſo, and Haylon, and Ebron, þat weren in Juda and Beniamyn, cytees moſt ſtrengþed. And whanne he hadde cloſed hem wiþ wallis, he putte in hem princes of metis, and bernes, þat is, of oyle and of wijne. Bot and to alle þe cytees he maad armour places of ſcheeldis, and of ſperis, and he faſtnede hem wiþ moſt diligence, and comaundide vpon Judam, and vpon Benjamin.

Þe preſtis forſoþe and Leuytis, þat weren in al Yſrael, camen to hym fro al þeir ſeetis, forſakyng ſuburbis and þeir poſſeſſiouns, and goynge ouer to Juda and to Jeruſalem; forþi þat Jeroboam hadde caſt hem awey, and his aftir comers, þat þei vſen not þe preſþood of þe Lord; þe whiche ordeynede to hym ſilf preſtis of heeȝe þingis, and of deuyls, and of calues, þe whiche he hadde made. Bot and of al þe lynagis of Yrael, whiche euer hadde ȝeuen þeir herte þat þei ſechen þe Lord God of Yrael, came to Jeruſalem to offryn þeir ſlayn ſacrificis before þe Lord God of þeir faders.

And þei ſtrengþeden þe kyngdam of Juda, and to giþer ſtrengþeden Roboam, þe ſone of Salamon bi þre ȝeer; forſoþe þei wenten in þe weies of Dauid, and of Salomon, al oonly þre ȝeer. Forſoþe Roboam weddide a wijf Malaoþ, þe douȝter of Jerymuþ, ſone of Dauid, and Abiail, þe douȝter of Heliab, ſone of Yſaye; þe whiche bare to hym ſonis, Jeus, and Somoriam, and Jereum. And aftir þis he toke Maacham, þe douȝtir of Abſalon, þat bare to hym Abia, and Thai, and Siſa, and Salomyþ. Forſoþe Roboam louede Maacham, þe douȝter of Abſalon, ouer alle his wijues and ſecundaries. Forſoþe eiȝtene wijues he weddide, ſecundarie wijues forſoþe ſixty; and he gate eiȝte and twenty ſonis, and ſixty douȝters.

Forſoþe he ſette in þe heued Abiam, þe ſone of Maacha, duke ouer alle his breþeren; he þouȝte forſoþe to makyn hym kyng, for wijſer and myȝtyer ouer alle his ſonis, and in alle þe cooſtis of Juda and of Beniamyn, and in alle þe walled cytees; and he ȝaue to hem many metis, and he hadde many wijues.